Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Scottish Government
Victoria Quay
Edinburgh
EH6 6QQ
Contact
Paul Brydon
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKM - Scotland
Internet address(es)
Main address
Buyer's address
https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA10482
one.2) Information about joint procurement
The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body
one.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at
https://www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via
https://www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk
Electronic communication requires the use of tools and devices that are not generally available. Unrestricted and full direct access to these tools and devices is possible, free of charge, at
https://www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Ministry or any other national or federal authority
one.5) Main activity
General public services
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Interpreting, Translation and Transcription
Reference number
SP-24-010
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 79530000 - Translation services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short 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.
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £20,000,000
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: Yes
Tenders may be submitted for all lots
two.2) Description
two.2.1) Title
Lot 2 – Telephone and Video Conferencing Interpreting Services
Lot No
2
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 79530000 - Translation services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKM - Scotland
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
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.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Quality / Weighting: 60
Price - Weighting: 40
two.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT: £4,000,000
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
48
This contract is subject to renewal
Yes
Description of renewals
The Framework will be in place for a 4 year period, after this the Framework may be subject to renewal.
two.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: No
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
two.2) Description
two.2.1) Title
Lot 4 – Sign Language Services – British and International
Lot No
4
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 79530000 - Translation services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKM - Scotland
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
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.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Quality / Weighting: 60
Price - Weighting: 40
two.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT: £4,000,000
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
48
This contract is subject to renewal
Yes
Description of renewals
The Framework will be in place for a 4 year period, after this the Framework may be subject to renewal.
two.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: No
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
two.2) Description
two.2.1) Title
Lot 3 – Translation and Transcription Services
Lot No
3
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 79530000 - Translation services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKM - Scotland
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
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.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Quality / Weighting: 60
Price - Weighting: 40
two.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT: £3,000,000
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
48
This contract is subject to renewal
Yes
Description of renewals
The Framework will be in place for a 4 year period, after this the Framework may be subject to renewal.
two.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: No
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
two.2) Description
two.2.1) Title
Lot 1 - Face to Face Interpreting Services
Lot No
1
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 79530000 - Translation services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKM - Scotland
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
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
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Quality / Weighting: 60
Price - Weighting: 40
two.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT: £9,000,000
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
48
This contract is subject to renewal
Yes
Description of renewals
The Framework will be in place for a 4 year period, after this the Framework may be subject to renewal.
two.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: No
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
Section three. Legal, economic, financial and technical information
three.1) Conditions for participation
three.1.2) Economic and financial standing
Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required
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.
- Employer's (Compulsory) Liability: in accordance with any legal obligation for the time being in force.
- Public Liability: in the sum of not less than 1,000,000 GBP per incident.
Bidders must provide a separate SPD response from entities upon whose capability/capacity they rely on in order to meet any selection criteria including economic and financial standing.
three.1.3) Technical and professional ability
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Open procedure
four.1.3) Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system
The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement
Framework agreement with several operators
Envisaged maximum number of participants to the framework agreement: 9
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes
four.2) Administrative information
four.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number: 2024/S 000-040476
four.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date
11 September 2025
Local time
12:00pm
four.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
English
four.2.6) Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender
Duration in months: 9 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)
four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date
11 September 2025
Local time
12:00pm
Section six. Complementary information
six.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement: Yes
Estimated timing for further notices to be published: within 4 years.
six.2) Information about electronic workflows
Electronic ordering will be used
Electronic invoicing will be accepted
Electronic payment will be used
six.3) Additional information
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
In partnership with the Supplier Development Programme, we are providing additional support for bidders by delivering training to help you understand the process to bid for this opportunity. An Aligned Tender Training session will be delivered on Thursday 28 August 2025, 2:00-3:30pm, please follow the attached link to register for the training (https://www.sdpscotland.co.uk/events/scottish-government-translation-services-1935/)
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
The buyer is using PCS-Tender to conduct this ITT exercise. The Project code is 29837. For more information see: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2343
A sub-contract clause has been included in this contract. For more information see: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2363
Community benefits are included in this requirement. For more information see: https://www.gov.scot/policies/public-sector-procurement/community-benefits-in-procurement/
A summary of the expected community benefits has been provided as follows:
Community benefits are included in this requirement. For more information see: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2361 A summary of the expected community benefits has been provided as follows: The Contractor will be required, where practical to consider relevant opportunities for community benefits:
- Opportunities for the involvement of SMEs and /or third sector organisations in delivery of this Framework;
- Provide assurance regarding Workforce matters - this may include schemes such as:
- Providing training opportunities and support to achieve qualifications;
- Supporting local communities e.g. sponsorship of local clubs etc;
- Using social enterprises to support delivery of services.
(SC Ref:806722)
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Edinburgh Sheriff Court and Justice of the Peace Court
27 Chambers Street
Edinburgh
EH1 1LB
Telephone
+44 1312252525
Country
United Kingdom
six.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures
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.