SC220248: Interpreting and Communication Services for People who are D/deaf and deaf blind (June 2023)

Background

Kent County Council (the Council) is the largest county council in England covering an area of 3,500 square kilometres. It has an annual expenditure of over 900 million pounds on goods and services and a population of 1.3m. The Council provides a wide range of personal and strategic services on behalf of its residents, operating in partnership with 12 district councils, and 289 parish/town councils.

The Opportunity

The Council has set up a Framework for Interpreting and Communication Services for People who are d/Deaf and Deafblind to allow the Council to buy communication services from a list of approved providers who meet a certain set of minimum standards. Use of the Framework commenced on 17/06/2023 and continue for a period of four years.

Approved providers will then be able to bid to deliver Communication Services on an on-demand basis. The services which will be commissioned under the Framework will fall into one of the following disciplines. Applicants may apply to join the Framework within one of more of these disciplines (please download the Invitation to Tender for a list of the sub-lotting structure):

Lot 1 Face-to-face Interpreting Services (Verbal)

Lot 2 Face-to-face Interpreting Services (Non-Verbal)

Lot 3 Transcription

Lot 4 Lip Speakers

Lot 5 Speech to Text Reporters

Lot 6 Deaf Relay

Lot 7 Translation

Lot 8 Video Interpreting Services

Lot 9 Other Sign Language Interpreting from an International Range of Languages

Lot 10 Trainee Interpreters

Lot 11 Out of Hours Agency

Expression of Interest and Tender Process

Expressions of Interest will only be accepted via the Kent Business Portal. Note: If you have not registered on the portal before, in order to successfully submit your interest you will first need to register for an account. After registration is complete and you have received your login details, you should return to the advert for the opportunity and express your interest. Once you have expressed an interest, you will be emailed the link to access the Invitation to Tender.

Tenders must be received by 12 noon on the 24th July 2023.

The anticipated tendering schedule is as follows:

Invitation to Tender opens 23/06/2023

Last date for clarification questions 14/07/2023

Invitation to tender closes 24/07/2023

Evaluation 25/07/2023 25/08/2023

Award notification 26/08/2023

Contract commencement date 01/10/2023

Questions and Communication

Please direct all questions and communications through the Kent Business Portal via the Discussion facility.

Tendering Schedule

Following the commencement of the Framework in June 2023, the Framework will be opened for applications from new entrants four times a year for the duration of the Framework.