Recruitment Agency Services
Framework Description
Procurement Assist's Recruitment Agency Services DPS (reference PA/BOS/11) covers temporary and permanent recruitment across many disciplines, together with a master vendor service. It started on 1 June 2020 and runs until 31 May 2029. Like any DPS, it stays open to new agencies throughout its term, and it is split into nine lots by type of staff.
Context & Use Case
UK public sector buyers use it to source agency staff by category, whether nursing and care, housing services, blue light roles, HR and communications, asset management, finance, or executive and board appointments. Requirements are competed among agencies admitted to the relevant lot. Buyers that want one supplier to manage their whole agency spend can use the master vendor lot instead.
Scope of Services
Lot 1: All employee types Lot 2: Nursing, care and medical staff Lot 3: Housing services staff Lot 4: Blue lights specialist staff Lot 5: HR and communications staff Lot 6: Asset management staff Lot 7: Finance staff Lot 8: Executive staff and board members Lot 9: Master vendor service
Lots
Lot 1: All Employee Types; Lot 2: Nursing, Care and Medical Staff; Lot 3: Housing Services Staff; Lot 4: Blue Lights Specialist Staff; Lot 5: HR / Communications Staff; Lot 6: Asset Management Staff; Lot 7: Finance Staff; Lot 8: Executive Staff and Board Members; Lot 9: Master Vendor Service
Who Can Apply
Suits recruitment agencies, from generalists to specialists in care, housing, emergency services, finance or executive search, as well as master vendor providers. The DPS is open, so agencies can apply to join now through Delta eSourcing and choose lots that match their desks.
Buyer Benefits
Buyers can go to market for agency staff quickly and pick specialist agencies for hard-to-fill roles rather than relying on one generalist. Lots by staff type help them reach agencies who know the field, and the master vendor option gives larger organisations one point of control over rates and compliance.
Next Steps
Read the DPS documents on Procurement Assist's DPS page and apply through Delta eSourcing, choosing the lots where you can evidence placements. Prepare your candidate vetting and right-to-work processes, DBS arrangements where roles need them, public sector placement case studies and rate cards. Once admitted, respond to call-offs quickly, as agency requirements are often urgent.
How Athena Can Help
Agency DPS applications reward clear evidence of compliance and fill rates. Athena can choose the right lots, write the narrative answers and check the full submission before it goes into Delta eSourcing, through our DPS joining service.
After admission, our recruitment bid writing sharpens call-off responses, and our agency rate pricing advice helps set mark-ups and rates that win without eroding profit. For the master vendor lot, we can also model supply chain costs and service levels.
