Request for Proposal: Provision of Live Captioning Services

About inABLE

inABLE.org is a nonprofit organization based in Kenya with a mission to empower persons with disabilities in Africa through assistive technology. Over the last four years, inABLE has hosted the annual Inclusive Africa Conference that has created a platform to promote the advancement of digital accessibility and assistive technology for persons with disabilities in Africa. This year we are hosting the fifth Annual Conference that will take place on May 14th -16th 2024 in Nairobi Kenya. This is a hybrid event that aims to host 300 in-person delegates and over 2,000 online audiences.

Job Description

This Request for Proposal (RFP) document is intended to lead to the identification of vendors that can demonstrate having sufficient capacity and experience in provision of Live Captioning Servies during the live streaming of the Inclusive Africa Conference. inABLE is therefore soliciting from interested companies/individuals a request for proposal clearly showing the following:

• A company profile detailing the years of experience in the provision of Live Captioning and related services.
• Approval or License from relevant authorities to offer Live Captioning services (Provide evidence of compliance with statutory requirements, certification, and all other relevant licenses).
• Current list of clients and partners where similar services have been provided. Provide name of client, scope on contract, number of Live Captioners, services staff, Start date of the contract. (at least 5 clients)
• Geographical presence i.e. the regions that the vendor has offices/presence. (Please provide any other additional information that inABLE should be aware of.
• Financial proposal covering the cost for providing the services for the 3 days (14th -16th) and any other tasks related to this scope of work.

Key responsibilities

• Transcribe and caption live or pre-recorded audio/video content in real-time, including identifying and correcting errors.
• Maintain high accuracy rates while working quickly and efficiently under time pressure with minimal delay.
• Follow strict guidelines and formatting requirements to ensure captions meet industry standards.
• Use a variety of software programs and tools to create captions, including live captioning software, media players, text editors, and word processors.
• Monitor live events to identify and correct errors in real-time.
• Ensuring captions are synchronized with the audio and video elements of a program.
• Ensuring that captions accurately reflect the spoken words and phrasing of speakers.
• Coordinating with the production team to ensure that captions are correctly formatted and placed on the screen at the appropriate time.
• Provide customer service support to viewers who have questions or technical difficulties.
• Research and prepare for upcoming events by becoming familiar with the program.
• Captions should allow people with disabilities to fully understand the content in real-time.

Submission process

Eligible consultants are requested to submit their proposals online not later than 1st March 2024 by 5 p.m (EAT). Proposals will be evaluated based on qualifications and experience of proposed personnel. Shortlisted bidders may be invited for an interview or clarification session.

inABLE is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We however strongly encourage applications from people with lived experience of disability.