Norway – Translation services – 25/1273 Procurement of a framework agreement for interpretation services for Nav

The Norwegian Labour and Welfare Directorate (NAV), hereafter called the Contracting Authority, invites tenderers to an open tender contest for a framework agreement for interpretation services. The procurement is intended to ensure the Contracting Authority the necessary access to interpretation services in a cost efficient and quality-wise good way from an interpretation service provider who shall be able to provide interpretation services nationwide. The contract will apply to the governmental part at the Contracting Authority. The procurement shall enter into a framework agreement that ensures that the Contracting Authority complies with statutory requirements for the use of interpreters in contracting authorities ́ meetings with their users regulated through the Public Administration Act, the Nav Act, the Social Security Act, as well as the Interpretation Act. The interpretation services will include oral translation from Norwegian to interpretation language or vice versa. The procurement is intended to ensure that interpretation assignments at the Contracting Authority are carried out by qualified interpreters, i.e. interpreters with documented interpretation qualifications that qualify for entry in the National Interpreter Register. The Interpreters Act § 7 allows non-qualified interpreters to be used if it is not prudent to wait until qualified interpreters are available, as well as the law being introduced with a transition period through 2026. However, the contracting authority intends to carry out a minimum of 80 percent of the interpretation assignments by qualified interpreters.