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Provision of language Services

The Police & Crime Commissioner for Sussex

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

14 Oct 2026 at 14:47

Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex, on behalf of Sussex Police, has procured language services to support operational policing. The work covers face-to-face and telephone interpreting, as well as translation, for police officers and custody staff carrying out their duties. It is a demand-led service: the volume of work depends on operational needs. Services are delivered across the Sussex Police area, including Brighton and Hove, East Sussex and West Sussex. The requirement is for continuity of language support so that officers and custody staff can communicate with people who need interpreting and so that written material can be translated where required. This is a service contract rather than a purchase of goods or construction work.

The procurement has been awarded to D A Languages Limited, and the contract is active. The contract was signed on 14 October 2026. It provides a 15-month extension to the existing language-services contract, which was due to expire on 30 November 2026. The extension is intended to maintain service continuity until a replacement BlueLight Commercial dynamic purchasing system is expected to become available in September 2027, after which Sussex Police expects to run a competitive procurement through that route. The extension was negotiated without publication of a contract notice, using a limited procedure, on the stated basis of obtaining additional services from the incumbent supplier. The award covers one lot. The stated value for the extension is indicative and based on historical expenditure extrapolated to the extension term.

For suppliers considering similar future work for Sussex Police, this award shows demand for a combined interpreting and translation service supporting operational policing, including officers and custody staff. Credible providers would need to deliver both face-to-face and telephone interpreting and translation, and to respond flexibly to demand that the buyer says cannot be accurately forecast. The service must support continuity in operational police activity, so suppliers should be able to handle variable requirements reliably across the Sussex Police area. The contract was extended with the incumbent through a limited negotiated route to preserve continuity before a replacement purchasing system was established; the buyer says it expects to conduct a full competitive procurement through that successor system. No specific accreditations or professional qualifications are stated.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Provision of language Services

Notice Description

The Police and Crime Commissioner, on behalf of Sussex Police, currently holds a contract for the provision of Language Services which is due to expire on 30 November 2026. The existing contract was awarded through the BlueLight Commercial Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS). The current DPS is expected to be superseded by a replacement DPS, anticipated to become available in September 2027. To ensure the continued provision of critical language support services and to avoid any disruption to operational policing activities, Sussex Police intends to award a 15-month extension to the incumbent supplier. The proposed extension is considered necessary to maintain service continuity until the replacement DPS is established and available for use. Conducting a separate procurement exercise at this stage would likely result in a short-term interim arrangement, creating additional procurement costs, resource burdens, and potential implementation risks, shortly before a further competition would need to be undertaken under the new DPS. The extension will provide sufficient time for the replacement DPS to become operational and for Sussex Police to undertake a full and compliant competitive procurement process through that route. The proposed modification is therefore intended solely as a temporary measure to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of essential Language Services while facilitating a future competitive procurement exercise under the successor DPS. This is a demand led contract and values have been determined by the spend from 1st April 2025-31st March 2026, and extrapolated to 15 months.

Lot Information

Lot 1

The requirement relates to the provision of face-to-face and telephone interpreting and translation services to support operational policing activities, including the needs of officers and custody staff in the execution of their duties. As this is a demand-led service, the Authority is unable to accurately forecast the volume of interpreting and translation services that will be required during the contract period. Consequently, the contract value has been estimated based on historical expenditure over a 12-month period and proportionally extrapolated to reflect the proposed 15-month extension term. The stated value is therefore indicative and represents the Authority's best estimate of anticipated expenditure for the duration of the extension.

Procurement Information

The Police and Crime Commissioner, on behalf of Sussex Police, currently holds a contract for the provision of Language Services which is due to expire on 30 November 2026. The existing contract was awarded through the BlueLight Commercial Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS). The current DPS is expected to be superseded by a replacement DPS, anticipated to become available in September 2027. To ensure the continued provision of critical language support services and to avoid any disruption to operational policing activities, Sussex Police intends to award a 15-month extension to the incumbent supplier. The proposed extension is considered necessary to maintain service continuity until the replacement DPS is established and available for use. Conducting a separate procurement exercise at this stage would likely result in a short-term interim arrangement, creating additional procurement costs, resource burdens, and potential implementation risks, shortly before a further competition would need to be undertaken under the new DPS. The extension will provide sufficient time for the replacement DPS to become operational and for Sussex Police to undertake a full and compliant competitive procurement process through that route. The proposed modification is therefore intended solely as a temporary measure to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of essential Language Services while facilitating a future competitive procurement exercise under the successor DPS.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0787be
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/097090-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Dynamic
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Limited
Procurement Method Details
Negotiated without publication of a contract notice
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

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

CPV Codes

79530000 - Translation services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
14 Oct 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Not Specified
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
The Police & Crime Commissioner for Sussex
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LEWES
Postcode
BN7 2FZ
Postcode Area
Brighton
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ2 Surrey, East and West Sussex
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ22 East Sussex CC
Delivery Location
TLJ21 Brighton and Hove, TLJ22 East Sussex CC, TLJ27 West Sussex (South West), TLJ28 West Sussex (North East)
Local Authority
Lewes
Electoral Ward
Lewes Bridge
Westminster Constituency
Lewes

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

DA Languages Limited

Further Information

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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