Is your company responding to a public tender in Belgium and are some documents drafted in another language? An incomplete or poorly translated file may be rejected for a formal defect. Here is which documents to translate, in which language, and how to secure your bid.
📖 See also: translate a company's articles of association · B2B legal translation · apostille and legalisation
In which language should a bid be submitted?
In Belgium, the language of the procedure depends on the contracting authority and the region: Frenchin Wallonia, Dutch in Flanders, one of the two (sometimes both) in Brussels, and often German in the German-speaking Community. The documents attached to the bid must be presented in the language required by the specifications. Any foreign document must therefore be translated, and the official documents by a sworn translator.
TranslateBE
Are you responding to a Belgian public tender?
Compliant and fast translation of your bid file, in the language required by the specifications.
Which documents to translate for a call for tenders?
- Articles of association and an extract from the commercial register (equivalent of the CBE).
- Tax and social attestations (equivalents of the NSSO, VAT, taxes) proving that the company is in good standing.
- Balance sheets and annual accounts required for economic and financial capacity.
- References and certificates of satisfactory completion of similar contracts.
- Technical certificates and approvals, standards, ISO, staff qualifications.
- Technical report and product documentation depending on the subject of the contract.
Sworn translation or professional translation?
Not everything requires a sworn translation. In practice:
- Official documents (articles of association, attestations, certificates): sworn translation often required.
- Technical report, references, documentation: high-quality professional translation, faithful to the sector's terminology.
Read the specifications carefully: they state which documents must be certified. When in doubt, a sworn translation is better than the risk of a rejection.
Plan ahead: public tenders have strict and non-negotiable deadlines. Launch the translations as soon as the notice is published, not the day before submission.
How to secure the submission deadline?
- Identify the required language as soon as you read the specifications.
- List the documents to translate and those that require certification.
- Entrust the whole set in one order to guarantee terminological consistency and deadline.
- Allow a margin before the deadline to proofread and assemble the bid.
TranslateBE · Certified Agency
A compliant bid file, on time
We translate your entire file (articles of association, attestations, technical report) into the language of the tender.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Do all the documents in the bid have to be sworn?
No. In general, only the official documents (articles of association, attestations, certificates) require a sworn translation. The technical report and documentation can be done as a professional translation. The specifications prevail.
Which language to translate into?
Into the language of the procedure: French, Dutch or German depending on the contracting authority and the region. Brussels may require both main languages.
Can a large volume be handled within a short deadline?
Yes. A tender file is handled by mobilising several translators on the same terminology. Communicate the deadline from the start to set the schedule.
Is the submission deadline approaching?
We mobilise the team to translate your bid file on time, in the language of the tender.