As the population of the UK becomes more diverse managing the cost of translation has become an issue for many Government Departments and Agencies. The subject has received exposure in the press, TV coverage and even been mentioned at Prime Minister's Question Time.

In light of this, the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) has established a pan Government framework for translation services. This agreement is called 05/GEN/25 and includes many other communication services in addition to translation.

This framework is OJEU compliant and open to all aspects of Government (both Local and Central). It is strongly recommended that if you work for a Local Authority, Government Department or any other Government Agency that you use this agreement to manage your translation needs. The benefits of this agreement are listed below.

To send translation requests we have an established working relationship with TNT. They can deliver documents securly to our headquarters and return doucments securely to your Government agency. Please note that we DO NOT use PO Boxes and never will.

Benefits of 05/GEN/25 - The Pan Government Translation Service

• Saves money. By using collaborative procurement this agreement has delivered enormous cost savings on translation projects and has the potential to deliver more. Success stories include, NOMS saving 70% - this equated to £26,000 on one translation project, DCLG saving 50%, HMPS saving 15%, Borders and Immigration Agency saving 15% and NHS trusts saving between 5-15% on previous translation service contracts. This agreement has been highlighted by the LSE at the recent LCSG annual conference to be saving the users 30% on previous agreements.
• Eradicate tendering costs. As the agreement is already in place there is no need for additional tendering costs to be incurred by your Department or Agency. This contract is OJEU compliant and fully supported by the OGC. It can also be run alongside other contracts that you have with other companies (in case of a lock-in period from other translation suppliers).
• Zanzibar Compliant. All of K International's services can be ordered via Zanzibar (the public sector eProcurement solution). The information that you need to do this is available by clicking here.
• Translation memories. With this agreement being used across all Government sectors it means that a centralised database of Translation Memories can now be built. This system compares each project that is sent for translation and automatically retrieves any previously translated material, saving costs and improving consistency.
• Depth of services. The services included under 05/GEN/25 will allow communication in over 100 languages via almost any medium. Briefly they are, Translation, Transcription, Braille, Large Print, EasyRead, Voice-overs, Cultural Understanding, DVD production, Proofreading and Design services.
• Expert partnership established. As advised in the National Procurement Strategy for Local Government this agreement has established an expert partnership with a trusted supplier in the marketplace - K International plc.

About the Supplier

K International plc was established in 1986 to assist the UK Government with their translation requirements. During which time we have successfully translated millions of documents for the UK Government.

More in depth information about the company can be found in the About us section of this website, some key aspects are included below.

• Internationally Certified Management System & Processes. All of the management systems developed exclusively for K International are accredited to international standards. We are audited by external management consultants every month and by an independent international quality management specialist twice yearly.
• We DO NOT use PO Boxes. We do not use PO Boxes to receive translation requests. All information will be delivered securely to our headquarters and kept in fireproofed safes overnight and when not in use.
• We have NEVER lost a document. In most cases we work with original copies of very sensitive material and have therefore designed our systems to handle this. We have now handled over one million documents for the UK Government and to date have NEVER lost a document.
• 99.9% of documents are returned within the time-frame requested. For example we have worked for the IND (now the Borders and Immigration Agency) since 1996, in that time translating documents for over 100,000 asylum cases - all of which were returned on time. At all points in the process we will keep you well informed of the progress of your translation.

• 05/GEN/25 is OJEU compliant and means that if you are part of the Government you can procure our services without the need to run separate tender exercises. It is also OGC approved and established (and managed) by the Home Office and DCLG.

• We do not charge you for additional copies of your translation. If you lose a document let us know and we'll send you a copy at no extra cost. We have copies of documents on file dating back to 1994.

• You are the customer. Last but not least - you are the customer. We are often requested to amend our system to fit in with our customer's processes. Please do talk to us, even if you think that your request is impossible.

Contact K International

K International are here to help the UK Government with all lingustic matters. We can be contacted on 01908 572600 or info@k-international.com or via the contact page on this website.

If you prefer, our management team is available to present in person at your agency to explain our services in detail. Contact us 01908 572600 or info@k-international.com or via the contact page on this website to arrange a presentation.