May I ask what your expectations are when it comes to implementation and support?.

Based on the UNFCCCaccess platform document it would be my advice to select an x amount of providers that can offer a solotion to a digital event platform. 

with that request you could ask for a demo, where you give each participant te same amount of time to demo their solution. 

As in the documents it states tgar during covid an online event platform played a pivotal role for facilitating engagement I would advise to request demo´s or documentation on how participants make sure audiences/attendees get engaged before, during and perhaps after an event. 

Define what you see as 'engagement' and how you would like to measure this 

Make sure that: 

1. support will almost 'not be needed': the tool you use should be user friendly and provide clear instructions, and how-to's 

2. make sure that support is also documented so that you would have no dependency on 'opening hours' of the provider you choose. 

3. if need be, is there an emergency line that IS available 24/7 

One process that I always found particularly useful in RFP process, is to share a link to a previous UNFCCC event website, and allow vendors to create a proof of concept from that event. This allows you to experience what an attendee journey would look like within that platform. Following initial demonstrations this link could then be shared with the UNFCCC team to go through the process of registering and experiencing an online event themselves. Sometimes the 'hands-on' experience is a great way to get a feel for which vendor is right for your event.

For accessibility requirements that will adhere to the EAA (European Accessibility Act), where all products and services will have to be compliant by June 2025 deadline, there are some additional questions that are worth asking:

1) Have you completed VPAT testing?

2) Are you 508 compliant?

3) Alternative Text

4) Safe colour mode

5) Captions/subtitles

6) Ability to work with screen reader

7) Ability to support keyboard usage

Due to the unique security requirements the UN have, I would recommend asking for referrals where vendors have worked with UN organisations (or similar) providing names for you to contact as part of the evaluation. This would preferably be with a client that has rolled out this technology for a similar number of events and participants.

At risk of moving too far ahead, we have worked with UN organisations previously where it's demanded that vendors sign UN terms rather than the vendor's terms and conditions. I thought it would be useful for any potential vendors to understand that process in case that isn't an option. Please could you let us know if vendors will have to agree to UN terms without having a legal review of vendor terms, or would there be some flexibility there?