The Central Office of Information (COI) is setting up a roster of agencies that specialise in recruitment marketing.

The current Recruitment Advertising Lot on the COI Advertising Framework, worth up to £20m per annum, was established in 2006 for use over a maximum of four years.

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

To manage this requirement, the framework has been divided into 'lots'. Agencies will be selected through a procurement process on the basis of their "proven success" in the lot specialisms which include:
Recruitment Marketing
Public Notice Advertising
Directories Advertising
Low Value Recruitment Marketing
Public Notice Advertising
Strategic Health Authorities and NHS Trusts

Under the old regulations it was possible to invite a small selection of agencies on the framework to pitch for contracts. Under new regulations, which govern how frameworks are established and managed, this is no longer allowed.

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.

Julian Perkins who manages the Recruitment Advertising Service, and whose team is undertaking the review, said: “The recruitment marketing industry has changed considerably since the last framework was put in place. The public sector is starting to make much more use of online marketing, job sites and campaign sites.

“The new framework will reflect all these changes and will offer new ways of reaching potential candidates that clients may not yet be using, like mobile marketing and search engine optimisation. Above all else the new framework will ensure excellent value for money.”

All suppliers interested in applying for the Classified Recruitment Marketing & Public Notice Advertising framework should register at coi.bravosolution.co.uk and complete the pre-qualification questionnaire by 25 November.