Interpretation and Translation Services - AWARD

Portsmouth City Council (the Authority) is seeking to establish a framework of suppliers to respond to the requirement and demand for Interpretation and Translation services across our departments within the council. By introducing the framework we can ensure that we can meet requests for interpretation and translation services and ensure that these services offer best value for money.

The Authority is required to provide interpretation and translation services, including BSL signers, to ensure people from a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic background and Deaf people are able to access services where English is their second language. The Authority has to make sure the services we provide, for example Housing, Children's Services and Social Care for adults, are accessible to all and that we fulfil our Duties under the Equality Act 2010 and our Public Equality Duty under s.149.

The Authority seeks suppliers against each of the following Lots;

Lot 1 - Face-to-Face (spoken word) Lot 2 - British Sign language (BSL) Lot 3 - Telephone Interpretation Lot 4 - Document Translation

The Authority is anticipating to award up to three suppliers under each Lot. Suppliers can bid for all or any combination of the Lots, including single Lots.

There will be no mini competitions conducted via the framework. Suppliers will instead be ranked according to the evaluation outcome, with the highest scoring supplier being allocated first place and other suppliers ranked accordingly. For all Lots the top ranking suppliers will be used in the first instance. If the supplier is unable to deliver the requirement the second ranking supplier will be contacted, and so on, until a supplier is selected.

Admittance onto the framework shall not be a guarantee of any award of contract for services, nor future ordering of any volume or value of services.

Because of the level of diversity across the area, the Authority cannot predict with any precision which languages will be required. In schools there are roughly 100 languages spoken so this would be the minimum we would require. In addition, Portsmouth is a culturally diverse city and it may be that additional languages are required to assist new residents during the life of the contract.

The initial Contract period will be for three years with possibility of extending the term by a further one year to a maximum total term of four years in increments to be agreed, subject to the agreement and performance of both parties.

The estimated value of the contract is £80,000 per annum.

The Authority is targeting to have awarded the contract by 06.10.2015 with a subsequent commencement date of 07.10.2015. The deadline for requests for clarification is the 25.08.2015 at 16:00 and the deadline for submission of tenders is the 08.09.2015 at 14:00. The standstill period starts on the 26.09.2015.