Official UK procurement notice
Sign Language and Associated Services
Authority: Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe Contractor will provide Sign Language Interpretation services and other associated services. The main requirement is for interpreting for English to/from British Sign Language. The Contractor must provide simultaneous BSL interpreting for parliamentary business as requested. This will be filmed live, broadcast on the BSL Channel on SPTV, and archived. It will also be posted on the Parliament’s social media accounts and may be used by other broadcasters either live or later.
The Contractor will also provide other sign languages or supporting services as required. Additional sign languages and communication support services which will be in scope of the Contract, include, but are not limited to:
- Tactile BSL
- Electronic Notetakers
- Speech-to-text reporters
- Lip speakers
- Signalong (Sign-a-long)
- Sign Supported English
- International sign languages such as American Sign Language.
- Recurrence: March 2026
CPV: Interpretation services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedLot #1The Contractor will provide Sign Language Interpretation and associated servicesAwardedRenewal
The Contractor will provide Sign Language Interpretation and associated services.
The objective of this Contract is to enable people living in Scotland who are hard of hearing, D/deaf or Deafblind, or who have other communication support needs, to engage with the Scottish Parliament and participate meaningfully in parliamentary business, public engagement activities and events.
The Contractor will work cooperatively with the SPCB to find a solution to all SPCB sign language requirements. As a minimum, the Contractor will provide the following Services:
- BSL interpreting of First Minister’s Questions (FMQs) which are broadcast live and shown to visitors within the Chamber gallery and Main Hall; BSL interpreting of other Parliamentary business, which may also be filmed or broadcast either live or later.
- Interpreting for Scottish Parliament events, including ceremonial events such as the opening of Parliament or engagement events such as the Festival of Politics. Some of these events will also be filmed, broadcast and archived.
- Interpreting and/or other communication support services for witnesses giving evidence to committees
- Interpreting and/or other communication support services for participants in engagement activities including workshops, focus groups, educational sessions, tours, and meetings
- Interpreting and/or other communication support services for visitors to the Scottish Parliament accessing parliamentary services and facilities.
Most requirements are expected to be for interpreting for English to/from British Sign Language. The Contractor must also provide other sign languages or supporting services as required. Additional sign languages and communication support services which will be in scope of the Contract, include, but are not limited to:
- Tactile BSL
- Electronic Notetakers
- Speech-to-text reporters
- Lip speakers
- Signalong (Sign-a-long)
- Sign Supported English
- International sign languages such as American Sign Language. It is understood this may require the Contractor to work with Sub-Contractors or freelancers who don’t usually work in Scotland on occasion; all such requirements will be discussed with the Contractor as required.
Parliamentary business and major events will normally be filmed and broadcast live on SPTV. Footage is subsequently made available through the Video Archive on SPTV and posted on the Parliament’s YouTube channel. Some requirements may also be broadcast by external broadcasters. Filmed parliamentary business and events that include BSL interpreting will also be posted on the Parliament’s BSL Facebook Group and shared through other social media channels. Requirements for live interpreting of parliamentary business which is broadcast will always be in BSL and are expected to be the main requirement of the Contract. The Contractor must be able to provide this Service to a high standard.
What it takes to wini
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 morei
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).
Published award criteria (2)
- Quality: 50
- Price: 50
- Suitability
In relation to the SPD:
4A.1: not used
4A.2: not used
- Economic & financial standing
In relation to the SPD:
4B.1-4B.4: not used
4B.5: It is a requirement of this contract that bidders hold, or can commit to obtain prior to the commencement of any subsequently awarded contract, the types and levels of insurance indicated below:
Employer’s (Compulsory) Liability Insurance = 5,000,000 GBP
Public Liability Insurance = 1,000,000 GBP
www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/hse40.pdf ↗
4B.6: The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) uses Creditsafe, an independent provider of online business credit reports, to assess the financial standing of tenderers. Tenderers are encouraged to review their financial performance on Creditsafe and read information about how that data is collected and used prior to submitting a tender. Information and the opportunity to run a free report can be found at www.creditsafe.com/products/business-cr… ↗
If a tenderer does not agree with the credit rating it has been given by Creditsafe it can provide supporting evidence to demonstrate its current position and this will be taken into account when the financial standing is being assessed.
If a tenderer is not listed on Creditsafe, for whatever reason, then it may be asked to submit equivalent accounts to enable the required assessment of financial standing to be carried out.
Minimum: Tenderers should have a Creditsafe credit rating of 40 or higher to demonstrate satisfactory financial standing. If a tenderer has a lower credit rating score and has the backing of a parent company with a credit rating of 40 or higher, then the provision of a Parent Company Guar… - Technical & professional ability
In relation to the SPD:
4C.1.2: Bidders will be required to provide 2 examples that demonstrate that they have the relevant experience to deliver the services as described in part II.2.4 of the Find a Tender Service Contract Notice.
As a minimum, the examples must include evidence of the following:
- provision of conference style BSL interpreting services, i.e. where simultaneous BSL interpreting is provided for two or more speakers who are presenting to an audience, including BSL interpreting of unprepared questions and answers put to the speakers.
- provision of electronic notetaking.
- provision of tactile BSL for one or more Deafblind BSL users.
Failure to provide two examples demonstrating relevant experience in these areas will result in disqualification from the procurement process and the bidder's submission being evaluated no further.
4C.2 - 4C.5: not used
4C.6: Bidders will be required to confirm that they and/or the service provider have the following relevant educational and professional qualifications:
All interpreters who will provide BSL interpreting services and all others providing specified services must be registered (where relevant) as either:
Registered Sign Language Interpreters (RSLIs), or
Trainee Sign Language Interpreters (TSLIs),
with either:
The Scottish Register of Language Professionals with the Deaf Community (SRLPDC) and/or
The National Register of Communication Professionals working with Deaf and Deafblind People (NRCPD).
4C.7 - 4C.12: not used
Minimum: In relation to the SPD: 4D.1 - 4D.2: not used All BSL/English Interpreters provided under this Contract must be registered with either: - The Scottish Register of Language Professionals with the Deaf Community (SRLPDC) [formerly the Scottish Association of Sign Language Interpret…
- Price carries 50 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 5 points. This one is won on the number: sharpen the price before polishing the prose.
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
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Yes · March 2026
- First published
- 30 Apr 2021, 10:44 BST
- Last source update
- 2 Aug 2021, 16:05 BST
- Award evaluation window
- 28 May 2021 – …
- Authority reference
NIC-SER-456- FTS notice number
2021/S 000-018474- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-02aadcFind a Tender
- Electronic trading
- e-invoicing allowed · electronic ordering · electronic payment
- Performance terms
In order to ensure the highest standards of service quality in this contract the SPCB requires the contractor to take a positive approach to fair work practices. Full details of all performance conditions are set out in the procurement documents.
Publisher note: Please note that there are minimum requirements concerning Cyber Security for this contract to which a pass/fail marking will attach. Bidders will be required to complete an online Supplier Assurance Questionnaire using the Cyber Security Procurement Support Tool (CSPST). A link to CSPST can be found here: https://cyberassessment.gov.scot. The questionnaire will be aligned to a Cyber Risk Profile that has been established for the contract, based on the SPCB’s assessment of cyber risk. Further details can be found in the Tender Invitation Letter. A contract condition for this procurement requires the bidder to comply with minimum security requirements. (SC Ref:662554)
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 28 May 2021, 12:00 BST
- Submission channel
- {"electronicSubmission"}
- Accepted languages
- en
- Bids opened
- 28 May 2021, 12:00 BST
Timeline
28 May 2021 → 2 Aug 2021 · 3 dates- Submission deadline28 May 2021, 12:00 BST
- Bids opened28 May 2021, 12:00 BST
- Notice published2 Aug 2021, 16:05 BST
Notice history
4 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 27 Jul 2021- Status changed to active27 Jul 2021, 18:14 BST
- Procurement method changed27 Jul 2021, 18:14 BST
- Deadline moved to 28 May 2021, 12:00 BST27 Jul 2021, 18:14 BST-4 days · was 1 Jun 2021, 12:00 BST
- Status changed to complete2 Aug 2021, 16:05 BST
Published amendments (1 · 1 deadline change)
| When | What | Before | After | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | DeadlineTime limit · IV.2.2 | 28 May 2021 | 1 Jun 2021 | +4 d |
| — | Bid openingConditions for opening of tenders · IV.2.7 | 28 May 2021 | 1 Jun 2021 | +4 d |
So that the submission date doesn't fall on an SPCB public holiday.
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deaf ActionSME | £100,000 † | — | Awarded |
Contracts
Contract 018474-2021-NIC-SER-456-1 · Deaf ActionSME
- Signed
- 22 Jul 2021
- Value
- £100,000
- Status
- active
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3bids · 3 electronic · 3 from abroad | 3 | — | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Dispute resolution & review bodies
- Edinburgh Sheriff Court HouseReview body
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- Deaf ActionAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications
Official links; attachments are not copiedNo document links were published on the notice.