3S_26 Strategic HR and Recruitment Services - Preliminary market engagement (PME)

This is for a Preliminary market engagement (PME) where the tender documentation is not yet available. However, interest (Expressions of interest) is being sought here, and for a Request for Information (RFI) to be completed as detailed below (the engagement period is due to end on 30/05/2025, although the Expression of interest window may be kept open beyond this).

PLEASE ACCESS THE MESSAGES AREA/SECTION ON THE ACTIVITY DASHBOARD (ONCE AN EXPRESSION OF INTEREST HAS BEEN COMPLETED) FOR ANY FURTHER COMMUNICATIONS FOR THIS PRELIMINARY MARKET ENGAGEMENT, INCLUDING THE RFI DOCUMENTATION.

A framework that offers a range of strategic HR services relevant in the public sector, including; executive and managerial interim recruitment, executive and managerial permanent recruitment, multi role temporary recruitment, multi role permanent recruitment, assessment and testing services, outplacement and career transition services, and HR business process outsourcing.

The duration of the framework agreement is expected to be for 2 years (24 months), with the option to extend for up to a further 2 years (24 months). The total estimated value stated includes the option period.

Suppliers are required to register and complete the relevant stages on the Central Digital Platform if they wish to participate in or bid for this framework. Tender Submission deadlines cannot be extended to allow for late supplier registrations to the CDP. Tenderers should be aware that CDP registration could be a prolonged process. How to register on the CDP can be found using the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-act-2023-short-guides/suppliers-how-to-register-your-organisation-and-first-administrator-on-find-a-tender-in-three-easy-steps-html.

The Request for Information (RFI) documents are available on this this eProcurement Portal (ProContract) and the submission deadline is 2nd May 2025 at 12.00pm (noon). Suppliers wishing to participate must first register their interest on this Portal.

The RFI is captured within a Public Message on the Portal and suppliers are expected to follow the instructions for completing the RFI as per this Public Message and as detailed within the RFI itself (Messages can be accessed from the Activity dashboard / screen once an Expression of interest has been completed).

Suppliers are being engaged with to determine:

• If there have been any changes or developments within the market
• Feedback on ESPO's proposed procurement methodology
• Any potential risks within the market etc.
• Feedback on our proposed procurement strategy

Following on from the RFI exercise, 1-2-1 preliminary market engagement sessions will only take place with those suppliers that have provided responses to questions that ESPO consider require additional information or clarification to further inform the procurement process.

Preliminary market engagement meetings will take place between 12/05/2025 and 23/05/2025.

It is anticipated that Suppliers taking part in the preliminary market engagement will not be put at an unfair advantage when bidding for this framework. For the avoidance of doubt those not participating in the engagement piece will still be able to tender for the framework and it will not mean they are excluded from tendering.

A record of the information shared and received as part of the preliminary market engagement will be kept ensuring that the information gathered is considered in the procurement. An anonymised summary of the information/outcomes will also be shared with other parties and used to help ensure that participating suppliers are not unfairly advantaged.

Note: for any questions relating to the operation of the Portal itself, ProContract, these should be submitted to Proactis, and the following links (URL's) can be used for this for supplier support and system technical queries: https://www.proactis.com/uk/support-login/ or via https://suppliersupport.proactisservicedesk.com/. OTHERWISE, ANY QUESTIONS RELATING TO THIS PME should be submitted to ESPO by accessing the Messages area/section once an Expression of interest has been completed.

Further details on the Procurement Act, including registration on the Central Digital Platform, may also be found as follows:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/information-and-guidance-for-suppliers

Or otherwise, please refer to the ESPO Website as follows:

https://www.espo.org/the-procurement-act-2023