What Dals does

Dals (legally DA Languages Limited, formerly DA Languages, rebranded 2024) is a UK-based language services provider founded in 1998 and headquartered in Stretford, Manchester. The company delivers interpreting and translation services across more than 500 spoken and signed languages, including British Sign Language (BSL), serving UK public sector bodies and private enterprises. Core service lines are video remote interpreting, telephone interpreting, face-to-face interpreting, BSL interpreting (including the InterpretersLive! video relay service delivered with sister company Sign Solutions), and written translation. Operations run 24/7/365, processing approximately 1 million minutes of interpreting per week, 15,000 bookings per day, and a cumulative 3.6 million+ bookings per year, supported by a network of more than 60,000 vetted, DBS-cleared interpreter contractors.

The technology stack is built on 100% owned proprietary IP: the Dals Link web portal (link.dals.co.uk) for client booking, contract monitoring, and management reporting; an Interpreter App and Client App (ClientSuite) on iOS and Android; a secure 256-bit encrypted video platform with 99.999% uptime running on UK AWS; the Tablet on Wheels medical-grade device for NHS deployment; and a proprietary face-to-face booking algorithm that optimises interpreter search radius balancing urgency, location, language rareness, and qualifications. Average connection times for telephone and video interpreting are sub-30 seconds.

Dals monetises primarily through usage-based pricing (per-minute for video and telephone; per-booking or per-hour for face-to-face with travel expenses), per-document/per-word translation pricing, and recurring block-booking subscriptions for ongoing meeting series. The go-to-market combines enterprise field sales (dedicated account managers and an Implementations team) with self-service inside sales through the Dals Link portal and mobile apps, accessed via direct procurement or through 8 pre-approved UK public procurement frameworks. Customers include the Department for Work and Pensions, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, multiple NHS Trusts (including South London and Maudsley, Nottinghamshire Healthcare, and the Greater Manchester Urgent Primary Care Alliance), numerous UK police forces, central and local government bodies (including Brent, Nottingham, and Knowsley Councils), the BBC, British Red Cross, and Crown Commercial Service. The company holds an extensive ISO certification portfolio (27001, 22301, 14001, 9001, 45001, 17100, 20228, 18841, 21998, 18587) alongside Cyber Essentials Plus and ATC membership, and reports cumulative social value of £25 million to date, with a Net Zero 2030 commitment.

Name

Dals

Legal name

DA Languages Limited

Website

https://dals.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Dals (formerly DA Languages) is a UK language services provider offering interpreting and translation across 500+ spoken and signed languages, serving public sector bodies, private enterprises, and the Deaf community via proprietary platforms and a 60,000-strong interpreter network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Translation and Interpreting Services

NAICS

Translation and Interpretation Services (541930), Translation and Interpretation Services (54193)

SIC

Communications Services, Nec (4899)

akta.pro primary industry

Multilingual/Translation Communication Apps (BPAMACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Visa Documentation, Translation, Notarization & Apostille Services (EDAIADAD), Interpretation, Translation & Language Access Training (Community Interpreting) (EDAAADAJ)

Keywords

• Language interpreting services
• Document translation services
• British Sign Language interpreting
• Video remote interpreting
• Public sector language services

Headquarters

HQ city

Stretford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Interpreting Services: Dals provides face-to-face, video remote, and telephone interpreting services across 500+ languages including BSL. Revenue is generated through per-minute or per-booking fees based on service type, language, and timing (standard vs urgent). The company serves approximately 15,000 bookings per day.
2. Translation Services: Professional translation services for documents, eLearning, legal, medical, and business content. Revenue is generated per-document or per-word pricing, with project-based fees for larger or ongoing translation requirements.
3. Block Bookings: For clients with regular or irregular series of meetings, Dals offers configurable block bookings where a single interpreter can cover entire series or as many sessions as possible, providing consistency and reliability with negotiated pricing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Dals provides spoken and signed language interpreting and document translation services across 500+ languages, delivered to UK organisations through face-to-face, video remote, telephone, and British Sign Language channels. The services are operated via the company's 100% proprietary Dals Link client portal, Interpreter App, Client App, and Tablet on Wheels hardware, supported by a network of more than 60,000 vetted linguists and multiple ISO certifications. Primary buyers are NHS trusts, police forces, local authorities, central government departments, and private-sector organisations needing qualified, framework-approved language support.

Product overview

Dals operates a multi-service language solutions platform with proprietary technology. The core offering includes three interpreting modalities (video remote, telephone, and face-to-face) plus BSL interpreting and translation services. These services are delivered through Dals Link (client portal), Interpreter App (for linguists), Client App (for end-users), and the Tablet on Wheels hardware device. A proprietary algorithm automates face-to-face interpreter booking allocation, and video interpreting features include screen sharing, chat, and background blur capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Face-to-Face Interpreting On-site interpreting delivered by a vetted linguist attending the customer's location, used by NHS trusts, police forces, local authorities, and private-sector organisations for meetings, appointments, and proceedings that require in-person language support across 500+ spoken and signed languages.
• Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) On-demand video connection to a qualified interpreter, with sub-30-second connection times, used by healthcare, justice, and corporate customers needing rapid spoken or signed language access without an on-site visit.
• Telephone Interpreting On-demand telephone access to a qualified interpreter for spoken-language calls, used as a 24/7 channel by public-sector and private-sector clients for short or unplanned conversations requiring language support.
• British Sign Language (BSL) Interpreting Registered BSL interpreters delivered face-to-face, via video remote interpreting, or via the Tablet on Wheels hardware for NHS, police, courts, employers, education providers, and charities needing compliant access for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people.
• Document Translation Translation of documents across 500+ languages, delivered to ISO 17100 quality standards, used by NHS trusts, police forces, local authorities, central government, and private-sector organisations for policies, patient information, legal documents, and correspondence.
• InterpretersLive! Video relay service that connects Deaf and Hard of Hearing BSL users with hearing people via a remote BSL interpreter, used by individuals and organisations needing real-time BSL–English communication.
• Video Relay Service (VRS) Managed video relay service for Deaf and Hard of Hearing users needing BSL–English interpretation in real time, used by NHS, police, and corporate customers as a regulated access channel.
• Telephone Relay Service (TRS) Telephone-based relay service providing real-time interpreter-mediated communication for spoken-language users who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, used as a 24/7 access channel by public-sector and private-sector clients.
• Dals Link (Client Portal Platform) Proprietary client portal used by organisations to book, manage, dispatch, and report on interpreting and translation services, with integrated face-to-face booking algorithm and connections to the Interpreter App and Client App.
• Interpreter App Proprietary mobile application used by Dals's network of 60,000+ linguists to receive bookings, accept jobs, and deliver face-to-face, video remote, and telephone interpreting assignments.
• Client App Proprietary mobile application used by end-user organisations to book and track interpreting and translation services on the go, complementing the Dals Link web portal.
• Tablet on Wheels Proprietary hardware device deployed in customer facilities (e.g. hospital wards, police custody suites) to provide instant on-site video access to a remote interpreter, including BSL, without requiring staff to find a laptop or room.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3.6 million+ bookings completed per year
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability3 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Sign SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSign Solutions is described as Dals's 'sister company' providing the InterpretersLive! video relay service. This partnership enables BSL users to connect with organisation contact centres through qualified NRCPD-registered BSL interpreters. The service is available 365 days per year, making telephone lines accessible to the Deaf community. Dals handles the interpreting service delivery while Sign Solutions provides the video relay technology infrastructure.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• RWS Group: UK-listed global translation, localisation, and interpreting provider with deep enterprise and regulated-industry expertise (legal, life sciences, patent). Public-company peer that competes with Dals on translation services for regulated UK verticals.
• Capita Translation and Interpreting: Large UK outsourcer with a dedicated translation and interpreting division serving central government, NHS, and blue-chip private clients. Competitor to Dals on large public-sector tenders, but interpreting is one of many services within Capita's broader portfolio.
• LanguageLine Solutions: US-headquartered global leader in on-demand telephone, video, and face-to-face interpreting across 200+ languages, with substantial UK public-sector and NHS contracts. Closest direct competitor to Dals in the UK on-demand interpreting market, but operates at significantly larger global scale.
• TransPerfect: World's largest privately-held language services company offering interpreting, translation, and localisation globally with significant UK presence. Competes with Dals on enterprise and public-sector contracts where global language coverage and scale matter, though Dals leads in UK public-sector specialisation.

Direct peers

• thebigword: UK-based language services provider offering interpreting, translation, and localisation across 300+ languages with strong public-sector penetration (Crown Commercial Service framework supplier). Direct competitor to Dals in UK public-sector interpreting and translation contracts.
• Word360: UK-based provider of face-to-face, telephone, and video interpreting plus translation services, focused on NHS, local authorities, and public-sector clients. Directly comparable mid-sized UK competitor to Dals in healthcare and local government interpreting.
• Sign Solutions: UK-based BSL interpreting and video relay provider described as Dals's sister company, operating the InterpretersLive! video relay service. Closely comparable on BSL service offering and Deaf community accessibility, with an explicit partnership relationship with Dals.
• AA Global (now part of LanguageLine): UK-based interpreting and translation provider with strong BSL and rare-language capabilities serving NHS and central government. Recently acquired by LanguageLine Solutions, making it a directly comparable Dals competitor now operating under a larger parent.

Emerging players

• Lingo24: UK-headquartered translation and interpreting services provider serving enterprise clients with technology-enabled delivery. Comparable to Dals on translation-side offerings though smaller in on-demand interpreting scale.
• Prism Linguistics: UK-based specialist interpreting and translation provider with strong focus on legal, healthcare, and public-sector work. Comparable to Dals on regulated-vertical interpreting services, though materially smaller in scale and network breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dalsltd
• Facebookfacebook.com/dalsltd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dalslimited

Compliance11 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dals