EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The success of our communication with Chinese consumers and travelers depend heavily on our ability to communicate on Chinese terms – in Chinese language, on Chinese platforms, easily accessible in China, searchable in China, with content that appeal to the Chinese target groups and ultimately inspire them to travel to our destinations and motivate them to stay longer and explore further.
As Lead Partner of the CHINAVIA II project, Wonderful Copenhagen proposes to appoint an agency for translation of tourist materials and information, including text content for websites and mobile apps, text for print materials and text for filmic materials into Chinese (simplified character system).
The services requested will be delivered to all partners of the CHINAVIA II project in direct coordination with the individual partners, yet with reference to Wonderful Copenhagen as Lead Partner of the joint client group. This Request for Proposals (RfP) outlines the requested services in relation to the task of translation throughout the CHINAVIA II project period. In the following sections are listed the details of the assignment, the requirements and criteria for selection and conditions of service delivery.
OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF CHINESE TRANSLATION SERVICES
The overall objective of the assignment of translation is to make both online, print and filmic materials available in Chinese language (simplified characters). The first phase of the assignment will primarily, but not exclusively, focus on translation of content for websites. Second phase will involve translation of a broader array of text materials for websites, print and film.
BRIEF BACKGROUND
CHINAVIA II is a Scandinavian cooperation project financed by partner contributions and interregional EU funds. The overall purpose of the project is to make Scandinavia and the Scandinavian partner destinations more attractive and welcoming to the Chinese travelers.
In order to make our destinations both more accessible and welcoming to Chinese travelers and to communicate the attraction of Scandinavian destinations to Chinese consumers, we need to provide tourist information in Chinese language, both online and on site.
Through Chinese online media, we can motivate the Chinese consumers’ travel aspirations and inspire their travel decisions. By providing Chinese information on site (both digital and print), we can make our destinations accessible and facilitate a better-informed travel experience to the Chinese tourist while travelling.
To communicate successfully with Chinese consumers and travelers, our mode of communication needs to operate on Chinese terms. This involves providing relevant and inspiring information and being present, searchable and visible in China’s online landscape.
We need to tell the right stories, the stories that reflect the Chinese perspective on the appeal of our destinations, and we need to do so in a language that is both relevant and up-to-date. In short, our materials and content should be available in Chinese language using travel terminology that is appropriate to the context and reflective of the stories, we wish to communicate.
This is the starting point of the assignment of translation within the framework of the CHINAVIA II project. The assignment will be further detailed in the following sections.
TRANSLATION SERVICE TRACKS
CHINAVIA II is operational over a time period starting from present until December 31, 2014. The selected contractor should therefore be able to undertake translations throughout the remaining project period.
Content for translation will be provided within four key tracks of service delivery, as indicated below.
1. Translation of website content primarily involves translation for the two websites of a) Scandinavia and b) Copenhagen.
2. Translation of print materials involves the translation of ie. print tourist brochures, city maps and signage.
3. Translation of digital content involves the translation of content for mobile apps and similar digital platforms.
4. Translation of filmic materials involves the translation of filmic scripts either for subtitles or for speak.
All four tracks are interrelated and content translated for project websites will, for example, be more or less applicable to digital platforms or print materials. Furthermore, the four tracks are not exhaustive to the translation needs. Ad hoc translations of questionnaires, official documents or similar may arise throughout the project. The division in tracks serve mainly to set the stage of the services requested.
CONTENT PROVIDERS
The project has a circle of Scandinavian partners (Danish, Swedish and Norwegian), representing the joint destination of “北欧” (Scandinavia) and the individual Scandinavian partner destinations.
Each of the four translation service tracks will involve both joint translation tasks (for Scandinavia as a joint product and destination), but also deliveries for the individual partner destinations. This means that all project partners will be providers of content for translation, while Wonderful Copenhagen – as Lead Partner and representative of the joint CHINAVIA II partner group – will also deliver overall content for Scandinavia at large.
SCOPE OF SERVICE DELIVERY
The key deliverables of the services requested are translated travel content, directly ready for upload, print or similar modes of publishing.
The selected contractor should be able to provide services of text translation from English to Chinese Mandarin (simplified) on an “as-and-when-requested” basis.
The CHINAVIA II assignment of translation encompasses many smaller translation tasks for each of the project partners. The scope of each task, deadline and format of delivery as well as other modalities will be agreed upon between the individual partner and the contractor directly.
The main portion of content to be translated will be for web and print. The two websites (Scandinavia and Copenhagen) are estimated to involve translation of between 30.000 – 50.000 words each. In addition to these two main sites, other project partners may have smaller, ad hoc needs in terms of content translations for web.
The translation of print materials is expected to involve translation of between 200.000 – 250.000 words, while digital content will involve translation of approximately 30.000 – 50.000 words. Finally, the translation of filmic materials is expected to amount to between 50.000 – 60.000 words throughout the project period.
The above-indicated amounts of words to be translated within the project period is indicative only. The CHINAVIA II partners, including Wonderful Copenhagen, are not obligated to provide any minimum of words for translation throughout the project period.
The estimation of word counts is to indicate scope of services only. In the context of the translation services requested in this RfP, a strict and literal word-for-word translation with direct cross-reference to the original English text is not required and even considered counterproductive to the purpose of the translation.
On the contrary, the translated texts are expected to be reflective of the target audience and hence adapted to the present and most commonly used Chinese travel terminology and the key destination narratives, as communicated in the delivered text materials.
SET-UP OF SERVICE DELIVERY
As described, translated materials and content should be delivered in agreement with the individual content provider. The selected contractor will therefore need to engage in direct coordination with the individual project partners, yet with overall client reference to Wonderful Copenhagen.
Wonderful Copenhagen also reserves the right to prioritize according to overall project deadlines and deliveries. Should individual partner deadlines coincide with overall project deadlines, Wonderful Copenhagen will act as the final reference to the contractor and maintain mandate to prioritize on the CHINAVIA II project’s behalf.
For example, the content delivery for launch of the two project websites needs to follow a tight web development schedule. This will demand close coordination between Wonderful Copenhagen and the web developer(s). Throughout this period, translation of web content will have priority to ensure the successful and timely site launch.
QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS
The selected contractor should be a reputed and experienced translation agency (English to Chinese Mandarin / simplified).
The agency should be able to demonstrate the key qualifications as listed below, deemed imperative to the ability to provide services in a satisfactory manner.
• Proven expertise and experience in translation of websites from English to Chinese Mandarin (simplified).
• Experience in and ability to work directly in the relevant CMS (upload content backend) and ensure proofreading after upload.
• Proven experience in and understanding of working with meta data translation, ie. translation and localisation of titles, descriptions and keywords, as part of the translation process.
• Comprehensive and proven experience in translation work of all kinds of materials, not only web (English to Chinese specifically).
• Full proficiency in methods and techniques specific to translation.
• Guarantee that translations are performed exclusively by Chinese Mandarin native speakers with perfect mastery of the mother tongue and excellent knowledge of English.
• Sensitivity to target group and ability to translate content and materials using the appropriate terminology.
• Proven experience from working with translations for the tourism and travel industry is considered an asset.
FORMAT OF SUBMITTED PROPOSAL
The submitted proposal should comprise of both a technical and a financial proposal.
The technical proposal is required, as a minimum, to include:
• Brief agency profile and track record.
• Description of the agency’s process for ensuring translation quality control and proof reading on a continuous basis.
• Description of method used to ensure both updated and consistent use of terminology from one document to another.
• Details of at least five (5) references for similar work (English to Chinese translations only) undertaken in the past five (5) years. Include travel or tourism related references, if any. Include as a minimum two (2) references with website specific content translations.
• Details of translator team, including their qualifications and certification (if any), as well as clearly specifying if they are native Mandarin speakers and their level of English.
• Indicate extent of the agency’s (and translator team’s) ability to accept urgent translation and adapt to any timeframe, specifying both average normal and urgent response times.
• Description of agency’s work process to ensure professional coordination and planning with Wonderful Copenhagen and the individual partners, including details of a fixed agency contact person (translation coordinator) for all enquiries and incoming translation assignments.
The financial proposal should cover the full contracting period and, as a minimum, include:
• Price/word for translation of up to 350.000 words in total.
• Price/word for translation of up to 500.000 words in total.
• Price/word for translation of more than 500.000 words.
The price will be accumulated for the entire project. If, for example, the total amount of words translated throughout the project period exceeds 350.000 words, the fee for the first translated word as provided by any one of the project partners, is also expected to be priced according to the discounted rate. The accumulated discount should therefore be deducted in the following settlement of accounts with Lead Partner, Wonderful Copenhagen.
The financial proposal should also include hourly fees for proofreading. If the agency operates with different fees between team members, the financial proposal should also clearly indicate these differences of fee.
CRITERIA FOR SELECTION
Wonderful Copenhagen will evaluate the submitted proposals according to the following, overall criteria:
Previous experience:
The evaluation of proposals will consider the previous experience of agencies in completing similar tasks of translation from English to Chinese Mandarin (simplified), as specified in the above section on qualifications and requirements. Furthermore, the agency’s methodology and workflow to ensure the best possible quality level of translated materials, while keeping with the most efficient and well-coordinated process, will also weigh in on the final evaluation of proposals. Proven and extensive experience with English to Chinese translations, as well as firm cultural understanding of target group and appropriate terminology are considered imperative to delivering the requested services.
Price & Quality:
The evaluation will consider the individual value proposition of each proposal, weighing in the qualifications of the agency, the requirements for satisfactory and timely delivery and the cost of services. The inexpensive proposal will not necessarily be selected over a more expensive one; the proposal will be evaluated according to the reasonability of the proportion of price versus qualifications and ability to deliver.
Wonderful Copenhagen is not bound to select any of the agencies / providers submitting proposals. This document does not obligate Wonderful Copenhagen or any of the CHINAVIA II project partners to contract for the supply of any products or services. Furthermore, Wonderful Copenhagen reserves its right to accept the tender either in full or in part.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
The internal communications of the work performed, management and contractual communications for this project will be executed in English. Proposals should therefore also be submitted in English.
The bidder shall bear all costs associated with the preparation and submission of the proposal up to the final award of the contract. Wonderful Copenhagen and the CHINAVIA II project will in no case be responsible or liable for those costs, regardless of the conduct of outcome of the procurement process.
As Lead Partner, Wonderful Copenhagen will collect, evaluate and select submitted proposals. Wonderful Copenhagen will also coordinate the workflow and process proceeding selection.
To be considered for the assignment, proposals should be submitted to Project Manager Signe Jungersted (sij@woco.dk) no later than Tuesday November 19th 2013, 11:00 am (GMT +1).
Questions are welcome up until deadline and should be directed at Signe Jungersted by e-mail only (sij@woco.dk).