Business
Prestige to provide sign language services to DWP
14th October 2011
THATCHAM-based language company Prestige Network has won a coveted contract to provide British Sign Language (BSL) and spoken language services to the Department for Work and Pensions, saving the Government up to £1m over the course of four years.
The company won the deal, worth £250,000 a year (and saving a further £250,000 a year for each year of the two year contract, plus a two-year extension option), after a rigorous tendering process with two other companies. Prestige Network fought off stiff competition to be awarded the contract.
The contract is for face-to-face interpreting services for spoken languages and BSL to departments such as JobCentres and pensions at low, fixed rates 24/7, 365 days a year.
It follows Prestige Network’s successful place on a framework agreement by Buying Solutions, the national procurement partner for UK public services.
It means that the Government will save on its existing face-to-face interpreting bill, crucial news at a time when the public purse is under such scrutiny.
Shawn Khorassani, Prestige Network’s strategy and business development director, said: “This contract represents extremely good value for money for the DWP. It will save the Government £250,000 a year for each of two to four years – that’s potentially a massive £1m at a time when the public purse is under extreme scrutiny.
“This contract recognises that specialist language services such as ourselves work in a positive way to meet the requirements of today’s multicultural society - interpreting is a valuable tool in helping social cohesion to take place. Appropriate communication and accessible information are an essential part of ensuring that people receive the same quality of services, without discrimination.
“The whole remit of this tendering exercise was that we are saving money for the Government. The tendering process was very strongly motivated by the economic need to drive down costs, whilst still providing a stable and reliable service for the next two to four years.
“The agreement means that all departments within the Department for Work and Pensions can benefit from low, fixed rates 24 hours a day 365 days a year. We feel privileged to be in a position to provide these interpreting services.”
The contract covers 49 languages, with a possible 100 further languages.
More details about Prestige Network are on www.prestigenetwork.com or (01635) 866888.
The company won the deal, worth £250,000 a year (and saving a further £250,000 a year for each year of the two year contract, plus a two-year extension option), after a rigorous tendering process with two other companies. Prestige Network fought off stiff competition to be awarded the contract.
The contract is for face-to-face interpreting services for spoken languages and BSL to departments such as JobCentres and pensions at low, fixed rates 24/7, 365 days a year.
It follows Prestige Network’s successful place on a framework agreement by Buying Solutions, the national procurement partner for UK public services.
It means that the Government will save on its existing face-to-face interpreting bill, crucial news at a time when the public purse is under such scrutiny.
Shawn Khorassani, Prestige Network’s strategy and business development director, said: “This contract represents extremely good value for money for the DWP. It will save the Government £250,000 a year for each of two to four years – that’s potentially a massive £1m at a time when the public purse is under extreme scrutiny.
“This contract recognises that specialist language services such as ourselves work in a positive way to meet the requirements of today’s multicultural society - interpreting is a valuable tool in helping social cohesion to take place. Appropriate communication and accessible information are an essential part of ensuring that people receive the same quality of services, without discrimination.
“The whole remit of this tendering exercise was that we are saving money for the Government. The tendering process was very strongly motivated by the economic need to drive down costs, whilst still providing a stable and reliable service for the next two to four years.
“The agreement means that all departments within the Department for Work and Pensions can benefit from low, fixed rates 24 hours a day 365 days a year. We feel privileged to be in a position to provide these interpreting services.”
The contract covers 49 languages, with a possible 100 further languages.
More details about Prestige Network are on www.prestigenetwork.com or (01635) 866888.
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