Planning

Provision of Agency Workers to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive

NORTHERN IRELAND HOUSING EXECUTIVE

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

06 May 2026 at 14:35

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Northern Ireland Housing Executive is in the planning stage of a procurement process for the "Provision of Agency Workers." This initiative is categorised under the services industry and targets the UK region, specifically Northern Ireland. Key dates for this preliminary market engagement include a deadline for the PME questionnaire submission by 22 May 2026 and clarifications by 18 May 2026. The contract will establish a Framework Agreement divided into three lots: Admin and Customer Contact Roles, Building Trade and Manual Roles, and Technical and Professional Specialist Roles. The value of the contract is estimated at £89 million, with a gross amount of £96.6 million, and the decision-making aims for transparency and market feedback to finalise the procurement strategy.

This tender presents vast opportunities for businesses specialising in recruitment and temporary staffing services. SMEs, in particular, are encouraged to participate, given the multiple lots catering to various sectors within the agency worker service domain. Firms that can provide comprehensive coverage across administrative, technical, and manual roles will be well-suited to gain from this procurement. The possibility of long-term engagement from 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2029, extendable to 2031, makes this an attractive opportunity for growth and establishment within the public sector landscape in Northern Ireland.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Provision of Agency Workers to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive

Notice Description

The Housing Executive requires Contractor(s) for the provision of Agency Workers as defined by Regulation 3 of the Agency Workers Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011 (AWRs) to provide cover both for ongoing structural change projects as well as business as usual requirements such as cover for internal secondments, sickness absence, maternity leave or additional workload. Initial thoughts are that The Housing Executive will establish a Framework to meet this requirement. The Framework will be divided into three (3) Lots: * Lot One - Admin and Customer Contact Roles; * Lot Two - Building Trade and Manual Roles; * Lot Three - Technical and Professional Specialist Roles.

Planning Information

The Housing Executive requires Contractor(s) for the provision of Agency Workers to provide cover both for ongoing structural change projects as well as business as usual requirements such as cover for internal secondments, sickness absence, maternity leave or additional workload. Initial thoughts are that a Framework will be established to meet this requirement and will be divided into three (3) Lots: • Lot One - Admin and Customer Contact Roles; • Lot Two - Building Trade and Manual Roles; • Lot Three - Technical and Professional Specialist Roles. The Housing Executive's current Agency Workers Framework Agreement will end on 31 March 2027 and successful suppliers will be expected to be fully transitioned onto the incoming Framework and providing services from 1 April 2027. The Housing Executive therefore seeks to engage with suppliers who can offer recruitment services for one, two or all lots on the Framework. The key objectives of the PME Exercise are to establish market interest from suitably qualified service providers and to obtain feedback in order to make fair, transparent and informed decisions on an appropriate procurement strategy. Documentation relating to the PME exercise, including a PME questionnaire, is available through eTendersNI. To access, please follow this link to the eTendersNI portal: https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps/home.do. Should assistance in accessing the eTendersNI portal be required, please contact the eTendersNI helpdesk on 0800 240 4545, or alternatively email the Helpdesk on ni-eproc-helpdesk@eurodyn.com. The project reference is 'P0810' (CfT CA Unique ID: NIHE-2425) and the closing date for submission of the completed questionnaire is: 15:00 (UK time) on 22 May 2026. The closing date for clarifications relating to this PME exercise is 15:00 (UK time) 18 May 2026. If your organisation has multiple branches or locations, please ensure that only one questionnaire is submitted on behalf of your organisation. This applies regardless of the number of offices or locations an organisation may have. Please note that any information associated with this PME notice is subject to change (nature and quantity of services or indication of needs and requirements, along with the estimated contract start and end dates).

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-069287
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/041574-2026
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

79620000 - Supply services of personnel including temporary staff

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£89,000,000 £10M-£100M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
6 May 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
22 May 20262 weeks to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
31 Mar 2027 - 31 Mar 2029 2-3 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
NORTHERN IRELAND HOUSING EXECUTIVE
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
BELFAST
Postcode
BT2 8PB
Post Town
Northern Ireland
Country
Northern Ireland
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLN Northern Ireland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLN0 Northern Ireland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLN06 Belfast
Delivery Location
TLN Northern Ireland
Local Authority
Belfast
Electoral Ward
Central
Westminster Constituency
Belfast South and Mid Down

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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