COI launches £20m recruitment marketing framework

The Central Office of Information (COI) is setting up a roster of specialist recruitment marketing agencies to develop new ways of attracting candidates to the public sector.

COI

The COI is looking for specialists in recruitment marketing, public notice advertising, directories advertising and low value recruitment marketing and public notice advertising.

It is also looking for experts in recruiting for strategic health authorities and NHS Trusts.

Agencies will be placed into “lots” and then shortlisted for work on the basis of their area of expertise.

The move comes after a change in the rules that govern how rosters are established and managed

The new regulations require that all suppliers on a framework “capable of performing the proposed contract” are invited to compete for each piece of business.

Under the old regulations it was possible to invite a small selection of agencies on the framework to pitch for contracts.

The current Recruitment Advertising Lot on the COI Advertising Framework is worth up to £20m per annum.

Julian Perkins, who manages the Recruitment Advertising Service, says the new framework will reflect changes in the recruitment marketing industry.

He adds it “will offer new ways of reaching potential candidates that clients may not yet be using, like mobile marketing and search engine optimisation.”

The COI says the new framework will “allow agencies to compete for government and public sector work without going through a lengthy procurement process for every contract”.

Under the old regulations it was possible to invite a small selection of agencies on the framework to pitch for contracts