---
title: "Employers Applicant Background Screening"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-6cef6805-e5e5-4400-a1c3-98b316837b67"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-6cef6805-e5e5-4400-a1c3-98b316837b67"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-6cef6805-e5e5-4400-a1c3-98b316837b67.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-6cef6805-e5e5-4400-a1c3-98b316837b67.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "Somerset County Council"
published: "2026-10-01"
---

# Employers Applicant Background Screening

Buyer: Somerset County Council  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-6cef6805-e5e5-4400-a1c3-98b316837b67

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-6cef6805-e5e5-4400-a1c3-98b316837b67)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-6cef6805-e5e5-4400-a1c3-98b316837b67.json)

## Summary

Somerset Council procured applicant background-screening software to support employers’ checks on job applicants. The requirement is for a software service, rather than general-purpose IT systems, and is described as an Employers Applicant Background Screening solution. The work is associated with Somerset Council in Taunton, Somerset. The procurement was a call-off from the Crown Commercial Service’s G-Cloud 14 framework, so it concerned a defined software service supplied through that framework rather than a standalone open competition. The requirement was marked as suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises. The stated scope is focused on applicant background screening; the procurement description does not identify specific screening checks or technical features.

The procurement is complete and was awarded to First Advantage Europe Ltd. The award date was 1 October 2026, and the awarded value is £140,000. The contract period runs from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2027, with a 12-month optional extension noted. The stated procurement value is also £140,000. The council used a selective call-off procedure from a framework agreement, specifically G-Cloud 14. The tender deadline was 30 September 2026 at 12:00. The available evaluation information does not set out a scoring basis or detailed criteria. The opportunity was identified as suitable for SMEs, and the supplier selected is itself recorded as an SME.

This award demonstrates Somerset Council’s demand for software supporting employers’ applicant background screening, delivered through a G-Cloud framework call-off. A credible competitor for a future requirement would need to provide a suitable screening software service and be able to deliver it through the relevant framework route. The selected supplier shows that an SME can compete for this type and scale of council requirement. Suppliers should therefore be able to demonstrate that their platform supports applicant screening for an employer, and that they can fulfil the council’s defined software-service need through a framework call-off. The procurement data does not identify particular checks, integrations, accreditations or technical standards, so the evidence here is specific to the screening-software requirement and the route used.

## Notice

Employers Applicant Background Screening software for Somerset Council. Call off from CCS GCloud 14 RM1557.14

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/5fbab312-11e1-4a48-a41a-40f9ae0da7c8 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Framework |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Selective |
| Procurement method details | Call-off from a framework agreement |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 1 Oct 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 1 Oct 2026 |
| Contract period | 1 Oct 2026 - 30 Sep 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £140,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £140,000 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Not specified |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | Somerset County Council |
| Locality | TAUNTON |
| Postcode area | Taunton |
| Postcode | TA1 4DY |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLK6 North Somerset, Somerset and Dorset |
| ITL 3 | TLK62 Somerset |
| Local authority | Somerset |
| Electoral ward | Bishop's Hull & Taunton West |
| Westminster constituency | Taunton and Wellington |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | FIRST ADVANTAGE EUROPE LTD |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 48 - Software package and information systems

### Codes

- 48000000 - Software package and information systems

## Release History

- 1 Oct 2026 at 11:48 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/5fbab312-11e1-4a48-a41a-40f9ae0da7c8

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/5fbab312-11e1-4a48-a41a-40f9ae0da7c8
  1st October 2026 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-6cef6805-e5e5-4400-a1c3-98b316837b67. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-6cef6805-e5e5-4400-a1c3-98b316837b67.json.