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653F_27 Managed Services for Temporary Agency Resources (MSTAR5)

Leicestershire County Council, trading as ESPO

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

PlanningUpdate

28 Jul 2026 at 14:04

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

07 May 2026 at 15:12

UK1 - Pipeline Notice
Planning

15 Apr 2026 at 10:30

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Leicestershire County Council, trading as ESPO, intends to establish a national framework for a managed service provider to manage a supply chain of temporary staffing agencies. The service will support customers’ staffing needs through several delivery models: Neutral or Master Vendor arrangements, a Vendor Management System, talent-pool technology, and Statement of Works project delivery. This is a recruitment and workforce-management service, classified under CPV 79600000. Delivery is intended across the United Kingdom. The framework is expected to appoint a provider able to coordinate multiple agencies and provide the technology, processes and managed-service capability needed to source and administer temporary agency resources for public-sector customers.

This procurement is at the planning stage and is not a call for competition; tender documents are not yet available. ESPO expects to use a framework agreement, with a future notice currently anticipated for 2 October 2026. Market engagement has already included an RFI, followed by planned one-to-one sessions, with remaining engagement expected to finish by 28 August 2026. The RFI response deadline was 8 May 2026. The estimated total value is £3,333,333,333 excluding VAT, or £4,000,000,000 including VAT. The planned framework term is 11 April 2027 to 10 April 2029, with possible extension to 10 April 2031. The opportunity is above the relevant threshold and is identified as suitable for SMEs.

This procurement will suit managed service providers, workforce solutions businesses and technology-enabled recruitment organisations able to operate nationally and manage a broad agency supply chain. Relevant capability is likely to include temporary staffing and recruitment operations, supplier relationship and performance management, neutral or master vendor models, and the implementation and support of a Vendor Management System. Experience delivering talent-pool technology and administering Statement of Works or project-delivery services would also be relevant. Businesses should prepare to demonstrate the capacity to support public-sector customers at national scale, coordinate multiple agencies and maintain consistent processes across the supply chain. Smaller firms are expressly identified as suitable, so specialist SMEs may be well placed to participate directly or as part of a delivery partnership.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

653F_27 Managed Services for Temporary Agency Resources (MSTAR5)

Notice Description

ESPO have been conducting preliminary market engagement with the intention of establishing a national framework for the appointment of a Managed Service Provider to manage a supply chain of agencies to fulfil a customer's staffing needs. Services available include Neutral/Master Vendor, Vendor Management System (VMS), Talent Pool Technology and Statement of Works (Project Delivery). Please note this is not a call for competition, the tender documentation is not yet available.

Planning Information

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. Engagement has already been undertaken via a Request for Information (RFI) questionnaire, with details being captured on the EastMidsTenders eProcurement Portal (www.eastmidstenders.org). The deadline for responding to the RFI was 17:00 (5pm) on 08 May 2026 (THIS DEADLINE HAS NOW PASSED). Suppliers may however still express an interest if they wish as follows (this option remains open up until the Engagement deadline captured in this notice): (a) Go to https://www.eastmidstenders.org/; (b) Register (if not already registered on ProContract); (c) Search for opportunity '653F_27' (via "View Opportunities" from the EastMidsTenders Portal); d) Express an interest. In case of any questions or clarifications, these should be submitted to ESPO as a message on the eProcurement Portal. As a follow on to the RFI, 1-2-1 preliminary market engagement sessions are taking place (with all remaining market engagement now expected to be completed during August). These are limited in number (undertaken via in-person or Teams meeting, invites to be issued out by ESPO for these). Meetings are based on ESPO seeking further information on points raised within the Supplier's RFI already submitted, with these meetings seeking to involve a sample of market leaders, incumbents, SMEs and new entrants to the market, to capture a variety of views and ensure our sample of suppliers reflects the diverse range of MSPs within the staffing solutions market. For those not selected to participate in 1-2-1 sessions, outcomes of the engagement piece will be published within the Invitation To Tender Document, access to which will be published via the Tender Notice at a later date. Those that did not wish to participate in engagement or are not chosen for 1-2-1 sessions will not be at an unfair disadvantage when bidding for this framework. For the avoidance of doubt those not participating in the engagement piece will not be impacted in being able to participate in any resulting tender exercise, and will not be excluded from tendering.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0682a3
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/071246-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

CPV Codes

79600000 - Recruitment services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£3,333,333,333 £1B-£10B
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
28 Jul 20264 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
2 Oct 20262 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
11 Apr 2027 - 10 Apr 2029 2-3 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planned
Lots Status
Planned
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Leicestershire County Council, trading as ESPO
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LEICESTER
Postcode
LE19 1ES
Postcode Area
Leicester
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLF East Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLF2 Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLF22 Leicestershire CC and Rutland
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Blaby
Electoral Ward
Enderby
Westminster Constituency
South Leicestershire

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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