Supply Teachers and Education Recruitment
Framework Description
Supply Teachers and Education Recruitment (RM6376) is a framework, closed to new applications, under the Procurement Act 2023 from the Government Commercial Agency (GCA, formerly Crown Commercial Service), run with YPO and ESPO and supported by the Department for Education. It covers temporary, permanent and fixed-term teaching and education staff through two lots. It runs from 30 April 2026 to 29 April 2029.
Context & Use Case
Schools, academies, colleges, universities, nurseries and other public bodies use RM6376 to recruit staff through agencies under lot 1 or a managed service provider under lot 2. The 2026 Academy Trusts Handbook requires single and multi-academy trusts to use it for supply staff from September 2026, so academy demand for supply cover now flows through this framework.
Scope of Services
Lot 1: Teachers and education recruitment, including temporary, permanent and fixed-term teachers Educational support staff such as teaching assistants and cover supervisors Headteachers and senior leaders Admin, clerical, finance, IT, maintenance, catering, cleaning and driving roles Lot 2: Managed service provision with technology platform, timesheets and management information
Lots
Lot 1: Teachers and Education Recruitment; Lot 2: Managed Service Provision
Who Can Apply
Membership of RM6376 is fixed until re-tender, so education recruitment agencies not appointed cannot join before it ends on 29 April 2029. With academies now required to use it for supply staff, unappointed agencies should prepare carefully for the next procurement.
Buyer Benefits
Schools get accredited agencies that vet staff to Keeping Children Safe in Education standards, capped supplier fees and an agency selection tool. Free temporary-to-permanent transfer after 12 weeks and transparent costs help tight school budgets, and academies meet the DfE mandate by using it.
Next Steps
Appointed agencies should make sure their profiles and rates are accurate in the agency selection tool and reach out to academy trusts moving to the framework. Others should monitor the GCA page (https://www.gca.gov.uk/agreements/RM6376), YPO and ESPO for the re-procurement ahead of 29 April 2029, and build safeguarding and fill-rate evidence from school work.
How Athena Can Help
With academies required to use RM6376, appointed agencies have a growing market to win. Athena's education recruitment bid team prepares responses for trust competitions, with win themes on safeguarding and fill rates, and checks rates against the fee caps.
Agencies not appointed can use our school staffing framework planning to target the next procurement, and our council and college bidding support where the mandate does not apply. Safeguarding policies are reviewed before submission.
