Request for proposals (RFP) The Provision of transcription services to the CSIR for a Human Language Technology data pipeline optimisation project

Transcription

1 CSIR TENDER DOCUMENTATION Request for proposals (RFP) The Provision of transcription services to the CSIR for a Human Language Technology data pipeline optimisation project RFP No. 667/30/10/2015 Date of Issue: 19 October 2015 Closing Date: Friday, 30 October 2015 Place: Tender box, CSIR Main Reception, Gate 3 ( North Gate) Enquiries Strategic Procurement Unit tender@csir.co.za Category Professional Service CSIR Business Hours 08:00 16:30

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION 3 2 BACKGROUND 3 3 INVITATION FOR PROPOSAL 3 4 VENUE FOR PROPOSAL SUBMISSION 3 5 TENDER PROGRAMME 4 6 PROPOSAL SPECIFICATION 4 7 SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS 5 8 DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION 6 9 ELIMINATION CRITERIA 6 10 EVALUATION PROCESS AND CRITERIA 6 11 PRICING PROPOSAL 8 12 VALIDITY PERIOD OF PROPOSAL 9 13 APPOINTMENT OF SERVICE PROVIDER 9 14 ENQUIRIES AND CONTACT WITH THE CSIR 9 15 MEDIUM OF COMMUNICATION 9 16 COST OF PROPOSAL 9 17 CORRECTNESS OF RESPONSES VERIFICATION OF DOCUMENTS SUB-CONTRACTING ENGAGEMENT OF CONSULTANTS TRAVEL EXPENSES ADDITIONAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS CSIR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO DISCLAIMER 12 DECLARATION BY THE TENDERER (RFP NO: 667/30/10/2015) ANNEXURE A - TECHNICAL SCORECARD 15 CSIR RFP No 667/30/10/2015 Page 2 of 15

3 1 INTRODUCTION The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is one of the leading scientific research and technology development organisations in Africa. In partnership with national and international research and technology institutions, CSIR undertakes directed and multidisciplinary research and technology innovation that contributes to the improvement of the quality of life of South Africans. The CSIR s main site is in Pretoria while it is represented in other provinces of South Africa through regional offices. 2 BACKGROUND The Human Language Technology (HLT) Research Group (RG) of the CSIR Meraka Institute specialises in research that makes interaction between people and machines easier. It investigates how HLT can be adapted and applied to benefit a developing country like South Africa. One of its specialist focus areas is that of Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) which provides computers with the capability to process and understand human speech. In order for this to take place, audio data is transcribed which will help create a data pipeline for the development of ASR systems. Thus, quality and accuracy of the transcribed data is of utmost importance for the development and success of ASR systems. 3 INVITATION FOR PROPOSAL Proposals are hereby invited for the provision of transcription services to the CSIR Meraka Institute s Human Language Technology Competence Area for a project aimed at optimising a data pipeline for human language technology development. 4 VENUE FOR PROPOSAL SUBMISSION All proposals must be submitted at: CSIR GATE 03 - Main Reception Area (in the Tender box) at the following address Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Meiring Naudé Road Brummeria Pretoria CSIR RFP No 667/30/10/2015 Page 3 of 15

4 5 TENDER PROGRAMME The tender programme, as currently envisaged, incorporates the following key dates: Issue of tender documents: 19 October 2015 Closing / submission Date: 30 October 2015 Target start date of the phase 1: 15 November 2015 Target completion date of phase 1: 30 November PROPOSAL SPECIFICATION All proposals are to be submitted in a format specified in this enquiry (if applicable). However, tenderers are welcome to submit additional / alternative proposals over and above the originally specified format. The current project, consisting of phases 1 and 2, requires transcription of a total of 25 hours of audio data that will be divided into two (i.e. 1 hour and 24 hours) parts. Phase 1 Transcribing 1 hour of satellite audio data Once the functional evaluation process has been completed based on the requirements set out in Section 9 below, bidders who scored more than 70% for functionality, will be considered for inclusion in the Pricing and B-BBEE evaluation. The top 3 bidders from the Pricing and B-B-BBEE evaluation will be requested to transcribe 1 hour of data for which a relevant CSIR purchase order will be generated. CSIR General Terms of Purchase, attached hereto as Annexure A, shall be applicable. Phase 2 Transcribing 24 hours of data Phase 2 will only commence once the functional, Pricing, B-BBEE and Quality evaluations have been completed and signed-off/approved by the client (external). Awarding of the contract for the transcription of the remaining 24 hours will be subject to client approval and funds availability. The tender will, thus, be awarded at the client s discretion, and will be entered into with one or more of the top three ranking bidders. Submitting a proposal and successful completion of phase 1 is not a guarantee that the tender will be awarded. Service providers are to submit the following information for the RFP process: CSIR RFP No 667/30/10/2015 Page 4 of 15

5 A) Proposer Background information Company / business profile consisting of exact business name, address, telephone number, fax, and VAT and / or CK registration number B-BBEE Certificate (if applicable) Company profile Length of time the company has been in business Number of transcribers currently available in the organisations At least two written testimonials / references from clientele one of which must be for a legal transcription service provided. References must contain valid contact details (i.e. telephone and /or ) of referee should further information be required. B) Technical proposal escribe process used to ensure quality and accuracy of transcriptions Describe methods the company will use to coordinate and manage the delivery of i) 1 hour as well as ii) ii) 24 hours transcription services Describe typical timelines for transcribing 1 hour of medium-poor quality audio data as well as availability and timelines to transcribe 24 hours of similar data Describe how organisation will ensure confidentiality of client information. C) Pricing Line item 1: x 1 hour audio transcription cost per hour Line item 2: x 24 hours audio transcription cost per hour 7 SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS 7.1 All proposals are to be sealed. No open proposals will be accepted. All proposals are to be clearly marked with the RFP number and the name of the tenderer on the outside of the main package. Proposals must consist of two parts, each of which is placed in a separate sealed package clearly marked: PART 1: Technical Proposal: RFP Number: 667/30/10/2015 PART 2: Pricing Proposal, B-BBEE and other Mandatory Documentation: RFP Number: 667/30/10/ Proposals submitted by companies must be signed by a person or persons duly authorised thereto by a resolution of a Board of Directors. CSIR RFP No 667/30/10/2015 Page 5 of 15

6 The CSIR will award the contract to qualified tenderer (s) whose proposal is determined to be the most advantageous to the CSIR, taking into consideration the technical (functionality) solution, price and B-BBEE. 8 DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION Proposals shall be submitted at the address mentioned above no later than Friday, 30 th October Where a proposal is not received by the CSIR by the due date and time, it will be regarded as a late tender. Late tenders will not be considered. 9 ELIMINATION CRITERIA Proposals will be eliminated under the following conditions: Submission after the deadline; Proposals submitted at incorrect location; Company profile and credentials requested not attached; The following mandatory documentation must be submitted with your proposal: Completed CSIR Supplier Registration Form. if not already registered on the CSIR Supplier database; Original valid Tax Clearance Certificate or Letter of Good standing issued by SARS; Company profile and copies of registration forms Copy of B-BEE certificate (SA Companies) 10 EVALUATION PROCESS AND CRITERIA Round 1 Elimination Round 2 Elimination Round 3 - Eliminiation NO First round of elimination NO Second round of elimination NO Second round of elimination RFP deadline for submission 16 October 2015 Functional evaluation (70% min) 20 October 2015 Pricing and BBEEE evaluation (Select 3 best quotes) 21 October hour of transcription and PO generated Quality evaluation. Highest quality transcriptions selected. 13 October 2015 YES Through to Price and BBEEE YES Through to Quality evaluation YES Consultation and agreement with client Enter into contract with supplier for remaining 24 hours. CSIR RFP No 667/30/10/2015 Page 6 of 15

7 10.1 Evaluation of proposals The evaluation of proposals will be subject to three stages, namely: Functional evaluation Pricing and B-BBEE evaluation Quality evaluation. Based on the results of the evaluation process, the CSIR will approve the awarding of the contract to successful tenderers. Only the top three ranking providers will be requested to transcribe the first hour of transcriptions and indicate if there will be cost implication, and these to be indicated separately. The 80/20 preference point system will be used where 80 points will be dedicated to price and 20 points to B-BBEE status. If all tenders received are more than R1m, the proposal will be cancelled and re-issued Functional evaluation A technical panel of evaluators will evaluate the proposals based on the following functional criteria. Criteria Weight Years of experience 20% Turnaround time 20% Quality assurance 50% Proven track record with legal transcriptions 10% Total 100% Proposals with functionality points of less than the pre-determined minimum overall percentage of 70% of the individual criteria will be eliminated from further evaluation. Scoring more than 70% on the functional evaluation will automatically allow all qualifying bidders to be considered in the Pricing and B-BBEE round of evaluations. Once phase 2 of the project, constituting the transcription of the remaining 24 hours, has been approved by the client, contracts will be entered into with either one or more of the top three ranking service providers as determined by the evaluation process. CSIR RFP No 667/30/10/2015 Page 7 of 15

8 Pricing and B-BBEE evaluation The round includes the evaluation of price and B-BBEE status. The 3 best quotations meeting the pricing and B-BBEE criteria will be selected to transcribe 1 hour of data. A CSIR purchase order, subject to the CSIR General Terms of Purchase (Annexure A), will be generated to compensate these 3 bidders for the 1 hour of transcription Quality evaluation This round of evaluation of quality will verify the quality of transcriptions against a strict HLT protocol, attached hereto as Annexure C. This protocol will serve as the basis for verification of quality of transcriptions by the service providers. Precise transcriptions are to be submitted in a text file format (.txt) on CD or USB. For ease of correlation, please maintain consistency with the original naming convention of the audio file (.wav) you would have received from the CSIR (e.g. original.wav once transcribed will be filed as original.txt ). Based on the result of the quality evaluation, negotiations will take place between the CSIR and the client for possible contracting of a service provider to transcribe the remaining 24 hours of data. 11 PRICING PROPOSAL 11.1 Pricing proposal must be cross-referenced to the sections in the Technical Proposal. Any options offered must be clearly labelled. Separate pricing must be provided for each option offered to ensure that pricing comparisons are clear and unambiguous Price needs to be provided in South African Rand (excl. VAT), with details on price elements that are subject to escalation and exchange rate fluctuations clearly indicated Price should include additional cost elements such as freight, insurance until acceptance, duty where applicable Only firm prices* will be accepted during the tender validity period. Non firm prices** (including prices subject to rates of exchange variations) will not be considered. *Firm price is the price that is only subject to adjustments in accordance with the actual increase or decrease resulting from the change, imposition, or abolition of customs or excise duty and any other duty, levy, or tax which, in terms of a law or regulation is binding CSIR RFP No 667/30/10/2015 Page 8 of 15

9 on the contractor and demonstrably has an influence on the price of any supplies, or the rendering costs of any service, for the execution of the contract; **Non-firm price is all prices other than firm prices Payment will be according to the CSIR Payment Terms and Conditions. 12 VALIDITY PERIOD OF PROPOSAL Each proposal shall be valid for a minimum period of three (3) months calculated from the closing date. 13 APPOINTMENT OF SERVICE PROVIDER 13.1 The contract will be awarded to the tenderer who scores the highest total number of points during the evaluation process, except where the law permits otherwise Appointment as a successful service provider shall be subject to the parties agreeing to mutually acceptable contractual terms and conditions. In the event of the parties failing to reach such agreement within a mutually agreed date after provisional appointment date, CSIR reserves the right to appoint, or not appoint, the service provider who was rated second, and so on. 14 ENQUIRIES AND CONTACT WITH THE CSIR Any enquiry regarding this RFP shall be submitted in writing to CSIR at tender@csir.co.za with RFP No 667/30/10/2015- The Provision of transcription services to the CSIR for a Human Language Technology data pipeline optimisation project as the subject. Any other contact with CSIR personnel involved in this tender is not permitted during the RFP process other than as required through existing service arrangements or as requested by the CSIR as part of the RFP process. 15 MEDIUM OF COMMUNICATION All documentation submitted in response to this RFP must be in English. 16 COST OF PROPOSAL Tenderers are expected to fully acquaint themselves with the conditions, requirements and specifications of this RFP before submitting proposals. Each tenderer assumes all risks for resource commitment and expenses, direct or indirect, of proposal preparation and CSIR RFP No 667/30/10/2015 Page 9 of 15

10 participation throughout the RFP process. The CSIR is not responsible directly or indirectly for any costs incurred by tenderers. 17 CORRECTNESS OF RESPONSES 17.1 The tenderer furthermore confirms satisfaction regarding the correctness and validity of their proposal and that all prices and rates quoted cover all the work/items specified in the RFP, and that prices and rates quoted cover all obligations under any resulting contract The tenderer accepts that any mistakes regarding prices and calculations will be at their own risk. 18 VERIFICATION OF DOCUMENTS 18.1 Tenderers should check the numbers of the pages to satisfy themselves that none are missing or duplicated. No liability will be accepted by the CSIR in regard to anything arising from the fact that pages are missing or duplicated One hard copy and one electronic copy (CD or USB memory key) of each proposal must be submitted. In the event of a contradiction between the submitted copies, the hard copy shall take precedence ed proposals will not be accepted Pricing schedule and B-BBEE credentials should be submitted with the proposal, but as a separate document and no such information should be available in the technical proposal If a courier service company is being used for delivery of the proposal document, the RFP description must be endorsed on the delivery note/courier packaging to ensure that documents are delivered to the tender box by the stipulated due date. CSIR RFP No 667/30/10/2015 Page 10 of 15

11 19 SUB-CONTRACTING 19.1 A tenderer will not be awarded points for B-BBEE status level if it is indicated in the tender documents that such a tenderer intends sub-contracting more than 25% of the value of the contract to any other enterprise that does not qualify for at least the points that such a tenderer qualifies for, unless the intended sub-contractor is an exempted micro enterprise that has the capability and ability to execute the sub-contract A tenderer awarded a contract may not sub-contract more than 25% of the value of the contract to any other enterprise that does not have an equal or higher B-BBEE status level than the person concerned, unless the contract is sub-contracted to an exempted micro enterprise that has the capability and ability to execute the sub-contract. 20 ENGAGEMENT OF CONSULTANTS CSIR Consultants will only be remunerated at the rates: 20.1 Determined in the "Guideline for fees", issued by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA); or 20.2 Set out in the "Guide on Hourly Fee Rates for Consultants", by the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA); or 20.3 Prescribed by the body, regulating the profession of the consultant. 21 TRAVEL EXPENSES 21.1 All travel expenses for the CSIR s account, be it directly via the CSIR s travel agent or indirectly via re-imbursements, will be in line with the CSIR s travel policy. The following will apply: 21.2 Only economy class tickets will be used A maximum of R1300 per night for accommodation, dinner, breakfast and parking will be allowed No car rentals of more than a Group B will be accommodated. CSIR RFP No 667/30/10/2015 Page 11 of 15

12 22 ADDITIONAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS 22.1 A tenderer shall not assume that information and/or documents supplied to CSIR, at any time prior to this request, are still available to CSIR, and shall consequently not make any reference to such information document in its response to this request Copies of any affiliations, memberships and/or accreditations that support your submission must be included in the tender In case of proposal from a joint venture (JV), the following must be submitted together with the proposal: JV Agreement including split of work signed by both parties; Each party s original Tax Clearance Certificate; The JV s B-BBEE certificate Proof of ownership/shareholder certificates/copies of Identity document; and Company registration certificates An omission to disclose material information, a factual inaccuracy, and/ or a misrepresentation of fact may result in the disqualification of a tender, or cancellation of any subsequent contract Failure to comply with any of the terms and conditions as set out in this document will invalidate the Proposal. 23 CSIR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO 23.1 Extend the closing date; 23.2 Request documentary evidence regarding any tendering issue; 23.3 Appoint one or more service providers, separately or jointly (whether or not they submitted a joint proposal); 23.4 Award this RFP as a whole or in part; and 23.5 Cancel or withdraw this RFP as a whole or in part. 24 DISCLAIMER This RFP is a request for proposals only and not an offer document; answers to it must not be construed as acceptance of an offer or imply the existence of a contract between the parties. By submission of its proposal, tenderers shall be deemed to have satisfied themselves with and to have accepted all Terms & Conditions of this RFP. The CSIR makes no representation, warranty, assurance, guarantee or endorsements to tenderer concerning CSIR RFP No 667/30/10/2015 Page 12 of 15

13 the RFP, whether with regard to its accuracy, completeness or otherwise and the CSIR shall have no liability towards the tenderer or any other party in connection therewith.. CSIR RFP No 667/30/10/2015 Page 13 of 15

14 DECLARATION BY THE TENDERER (RFP No: 667/30/10/2015) Only tenderers who have completed the declaration below will be considered for evaluation. I hereby undertake to render services described in the attached tendering documents to CSIR in accordance with the requirements and task directives / proposal specifications stipulated in RFP No. 667/30/10/2015at the price/s quoted. My offer/s remains binding upon me and open for acceptance by the CSIR during the validity period indicated and calculated from the closing date of the proposal. I confirm that I am satisfied with the correctness and validity of my proposal; that the price(s) and rate(s) quoted cover all the services specified in the proposal documents; that the price(s) and rate(s) cover all my obligations and I accept that any mistakes regarding price(s) and rate(s) and calculations will be at my own risk. I accept full responsibility for the proper execution and fulfilment of all obligations and conditions devolving on me under this proposal as the principal liable for the due fulfilment of this proposal. I declare that I have no participation in any collusive practices with any tenderer or any other person regarding this or any other proposal. I accept that the CSIR may take appropriate action should there be a conflict of interest or if this declaration proves to be false. I confirm that I am duly authorised to sign this proposal. NAME (PRINT) CAPACITY SIGNATURE..... WITNESSES COMPANY NAME. DATE:... DATE CSIR RFP No 667/30/10/2015 Page 14 of 15

15 25 ANNEXURE A - TECHNICAL SCORECARD Functional factors Weight Criteria Scoring Years of experience 20% Proof of relevant prior transcription experience 5 or more years experience = 10 4 years experience= 7 Less than 4 years experience = 0 Turn-around time 20% Time frames estimated for completion of the 1 hour transcription 5 days or less = 10 7 but less than 14 days = days = 0 Proven track record and evidence of relevant transcription services 20% Written references / testimonials regarding professionalism, quality, punctuality and ability to transcribe. References must contain valid referee contact details reference = references = reference = 0 Capacity to render required service 20% Profile of professional transcribers including number of qualifications, experience and professional affiliation (if applicable) 10+ with relevant professional qualification and experience 5-9 professional transcribers = transcribers = 0 Technical capability to render required service 20% Detail on quality assurance processes, verification of transcriptions, accuracy and processes to deal with transcribing poor quality data Detailed evidence of quality assurance processes provided for addressing data quality problems with two examples included = 10 No evidence = 0 CSIR RFP No 667/30/10/2015 Page 15 of 15