“We need this in 12 languages” – are you ready for that conversation?

It’s a moment most learning agencies know well: the project is scoped, the storyboard is all mapped out, the client is happy… and then someone says: “Oh, and we’ll need this in 12 languages.”

This brings additional challenges: sometimes the client wants to use AI but isn’t quite sure how, sometimes there are multiple review cycles, sometimes the timeline leaves very little room for what multilingual delivery actually involves.

And if localisation hasn’t been considered properly from the start, that’s usually where things begin to get more complicated than expected: review cycles take longer than expected, terminology decisions create extra conversations, localisation decisions create questions that weren’t originally budgeted for. And what looked like a manageable requirement starts to eat into your margin (and your time).

The good news is that most of this is avoidable – that is, when localisation is considered earlier, scoped more clearly and matched properly to the content involved.

In this practical session, Emily Decker — General Manager and Head of Client Partnerships at Comtec — will share how learning agencies can get ahead of the hidden localisation work, ask better questions before pricing multilingual projects, and feel confident when the “12 languages” conversation comes up.

In this practical session, we explored why multilingual learning projects can become more complex than expected once delivery begins, and how learning agencies can structure localisation earlier to protect timelines, margin and learner experience.

You’ll see:

• Why localisation often looks simple at proposal stage, and where the complexity actually lives
• Where hidden localisation work tends to appear, from review cycles and terminology to file formats, multimedia and AI decisions
• How unscoped coordination, review and rework can affect project margin
• The five questions to ask before pricing any multilingual learning project
• How to decide which content is suitable for AI-led workflows, where human review adds value and where more human-led translation is needed
• How to talk about AI in a way that feels honest, reassuring and commercially confident
• How to reduce review friction by giving local reviewers clearer roles and expectations
• Why one localisation approach for everything is rarely the most efficient or safest option
• How to build localisation into scope without making the project feel overcomplicated

It’s a practical session for learning agencies, digital learning providers and learning consultancies delivering programmes for global clients, particularly if you are involved in scoping, pricing, managing or delivering multilingual learning content.

🎥 Watch the full recording

• Localisation is not just a final production step. It works best when it is considered earlier in the project, before content, formats, timelines and review stages are already fixed.
• The hidden work is often not the translation itself, but everything around it: reviewer management, terminology decisions, file handling, multimedia, AI suitability, feedback and sign-off.
• Different learning content carries different levels of risk. Compliance modules, onboarding content, leadership training, systems walkthroughs and video assets should not automatically follow the same localisation process.
• AI-led localisation can be a practical option for some content, especially where speed, scale and consistency matter. But it works best when it is matched to the right content and supported by the right level of guidance and review.
• Human input still matters where tone, nuance, learner impact, brand voice, accuracy or sensitivity are important.
• Local reviewers can add real value, but only when their role is clearly defined. Without guidance, review can quickly become open-ended rewriting.
• File formats, subtitles, voiceover, SCORM requirements, source files and right-to-left languages can all affect timelines and cost if they are not considered early.
• Scoping localisation properly helps agencies price more confidently, reduce delivery surprises and have clearer conversations with clients.

To support the session, we’ve created four practical tools for learning agencies to use when planning multilingual learning projects.

Localisation Planning Checklist

Use this checklist to sense-check the key questions before anything is locked in, including languages, markets, content types, cultural fit, production formats, timelines, AI use, deliverables and ongoing updates.

Localisation Project Planner

This planner shows how timing affects delivery complexity. It helps you understand the difference between bringing localisation in at proposal stage, during development, or after content is already finalised.

Localisation Approach Guide

This guide explains the three broad levels of localisation: AI-led, machine translation with human post-editing, and fully human translation. It helps you match the right level of localisation effort to the content, risk and learner impact.

6 Steps to Localisation Success

A simple framework for planning localisation more confidently, covering early involvement, matching the approach to the content, timeline planning, source file control, linguistic awareness and ongoing updates.

If you’re thinking about:

• Scoping a learning programme for multiple languages
• Pricing localisation more confidently in a proposal
• Deciding where AI-led workflows could be used safely
• Reducing review friction with local market teams
• Planning subtitles, voiceover or multimedia localisation
• Avoiding last-minute questions around files, formats or SCORM delivery
• Creating a clearer process for future updates across languages
• Protecting learner experience while keeping cost and timelines under control

We can help you take a practical look at what you already have and where small changes could make a meaningful difference.

There are two simple ways to approach this:

Option 1: Review a project outline or proposal

Send us a project outline, proposal structure or content list and we’ll help you identify where hidden localisation work may appear, what needs clarifying before pricing, and where AI-led or human-reviewed workflows may be appropriate.

Option 2: Review your current localisation approach

We can take a light-touch look at how you currently scope and manage multilingual learning projects, including content types, review processes, terminology, file formats, AI use and ongoing updates.

No heavy process, no one-size-fits-all recommendation, just clear, practical guidance on how to scope localisation earlier, match the right approach to the right content and avoid delivery surprises once multilingual rollout begins.

Contact us today to explore how a more structured localisation approach could help you deliver global learning with more confidence.