TP Transcription Limited is delighted to announce that it is now a preferred supplier to the University of Bordeaux. We have been supplying specialist English transcription services via our University Transcriptions portal to academics at the university. Apparently the cost of using an English company to undertake the work is considerably cheaper than using a French-based transcription service. Not only that, but the provision of transcription services to French clients is zero rated for VAT.

We didn’t know a lot about the Université de Bordeaux (although our managing director’s sisters both studied there), so here are a few facts..

• It started out in 1441 when Bordeaux was ruled by the English.
• After the French Revolution the university was disestablished before being re-founded almost 100 years later.
• In 1970 the university was split into three separate universities, which later re-merged.
• The inventor of the guillotine attended the university (Joseph-Ignace Guillotin).
• It is ranked at number 87 in the Times Higher Education University rankings.
• There are 56,000 students and 5,900 staff.
• The university is science-specific, with four main areas – Science & Technology, Life & Health Sciences, Social & Human Sciences and Law, Political Science, Economics and Management (the latter four make up one department).

As part of the process for becoming a preferred supplier to the University of Bordeaux we have also become a registered user of Chorus Pro. Chorus Pro is the public sector e-invoicing solution provided for suppliers of any public sector bodies to invoice. It is compulsory to use the system to invoice any public sector bodies in France. As users we can supply any public sector bodies across France with our transcription and translation services.

The difference between the huge number of varying purchasing and invoicing systems in the UK to provide services to public sector bodies (and the time it takes to set up on each of these every time we gain a new customer) and the French version, which is used by every public sector body, is somewhat striking.

We look forward to working with the staff and students at Université de Bordeaux as well as our existing clients across France.