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Request for Information (RFI) - Auto Translation and Transcription Service

Home Office

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

16 Oct 2026 at 17:02

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Home Office is exploring translation, transcription and interpretation services and technologies for operational processes across the Migration and Borders system. The scope covers speech-to-speech interpretation, speech-to-text transcription and text-to-text translation, alongside recording, audit trails and evidential traceability. Solutions will be considered for formal interviews and hearings, field conversations, and customer contact and correspondence. The work may involve accessibility, mobile and low-connectivity use, security, hosting and data residency, integration with existing services and major cloud platforms, and governance, quality assurance and human review. The intended delivery covers the United Kingdom. This is an information-gathering exercise to understand market capability and product maturity, not a commitment to buy a particular product or service.

The process is at planning stage: the Home Office is conducting market engagement through a Request for Information, not inviting tenders or binding offers. Suppliers are expected to register interest, sign a mutual non-disclosure agreement and then receive the RFI materials; the buyer expects responses by 2 November 2026. It may then hold clarification discussions, request further information or arrange demonstrations, solely to understand the market. The buyer expects a future notice on 16 September 2027. Any later procurement would be subject to approvals and a separate process. The indicative market-engagement value is £600,000 excluding VAT (£720,000 including VAT); it is not an approved procurement budget and may be reviewed. One planned lot has an expected one-year contract period from 10 October 2027 to 9 October 2028, with a possible extension to 23 October 2029.

The exercise is relevant to suppliers of language technology, translation and transcription software, interpretation services, and integrated solutions for public-sector operational environments. The Home Office is seeking evidence of current product maturity and practical capability across speech and text translation, transcription, and interpretation, including performance in interviews, hearings, field conversations and customer communications. Suppliers should be prepared to explain delivery constraints and limitations, and how their solutions support auditability and evidential traceability, accessibility, mobile and low-connectivity working, and secure hosting and data residency. Experience integrating with existing services, platforms and major cloud environments, and providing governance, quality assurance and human-review workflows, will be pertinent. Small businesses and voluntary, community and social enterprises are considered suitable for the planned work. This is a chance to inform the buyer’s market understanding and prepare for any separately approved procurement.iyanas

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Request for Information (RFI) - Auto Translation and Transcription Service

Notice Description

The Home Office is undertaking a Request for Information to improve its understanding of the current market for translation, transcription and interpretation technologies and services. The Home Office wishes to understand the maturity, capability, delivery considerations, constraints and limitations associated with solutions that may support operational processes across the Migration and Borders system. The exercise will explore capabilities relating to: speech-to-speech interpretation; speech-to-text transcription; text-to-text translation; recording, auditability and evidential traceability; accessibility; mobile and low-connectivity operation; security, hosting and data residency; integration with existing services, platforms and major cloud environments; and solution governance, quality assurance and human-review workflows. Suppliers will be invited to assess their current capabilities against representative operational scenarios covering formal interviews and hearings, operational and field conversations, and customer contact and correspondence. This exercise builds upon previous market-engagement activity and seeks updated information reflecting current market capabilities, service offerings and product maturity. This notice and the associated Request for Information are for information-gathering and market-understanding purposes only. They do not constitute a tender, request for a binding offer or commitment by the Home Office to undertake a procurement or award a contract. Any future procurement would be subject to separate approvals and the applicable procurement process. The estimated value range provided is indicative only and has been included for market-engagement purposes. No procurement has been approved at this stage. Should a future procurement be undertaken, the estimated value will be reviewed and updated to reflect the prevailing requirement, scope, funding position and market conditions.

Planning Information

Suppliers wishing to participate should register their interest with the Home Office using the contact details provided in this notice. (daniel.reddy@homeoffice.gov.uk) Interested suppliers will be issued with a Mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). Upon receipt of a signed NDA, the Home Office will provide a countersigned copy and issue the Request for Information (RFI) documentation. Suppliers will be invited to complete and return the RFI response document by the stated response deadline. Following review of responses, the Home Office may undertake further market engagement activities, including clarification discussions, requests for additional information or solution demonstrations, solely for market-understanding purposes. This engagement does not constitute a procurement, Invitation to Tender (ITT), supplier selection exercise or commitment by the Home Office to undertake a future procurement. Participation in this engagement will not guarantee involvement in any future procurement activity

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-078a25
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/098201-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

48 - Software package and information systems

72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

CPV Codes

48740000 - Foreign language translation software package

72212740 - Foreign language translation software development services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£600,000 £500K-£1M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
16 Oct 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
16 Sep 202711 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
10 Oct 2027 - 9 Oct 2028 1-2 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Home Office
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
SW1P 4DF
Postcode Area
South West London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI3 Inner London - West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI35 Westminster and City of London
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Westminster
Electoral Ward
St James's
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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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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