Corporate Services 1 - Simultaneous Interpretation services for both virtual and in-person meetings

The Corporation of Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CCMEC) is seeking proposals for a contract to provide Simultaneous Interpretation services for both virtual and in-person meetings.

Key Requirements:
 

• Simultaneous Interpretation: The chosen contractor must offer simultaneous interpretation services for live/synchronous presentations, panel discussions, and business meetings. The majority of these meetings are held using popular commercial web-conferencing platforms, such as Zoom or MS Teams.

• Language Capabilities: The contractor should be proficient in providing interpretation services for both English to French and French to English.

• Interpreter Sourcing: The contractor should have the ability to source and coordinate qualified interpreters for both language directions. These interpreters must hold certification from reputable organizations like the International Association of Conference Interpreters (AIIC) or relevant provincial or territorial regulatory bodies. Such affiliations ensure the highest industry standards.

• Business Hours: CCMEC’s regular business hours are Monday to Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. Eastern Time. There may be occasions when, due to scheduling conflicts, meetings are held outside of these regular business hours.

• Pre-Meeting Testing and Setup: To ensure the smooth operation of each meeting, it is essential that interpreters and technicians are present in advance for testing and setup. For in-person meetings, we request technicians and interpreters to arrive at least 1 hour prior to the meeting’s start time. In the case of virtual meetings, they should log in at least 15 minutes before the scheduled start time. Additionally, to ensure the highest quality interpretation services, interpreters will be required to prepare for each meeting, including the review of supporting materials, relevant language nuances, and other important meeting content. These preparation hours should be factored into the fees for the meetings.

• Recording Policy: The contractor must agree to allow CCMEC to record meetings at no additional cost, with the understanding that such recordings will be used for internal purposes only and not for public dissemination. These recordings may on occasion be shared with business partners, such as ministerial staff.

• The majority of our meetings requiring simultaneous interpretation are carried out through the use of commercial web-conferencing platforms, such as Zoom or MS Teams; however, there may be occasions when an in-person meeting has to be planned. On these occasions, the selected contractor should be able to organize the rental of A/V equipment as well as hire associated technicians to enable simultaneous interpretation for these meetings. CCMEC would pay the related additional costs for equipment rental and hired personnel required on these occasions, either separately or as part of a consolidated invoice from the contractor.

• Interested parties are invited to submit their proposals, including details on their  capabilities, pricing structure, and any relevant experience with respect to providing simultaneous interpretation services.