Request for Proposal: Short Term Consultant – Translation (Portuguese - preferably Brazilian Portuguese)

Background

The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), an International Organization, recognized vide Gazette Notification F. No. D-II/451/16(3)/2021 by the Government of India, is a multi-stakeholder global partnership of national governments, UN agencies and programmes, multilateral development banks and financing mechanisms, the private sector, and academic and knowledge institutions that aims to promote the resilience of new and existing infrastructure systems to climate and disaster risks in support of sustainable development. The vision, mission, goal, and objectives of CDRI are explicitly linked to the post-2015 development agendas. CDRI promotes its Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (DRI) mandate through knowledge exchange and bolstering technical capacities among member countries and partners through the following key Strategic Priorities:

• Advocacy and Partnerships
• Research, Knowledge Management, and Capacity Building
• Program Support and Technical Assistance

CDRI Headquarters (Secretariat)

The CDRI headquarters is established in New Delhi, India, to act as the Secretariat of the Coalition. The Secretariat functions under the direction of the International Governing Council and Executive Committee to implement the programmes of CDRI.

Objective of this assignment

CDRI is looking for a short-term consultant with high-level proficiency in the Portuguese language (preferably Brazilian Portuguese) to apply their linguistic skills to produce concise and accurate translations.

Scope of Work

The consultant is expected to work on-site and will work closely with the designated team from CDRI. In executing this assignment, the consultant will undertake the following indicative (but not limited to) tasks:

1. Assist in translating various materials (such as policies, website, reports, infographics, etc.) between English and Portuguese (and vice versa) in collaboration with different departments and projects at CDRI.
   1. Communicate with partners and member states to organize important events like stakeholder meetings, consultations, conferences, and workshops.
      1. Aid in translating text and emails between English and Portuguese (and vice versa) and follow up with Member Countries on priorities related to disaster-resilient infrastructure.
      2. Interpret stakeholder meetings, consultations, conferences, and workshops, using professional language to convey the intended meaning of the original content.
      3. Collaborate with thematic specialists from the CDRI Secretariat to coordinate and liaise with member countries for CDRI meetings.
      4. Translate internal and external documents/reports/materials from English to Portuguese (and vice versa) as needed, using professional comprehension and writing skills.
      5. Demonstrate understanding of documentation practices and ability to communicate technical concepts in simple language.
      6. Proofread, edit, revise, standardize, and finalize original or translated material for approval.
      7. Participate in team and project meetings and undertake other relevant duties related to content development at CDRI.
      8. Keep track of tasks/activities and provide regular updates/reports to the supervisor.
      9. Perform any other relevant tasks assigned by the reporting manager and senior management team members.

Skills Required

The consultant should demonstrate the following skills essential for this assignment:

• Strong coordination skills as well as excellent written and verbal communication abilities.
• Ability to handle different/multiple kinds of tasks with a positive and constructive attitude.
• Good interpersonal and facilitation skills.
• Experience of working in multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams.
• Ability to articulate and present concepts clearly and concisely.
• Quick learner & fast-paced with great attention to detail.
• Has a strong sense of ownership. Can work independently under minimal instruction.
• Strong time management and project management skills. Meet deadlines.
• Understanding of issues around data and privacy.
• Excellent computer proficiency, especially related to professional office software packages (Microsoft Office, etc.).

Timeframe

• Start Date: The assignment is expected to commence in February 2026.
• Completion Date: The assignment should be completed by April 2026.
• Duration: 3 months (with possible 3-month extension contingent on performance and requirement).

Qualifications and Expertise of the Consultant

Educational Criteria:

The Consultant should hold a minimum of a Bachelor's degree in Portuguese (preferably Brazilian Portuguese) and a Master's degree in Translation and Interpretation of Portuguese (preferably Brazilian Portuguese). Master's degree in programme or project management, engineering, international affairs and development cooperation, urban/infrastructure planning/management, monitoring and evaluation, climate studies, disaster management, or other relevant fields. The candidate should possess excellent writing, communication, and analytical skills, as well as the ability to understand and summarise technical documents.

Experience Criteria:

• A minimum of 1 year of relevant working experience.

Desirable:

• Experience living/studying/working in a Portuguese (preferably Brazilian Portuguese) speaking country.
• A C1 certificate/diploma in Portuguese (preferably Brazilian Portuguese).

Reporting

The consultant will report to the Lead Specialist-Communications.

Submission

Please share proposals in two separate PDF files:

1. Technical Proposal (Open PDF file) catering to, but not limited to, the following:
2. Technical Summary Sheet: Use the template in Annexure I to state: (i) a brief understanding of the TOR, (ii) availability for this consultancy (iii), and translation approach (including tone, terminology consistency and handling of technical content) as well as two relevant translation assignments completed in the last 3-5 years (client/sector, content type, approximate volume)

3. Curriculum Vitae (CV required): The CV should clearly cover total years of experience, core expertise in relevant translation/interpretation services.

   Note: A CV without the Technical Summary Sheet will be considered non-responsive.

4. Financial Proposal (Password-Protected PDF File): Use the template in Annexure II to provide the monthly professional fee (INR), inclusive of GST and the 3-month total fees. This should also include the bank details for payment.

Note: The Financial Proposal PDF must be password-protected. Under no circumstances should the password be shared at the time of submission. It will be requested separately after the RFP submission deadline has passed. (password requested only from technically qualified consultants).

Clarifications by Consultants

• Any clarification/queries on the RFP document may be sent to the Procurement Unit of CDRI in writing by email to [email protected]
• CDRI shall endeavour to respond to the queries raised or clarifications sought by the consultant. However, CDRI reserves the right not to respond to any query or provide any clarification in its sole discretion, and nothing in this clause shall be construed, taken, or read as compelling or requiring CDRI to respond to any query or to provide any clarification.
• At any time prior to the proposal due date, CDRI may, for any reason, whether at its own initiative or in response to clarifications requested by the consultant(s), modify the RFP document by way of issue of Addendum/ Corrigendum/ Clarifications. Any Addendum/ Corrigendum/ Clarification thus issued shall be shared with all consultants by email and/or uploaded on the website of CDRI (https://cdri.world/work-with-us/#tenders) and shall be binding on the consultant and shall form part of the RFP document.

Evaluation

1. The consultant will be selected following a Quality Cum Cost Basis (QCBS) of selection.
2. Proposals shall be evaluated as follows: Evaluation Criteria for Technical proposals 100 points:

Other Terms & Conditions

• The proposals should be valid for 90 days after the final submission date.
• CDRI reserves the right to cancel this Request for Proposal before or after the receipt of proposals or after opening the proposal and call for fresh proposals. CDRI also has the right to reject any proposal without assigning any reason.
• Proposals incomplete in any respect will not be considered.

The consultants are requested to submit their proposal through email to [email protected] by 23:59 hrs (IST) on 21 January 2026. Responses received after the stipulated time or not in accordance will be summarily rejected.

Please ensure that your proposal is sent ONLY to the ABOVE-MENTIONED email ID before the closing date & time. Proposals sent/copied to any other email ID (other than above) OR received after the bid closing date & time (mentioned above) will not be accepted.