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Provision of Professional Interpreting and Translation Services

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

TenderCancellation

06 Aug 2026 at 14:06

UK12 - Procurement Termination Notice
Tender

25 Jan 2026 at 12:27

UK4 - Tender Notice
Planning

08 Aug 2025 at 15:32

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, acting through King’s Facilities Management, sought a professional interpreting and translation service across its London sites: King’s College Hospital at Denmark Hill, Princess Royal University Hospital, Orpington Hospital, Beckenham Beacon, Queen Mary’s Hospital Sidcup and associated community locations. The service was intended to support patients and staff across a population speaking more than 120 languages. Requirements covered face-to-face, telephone and video interpreting, British Sign Language and non-spoken communication support, AI-assisted interpretation, and translation of clinical and non-clinical documents in multiple formats. The requirement also included digital booking and reporting, integration with NHS systems, and performance monitoring. This is a healthcare language-services contract spanning multiple hospital and community settings.

The buyer reached tender and invited offers through a multi-stage competitive flexible procedure under the Procurement Act 2023. Stage 1 and Stage 2 covered Supplier Information Questionnaires and tender submissions, with shortlisted suppliers intended to progress to demonstrations, negotiation and best-and-final offers. Expressions of interest were due by 6 February 2026 at 12:00 UTC, and the planned award period ended on 1 April 2026. The contract was planned from 3 August 2026 to 2 August 2028, with an optional one-year extension to 2 August 2029. Its estimated value was £1,200,000 excluding VAT, or £1,440,000 including VAT. The sole lot was evaluated on technical and social value at 70% and price at 30%. The procurement and award were cancelled on 6 August 2026.

The requirement suits interpreting and translation providers able to deliver reliable language support across a multi-site NHS environment, including urgent and routine requests. Relevant capabilities include face-to-face, telephone and video interpreting; British Sign Language; non-spoken communication; translation of clinical and non-clinical documents; and human verification of AI-assisted translations. Suppliers should be able to provide responsible AI and automation, real-time digital booking and reporting, and integration with NHS systems. The service requires compliance with NHS Information Governance and the Data Security and Protection Toolkit, alongside performance management against demanding service measures, including 95–98% minimum fill rates and at least 90% patient satisfaction. The lot was identified as suitable for SMEs and voluntary, community and social enterprises.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Provision of Professional Interpreting and Translation Services

Notice Description

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (the "Contracting Authority"), acting through its wholly owned subsidiary King's Facilities Management (KFM), invites suitably qualified and experienced providers to participate in a Competitive Flexible Procedure for the Provision of Interpretation and Translation Services across all King's sites, including King's College Hospital (Denmark Hill), Princess Royal University Hospital, Orpington Hospital, Beckenham Beacon, Queen Mary's Sidcup, and associated community locations. The Trust serves a highly diverse population, representing over 120 languages, and seeks to procure a comprehensive, responsive, and technology-enabled language support service to ensure equitable access to healthcare. The service will include: Face-to-face, telephone, video, and AI-assisted interpretation (including British Sign Language and non-spoken communication support). Translation services for clinical and non-clinical documents in multiple formats, with appropriate human verification of AI-assisted outputs. Real-time digital booking and reporting systems, capable of integration with NHS systems and compliant with NHS Information Governance and the Data Security and Protection Toolkit. Performance monitoring against defined KPIs, including minimum 95-98% fill rates, rapid response to urgent requests, and at least 90% patient satisfaction. The service aims to deliver cost-effective, high-quality, and inclusive communication support aligned with the Trust's equality, diversity, and digital transformation objectives. Providers will be expected to demonstrate innovation, use of AI and automation responsibly, and capacity to deliver across a multi-site NHS environment. This opportunity will follow a multi-stage Competitive Flexible Procedure under the Procurement Act 2023. Stage 1 and 2 will involve assessment of Supplier Information Questionnaires (SIQs) and tender submission. Upon evaluation, shortlisted suppliers will be invited to demonstration, negotiation and BAFO - Stage 3.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Options: Extendable by 1 year

Renewal: 1 year optional extension

Planning Information

This engagement will focus on engagement with prospective suppliers on high-quality Translation and Interpretation Service to support the communication needs of patients across King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. As part of this process, a Request for Information (RFI) will be issued in August 2025 to the market to gain insight into current industry trends, innovative service delivery models, and potential efficiencies. The RFI will enable the Trust to better understand supplier capabilities and market direction, helping to shape a well-informed tender specification. The ultimate objective is to ensure the successful implementation of a service model underpinned by the appropriate tools, systems, and expertise to provide consistent, reliable, and compliant translation and interpretation support. The selected supplier will be expected to meet NHS standards while facilitating equitable access to healthcare services for all patients, regardless of language or communication needs.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05846e
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/074783-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Planning, Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK12 - Procurement Termination Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Selective
Procurement Method Details
Competitive flexible procedure
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

CPV Codes

79530000 - Translation services

79540000 - Interpretation services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£1,200,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
£1,200,000 £1M-£10M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
6 Aug 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
3 Nov 2025Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
3 Aug 2026 - 2 Aug 2028 2-3 years
Recurrence
2029-07-02

Notice Status

Tender Status
Cancelled
Lots Status
Cancelled
Awards Status
Cancelled
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
SE5 9NY
Postcode Area
South East London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI4 Inner London - East
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI45 Lambeth
Delivery Location
TLI London, TLI45 Lambeth
Local Authority
Lambeth
Electoral Ward
Herne Hill & Loughborough Junction
Westminster Constituency
Dulwich and West Norwood

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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