Bid & Tender Translation Services

Our professional international tender translation services

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Espresso Translations is the one stop shop for managing translations in public procurement, certifications, and competitions, for multinationals and growing companies. Our agency’s credentials show the expertise of the translators, competitive pricing and delivery, all with full transparency. Clients can request a quote for bid translation services to get all the details on costs and timelines, free and without obligation.

For businesses and entrepreneurs, participating in an international tender means planning and strategy. To overcome the language barriers of an international bidding process, document presentation, and deadlines, you need to work with specialists in bids and tenders – those who are familiar with technical and legal terminology and can localize, certify, and legalize your bid submissions to the tender and the contract specifications.

Espresso Translations deals with the linguistic aspects of international tenders; many clients have recognized us as a key partner for subcontracting activities in other countries.

Trends and Insights

The demand for bid and tender translation services has grown steadily over the last 5 years as domestic clients looked to diversify revenue streams by going after new markets. International tensions have shown the need for translators to help businesses make international trade deals. As the US/China relationship has continued to go downhill, translators working in various East Asian languages have seen an uptick in work. Overall, the industry has grown at a 1.1% CAGR to $8.4B in 2024.

Defense agencies are using translators to navigate the US/China relationship – and translators for Mandarin Chinese, Russian, Farsi, and Urdu are in demand.

Translators and interpreters also help companies and diplomats work through tough negotiations with foreign entities. Translators can also provide accurate translations of business intelligence from foreign governments for review and analysis by companies interested in procurement business opportunities involving submitting competitive bids on international contracts.

Translation of Bidding Notices	Complete translation of international and national tenders, adapted to the legal and administrative context of the destination country by native speakers.
Technical Translation	Effective translation of technical documents, specifications, drawings, project plans, and reports, to ensure precise and accurate understanding.
Proposal & Bid Translation	Translation of bids and proposals with accuracy and precision that can influence the final evaluation of applications.
Localization	Localization of regulatory and legal documents, including compliance requirements and contractual clauses.
Review and Certification of Translations	Translation, proofreading, and certification service to ensure compliance and accuracy of official bids, proposals, and other submissions.
Financial Translation	Translation of balance sheets, financial statements, and other financial documents necessary for participation in public tenders and proposals.
Language Support for the Presentation	Multilingual translation services for the presentation and discussion phase of proposals, both written and oral, to ensure effective communication.
Interpretation Services	Provision of interpreters for tender and proposal meetings, to facilitate stakeholder understanding and negotiation.
Linguistic Consultancy	Consultation and support on international norms and regulations in relation to tenders, with a focus on sector-specific terminology.
Multilingual Project Management	Management of multilingual projects for international tenders, coordinating translations in multiple languages for consistent and high-quality delivery.
Privacy & Confidentiality	All our team sign non-disclosure agreements to keep the details of bids private and secure.

What does an RFP include?

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A Request for Proposal (RFP) or tender is a formal document used for procurement of works or services and can be used in both public and private sectors. Legally tenders are defined as contracts between one or more contracting authorities and one or more economic operators for the execution of works, supply of products or services. When public authorities need to do works or procure goods or services they must issue an invitation to tender based on transparency, competition, and meritocracy.

The tender process starts with the publication of a public notice, where eligible companies (bidders) can apply and submit a proposal if they meet the requirements set by the public authority. The selected company will enter into a government contract and will do the stipulated work. There are several procedures to follow to participate in a tender.

Public Administrations develop tenders using legally approved templates. Tenders are usually issued by federal and state administrations and local authorities, public law bodies, or international institutions.

Companies that want to participate in a tender must meet the requirements. Eligible participants are:

• Individual companies
• Commercial companies
• Cooperatives
• Established consortia
• Groups of companies

The latter allows individual companies that don’t have all the necessary qualifications to join forces with others to submit a full application dossier for evaluation.

Once you have found a tender and confirmed you are eligible, the company must read the participation requirements and deadlines. In international tenders, translating tender documents is a key step that requires collaboration between company representatives and a language services agency with native translators.

What is tender translation?

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Public procurement is a complex area and even more so when a different language is involved. So accurate and precise translation of tender documents is key to clarity and legality. Knowing the specific terminology is crucial to avoid misunderstandings and using professionals with expertise in law, tenders, Public Contracts Codes, budgets, and the General Data Protection Regulation is the way to go for safe translation.

The experts at Espresso are specialists in translation for tender documentation. Our services cover all aspects of the tender and bid process. Each translator has a solid academic background in languages and specialized training in the language of finance, law and administration. We know the importance of a precise tender, bid, or proposal translation – it is all about understanding the content.

When do you need specialized bid & tender translating services?

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A faithful translation of a tender provides new possibilities for companies seeking to conquer international markets. It is not just about translating the tender itself but also about translating the required documents to participate. Working with a good translator throughout the translation process gives you an edge, increasing the chances of winning the contract.

Many companies facing the current economic situation are opting for internationalization and looking to expand abroad into specific markets. This was traditionally something big corporations did, but now it’s also small and medium-sized companies. Participating in tenders abroad is an additional growth opportunity.

To take advantage of these opportunities, language barriers need to be overcome as the terminology can be very specialized in tenders. English alone won’t be enough; years of translation experience and deep industry specific knowledge are required when it comes to translation for bids, proposals, and tender documents.

What are the different types of tenders translated?

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Procurement may be divided into three primary categories based on the contracting authority and type of tender.

The legal translation necessary will depend on who issues the tender and its type, which may be as follows:

Issuer

• Federal contracting offices
• State & Local Government

Type

• Open tendering
• Selective tendering
• Negotiated tendering

All government procurement is subject to The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). Federal and state procurement tenders generally cover:

• Public works contracts
• Supply contracts
• Public service contracts

Interested parties must submit the required documentation in accordance with the deadlines in the notice, which usually describes what documents are needed.

U.S. companies wishing to bid on procurement tenders in foreign countries must follow the procedure set out by the government in question. 

The process will often require expert document translation services in order to fully understand the tender terms and compile a competitive bid and proposal in response. In some countries, there may also be a need for legalization of bid or proposal documents presented to foreign government departments. 

Translations related to tender notices and procurement can be certified, sworn, or notarized.

A certified translation means the translator is vouching for the accuracy of the work with regards to the original document, a professional but not legal responsibility.

A sworn translation means the translator has to take an oath before a public official, with a report attached to the translation and original document, giving it legal validity.

A notarized translation means the signature and qualifications of the translator who signed the document are verified by a notary public, so it’s valid abroad. For countries that are part of the Hague Convention, the apostille stamp is enough. 

Whether you need the translation of legal documents to be sworn, notarized, or certified, depends on which country has issued the tender.

Template for government tender translation services

What are the benefits of tender translation services?

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Accurately translated tender documentation help companies grow internationally. Getting a high-quality translation of all the tender requirements gives you an edge. A smooth and precise process increases the chances of winning the bid. 

Going international means you get to play in a bigger market. To win tenders in that market you need to overcome any language hurdles which may be significant because of the legal and technical language involved.

Where can I find the best bidding document translation companies near me?

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Espresso Translations provides a flexible service online for clients. Just send a scanned copy of the documents to be translated using the online form on our agency’s website and wait for a quote. Once the quote is accepted, pay online and the translation process begins, managed by a project manager who will guide your translation project through each stage until completion.

How much do tender translation services cost?

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Translating a technical document related to a tender from a common language to English and vice versa is around $30 per page plus tax, but this is an estimate – request a quote for your translation.

The cost of a tender translation is dependent on several factors: language combination, delivery time, content complexity, length, formatting, graphic requirements, and additional services. Due to these variables it’s impossible to have a standard price list. Therefore a custom quote is provided for each project.

Usually, the final cost is based on the word or page count.

When certified, sworn or legalized translations are needed more charges will be incurred. The cost of a certified translation is about $30 USD (+ tax), the certification costs about $80 USD (+tax) and the apostille addition — about $30 USD (+ tax). Please contact us and we will respond with the price, time needed for translation, etc., all completely confidential! We have no hidden charges — only transparent pricing.

What do our clients say?

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As an ISO certified translation agency, we provide excellent customer support with project manager assistance.

How long does it take to translate a tender?

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The timeline for a tender translation can vary depending on

• Source and target languages
• Text complexity
• Urgency of delivery

When a sworn or notarized translation is required, the timeline can increase by a few days due to the availability of public officials, while certification itself is immediate.

Our team of experienced translators is used to prioritizing quick delivery. However, for urgent needs, our express delivery service can reduce the turnaround time significantly. This can be done without compromising on quality by allocating extra resources to the job. Given the tight deadlines for tender submissions our long term clients value this service.

We are known for our quick response to quote requests – within hours clients get a full breakdown of costs and timeline for their translations.