Following a decision by the Hungarian Ministry of Defence, the translation company can participate in the military alliance’s supplier system from 2024 onwards.
Companies that provide military products and services are not the only ones involved in the defence industry’s work; each participant helping NATO operate is also a significant player in this cooperation. NATO, a military alliance of 32 member states, aims to safeguard the security and freedom of its members. Hungary has been a member since 1999. Only companies that have the very strict “NATO Approved Supplier” certification, which must be approved by the Ministry of Defence, can participate as suppliers in NATO programmes.
Companies with this certification can build lasting business relationships with partners that the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation considers worthy of the supplier title, gaining valuable international references and, in the case of language service providers, new translation and interpreting contracts.
VILLAM is a suitable supplier of NATO tenders
OFFI (a local government agency for translation) used to be the only one authorised to provide translation and interpreting services for NATO programmes in Hungary, but now the second translation agency to be certified is VILLAM Language Services (Villámfordítás Kft.). From 2024, VILLAM also has the opportunity to participate in public procurement procedures under the NATO Security Investment Programme, according to our level of certification. With this certification, the language company has become one of the 318 Hungarian companies with NATO supplier capability.
The award of NATO supplier status will open the way for VILLAM Language Services to win contracts from the defence industry. The translation company has spent many years building its technical background and workflow accordingly. VILLAM has developed an integrated Translation Business Management System (TBMS) for its activities, which it has been implementing since 2010. Since then, our private cloud-based translation management system, NaVi, has been used by more than 2,500 freelance translators in the country. The translation agency is ISO 17100 certified for language services and ISO 9001 certified for business operations and has been certified as an “Industry Assured Company” in Hungary since 2023. The company's strengths include a quality-driven and technology-oriented approach, complemented by its commitment to Fair Trade and full transparency in its services.
“The Ministry of Defence has also recognised the high level of expertise of our translation company’s staff, which we are extremely proud of,” says Tünde Gál-Berey, founder and owner of VILLAM. In 17 years, VILLAM has become a significant player in Hungary’s translation industry, serving more than 50,000 clients. In addition to business translations, which is VILLAM’s main focus, we offer services to private individuals, non-profit organisations, and public administration bodies. And from this year, those in the defence industry can also join this clientele.