HCC - 10/26 - The Provision of a Recruitment Agency Framework

Opportunity overview

Hertfordshire County Council is currently out to procurement for the Provision of a Recruitment Agency Framework The purpose of this procurement is to establish a new framework for recruitment agency services, enabling managers to source agency workers in a compliant and efficient manner. The Framework Agreement will be awarded and administered by Hertfordshire County Council on its own behalf. Participating Bodies will be responsible for managing their own call off contracts. For the purposes of this Framework Agreement, the following organisations are deemed Participating Bodies: • Broxbourne Borough Council • Dacorum Borough Council • East Herts Council • Hertsmere Borough Council • North Hertfordshire District Council • St Albans City and District Council • Stevenage Borough Council • Three Rivers District Council • Watford Borough Council • Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council The Council intends for this Framework Agreement to be flexible and meet the needs of the Council and the Participating Bodies The job types required under this Framework Agreement have been split into Lots and each Lot has job roles within. These have been outlined along with their specific requirements in Annexes 1 to 8 to the Specification. To ensure the highest quality provision to each Lot, the Council will limit the number of suppliers awarded to each Lot. The maximum number of awards per Lot is set out in the table below: Supplier Limits per lot Lot number Lot Title Supplier Limit Lot 1 Professional and Technical 2 Agencies per Job Type Lot 2 Industrial Up to a maximum of 10 Agencies Lot 3 Social Care (Adults) 3 Agencies Lot 4 Qualified/ Registered Social Care 3 Agencies Lot 5 Educational Psychology Services Unlimited Lot 6 Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) 3 Agencies Lot 7 District Council & Borough Council Job Types 2 Agencies per job family. Full details are in the Instructions to Tenderers and Specification, Schedule 1 of the Framework Agreement This procurement is an open process. Organisations wishing to take part in this project are invited to ‘express an interest’ and also ‘opt in’ which will give access to the full procurement documents in the e-tendering system. To be considered as a Tenderer you must complete and submit a Tender by the deadline of 12 noon on the 20th November 2026 Please allow sufficient time to make your return, as Tender submissions cannot be uploaded and submitted after this return deadline. Please ensure that where possible documents are uploaded as a PDF and that file names are succinct. Any questions relating to this procurement must be made via correspondence on the website, in accordance with the procurement documents, and can be addressed to the main contact as shown in the details above. Tenderers should be aware that due to the nature of the Services provided, any Framework formed as a result of this procurement process shall be executed as a deed. Tenderers should seek independent legal advice on the implications of this prior to submitting their Tender, where appropriate. Please note that the Framework requirements will be subject to available financial resources, supplier performance and flexibility to meet changing demands. The Council reserves the right at any time to cease the procurement process and not award the Framework or to award only part of the opportunity described in this notice. If the Council takes up this right, then they will not be responsible for or pay the expenses or losses, which may be incurred by any organisation or tenderer as a result. To access this opportunity please visit https://in-tendhost.co.uk/supplyhertfordshire/aspx/Home

Lot 1 — Professional and Technical

The provision of Professional and Technical Agency workers for Lot 1

Estimated lot value including VAT: £468k

Participation condition: Please refer to Instructions to Tenderers document for full details

Award criterion: Price: 40%

Award criterion: Quality: 60%

Suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Suitable for voluntary, community and social enterprises.

Contract starts: 31 March 2027

Initial contract ends: 31 March 2029

Maximum term ends: 31 March 2031

Extension: The Framework Agreement will commence on the 1 April 2027 and shall continue for an initial period of two (2) years terminating on the 31 March 2029 unless extended at the sole discretion of the Council for up to two (2) further years, year on year.

Lot 2 — Industrial

The provision of Industrial Agency workers for Lot 2

Estimated lot value including VAT: £4.6m

Participation condition: Please refer to Instructions to Tenderers document for full details

Award criterion: Price: 40%

Award criterion: Quality: 60%

Suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Suitable for voluntary, community and social enterprises.

Contract starts: 31 March 2027

Initial contract ends: 31 March 2029

Maximum term ends: 31 March 2031

Extension: The Framework Agreement will commence on the 1 April 2027 and shall continue for an initial period of two (2) years terminating on the 31 March 2029 unless extended at the sole discretion of the Council for up to two (2) further years, year on year.

Lot 3 — Social Care (Adults)

The provision of Social Care (Adults) Agency workers for Lot 3

Estimated lot value including VAT: £14.4m

Participation condition: Please refer to Instructions to Tenderers document for full details

Award criterion: Price: 40%

Award criterion: Quality: 60%

Suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Suitable for voluntary, community and social enterprises.

Contract starts: 31 March 2027

Initial contract ends: 31 March 2029

Maximum term ends: 31 March 2031

Extension: The Framework Agreement will commence on the 1 April 2027 and shall continue for an initial period of two (2) years terminating on the 31 March 2029 unless extended at the sole discretion of the Council for up to two (2) further years, year on year.

Lot 4 — Qualified/ Registered Social Care

The provision of Qualified/Registered Social Care Agency workers for Lot 4

Estimated lot value including VAT: £1.2m

Participation condition: Please refer to Instructions to Tenderers document for full details

Award criterion: Price: 40%

Award criterion: Quality: 60%

Suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Suitable for voluntary, community and social enterprises.

Contract starts: 31 March 2027

Initial contract ends: 31 March 2029

Maximum term ends: 31 March 2031

Extension: The Framework Agreement will commence on the 1 April 2027 and shall continue for an initial period of two (2) years terminating on the 31 March 2029 unless extended at the sole discretion of the Council for up to two (2) further years, year on year.

Lot 5 — Educational Psychology Services

The provision of Education Psychology Services Agency workers for Lot 5

Estimated lot value including VAT: £15.6m

Participation condition: Please refer to Instructions to Tenderers document for full details

Award criterion: Price: 25%

Award criterion: Quality: 75%

Suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Suitable for voluntary, community and social enterprises.

Contract starts: 31 March 2027

Initial contract ends: 31 March 2029

Maximum term ends: 31 March 2031

Extension: The Framework Agreement will commence on the 1 April 2027 and shall continue for an initial period of two (2) years terminating on the 31 March 2029 unless extended at the sole discretion of the Council for up to two (2) further years, year on year.

Lot 6 — Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

The provision of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Agency workers for Lot 6

Estimated lot value including VAT: £3.4m

Participation condition: Please refer to Instructions to Tenderers document for full details

Award criterion: Price: 40%

Award criterion: Quality: 60%

Suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Suitable for voluntary, community and social enterprises.

Contract starts: 31 March 2027

Initial contract ends: 31 March 2029

Maximum term ends: 31 March 2031

Extension: The Framework Agreement will commence on the 1 April 2027 and shall continue for an initial period of two (2) years terminating on the 31 March 2029 unless extended at the sole discretion of the Council for up to two (2) further years, year on year.

Lot 7 — District Council & Borough Council Job Families

The provision of District Council & Borough Council Job Families Agency workers for Lot 7

Estimated lot value including VAT: £15.6m

Participation condition: Please refer to Instructions to Tenderers document for full details

Award criterion: Price: 100%

Suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Suitable for voluntary, community and social enterprises.

Contract starts: 31 March 2027

Initial contract ends: 31 March 2029

Maximum term ends: 31 March 2031

Extension: The Framework Agreement will commence on the 1 April 2027 and shall continue for an initial period of two (2) years terminating on the 31 March 2029 unless extended at the sole discretion of the Council for up to two (2) further years, year on year.

Contracting authority

Hertfordshire County Council Robertson House, Six Hills Way, Stevenage, SG1 2FQ, UKH23, United Kingdom Email: strategic.procurement@hertfordshire.gov.uk Website: http://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk

Procurement timetable and procedure

Procedure: Open procedure

Clarification deadline: 6 November 2026 at 12:00 pm

Submission deadline: 20 November 2026 at 12:00 pm

Award decision expected by: 12 February 2027 at 11:59 pm

Electronic submissions: allowed

Submission language: EN

Financial terms: Invoices are to be submitted to the Council, in accordance with the Prices and Payment clause in the Conditions of the Framework Agreement. Payment will normally be made within thirty (30) days of receipt of a correct invoice.

CPV Classification

79000000 — Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security; 79600000 — Recruitment services; 79610000 — Placement services of personnel; 79620000 — Supply services of personnel including temporary staff; 79621000 — Supply services of office personnel; 79623000 — Supply services of commercial or industrial workers; 79624000 — Supply services of nursing personnel; 79630000 — Personnel services except placement and supply services

How to submit

The official Find a Tender notice directs suppliers to In-Tend. The procurement documents, clarifications and response area are managed there.

Open In-Tend ↗

Documents

• Please either register or log in to the above web address, and then 'express interest' and 'opt in' in order to view the full set of documentation relating to this tender opportunity

TenderLab qualification first

Before we write, we establish whether the opportunity fits.

We examine the published participation conditions, service scope, geography, regulatory position, available evidence, mobilisation demands and commercial exposure with your team. We only confirm a full tender-writing engagement when the available information supports a responsible view that the provider meets the tender requirements.

If HCC - 10/26 - The Provision of a Recruitment Agency Framework is a credible fit, we can map the scored requirements, gather operational evidence and build the response around the buyer documents. The qualification check and any writing support do not guarantee an award; the contracting authority makes the final decision.