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Published 16 Dec 2024, 15:14 GMT

Official UK procurement notice

Interpreting, Translation and Transcription

Official notice

Authority: Scottish Government (Central government)·Consortium: 2 public authorities

Framework agreement4 lotsServicesOpen procedureSME suitable
Sectors: Business Services & Consultancy (79) Delivery: Scotland (UKM)
Framework ceiling (notional)£20,000,000total for 4 lots · framework ceiling, not attributable revenue · 1 value update
Submissions closed 11 Sept 2025awarded 13 Jul 2026
Lots 4see the lot list below

What is being bought4 lots · detail below

Published requirement description

Scottish Ministers are seeking to establish a Framework Agreement for the provision of Interpreting, Translation and Transcription Services for Framework Public Bodies throughout the Scottish Public Sector. The Framework is a multi-lot/multi-supplier agreement and has 4 lots covering the provision of:

Lot 1 - Face to Face Interpreting Services

Lot 2 – Telephone and Video Conferencing Interpreting Services

Lot 3 – Translation and Transcription Services

Lot 4 – Sign Language Services – British and International

Under Lot 1 - Face to Face Interpreting Services, the Contractor will provide a comprehensive face to face interpreting service from English into a wide range of spoken languages and dialects and from those languages and dialects into English or other languages as requested by Framework Public Bodies

Under Lot 2 – Telephone and Video Conferencing Interpreting Services, the Contractor will provide a telephone and video interpreting service from English into a wide range of spoken languages and dialects and from those languages and dialects into English or other languages. This will include a scheduled video interpreting service for Framework Public Body assignments booked in advance. This can be either via the Framework Public Body video portal or via the Contractor video portal.

Under Lot 3 - Translation and Transcription Services, the Contractor will provide a translation and transcription service from English into a wide range of spoken languages and dialects and from those languages and dialects into English or other languages as requested by Framework Public Bodies. The Contractor will also be required to provide an English-to-English service. The service required includes a highly accurate translation and transcription of style documentation, tapes and other forms of electronic media.

Under Lot 4 - Sign Language Services – British and International, the Contractor is required to provide both a comprehensive face to face sign language interpreting service and a Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) sign language service to fulfil the current and evolving needs of the Framework Public Bodies.

  • Recurrence: within 4 years.

CPV: Translation services

How this framework works

From the published notice
Places
up to 9 suppliers · 17 bids on the busiest of 4 lots (1.9 per place) · 5 appointed

Lots and requirements (4)Procurement structure

4 lots · all with a published value · same evaluation weights on every lot

Every one of these 2 lots carries the same published figure, £4,000,000: it is the framework's maximum for the whole notice, not each lot's own budget, and no share per lot is published. The cards below say ceiling above rather than repeat it.

Lot #1Face to Face Interpreting ServicesCancelledRenewalPublished value£9,000,000

Under Lot 1 - Face to Face Interpreting Services, the Contractor will provide a comprehensive face to face interpreting service from English into a wide range of spoken languages and dialects and from those languages and dialects into English or other languages as requested by Framework Public Bodies

Delivery: Scotland
Extensions: The Framework will be in place for a 4 year period, after this the Framework may be subject to renewal.Variant bids: not allowed
79530000 Translation services
Lot #2Telephone and Video Conferencing Interpreting ServicesCancelledRenewalceiling above

Under Lot 2 – Telephone and Video Conferencing Interpreting Services, the Contractor will provide a telephone and video interpreting service from English into a wide range of spoken languages and dialects and from those languages and dialects into English or other languages. This will include a scheduled video interpreting service for Framework Public Body assignments booked in advance. This can be either via the Framework Public Body video portal or via the Contractor video portal.

Delivery: Scotland
Extensions: The Framework will be in place for a 4 year period, after this the Framework may be subject to renewal.Variant bids: not allowed
79530000 Translation services
Lot #3Translation and Transcription ServicesCancelledRenewalPublished value£3,000,000

Under Lot 3 - Translation and Transcription Services, the Contractor will provide a translation and transcription service from English into a wide range of spoken languages and dialects and from those languages and dialects into English or other languages as requested by Framework Public Bodies. The Contractor will also be required to provide an English-to-English service. The service required includes a highly accurate translation and transcription of style documentation, tapes and other forms of electronic media.

Delivery: Scotland
Extensions: The Framework will be in place for a 4 year period, after this the Framework may be subject to renewal.Variant bids: not allowed
79530000 Translation services
Lot #4Sign Language Services – British and InternationalCancelledRenewalceiling above

Under Lot 4 - Sign Language Services – British and International, the Contractor is required to provide both a comprehensive face to face sign language interpreting service and a Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) sign language service to fulfil the current and evolving needs of the Framework Public Bodies.

Delivery: Scotland
Extensions: The Framework will be in place for a 4 year period, after this the Framework may be subject to renewal.Variant bids: not allowed
79530000 Translation services

What it takes to win
i

How this buyer will score bids.

The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).

Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add more
How bids were scored · same split on all 4 lots
Quality: 60%Price: 40%
Published award criteria (2)
  • Quality: 60
  • Price: 40
Conditions of participation1
  • Condition of participation
    no text published
    Minimum: It is a requirement of this framework that bidders hold, or can commit to obtain prior to the commence of any subsequently awarded contract, the types and levels of insurance indicated below: - Professional Risk Indemnity: in the sum of not less than 1,000,000 GBP per incident. -…
What this means for your bid
  • Price carries 40 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 4 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
  • “Interpreting, Translation and Transcription” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, up to 9 suppliers, not a single contract.

Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record · publisher note attached
Procedure method
Open procedure
Legal basis
CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Awarded
Procurement threshold
Unspecified in notice
Regulatory regime
Standard
Commercial structure
Framework agreement
Who may use this agreement
Not stated in the notice; call-off rights may be limited to the establishing authority
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Yes (GPA)
Recurring procurement
Yes · within 4 years.
First published
16 Dec 2024, 15:14 GMT
Last source update
31 Jul 2026, 08:56 BST
Award evaluation window
11 Sept 2025 – …
Authority reference
SP-24-010
FTS notice number
2026/S 000-072462
Classification (CPV)
Translation services
Delivery area
Scotland (UKM)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-04c86a Find a Tender
Contract terms
Electronic trading
e-invoicing allowed · electronic ordering · electronic payment
Review and risk notes
Review procedure

An economic operator that suffers or risks suffering loss or damage attributable to a breach of duty under Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 may bring proceedings in the Sheriff Court or Court of Session.

Publisher note: The estimated total value of 20,000,000 GBP advised at II.1.5 is a genuine estimate, which may be exceeded for the services within scope, up to a value of 30,000,000 GBP The Framework Agreement will be available for use by the Scottish Ministers (including Agencies), Scottish Non-Departmental Public Bodies, offices in the Scottish Administration which are not ministerial offices, cross-border public authorities within the meaning of section 88(5) of the Scotland Act 1998, The Office for the Secretary of State for Scotland, the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, councils constituted under section 2 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, bodies registered as social landlords under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001, Scottish health boards or special health boards, Student Loans Company Limited, the Commissioner of Northern Lighthouse operating as the Northern Lighthouse Board, Scottish Futures Trust, Equality and Human Rights Commission, Business Stream Ltd, the Business Gateway National Unit at the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, further or higher education institutions being fundable bodies within the meaning of section 6 of the further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 2005, any public body established by or under the Scotland Act 1998 or any Act of the Scottish Parliament, any association of or formed by one or more of the foregoing, bodies financed wholly or mainly by one or more of the foregoing, bodies subject to management supervision by one or more of the foregoing and bodies more than half of the board of directors or members of which, or, in the case of a group of individuals, more than half of those individuals, being appointed by one or more of the foregoing. In addition to the contracting authorities listed, the framework agreement will be available to charities entered on the Scottish Charity Register and voluntary organisations entered on the Membership Database of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations. Information about agencies of the Scottish Ministers, Scottish Non-Departmental Public Bodies and offices in the Scottish Administration which are not ministerial offices are listed at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/public-bodies/about/Bodies (SC Ref:837315)

How it was run

Official notice
Run through: Public Contracts Scotland · Who buys & how to bid on PCS
Supplier login requiredLanguage: EN
Access & registration note: Free single registration for Scotland; PCS-Tender (Jaggaer) for full bidding

Tender documents are also served through a separate tool: https://www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk ↗

Appointment period ends
11 Sept 2025, 12:00 BST
Submission channel
{"electronicSubmission"}
Accepted languages
en
Bid validity
270 days from the deadline
Bids opened
11 Sept 2025, 12:00 BST
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk ↗

Timeline

14 Apr 2025 → 31 Jul 2026 · 4 dates
  1. Next notice expected
    14 Apr 2025, 00:00 BST
  2. Admission / appointment period endsperiod end, not a bid countdown
    11 Sept 2025, 12:00 BST
  3. Bids opened
    11 Sept 2025, 12:00 BST
  4. Notice published81 days ago
    31 Jul 2026, 08:56 BST

Notice history

6 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 8 Aug 2025
  1. Published value updated to £20,000,000
    8 Aug 2025, 13:40 BST
    was £15,000,000
  2. Status changed to active
    8 Aug 2025, 13:40 BST
  3. Procurement method changed
    8 Aug 2025, 13:40 BST
  4. Deadline published: 11 Sept 2025, 12:00 BST
    8 Aug 2025, 13:40 BST
  5. Buyer details updated
    8 Aug 2025, 13:40 BST
  6. Status changed to complete
    31 Jul 2026, 08:56 BST

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast
Suppliers appointed 5admitted to the panel · see the list ↓
Bids received 1717 from SMEs · busiest of 4 lots
Contracts signed 4latest 13 Jul 2026

4 suppliers are admitted to this framework without individual award values or dates, see the supplier list below.

Contracts

All 2 of these contracts carry the same published figure, £4,000,000, the framework's maximum for the whole notice, not each contract's own value. They are not eleven separate sums.

  • Lot 1 - Face to Face Interpreting Services

    Signed
    13 Jul 2026
    Value
    £9,000,000
    Status
    active

  • Lot 2 – Telephone and Video Conferencing Interpreting Services

    Signed
    13 Jul 2026
    Value
    ceiling above
    Status
    active

  • Lot 3 – Translation and Transcription Services

    Signed
    13 Jul 2026
    Value
    £3,000,000
    Status
    active

  • Lot 4 – Sign Language Services – British and International

    Signed
    13 Jul 2026
    Value
    ceiling above
    Status
    active

Bid statistics published by the authority

LotBidsSMEVCSEValid bid range
1 · Face to Face Interpreting Services10bids · 10 electronic10——
2 · Telephone and Video Conferencing Interpreting Services12bids · 12 electronic12——
3 · Translation and Transcription Services17bids · 17 electronic17——
4 · Sign Language Services – British and International4bids · 4 electronic4——

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

2 public bodies on the notice

Scottish Government

Contracting authorityCentral GovernmentMinistry or any other national or federal authority, including their regional or local subdivisionsGeneral public services 4 Atlantic Quay, 70 York St, Glasgow, Scotland, G2 8EAContact email

Dispute resolution & review bodies

  • Edinburgh Sheriff Court and Justice of the Peace CourtReview body EdinburghContact phone

Framework contractors & participating bidders

5 commercial parties on the notice

Official documents & specifications (1)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Tender pack and attachments

  • Technical selection criteriatenderTechnical selection criteria