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Recruitment Advertising and Related Services

Devon County Council

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

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07 Oct 2026 at 15:08

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Devon County Council requires recruitment advertising and related services to attract suitably qualified candidates across a wide range of council roles, including hard-to-fill and specialist posts. The work covers recruitment advertising, employer branding, media planning and buying, campaign management, and specialist advice on reaching diverse and under-represented candidate groups. The selected supplier is expected to support recruitment across the Council rather than a single named vacancy or occupational area. Delivery is associated with Devon, England.

The procurement is complete and was awarded directly to PENNA PLC, without competition, using a below-threshold procedure. The award date was 7 October 2026. The award value is £160,000 excluding VAT (£192,000 including VAT). The contract period runs from 1 November 2026 to 30 April 2028, with an 18-month extension available at the Council’s discretion, giving a possible end date of 31 October 2029. The requirement was arranged as one lot, which was considered suitable for small and medium-sized businesses. The award is recorded as pending; the contract signature was scheduled for 30 October 2026.

For suppliers that did not win, this award signals Devon County Council’s continuing need for specialist recruitment marketing across varied roles, including posts that are difficult to fill. A credible competitor would need to combine recruitment advertising with employer-brand development, media planning and buying, and end-to-end campaign management. The Council also values specialist capability in reaching diverse and under-represented candidate groups, so evidence of effective audience targeting and inclusive recruitment campaigns would be relevant. The single-lot approach shows that the requirement was packaged as a coordinated service rather than divided into separate workstreams, while its stated SME suitability indicates that smaller providers may be able to compete if they can deliver the breadth of services required.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Recruitment Advertising and Related Services

Notice Description

The Council requires continued access to a specialist provider to support the attraction of suitably qualified candidates across a wide range of roles, including hard to fill and specialist posts. The scope of services includes recruitment advertising, employer branding, media planning and buying, campaign management, and specialist advice on reaching diverse and under represented candidate groups.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0782f4
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/094848-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK5 - Transparency Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - without competition
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

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

CPV Codes

79341200 - Advertising management services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£160,000 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
7 Oct 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Nov 2026 - 30 Apr 2028 1-2 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Pending
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Devon County Council
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
EXETER,
Postcode
EX2 4QD
Postcode Area
Exeter
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK4 Devon
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK43 Devon CC
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Exeter
Electoral Ward
Newtown and St Leonard's
Westminster Constituency
Exeter

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Penna Plc

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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