22.11.06 Overtaal chosen as best provider in Ministry of Economic Affairs tender procedure

The Ministry of Economic Affairs (EZ) aims to promote sustainable economic growth in the Netherlands, and considers the proper operation of markets, both nationally and internationally to be one of its tasks. The aim is to achieve markets which are conducive to the development of an enterprising spirit, provide business people equal opportunities, offer consumers the widest range of choices and safeguard vital public interests.

The core department of EZ consists of four Directorates-General – the DG for Foreign Economic Relations, the DG of Economic Politics, the DG for Enterprise and Innovation and the DG for Energy and Telecommunications – plus several other departments, including the department of Communication. The Netherlands Foreign Trade Agency (EVD), an agency of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, offers support to business people and public organisations in matters regarding international enterprise and cooperation.

Earlier this year the Ministry published a tender in order to select a number of agencies that could fulfil the translation requirements of the core departments of both EZ core and EVD. The first phase of this tender procedure consisted of an application for participation. Then a number of agencies were invited to submit an offer. The candidates who submitted the best offers then received an invitation to come to The Hague, where they could present themselves. Three parties were chosen to conclude of a framework agreement for the translation and revision of documents into and out of Dutch, English, French, German and Spanish. Overtaal was chosen as the best of the three.

The documents that fall under the contract will cover subjects ranging from finance and economics to technical matters, and from national and international business to energy and telecommunications. In addition, we will not only be translating short articles for EZ websites, speeches, letters, etc. but also large policy documents and annual reports.