ATC’s Advocacy Work

As the leading voice for the UK’s language services industry, the ATC represents its members’ interests wherever decisions are made that affect their businesses and the wider language services industry.

For the ATC, advocacy means engaging with policymakers and regulators, building alliances across the business world, and using research to make the case for the value of language services. Above all, it means representing our members in a wide range of diverse arenas.

Championing SME businesses in UK legislation

The majority of the ATC’s members are small and medium-sized enterprises. The ATC engages with the Department for Business and Trade to represent the interests of language service companies in business and trade policy, and works with the Small Business Commissioner on issues such as late payment and fair payment practices, which hit smaller companies hardest. Beyond SME legislation, the ATC works closely with the Fair Work Agency and supports its member companies to comply with employment business regulations.

A voice in the wider business community

Language services are a comparatively small industry with a significant impact on trade, exports and access to services. To amplify our members’ collective voice, the ATC engages actively with the broader business lobbying community including the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and the Trade Association Forum (TAF). Working alongside other trade bodies keeps language services on the agenda in cross-sector conversations about business regulation, skills and growth, and allows the ATC to collaborate with, and learn from, fellow associations representing millions of UK businesses.

Shaping the standards our industry works to

Internationally recognised standards underpin the quality and credibility of professional language services. The ATC is actively involved in the development of ISO standards for the language services industry via BSI and ISO, contributing the expertise and practical experience of its members to the standards that define best practice in translation, interpreting and related services. By taking part in this work, the ATC helps ensure that the voice of language service companies shapes these global standards.

Advocating for sustainable public sector language services

Public sector bodies rely on translation and interpreting to deliver fair and accessible services across healthcare, justice, law enforcement, and all other public services. The ATC advocates for best practices, fair partnerships and the sustainable development of language services across the public sector. The ATC engages with public sector buyer organisations including the Government Commercial Agency (GCA), Ministry of Justice, Home Office, National Police, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

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Keeping members ahead of regulatory change

Regulation rarely stands still, and change far beyond our own industry can have a direct impact on how language service companies operate. The ATC monitors the regulatory landscape and represents members’ interests as the rules evolve, from the growing divergence of UK GDPR and data privacy law from the EU regime, to accessibility requirements in the wake of the European Accessibility Act and the rising emphasis on plain language. Through regular ATC briefings, we translate complex change into clear guidance and a shared position on behalf of our members.

Promoting the value of language services

Effective advocacy is built on evidence. The ATC commissions, supports and publishes research that demonstrates the value of language services to the UK economy including our UK Language Services Industry Reports, the LO-C 30 Research showing that companies making use of translation are significantly more successful at exporting, and the European Language Industry Survey (ELIS). Alongside this evidence base, our commercial collaborations with business organisations and client-side trade associations promote the value of professional language services directly to the sectors that rely on them.

Investing in the future of the profession

Advocacy also means looking ahead. The ATC works with UK universities’ translation, interpreting and applied languages departments to support the next generation of language professionals and to strengthen the link between education and industry. By building these bridges, the ATC advocates for a healthy talent pipeline and a sustainable future for the profession as a whole.

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Add your voice

Advocacy is most powerful when it speaks for many. If your company would like to add its voice, raise an issue affecting your business, or find out more about the ATC’s advocacy work, we would be glad to hear from you. Email secretary@atc.org.uk to get in touch.

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