Transcription and Closed Captioning Services

The Vendor is required to provide comprehensive transcription and closed captioning services from a vendor that is well-versed in accurately transcribing a high volume of audiovisual materials according to ADA standards.
- Provide transcription and closed captioning services to aid the university in rendering accessible recently digitized audiovisual assets within the University.
- Transcripts and closed captioning of electronic audiovisual materials to provide the following:
•    Transcription of approximately 15,000 digital audio and video files (approximately 600,000 minutes)
•    Synchronous closed captioning of video files
•    At least 98% transcription accuracy rate for all deliverables
•    Written translation of audio/video source for all languages covered in recordings
•    Speaker identification and speaker tracking for multi-speaker recordings
•    Must have a quality assurance process to review completed transcriptions, including proofreading by a qualified human proofreader prior to delivery
•    Continuous captioning and transcription services starting the effective date of the resultant
•    Contract
•    Web-based account system with secure file transfer capability
•    Other services to aid in the accomplishment of the transcription project
- Statement that all transcriptions are performed by live people and not solely by computer programs/artificial intelligence.
- Explanation of an established, reliable workflow for receiving files and delivering transcripts on a continuous basis. Summary of standard transcript production process describing how the transcriber receives the electronic file and produces all or part of the transcript; whether one transcriber produces the entire transcript or a whether teams of transcribers may be used; a description of how the final transcript is reviewed and put together; a description of the tracking system used to ensure transcripts are produced within timeframes ordered by the customer; and how the final transcripts will be delivered to and accessed by the customer.
- Extensive qualifications and experience to show competence and success in providing accurate transcriptions of audiovisual recordings, including descriptions of experience of transcriptionist staff (names of staff and resumes not needed).
- Evidence of an established quality control process for producing nearly zero errors, inaudible, and/or indiscernible. Description of dispute resolution process to address customer concerns raised about timelines or accuracy of transcription services. Clear statement of institutional procedures for bad or indiscernible audio.
- Types of Audiovisual Content
•    Interviews, multi-speaker
•    Public forums, symposiums, and conferences
•    News broadcasts
•    Academic lectures, presentations
•    Political hearings, legislative sessions
•    Recorded musical content, vocal performances, and concert dialogue
•    Dictations, research content
•    Multi-language content, including but not limited to Spanish, German, Italian, French, Japanese, and Russian
•    Country regional dialects, particularly country area
•    Noisy background and high difficulty level audio.
- Accuracy
•    Provide the detailed procedures they propose to follow to ensure the transcripts are of high quality and that they accurately reflect audio that is provided.
•    Provide a declaration of the guaranteed transcript accuracy rate (at least 98%).
•    Please share the quality control procedures your organization uses. All transcripts should be proofread and properly researched by a human.
•    The margin of error shall not be greater than 1 substantive error per 500 consecutive words.
•    Substantive errors include but are not limited to each wrong word(s), each missing word(s), each added word, each misspelled word, transposed word, and punctuation errors that change the meaning. 
•    Transcripts returned with a margin of error greater than 1 substantive error per 500 consecutive words may be subject to pay reduction or termination of the contract.

- Contract Period/Term: 1 year
- Questions/Inquires Deadline: December 17, 2025