Localization services for UPU software

Localization of UPU software

Summary and analysis updated

Localization of UPU software

Call for tenders Localization of UPU software 12 February 2025  2 Table of contents Page 1 Introduction 4 1.1 Profile of the UPU 4 2 Terms and conditions 4 2.1 Confidentiality 4 2.2 Legal status of the Vendor 5 2.3 Scope of the call for tenders 5 2.4 Background 5 2.5 Objectives 6 2.6 Use of subcontractors 6 2.7 Use of the emblem, name and initials of the UPU 6 2.8 Collusive bidding, anti-competitive practices and any other similar conduct 6 2.9 Intellectual property 6 2.10 Privileges and immunities 6 2.11 Tax exemption 7 2.12 Language 7 2.13 Signature 7 2.14 Participation notification 7 2.15 Contact persons 7 2.16 Further inquiries and questions 7 2.17 Delivery of tenders and deadline 8 2.18 Evaluation procedure 8 2.19 Modification, suspension or cancellation of the call for tenders 9 2.20 Tentative schedule 9 3 Tender structure – Response format 9 3.1 Cover letter 9 3.2 Executive summary 10 3.3 Bidder information 10 3.4 Subcontractor information 10 3.5 Functional proposal 10 3.6 Pricing structure 10 3.7 Delivery and payment schedule 11 3.8 UPU General Terms and Conditions 11 4 Service requirements 11 4.1 Description of the services 11 4.2 Bidder requirements 13 4.3 Consultant requirements 14 4.4 Assessment criteria 14 4.5 Duration of services 14  3 Table of contents Page 4.6 Location of the services 14 4.7 Reporting 15 4.8 Other requirements 15 4.9 Additional information 15  4 1 Introduction 1.1 Profile of the UPU The Universal Postal Union (UPU) was founded in 1874 in Berne, Switzerland, with the main goals of estab- lishing a single postal territory for the reciprocal exchange of letter-post items and adopting common principles for the international postal service in a non-discriminatory manner. Currently comprising 192-member coun- tries, the UPU became a specialized agency of the United Nations in 1948. The main mission of the UPU is to stimulate the lasting development of efficient and accessible universal postal services of quality, in order to facilitate communication between the inhabitants of the world. It does this by guaranteeing the free circulation of items over a single postal territory composed of interconnected networks, encouraging the adoption of fair common standards and the use of technology, ensuring cooperation and interaction among stakeholders, promoting effective technical cooperation, and ensuring the satisfaction of customers’ changing needs. The UPU is thus expected to play a major role in the continued revitalization of postal services. Furthermore, the UPU facilitates the development of worldwide postal services by providing an information and communication technology framework that allows the designated operators1 of UPU member countries to concentrate on the delivery of postal services to their customers. In this context, the UPU provides a global network with value-added services, as well as computerized applications for the management of international mail and international postal money orders. 2 Terms and conditions Unless otherwise indicated in this call for tenders, the term “Bidder” shall refer to any person, company or legal entity submitting a proposal in response to this call for tenders. The term “Vendor” shall refer to any selected bidder. 2.1 Confidentiality Bidders shall treat in strict confidence all information contained in this call for tenders and its attached docu- ments that is not already publicly known or generally accessible, particularly any documentation marked as confidential and distributed by the UPU to Bidders as additional confidential tender documentation. Bidders shall prevent the disclosure or distribution of all such information to third parties and other entities and persons not expressly authorized herein. In case of doubt, these confidentiality provisions shall nevertheless be observed. All Bidders are obliged to observe these confidentiality provisions before, during and after the tender process. These provisions shall not affect the legal obligations of the UPU and Bidders to disclose information. Bidders shall not use such information for any purposes other than those associated with this call for tenders. The call for tenders and all attached documents may be distributed or made available only to persons directly involved in the tender process on behalf of Bidders. If external agents or subcontractors are involved in the preparation of the tender documents, this must be indicated and their names provided in the participation notification (see section 2.14). Bidders shall assume full responsibility for the compliance of their agents, consultants, employees and sub- contractors, as well as any third parties involved on their behalf in this tender process, with these rules of confidentiality, and shall be liable for any damages resulting from misconduct or unauthorized disclosure. If a Bidder violates the confidentiality provisions contained herein, it shall be liable to pay a penalty to the UPU unless it can prove that no fault is attributable to it. This penalty shall not exceed 50,000 CHF per infringement. Payment of any such penalties shall not release Bidders from their obligation to observe these confidentiality requirements. 1 In accordance with article 2.1.6 of the UPU Constitution, a designated operator is any governmental or non-governmental entity officially designated by the member country to operate postal services and to fulfil the related obligations arising out of the Acts of the Union on its territory.  5 Bidders wishing to submit a proposal in response to this call for tenders must contact the person(s) specified in section 2.15 below and may, if necessary, request additional information from the UPU in relation to this call for tenders. Without prejudice to the confidentiality provisions set out above, Bidders agree that the receipt of any such information may be subject to the prior signature of a non-disclosure agreement between the Bidder and the UPU, under conditions to be determined and communicated by the latter. 2.2 Legal status of the Vendor The Vendor shall be regarded as having, in law, the legal status of independent contractor. The Vendor and its agents, consultants, employees and subcontractors (as authorized by the UPU) shall in no way be regarded as employees of the UPU. Such agents, consultants, employees and subcontractors of the Vendor shall not be entitled to any employment benefits from the UPU. The Vendor alone shall be responsible for due payment of all compensation owed to such agents, consultants, employees and subcontractors, including payment of any employment taxes, benefits, compensation and insurance. The Vendor shall represent and warrant that it will comply with all laws, rules and regulations required by the relevant authorities, including the appropriate withholding, reporting and payment of all necessary taxes. The Vendor shall be liable for all work performed, including any acts or omissions, by its agents, consultants, employees and subcontractors. 2.3 Scope of the call for tenders This call for tenders concerns the provision of localization services in relation to UPU software packages, such as the International Postal System and Customs Declaration System, in various languages over a four-year period. The languages most frequently required are French, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish, but others may be needed on a project-by-project basis. These services encompass translation and verification of con- tent, updating and maintaining translation memories, and project management, and may relate to user inter- faces, help systems and user guides. 2.4 Background The UPU develops and provides a range of IT solutions and related services, priced at a minimal level with a view only to covering its operational expenses. These solutions are available to its member countries and their designated postal operators, and other eligible entities within the wider postal sector. The framework of the UPU’s solutions is as follows: – IT solutions for the UPU International Bureau: These include corporate systems (e.g. enterprise resource planning and office tools), administrative support systems (e.g. delegate registration system) and tools for quality of service monitoring and statistical analysis; – IT solutions for designated operators: These solutions support operators in delivering UPU-defined international postal services, including letter post, parcel post, EMS and postal payment services. The UPU has expanded these offerings to enhance domestic postal services as a way to improve interna- tional service. Recently, the UPU has embarked on mobile applications for greater convenience and ease of use by customers. These solutions also support wider postal sector stakeholders, such as cus- toms authorities, airlines and handling agents. Key IT solutions for designated operators include: • Logistics solutions: – POST*Net Mail with quality of service reporting tools; – International Postal System (IPS); – Customs Declaration System (CDS) and the EAD Transport App (electronic advance data); – Domestic Postal System (DPS); • Financial solutions: The International Financial System (IFS) line of postal payment service solu- tions; • Integration solutions: The UPU’s suite of application programming interfaces (APIs) is designed for integration with local systems, mobile platforms and other UPU applications for various pur- poses, e.g. exchange of postal messages with business partners, transmission of postal payment details, sending and retrieving of operational data via electronic data interchange (EDI), checking of electronic customs declarations and referrals, bilateral agreements and EAD.  6 2.5 Objectives The UPU seeks to engage a provider of specialized services for the localization of UPU software applications in accordance with the conditions and specifications described in this call for tenders. 2.6 Use of subcontractors The Vendor shall not assign, sublicense, subcontract, pledge or otherwise transfer or dispose of its tender, or any of the rights and obligations contained therein or in an associated contract with the UPU, without the prior written consent of the UPU. The approval by the UPU of the engagement of any subcontractor shall not relieve the Vendor of any of its obligations or responsibilities concerning the work performed by such subcontractors. 2.7 Use of the emblem, name and initials of the UPU Bidders shall not advertise or otherwise make public the fact that they intend to provide, are providing or have provided services to the UPU, or use the emblem, name or initials of the UPU in connection with their business for purposes of commercial advantage or goodwill, without prior and explicit permission from the UPU. Bidders shall take all reasonable measures to ensure compliance with this provision by their agents, consultants, employees and subcontractors. 2.8 Collusive bidding, anti-competitive practices and any other similar conduct Without prejudice to the provisions in sections 3 and 4 below, Bidders (including their agents, consultants, employees and subcontractors) shall not engage in any collusive bidding, anti-competitive practices or any other similar conduct in relation to: − the preparation and submission of tenders; − the clarification of tenders; − the conduct and content of any negotiations, including final contract negotiations. For the purposes of this call for tenders, collusive bidding, anti-competitive practices and any other similar conduct may include the disclosure to, or exchange or clarification with, any other Bidder of information (in any form), whether or not such information is confidential to the UPU or to any other Bidder, in order to alter the results of the call for tenders in such a way that would lead to an outcome other than that which would have been obtained through a competitive process. In addition to any other remedies available to it, the UPU may, at its sole discretion, immediately reject any tender submitted by a Bidder that, in the UPU’s opinion, has engaged in any collusive bidding, anti-competitive practices or any other similar conduct with any other Bidder in relation to the preparation or submission of tenders, whether with respect to this call for tenders or other procurement processes conducted by the UPU. 2.9 Intellectual property This call for tenders and all its attached documents, including any content, forms, statements, concepts, pro- jects and procedures explicitly or implicitly forming part of the call for tenders, constitute the exclusive intellec- tual property of the UPU. This call for tenders is communicated to the various Bidders with the sole purpose of assisting them in the preparation of their respective tenders. Any hard copies of this call for tenders shall be destroyed or returned to the UPU by unsuccessful Bidders at the request of the UPU. 2.10 Privileges and immunities Nothing in or relating to this call for tenders, the activities described herein or any potential agreements related thereto shall be deemed as a waiver, expressed or implied, of any of the privileges, immunities and facilities that the UPU enjoys as a specialized agency of the United Nations system, pursuant to the Swiss Host State Act and the Agreement on Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations (on Swiss territory), the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the Specialized Agencies (outside Switzerland), and any other conventions and laws recognizing and/or granting such privileges, immunities and facilities to the UPU and its officials (such as the International Organizations Immunities Act in the case of the United States of America).  7 Accordingly, the Vendor shall expressly acknowledge and agree that the property and assets of the UPU, including any archives, data, documents and funds belonging to the UPU or held by it (including, without limi- tation, the data/hosting environments and servers pertaining to or associated with the provision of the services, as well as any data or documents in any form belonging to or held by the UPU on behalf of UPU member countries and their designated operators), are inviolable and shall be immune from search, requisition, confis- cation, expropriation and any other form of interference, whether through executive, administrative, judicial or legislative action. The Vendor shall immediately contact the UPU in the event of any attempt to violate or any violation of the UPU’s privileges and immunities, and shall take all reasonable measures to prevent such vio- lations. In the light of the UPU’s status as a specialized agency of the United Nations (and without prejudice to the observance, by the UPU, of any sanctions established by the United Nations Security Council), Bidders shall expressly certify their legal and operational willingness and ability to provide the services on a non- discriminatory basis for the benefit of all eligible entities established and/or situated in the territory of any UPU member country, irrespective of the existence of diplomatic relations between a Bidder’s country of incorpora- tion and/or operation and any UPU member country (including its designated operators). 2.11 Tax exemption Pursuant to article III, section 9, of the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the Specialized Agencies, the UPU is exempt from all direct taxes and from customs restrictions, duties and charges of a similar nature in respect of articles imported or exported for its official use. Furthermore, as an intergovernmental organization and a specialized agency of the United Nations, the UPU is exempt from value-added tax (VAT) in Switzerland (OLTVA, article 22; Instructions 2001 sur la TVA, arti- cles 574, 816 and others), as well as in other countries. Therefore, all prices shall be indicated in “net” form, without VAT or similar taxes. 2.12 Language Bidders must submit all tender documents entirely in English. 2.13 Signature Tender documents shall be signed by a representative (or representatives) duly designated and authorized to act on the Bidder’s behalf and with the authority to legally bind the Bidder and accept the terms and conditions of this call for tenders. 2.14 Participation notification Upon receipt of this call for tenders, Bidders shall send confirmation of participation to the contact person(s) listed in section 2.15 by the deadline indicated in section 2.20. 2.15 Contact persons Secretary of the Tenders and Procurements Committee Universal Postal Union International Bureau Weltpoststrasse 4 3015 BERNE SWITZERLAND E-mail: caa@upu.int 2.16 Further inquiries and questions Bidders must send any questions regarding the content of this call for tenders or any requests for clarification in writing to the contact person(s) listed in section 2.15 by 7 March 2025.  8 Answers to questions submitted by Bidders, as well as any additional information and updates relevant to this call for tenders, shall be published on the UPU website at www.upu.int/en/Universal-Postal-Union/ Procurement. 2.17 Delivery of tenders and deadline All tenders must be submitted to the UPU by e-mail only at RFP-2025-004@upu.int with “RFP-2025-004 – Localization of UPU software” as the subject line. The deadline for the submission of tenders is 25 March 2025 at 17.00 CET. The UPU shall not take into consideration any tenders received after this date and time. Furthermore, it shall not accept any tenders sent to any e-mail address other than that specified above or sent by any other means. There shall be no charge to the UPU for the preparation and submission of tender documents by Bidders. 2.18 Evaluation procedure The objective of the UPU’s evaluation process is to ensure the selection of a qualified, reliable and experienced Vendor capable of providing the specialized services and fulfilling the objectives set out in this call for tenders. The UPU shall conduct its evaluation procedure with a view to determining as objectively as possible the tender that best meets its specific requirements. All tenders submitted shall be subject to an in-depth assessment, at the UPU’s sole discretion, in order to enable the UPU to engage the most appropriate service provider. Due consideration will be given to Bidders’ specific backgrounds, qualifications and experience in relation to the required services. The prescribed structure of tenders, as set out in section 3, is mandatory for all Bidders. The UPU shall not take into consideration any tenders that do not fulfil the mandatory criteria. Tenders received by the UPU must address all aspects of this call for tenders, and Bidders should identify any aspects where they envisage modifications being necessary or consider elements to be missing. Tenders shall be evaluated on the basis of the following non-exhaustive list of criteria: – Economic criteria • Rates per word • Rates per hour • Minimum charge, if a rate per word or per hour is not applicable • Rates per project, as applicable • Discount structure (e.g. repetition within the text, volume discounts) • Bidders’ willingness to invest in the necessary initial education and training relevant to the UPU’s application structures – Quality criteria • Translation quality management methodology (e.g. proofreading, quality assurance checks and issue resolution, desktop publishing, project management) • References for similar projects and accomplishments • Corporate profile • Location and accessibility of the consultant/Vendor (overlap of at least 50% with Swiss office hours for communication purposes) • Ability to work remotely • Use of software tools such as MadCap Flare, MadCap Lingo, RC-WinTrans, Trados or equivalent • Demonstration of knowledge of postal matters and/or financial services, as set out in further detail in sections 3 and 4  9 Bidders should therefore consider how their tender corresponds with the criteria listed and clearly indicate this in their response document. The deliberations of the UPU Tenders and Procurements Committee (TPC) are strictly confidential. The TPC shall submit a report on its evaluation of the tenders received to the Director General of the UPU International Bureau, together with its final recommendation, for his assessment and authorization. The UPU is not bound to accept the lowest tender and reserves the right to accept all or part of a tender. In awarding the contract, account will be taken of both the overall costs of the work and of the nature and quality of the services to be provided. The UPU reserves the right to negotiate prices and terms and conditions of contract after receipt of tenders. Bidders will be informed of the outcome of their tender as soon as possible after the UPU has made its final selection. 2.19 Modification, suspension or cancellation of the call for tenders The UPU reserves the right, at its sole discretion and at any time before the conclusion of the tender process (i.e. at any time prior to the signature of the relevant contract with the Vendor), to modify, suspend or cancel all or part of this call for tenders. 2.20 Tentative schedule Publication of call for tenders 12 February 2025 Deadline for submission of participation notification 1 March 2025 Deadline for submission of queries 7 March 2025 Deadline for provision of responses to queries 14 March 2025 Deadline for submission of tenders to the UPU 25 March 2025 at 17.00 CET Estimated start of engagement 8 July 2025 3 Tender structure – Response format All information provided by Bidders must be fully compliant with the terms and conditions set out in section 2 above, as well as the provisions of this section and the service requirements listed in section 4 below. Moreover, the requirements stipulated in this call for tenders must be met in their entirety, according to the structure defined below and following the sequence and numbering provided in this section. The UPU shall evaluate all Bidder responses in accordance with the structure defined herein and shall have the right to reject any tenders that do not fulfil the requirements of this call for tenders. For each of the requirements listed in this call for tenders, Bidders shall answer with one of the following statements: – Covered; – Covered with limitations (explaining relevant limitations); – Not covered. Where the answer is “covered” or “covered with limitations”, Bidders shall provide further details and/or exam- ples of existing implementations of their solution in the field (existing use cases). 3.1 Cover letter Bidders shall submit a cover letter including: – A statement that the Bidder has read, understands and accepts all provisions of this call for tenders;  10 – The Bidder’s name, telephone number, postal address and e-mail address, and the name(s) of its rep- resentative(s); – A statement that the Bidder’s tender documents are valid for a minimum period of 120 days. The cover letter shall be signed by a representative (or representatives) duly designated and authorized to act on the Bidder’s behalf and with the authority to legally bind the Bidder and accept the terms and conditions of this call for tenders, and shall also include a confirmation of such authorization by the Bidder. 3.2 Executive summary Bidders shall provide an executive summary highlighting the most important aspects of their tender. 3.3 Bidder information Bidders must provide the following information: − Company structure, locations/subsidiaries; − Financial data (turnover, profit, etc.); − Partners and equity holders of the company; − Company history; − Market position and share in relevant markets. 3.4 Subcontractor information Not applicable. 3.5 Functional proposal Bidders shall submit a functional proposal addressing all of the requirements set out in section 4 (Service requirements). This proposal should outline the methodology, processes and timelines, as appropriate, that Bidders intend to implement in order to fulfil the objectives of this call for tenders. 3.6 Pricing structure Bidders should develop their pricing structure using the scenarios outlined in the table below, while compre- hensively addressing all evaluation criteria. Type Format Language pair Delivery format Volume Estimated Remarks turnaround time Online help HTML English and MadCap Flare 200,000 New French project words translation Online help HTML English and MadCap Flare 200,000 Revision of French project words an existing translation Online help HTML English and MadCap Flare 50,000 New Khmer project words translation Online help HTML English and MadCap Flare 50,000 Revision of Khmer project words an existing translation Bidders must also provide additional notes on the methodology used to extract and translate the various com- ponents of a project, as appropriate. The maximum remuneration for the contract as a whole shall not exceed 300,000 CHF. The UPU shall evaluate the tenders received based, in part, on this pricing structure.  11 Bidders shall not include VAT in their pricing structure (see section 2.11). All pricing information shall be set out exclusively in Swiss francs (CHF). 3.7 Delivery and payment schedule The target dates for provision of the services are as follows: Start date: 8 July 2025 End date: 7 July 2029 The delivery and payment schedules should be proposed by Bidders in their pricing structures, and must be agreed with the UPU. The Vendor shall be paid per localization project, with the work to be invoiced in full in arrears upon delivery. The UPU will make payment within 30 business days of receipt of invoice, subject to its acceptance of the services provided and the Vendor’s transmission to the UPU of any and all documentation clearly detailing the services to which the invoice pertains (in a format to be established by the UPU). 3.8 UPU General Terms and Conditions Bidders shall include in their tender a statement of acceptance of the UPU General Terms and Conditions for the Provision of Services, attached hereto for reference. The final terms of any contract arising from this call for tenders shall be defined by the UPU and accepted by the Vendor. Contract negotiations shall commence only after the final selection of a Vendor by the UPU. 4 Service requirements 4.1 Description of the services The Vendor will be expected to provide the following services: – Localization of user interfaces; – Translation of online help documentation; – Translation of user guides; – Creation and maintenance of a glossary and translation memory for each project and language, ensur- ing that content from previous translation memories is leveraged effectively; – Management of diverse content types (e.g. documents, mobile applications, software) and file formats (e.g. DLL, XML, STRINGS, XLSX, TXT, HTML); – Execution of review and formatting tasks, including quality assurance, engineering checks and desktop publishing; – Provision of independent third-party review to objectively assess translation quality in the event of dis- putes raised by subject matter experts or stakeholders; – Comprehensive project management. Example of a workload plan To assist Bidders in estimating the anticipated overall average project volumes and activities based on a one- year approach, the table below is provided as an example. Project File type Word count Delivery Language Task to be Completed format pair completed IPS 2022 HTML 215,000 MadCap English and Review of January online help Flare project French existing and 2023 translation of new content  12 Project File type Word count Delivery Language Task to be Completed format pair completed DPS 2021 HTML 14,377 MadCap English and Review of January SP2 online Flare project French existing and 2023 help translation of English and new content Arabic English and Spanish CDS 2021 HTML 25,239 MadCap English and Review of March 2023 SP2 online Flare project French existing and help translation of new content IPS 2021 HTML 210,746 MadCap English and Review of March 2023 SP1 online Flare project French existing and help translation of new content IPS 2022 DLL, TXT, 500 Excel English and Review of April 2023 SP1 user XLSX French existing and interface translation of English and new content Spanish English and Portuguese English and Russian IPS 2022 HTML 212,000 Madcap English and Review of May 2023 SP1 online Flare project French existing and help translation of new content CDS 2023 HTML 25,000 Madcap English and Review of July 2023 online help Flare project French existing and translation of new content CDS 2023 XLSX 500 Excel English and Review of July 2023 user French existing and interface translation of English and new content Spanish English and Portuguese DPS 2022 HTML 13,000 Madcap English and Review of September online help Flare project French existing and 2023 translation of English and new content Spanish English and Arabic DPS Mobile XML 500 XML English and Review of September user French existing and 2023 interface translation of English and new content Spanish English and Arabic  13 Project File type Word count Delivery Language Task to be Completed format pair completed DPS Web XLSX 2,000 Excel English and Review of September user French existing and 2023 interface translation of English and new content Spanish English and Arabic IPS 2023 DLL, TXT, 731 Excel English and Review of November user XLSX French existing and 2023 interface translation of English and new content Spanish English and Portuguese English and Russian IPS 2023 HTML 214,127 MadCap English and Review of December online help Flare project French existing and 2023 translation of English and new content Spanish English and Portuguese English and Russian 4.2 Bidder requirements Bidders shall propose at least one consultant who shall be the primary point of contact to ensure that the requirements specified for each localization task are addressed. Bidders shall also provide the CV and certifi- cates of the said consultant for further verification by the UPU. The UPU shall have the right to reject a proposed consultant if the individual does not fulfil the UPU’s require- ments as defined in this call for tenders. Bidders shall describe any relevant procedures concerning the replacement of proposed consultants at the UPU’s request owing to unsatisfactory performance or any failure to meet the profile requirements. Bidders shall also describe any relevant procedures for ensuring backup and the continuity of the services provided, as well as any relevant procedures pertaining to project management and communication. Bidders shall demonstrate a record of satisfactory performance in similar activities (i.e. reference letters and/or work completion certificates). The business transactions and activities carried out by the Bidder must be com- pliant with the mandates and principles of the UPU. Moreover, Bidders shall provide the following elements in their tenders: – At least two references for projects conducted within the last three years; – A localization package with specific rates on a per word, per hour and fixed-price basis, covering project management, testing, glossary implementation, quality assurance checks and review processes; – Objective evidence that their project team members/consultants are native speakers of the target lan- guages, ensuring that all localizations (translations) are performed by native speakers and not solely through automated translation tools; – A detailed account of the comprehensive localization review process; – A thorough description of project methodologies for delivering the required services;  14 – A description of the procedures in place to ensure service continuity and the backup/redundancy of localization deliverables; – A detailed procedure for transferring translation memories upon completion of the Vendor’s contract; – A comprehensive description of the Bidder’s capabilities regarding initial investment in education, train- ing and project set-up – A full explanation of practices for project management planning and lead times. 4.3 Consultant requirements Not applicable. 4.4 Assessment criteria Bidders will be assessed on the basis of a scoring system of up to 70 points for their functional proposal and 30 points for their pricing structure. Bidders’ proposals shall be assessed on the basis of the following criteria: Criteria Points obtainable Service level 10 Compliance with agreed service type and metrics as stated in the call for tenders Expertise and specialization 20 – Domain knowledge: Bidder’s experience in the postal or logistics industry – Technical localization experience: demonstrated proficiency in localizing various types of documentation, e.g. user manuals, online help, knowledge bases, soft- ware documentation, FAQs Technical skills 20 Tool proficiency: capabilities in using relevant software, such as: – content management and authoring: MadCap Flare, etc. – localization and accessibility: RC-WinTrans, SDL Passolo, etc. Ability to create documentation that meets localization and accessibility standards Portfolio and client feedback 20 – Relevance: alignment of portfolio samples with required complexity and style – Reliability: testimonials from past clients as to the Bidder’s work quality and pro- fessionalism Pricing and cost-effectiveness 30 Clearly outlined pricing structure and ability to offer a solution at a reasonable price Bidders shall provide evidence of their ability to meet these requirements by means of a list of references. 4.5 Duration of services The services are scheduled to commence in July 2025 for a total contract term of four years. 4.6 Location of the services The Vendor or its assigned consultant shall in principle work from its own premises or his/her home office. The Vendor or its assigned consultant shall liaise and work closely with the UPU (as instructed by the latter) and, on an exceptional basis, may be required to carry out certain tasks from the headquarters of the UPU in Berne, Switzerland.  15 4.7 Reporting The Vendor shall provide the UPU with weekly reports setting out the relevant services performed by the Vendor during that time frame. Such reports shall be prepared in accordance with a structure and format defined by the UPU. The UPU may contest the Vendor’s reports within 10 business days of receipt thereof. If the reports are not contested by the UPU within the said time frame, the services detailed therein may be deemed as duly provided by the Vendor and accepted by the UPU. 4.8 Other requirements Bidders shall confirm that their tender covers all costs associated with the provision of the services referred to herein. Any other costs to be incurred by the Vendor, including any travel costs incurred in the provision of the services at locations other than its own premises and specifically designated by the UPU, shall be subject to the prior written consent of the UPU. No other fees shall be paid, with the exception of reimbursement of other unavoidable costs incurred for successful delivery of the services, which shall also be subject to the prior written consent of the UPU. 4.9 Additional information Bidders may include any additional information that they deem necessary or relevant in order for the UPU to gain a clear and detailed understanding of the services being offered. 

Published

Localization of UPU software

Call for tenders Localization of UPU software 12 February 2025  2 Table of contents Page 1 Introduction 4 1.1 Profile of the UPU 4 2 Terms and conditions 4 2.1 Confidentiality 4 2.2 Legal status of the Vendor 5 2.3 Scope of the call for tenders 5 2.4 Background 5 2.5 Objectives 6 2.6 Use of subcontractors 6 2.7 Use of the emblem, name and initials of the UPU 6 2.8 Collusive bidding, anti-competitive practices and any other similar conduct 6 2.9 Intellectual property 6 2.10 Privileges and immunities 6 2.11 Tax exemption 7 2.12 Language 7 2.13 Signature 7 2.14 Participation notification 7 2.15 Contact persons 7 2.16 Further inquiries and questions 7 2.17 Delivery of tenders and deadline 8 2.18 Evaluation procedure 8 2.19 Modification, suspension or cancellation of the call for tenders 9 2.20 Tentative schedule 9 3 Tender structure – Response format 9 3.1 Cover letter 9 3.2 Executive summary 10 3.3 Bidder information 10 3.4 Subcontractor information 10 3.5 Functional proposal 10 3.6 Pricing structure 10 3.7 Delivery and payment schedule 11 3.8 UPU General Terms and Conditions 11 4 Service requirements 11 4.1 Description of the services 11 4.2 Bidder requirements 13 4.3 Consultant requirements 14 4.4 Assessment criteria 14 4.5 Duration of services 14  3 Table of contents Page 4.6 Location of the services 14 4.7 Reporting 15 4.8 Other requirements 15 4.9 Additional information 15  4 1 Introduction 1.1 Profile of the UPU The Universal Postal Union (UPU) was founded in 1874 in Berne, Switzerland, with the main goals of estab- lishing a single postal territory for the reciprocal exchange of letter-post items and adopting common principles for the international postal service in a non-discriminatory manner. Currently comprising 192-member coun- tries, the UPU became a specialized agency of the United Nations in 1948. The main mission of the UPU is to stimulate the lasting development of efficient and accessible universal postal services of quality, in order to facilitate communication between the inhabitants of the world. It does this by guaranteeing the free circulation of items over a single postal territory composed of interconnected networks, encouraging the adoption of fair common standards and the use of technology, ensuring cooperation and interaction among stakeholders, promoting effective technical cooperation, and ensuring the satisfaction of customers’ changing needs. The UPU is thus expected to play a major role in the continued revitalization of postal services. Furthermore, the UPU facilitates the development of worldwide postal services by providing an information and communication technology framework that allows the designated operators1 of UPU member countries to concentrate on the delivery of postal services to their customers. In this context, the UPU provides a global network with value-added services, as well as computerized applications for the management of international mail and international postal money orders. 2 Terms and conditions Unless otherwise indicated in this call for tenders, the term “Bidder” shall refer to any person, company or legal entity submitting a proposal in response to this call for tenders. The term “Vendor” shall refer to any selected bidder. 2.1 Confidentiality Bidders shall treat in strict confidence all information contained in this call for tenders and its attached docu- ments that is not already publicly known or generally accessible, particularly any documentation marked as confidential and distributed by the UPU to Bidders as additional confidential tender documentation. Bidders shall prevent the disclosure or distribution of all such information to third parties and other entities and persons not expressly authorized herein. In case of doubt, these confidentiality provisions shall nevertheless be observed. All Bidders are obliged to observe these confidentiality provisions before, during and after the tender process. These provisions shall not affect the legal obligations of the UPU and Bidders to disclose information. Bidders shall not use such information for any purposes other than those associated with this call for tenders. The call for tenders and all attached documents may be distributed or made available only to persons directly involved in the tender process on behalf of Bidders. If external agents or subcontractors are involved in the preparation of the tender documents, this must be indicated and their names provided in the participation notification (see section 2.14). Bidders shall assume full responsibility for the compliance of their agents, consultants, employees and sub- contractors, as well as any third parties involved on their behalf in this tender process, with these rules of confidentiality, and shall be liable for any damages resulting from misconduct or unauthorized disclosure. If a Bidder violates the confidentiality provisions contained herein, it shall be liable to pay a penalty to the UPU unless it can prove that no fault is attributable to it. This penalty shall not exceed 50,000 CHF per infringement. Payment of any such penalties shall not release Bidders from their obligation to observe these confidentiality requirements. 1 In accordance with article 2.1.6 of the UPU Constitution, a designated operator is any governmental or non-governmental entity officially designated by the member country to operate postal services and to fulfil the related obligations arising out of the Acts of the Union on its territory.  5 Bidders wishing to submit a proposal in response to this call for tenders must contact the person(s) specified in section 2.15 below and may, if necessary, request additional information from the UPU in relation to this call for tenders. Without prejudice to the confidentiality provisions set out above, Bidders agree that the receipt of any such information may be subject to the prior signature of a non-disclosure agreement between the Bidder and the UPU, under conditions to be determined and communicated by the latter. 2.2 Legal status of the Vendor The Vendor shall be regarded as having, in law, the legal status of independent contractor. The Vendor and its agents, consultants, employees and subcontractors (as authorized by the UPU) shall in no way be regarded as employees of the UPU. Such agents, consultants, employees and subcontractors of the Vendor shall not be entitled to any employment benefits from the UPU. The Vendor alone shall be responsible for due payment of all compensation owed to such agents, consultants, employees and subcontractors, including payment of any employment taxes, benefits, compensation and insurance. The Vendor shall represent and warrant that it will comply with all laws, rules and regulations required by the relevant authorities, including the appropriate withholding, reporting and payment of all necessary taxes. The Vendor shall be liable for all work performed, including any acts or omissions, by its agents, consultants, employees and subcontractors. 2.3 Scope of the call for tenders This call for tenders concerns the provision of localization services in relation to UPU software packages, such as the International Postal System and Customs Declaration System, in various languages over a four-year period. The languages most frequently required are French, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish, but others may be needed on a project-by-project basis. These services encompass translation and verification of con- tent, updating and maintaining translation memories, and project management, and may relate to user inter- faces, help systems and user guides. 2.4 Background The UPU develops and provides a range of IT solutions and related services, priced at a minimal level with a view only to covering its operational expenses. These solutions are available to its member countries and their designated postal operators, and other eligible entities within the wider postal sector. The framework of the UPU’s solutions is as follows: – IT solutions for the UPU International Bureau: These include corporate systems (e.g. enterprise resource planning and office tools), administrative support systems (e.g. delegate registration system) and tools for quality of service monitoring and statistical analysis; – IT solutions for designated operators: These solutions support operators in delivering UPU-defined international postal services, including letter post, parcel post, EMS and postal payment services. The UPU has expanded these offerings to enhance domestic postal services as a way to improve interna- tional service. Recently, the UPU has embarked on mobile applications for greater convenience and ease of use by customers. These solutions also support wider postal sector stakeholders, such as cus- toms authorities, airlines and handling agents. Key IT solutions for designated operators include: • Logistics solutions: – POST*Net Mail with quality of service reporting tools; – International Postal System (IPS); – Customs Declaration System (CDS) and the EAD Transport App (electronic advance data); – Domestic Postal System (DPS); • Financial solutions: The International Financial System (IFS) line of postal payment service solu- tions; • Integration solutions: The UPU’s suite of application programming interfaces (APIs) is designed for integration with local systems, mobile platforms and other UPU applications for various pur- poses, e.g. exchange of postal messages with business partners, transmission of postal payment details, sending and retrieving of operational data via electronic data interchange (EDI), checking of electronic customs declarations and referrals, bilateral agreements and EAD.  6 2.5 Objectives The UPU seeks to engage a provider of specialized services for the localization of UPU software applications in accordance with the conditions and specifications described in this call for tenders. 2.6 Use of subcontractors The Vendor shall not assign, sublicense, subcontract, pledge or otherwise transfer or dispose of its tender, or any of the rights and obligations contained therein or in an associated contract with the UPU, without the prior written consent of the UPU. The approval by the UPU of the engagement of any subcontractor shall not relieve the Vendor of any of its obligations or responsibilities concerning the work performed by such subcontractors. 2.7 Use of the emblem, name and initials of the UPU Bidders shall not advertise or otherwise make public the fact that they intend to provide, are providing or have provided services to the UPU, or use the emblem, name or initials of the UPU in connection with their business for purposes of commercial advantage or goodwill, without prior and explicit permission from the UPU. Bidders shall take all reasonable measures to ensure compliance with this provision by their agents, consultants, employees and subcontractors. 2.8 Collusive bidding, anti-competitive practices and any other similar conduct Without prejudice to the provisions in sections 3 and 4 below, Bidders (including their agents, consultants, employees and subcontractors) shall not engage in any collusive bidding, anti-competitive practices or any other similar conduct in relation to: − the preparation and submission of tenders; − the clarification of tenders; − the conduct and content of any negotiations, including final contract negotiations. For the purposes of this call for tenders, collusive bidding, anti-competitive practices and any other similar conduct may include the disclosure to, or exchange or clarification with, any other Bidder of information (in any form), whether or not such information is confidential to the UPU or to any other Bidder, in order to alter the results of the call for tenders in such a way that would lead to an outcome other than that which would have been obtained through a competitive process. In addition to any other remedies available to it, the UPU may, at its sole discretion, immediately reject any tender submitted by a Bidder that, in the UPU’s opinion, has engaged in any collusive bidding, anti-competitive practices or any other similar conduct with any other Bidder in relation to the preparation or submission of tenders, whether with respect to this call for tenders or other procurement processes conducted by the UPU. 2.9 Intellectual property This call for tenders and all its attached documents, including any content, forms, statements, concepts, pro- jects and procedures explicitly or implicitly forming part of the call for tenders, constitute the exclusive intellec- tual property of the UPU. This call for tenders is communicated to the various Bidders with the sole purpose of assisting them in the preparation of their respective tenders. Any hard copies of this call for tenders shall be destroyed or returned to the UPU by unsuccessful Bidders at the request of the UPU. 2.10 Privileges and immunities Nothing in or relating to this call for tenders, the activities described herein or any potential agreements related thereto shall be deemed as a waiver, expressed or implied, of any of the privileges, immunities and facilities that the UPU enjoys as a specialized agency of the United Nations system, pursuant to the Swiss Host State Act and the Agreement on Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations (on Swiss territory), the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the Specialized Agencies (outside Switzerland), and any other conventions and laws recognizing and/or granting such privileges, immunities and facilities to the UPU and its officials (such as the International Organizations Immunities Act in the case of the United States of America).  7 Accordingly, the Vendor shall expressly acknowledge and agree that the property and assets of the UPU, including any archives, data, documents and funds belonging to the UPU or held by it (including, without limi- tation, the data/hosting environments and servers pertaining to or associated with the provision of the services, as well as any data or documents in any form belonging to or held by the UPU on behalf of UPU member countries and their designated operators), are inviolable and shall be immune from search, requisition, confis- cation, expropriation and any other form of interference, whether through executive, administrative, judicial or legislative action. The Vendor shall immediately contact the UPU in the event of any attempt to violate or any violation of the UPU’s privileges and immunities, and shall take all reasonable measures to prevent such vio- lations. In the light of the UPU’s status as a specialized agency of the United Nations (and without prejudice to the observance, by the UPU, of any sanctions established by the United Nations Security Council), Bidders shall expressly certify their legal and operational willingness and ability to provide the services on a non- discriminatory basis for the benefit of all eligible entities established and/or situated in the territory of any UPU member country, irrespective of the existence of diplomatic relations between a Bidder’s country of incorpora- tion and/or operation and any UPU member country (including its designated operators). 2.11 Tax exemption Pursuant to article III, section 9, of the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the Specialized Agencies, the UPU is exempt from all direct taxes and from customs restrictions, duties and charges of a similar nature in respect of articles imported or exported for its official use. Furthermore, as an intergovernmental organization and a specialized agency of the United Nations, the UPU is exempt from value-added tax (VAT) in Switzerland (OLTVA, article 22; Instructions 2001 sur la TVA, arti- cles 574, 816 and others), as well as in other countries. Therefore, all prices shall be indicated in “net” form, without VAT or similar taxes. 2.12 Language Bidders must submit all tender documents entirely in English. 2.13 Signature Tender documents shall be signed by a representative (or representatives) duly designated and authorized to act on the Bidder’s behalf and with the authority to legally bind the Bidder and accept the terms and conditions of this call for tenders. 2.14 Participation notification Upon receipt of this call for tenders, Bidders shall send confirmation of participation to the contact person(s) listed in section 2.15 by the deadline indicated in section 2.20. 2.15 Contact persons Secretary of the Tenders and Procurements Committee Universal Postal Union International Bureau Weltpoststrasse 4 3015 BERNE SWITZERLAND E-mail: caa@upu.int 2.16 Further inquiries and questions Bidders must send any questions regarding the content of this call for tenders or any requests for clarification in writing to the contact person(s) listed in section 2.15 by 7 March 2025.  8 Answers to questions submitted by Bidders, as well as any additional information and updates relevant to this call for tenders, shall be published on the UPU website at www.upu.int/en/Universal-Postal-Union/ Procurement. 2.17 Delivery of tenders and deadline All tenders must be submitted to the UPU by e-mail only at RFP-2025-004@upu.int with “RFP-2025-004 – Localization of UPU software” as the subject line. The deadline for the submission of tenders is 25 March 2025 at 17.00 CET. The UPU shall not take into consideration any tenders received after this date and time. Furthermore, it shall not accept any tenders sent to any e-mail address other than that specified above or sent by any other means. There shall be no charge to the UPU for the preparation and submission of tender documents by Bidders. 2.18 Evaluation procedure The objective of the UPU’s evaluation process is to ensure the selection of a qualified, reliable and experienced Vendor capable of providing the specialized services and fulfilling the objectives set out in this call for tenders. The UPU shall conduct its evaluation procedure with a view to determining as objectively as possible the tender that best meets its specific requirements. All tenders submitted shall be subject to an in-depth assessment, at the UPU’s sole discretion, in order to enable the UPU to engage the most appropriate service provider. Due consideration will be given to Bidders’ specific backgrounds, qualifications and experience in relation to the required services. The prescribed structure of tenders, as set out in section 3, is mandatory for all Bidders. The UPU shall not take into consideration any tenders that do not fulfil the mandatory criteria. Tenders received by the UPU must address all aspects of this call for tenders, and Bidders should identify any aspects where they envisage modifications being necessary or consider elements to be missing. Tenders shall be evaluated on the basis of the following non-exhaustive list of criteria: – Economic criteria • Rates per word • Rates per hour • Minimum charge, if a rate per word or per hour is not applicable • Rates per project, as applicable • Discount structure (e.g. repetition within the text, volume discounts) • Bidders’ willingness to invest in the necessary initial education and training relevant to the UPU’s application structures – Quality criteria • Translation quality management methodology (e.g. proofreading, quality assurance checks and issue resolution, desktop publishing, project management) • References for similar projects and accomplishments • Corporate profile • Location and accessibility of the consultant/Vendor (overlap of at least 50% with Swiss office hours for communication purposes) • Ability to work remotely • Use of software tools such as MadCap Flare, MadCap Lingo, RC-WinTrans, Trados or equivalent • Demonstration of knowledge of postal matters and/or financial services, as set out in further detail in sections 3 and 4  9 Bidders should therefore consider how their tender corresponds with the criteria listed and clearly indicate this in their response document. The deliberations of the UPU Tenders and Procurements Committee (TPC) are strictly confidential. The TPC shall submit a report on its evaluation of the tenders received to the Director General of the UPU International Bureau, together with its final recommendation, for his assessment and authorization. The UPU is not bound to accept the lowest tender and reserves the right to accept all or part of a tender. In awarding the contract, account will be taken of both the overall costs of the work and of the nature and quality of the services to be provided. The UPU reserves the right to negotiate prices and terms and conditions of contract after receipt of tenders. Bidders will be informed of the outcome of their tender as soon as possible after the UPU has made its final selection. 2.19 Modification, suspension or cancellation of the call for tenders The UPU reserves the right, at its sole discretion and at any time before the conclusion of the tender process (i.e. at any time prior to the signature of the relevant contract with the Vendor), to modify, suspend or cancel all or part of this call for tenders. 2.20 Tentative schedule Publication of call for tenders 12 February 2025 Deadline for submission of participation notification 1 March 2025 Deadline for submission of queries 7 March 2025 Deadline for provision of responses to queries 14 March 2025 Deadline for submission of tenders to the UPU 25 March 2025 at 17.00 CET Estimated start of engagement 8 July 2025 3 Tender structure – Response format All information provided by Bidders must be fully compliant with the terms and conditions set out in section 2 above, as well as the provisions of this section and the service requirements listed in section 4 below. Moreover, the requirements stipulated in this call for tenders must be met in their entirety, according to the structure defined below and following the sequence and numbering provided in this section. The UPU shall evaluate all Bidder responses in accordance with the structure defined herein and shall have the right to reject any tenders that do not fulfil the requirements of this call for tenders. For each of the requirements listed in this call for tenders, Bidders shall answer with one of the following statements: – Covered; – Covered with limitations (explaining relevant limitations); – Not covered. Where the answer is “covered” or “covered with limitations”, Bidders shall provide further details and/or exam- ples of existing implementations of their solution in the field (existing use cases). 3.1 Cover letter Bidders shall submit a cover letter including: – A statement that the Bidder has read, understands and accepts all provisions of this call for tenders;  10 – The Bidder’s name, telephone number, postal address and e-mail address, and the name(s) of its rep- resentative(s); – A statement that the Bidder’s tender documents are valid for a minimum period of 120 days. The cover letter shall be signed by a representative (or representatives) duly designated and authorized to act on the Bidder’s behalf and with the authority to legally bind the Bidder and accept the terms and conditions of this call for tenders, and shall also include a confirmation of such authorization by the Bidder. 3.2 Executive summary Bidders shall provide an executive summary highlighting the most important aspects of their tender. 3.3 Bidder information Bidders must provide the following information: − Company structure, locations/subsidiaries; − Financial data (turnover, profit, etc.); − Partners and equity holders of the company; − Company history; − Market position and share in relevant markets. 3.4 Subcontractor information Not applicable. 3.5 Functional proposal Bidders shall submit a functional proposal addressing all of the requirements set out in section 4 (Service requirements). This proposal should outline the methodology, processes and timelines, as appropriate, that Bidders intend to implement in order to fulfil the objectives of this call for tenders. 3.6 Pricing structure Bidders should develop their pricing structure using the scenarios outlined in the table below, while compre- hensively addressing all evaluation criteria. Type Format Language pair Delivery format Volume Estimated Remarks turnaround time Online help HTML English and MadCap Flare 200,000 New French project words translation Online help HTML English and MadCap Flare 200,000 Revision of French project words an existing translation Online help HTML English and MadCap Flare 50,000 New Khmer project words translation Online help HTML English and MadCap Flare 50,000 Revision of Khmer project words an existing translation Bidders must also provide additional notes on the methodology used to extract and translate the various com- ponents of a project, as appropriate. The maximum remuneration for the contract as a whole shall not exceed 300,000 CHF. The UPU shall evaluate the tenders received based, in part, on this pricing structure.  11 Bidders shall not include VAT in their pricing structure (see section 2.11). All pricing information shall be set out exclusively in Swiss francs (CHF). 3.7 Delivery and payment schedule The target dates for provision of the services are as follows: Start date: 8 July 2025 End date: 7 July 2029 The delivery and payment schedules should be proposed by Bidders in their pricing structures, and must be agreed with the UPU. The Vendor shall be paid per localization project, with the work to be invoiced in full in arrears upon delivery. The UPU will make payment within 30 business days of receipt of invoice, subject to its acceptance of the services provided and the Vendor’s transmission to the UPU of any and all documentation clearly detailing the services to which the invoice pertains (in a format to be established by the UPU). 3.8 UPU General Terms and Conditions Bidders shall include in their tender a statement of acceptance of the UPU General Terms and Conditions for the Provision of Services, attached hereto for reference. The final terms of any contract arising from this call for tenders shall be defined by the UPU and accepted by the Vendor. Contract negotiations shall commence only after the final selection of a Vendor by the UPU. 4 Service requirements 4.1 Description of the services The Vendor will be expected to provide the following services: – Localization of user interfaces; – Translation of online help documentation; – Translation of user guides; – Creation and maintenance of a glossary and translation memory for each project and language, ensur- ing that content from previous translation memories is leveraged effectively; – Management of diverse content types (e.g. documents, mobile applications, software) and file formats (e.g. DLL, XML, STRINGS, XLSX, TXT, HTML); – Execution of review and formatting tasks, including quality assurance, engineering checks and desktop publishing; – Provision of independent third-party review to objectively assess translation quality in the event of dis- putes raised by subject matter experts or stakeholders; – Comprehensive project management. Example of a workload plan To assist Bidders in estimating the anticipated overall average project volumes and activities based on a one- year approach, the table below is provided as an example. Project File type Word count Delivery Language Task to be Completed format pair completed IPS 2022 HTML 215,000 MadCap English and Review of January online help Flare project French existing and 2023 translation of new content  12 Project File type Word count Delivery Language Task to be Completed format pair completed DPS 2021 HTML 14,377 MadCap English and Review of January SP2 online Flare project French existing and 2023 help translation of English and new content Arabic English and Spanish CDS 2021 HTML 25,239 MadCap English and Review of March 2023 SP2 online Flare project French existing and help translation of new content IPS 2021 HTML 210,746 MadCap English and Review of March 2023 SP1 online Flare project French existing and help translation of new content IPS 2022 DLL, TXT, 500 Excel English and Review of April 2023 SP1 user XLSX French existing and interface translation of English and new content Spanish English and Portuguese English and Russian IPS 2022 HTML 212,000 Madcap English and Review of May 2023 SP1 online Flare project French existing and help translation of new content CDS 2023 HTML 25,000 Madcap English and Review of July 2023 online help Flare project French existing and translation of new content CDS 2023 XLSX 500 Excel English and Review of July 2023 user French existing and interface translation of English and new content Spanish English and Portuguese DPS 2022 HTML 13,000 Madcap English and Review of September online help Flare project French existing and 2023 translation of English and new content Spanish English and Arabic DPS Mobile XML 500 XML English and Review of September user French existing and 2023 interface translation of English and new content Spanish English and Arabic  13 Project File type Word count Delivery Language Task to be Completed format pair completed DPS Web XLSX 2,000 Excel English and Review of September user French existing and 2023 interface translation of English and new content Spanish English and Arabic IPS 2023 DLL, TXT, 731 Excel English and Review of November user XLSX French existing and 2023 interface translation of English and new content Spanish English and Portuguese English and Russian IPS 2023 HTML 214,127 MadCap English and Review of December online help Flare project French existing and 2023 translation of English and new content Spanish English and Portuguese English and Russian 4.2 Bidder requirements Bidders shall propose at least one consultant who shall be the primary point of contact to ensure that the requirements specified for each localization task are addressed. Bidders shall also provide the CV and certifi- cates of the said consultant for further verification by the UPU. The UPU shall have the right to reject a proposed consultant if the individual does not fulfil the UPU’s require- ments as defined in this call for tenders. Bidders shall describe any relevant procedures concerning the replacement of proposed consultants at the UPU’s request owing to unsatisfactory performance or any failure to meet the profile requirements. Bidders shall also describe any relevant procedures for ensuring backup and the continuity of the services provided, as well as any relevant procedures pertaining to project management and communication. Bidders shall demonstrate a record of satisfactory performance in similar activities (i.e. reference letters and/or work completion certificates). The business transactions and activities carried out by the Bidder must be com- pliant with the mandates and principles of the UPU. Moreover, Bidders shall provide the following elements in their tenders: – At least two references for projects conducted within the last three years; – A localization package with specific rates on a per word, per hour and fixed-price basis, covering project management, testing, glossary implementation, quality assurance checks and review processes; – Objective evidence that their project team members/consultants are native speakers of the target lan- guages, ensuring that all localizations (translations) are performed by native speakers and not solely through automated translation tools; – A detailed account of the comprehensive localization review process; – A thorough description of project methodologies for delivering the required services;  14 – A description of the procedures in place to ensure service continuity and the backup/redundancy of localization deliverables; – A detailed procedure for transferring translation memories upon completion of the Vendor’s contract; – A comprehensive description of the Bidder’s capabilities regarding initial investment in education, train- ing and project set-up – A full explanation of practices for project management planning and lead times. 4.3 Consultant requirements Not applicable. 4.4 Assessment criteria Bidders will be assessed on the basis of a scoring system of up to 70 points for their functional proposal and 30 points for their pricing structure. Bidders’ proposals shall be assessed on the basis of the following criteria: Criteria Points obtainable Service level 10 Compliance with agreed service type and metrics as stated in the call for tenders Expertise and specialization 20 – Domain knowledge: Bidder’s experience in the postal or logistics industry – Technical localization experience: demonstrated proficiency in localizing various types of documentation, e.g. user manuals, online help, knowledge bases, soft- ware documentation, FAQs Technical skills 20 Tool proficiency: capabilities in using relevant software, such as: – content management and authoring: MadCap Flare, etc. – localization and accessibility: RC-WinTrans, SDL Passolo, etc. Ability to create documentation that meets localization and accessibility standards Portfolio and client feedback 20 – Relevance: alignment of portfolio samples with required complexity and style – Reliability: testimonials from past clients as to the Bidder’s work quality and pro- fessionalism Pricing and cost-effectiveness 30 Clearly outlined pricing structure and ability to offer a solution at a reasonable price Bidders shall provide evidence of their ability to meet these requirements by means of a list of references. 4.5 Duration of services The services are scheduled to commence in July 2025 for a total contract term of four years. 4.6 Location of the services The Vendor or its assigned consultant shall in principle work from its own premises or his/her home office. The Vendor or its assigned consultant shall liaise and work closely with the UPU (as instructed by the latter) and, on an exceptional basis, may be required to carry out certain tasks from the headquarters of the UPU in Berne, Switzerland.  15 4.7 Reporting The Vendor shall provide the UPU with weekly reports setting out the relevant services performed by the Vendor during that time frame. Such reports shall be prepared in accordance with a structure and format defined by the UPU. The UPU may contest the Vendor’s reports within 10 business days of receipt thereof. If the reports are not contested by the UPU within the said time frame, the services detailed therein may be deemed as duly provided by the Vendor and accepted by the UPU. 4.8 Other requirements Bidders shall confirm that their tender covers all costs associated with the provision of the services referred to herein. Any other costs to be incurred by the Vendor, including any travel costs incurred in the provision of the services at locations other than its own premises and specifically designated by the UPU, shall be subject to the prior written consent of the UPU. No other fees shall be paid, with the exception of reimbursement of other unavoidable costs incurred for successful delivery of the services, which shall also be subject to the prior written consent of the UPU. 4.9 Additional information Bidders may include any additional information that they deem necessary or relevant in order for the UPU to gain a clear and detailed understanding of the services being offered.