Supporting public sector procurement

Recruitment businesses are key drivers in the UK economy, placing a million people into permanent jobs every year, and a million contractors, locums and temporary workers into temporary roles across the economy on any given day.

Agency staff are especially crucial for the public sector workforce. Schools, hospitals and other public sector workplaces have always relied on an army of temporary workers to provide flexibility when dealing with seasonal changes - but never more so than during this pandemic. 

Supporting REC members

The REC is the voice of the recruitment industry, speaking up for brilliant recruiters, and championing the contribution that specialist recruiters make. We act as a conduit for our members, particularly when they are going through tendering exercises, the outcome of which will determine their viability. Procurement is not just about cost-saving, it’s about quality and long-term sustainability, especially in these unprecedented times.

With a wide variety of procurement opportunities at the moment, the REC is here to help members navigate this increasingly complex landscape. We have brought the information together in this summary table, bringing all live and future pipeline tenders into one place. This is a moving landscape, and given these are commercial decisions, members should always conduct their own research and contact providers directly to ensure they are fully informed.

We work closely with the full range of framework providers including Crown Commercial Service, Workforce Alliance, HealthTrust Europe and the Department for Work and Pensions, to ensure that members are kept informed of upcoming procurement opportunities. In addition, we represent our members by challenging providers on terms and conditions, and work to ensure that tenders are suitable and commercially viable, especially for SME bidders. 

Changes on the horizon

From 1 January 2021 a new e-notification service called Find a Tender will be used to post and view public sector procurement notices. Find a Tender will replace the requirement to publish notices in the Official Journal of the European Union. Portals such as Contracts Finder, MOD Defence Contracts Online, Public Contracts Scotland, Sell2Wales and eTendersNI will continue to publish low value or location specific notices. More information can be found here.

We believe that public procurement should always promote good recruitment practices – recruiters play a huge role in getting this right. For more information about our work to support public sector procurement, please see our Procurement Guide or contact neal.suchak@rec.uk.com