Streamlined language services

The Crown Commercial Service’s (CCS) new framework on Language Services (RM6302), dealing with translation, transcription and interpreting, is live, running from 7th May 2025 to 6th May 2028. GB breaks down what you need to know

In May, the Crown Commercial Service’s (CCS) new framework on Language Services (RM6302) went live. Itcomprises 34 suppliers across five lots, and will last for three years, with the option to extend by an additional 12 months.

These services can be used across the public sector: from central government, local governments, and devolved administrations to health and education services, housing associations, and charities.

The agreement, comprised of five lots, provides a range of language services tailored to the public sector’s needs, which include translation, interpretation (both spoken and British Sign Language), transcription (including stenography and real time transcription), remote interpreting options (such as over phone or video call), and technical solutions like Machine Translation and Automated Speech Recognition (providing alternative ways of working that are efficient and effective).

Services on offer

Lot 1: National Managed Service provides a managed service throughout the UK, which allows buyers to purchase some or all services from a supplier awarded onto lot 1. Services provided in this lot include: advisory services, administrative support, and efficient business processes to fit language needs, as well as a range of translation, transcription, and interpreting services, including spoken, over the phone, or on video calls. 

Lot 2 comprises translation and support services, which surround translation and tasks related to this. Common services provided under this lot include the conversion of written documents into another language as text using human, computer-assisted and machine translation solutions, and supporting services which include editing and formatting documents and file recreation. This lot does not support any visual or tactile requirements like Braille or in-vision BSL, which are under lot 4. 

Lot 3 provides transcription, stenography and recording services throughout the United Kingdom. These include transcription services, either done remotely or on site, recording and logging services, or stenography services. The lattermost provides stenographers to take dictation using either shorthand notation or a stenotype machine, before transcribing these notes into formal documents/records either remotely or onsite. 

Covering visual interpretating services is Lot 4, which provides communication for the Deaf, Deafblind, and others requiring support across interpreting, translation, and transcription services. Lot 4 will provide face-to-face remote (Video Relay Services/ Video Remote Interpreting services), visual translation services, including British Sign Language (BSL) and Braille, as well as providing subtitling or captioning services. 

For overseas and UK interpreting services, you will need Lot 5, which provides spoken face-to-face interpreting services throughout the UK and abroad, with flexible solutions depending on your needs. Common services provided through this lot include advisory services, administration support, and effective business processes to make sure services are provided effectively. 

All of five of these lots are available and expire in May 2028.

Why choose CCS Language Services?

These services, through the CCS, offer competitive market rates, as well as arranged compliance checks through the CCS to ensure suppliers are following the agreement’s terms and conditions. These suppliers can also offer value through social value criteria, like equality, diversity and fair working practices. Built into this framework is the offer to use time-saving technological solutions like machine translation, automatic speech recognition software and emerging AI solutions.

With no minimum spend requirement, public sector organisations can buy from this agreement through direct award or further competition.

How to buy

Direct award is best if you only need one supplier, one specific service, or you know which supplier would be most suited to your needs.

The process of placing a direct award is straightforward develop a clear specification of your needs, then use the specification to highlight the most appropriate supplier as well as demonstrate that the mandatory requirements fulfil your needs. Then, award the call-off contract by sending a completed and signed framework schedule six to the supplier, and notify CCS of this award via email.

Direct awards are priced based on maximum agreement rates, and it is advisable to consider whether you can better value for money through further competition before awarding a direct award.

Further competition works by inviting businesses from a lot to compete for your business in order to get the cheapest price. Buyers are able to amend the call off agreement to reflect the specific services or minimum qualifications unique to their organisation.

To run a further competition, you will need to develop a specification and identify suppliers who would be able to meet these needs, using framework schedule 6 to refine these. Develop a further competition award criteria, then invite all identified suppliers to submit a written tender within a specified timeframe.

It is vital to keep each tender confidential until the set time limit has expired, before applying your published award criteria to each submitted tender. With this information, you will be able to identify the best value supplier, which you will need to send a completed and signed framework six to.

Buyers should notify CCS of your award, notify unsuccessful suppliers why their tenders were unsuccessful and publish contracts in the name of transparency.

www.crowncommercial.gov.uk/agreements/RM6302