---
title: "Executive Recruitment Framework"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06e5d1"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06e5d1"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e5d1.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e5d1.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Planning"
buyer: "Stoke on Trent City Council"
published: "2026-08-17"
---

# Executive Recruitment Framework

Buyer: Stoke on Trent City Council  
Current stage: Planning  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06e5d1

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## Summary

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is planning a recruitment services framework for permanent senior leadership appointments across the organisation. The expected scope covers executive search and candidate identification, candidate attraction and engagement, advertising and recruitment campaign management, market mapping, candidate assessment and selection support, interview and appointment support, offer negotiation and appointment management, and diversity and inclusion initiatives within recruitment campaigns. Roles may include Chief Officers, Corporate Directors, Directors and Heads of Service. The work is intended to support the Council’s recruitment activity in Stoke-on-Trent. This is a services procurement, classified as recruitment services, and is expected to use a multi-supplier framework so that the Council can draw on several specialist executive recruitment providers.

This procurement is at the planning stage. The Council is undertaking preliminary market engagement before launching the procurement and expects to establish a multi-supplier framework. It is seeking written feedback on executive recruitment and search methods, candidate attraction, equality, diversity and inclusion, framework and call-off arrangements, commercial and pricing models, replacement guarantees, performance reporting, innovation and good practice. The engagement response date is 7 September 2026. The proposed contract period is 8 December 2026 to 7 December 2028, with a possible extension to 7 December 2029. The estimated value is £168,000 excluding VAT, or £201,600 including VAT. The framework is below the relevant threshold, and the opportunity is planned as one lot.

This will suit executive search firms and specialist recruitment providers with experience of sourcing and appointing permanent senior leaders in complex organisations. Relevant capability includes executive search, market mapping, candidate attraction, campaign management, assessment and selection, interview and appointment support, offer negotiation, and managing the appointment process through to completion. Providers should be prepared to explain their operating model, commercial and pricing approach, call-off arrangements, candidate replacement guarantees, performance management and reporting, and examples of innovation or good practice. The Council is also looking for credible approaches to equality, diversity and inclusion in recruitment campaigns. Small and medium-sized enterprises are identified as suitable for the planned procurement, and firms can use the engagement stage to help shape the eventual requirements before the framework reaches the market.

## Notice

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is undertaking preliminary market engagement in advance of a procurement exercise for the provision of Executive Recruitment Services. The Council intends to establish a multi-supplier Executive framework to support the recruitment of permanent senior leadership positions across the organisation. The framework is expected to support recruitment to roles including but not limited to, Chief Officers, Corporate Directors, Directors and Heads of Service. The Council wishes to engage with the market to better understand current market capabilities, operating models, commercial approaches and emerging best practice within the executive recruitment sector. Scope of Services The proposed framework is expected to include services such as: Executive search and candidate identification Candidate attraction and engagement Advertising and recruitment campaign management Market mapping Candidate assessment and selection support Interview and appointment support Offer negotiation and appointment management Diversity and inclusion initiatives within recruitment campaigns

### Planning Information

Purpose of Market Engagement
The Council is seeking feedback from providers in relation to:
Executive recruitment and search methodologies
Candidate attraction strategies
Equality, diversity and inclusion approaches
Framework and call-off arrangements
Commercial and pricing models
Candidate replacement guarantees
Performance management and reporting requirements
Emerging innovations and good practice within the sector. 
Interested organisations are invited to provide written feedback on the areas identified within this notice by the engagement deadline. 
Participation in this market engagement exercise will not form part of any future procurement evaluation and will not provide any supplier with any advantage or disadvantage in any subsequent procurement process.
Responses should be submitted by email to Agnes.Ashun@stoke.gov.uk.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/078208-2026 |
| 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 |
| All stages | Planning |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 17 Aug 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | 7 Sep 2026 |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 8 Dec 2026 - 7 Dec 2028 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £168,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Planning |
| Lots status | Planning |
| Awards status | Not specified |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | Stoke on Trent City Council |
| Locality | STOKE-ON-TRENT |
| Postcode area | Stoke-on-Trent |
| Postcode | ST4 1HH |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLG West Midlands (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLG2 Shropshire and Staffordshire |
| ITL 3 | TLG23 Stoke-on-Trent |
| Local authority | Stoke-on-Trent |
| Electoral ward | Hartshill Park & Stoke |
| Westminster constituency | Stoke-on-Trent Central |
| Delivery location | TLG23 Stoke-on-Trent |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

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

### Codes

- 79600000 - Recruitment services

## Release History

- 17 Aug 2026 at 15:24 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/078208-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/078208-2026
  17th August 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents
- https://www.stoke.gov.uk/

## 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-h6vhtk-06e5d1. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e5d1.json.