The Crescent Purchasing Consortium (CPC) is procuring a new framework agreement for temporary and permanent staffing, valued at £180,000,000 (including VAT) over four years. This is a formal framework agreement, structured across six lots, covering everything from academic and non-academic roles through to executive search, master vendor, neutral vendor, and vendor management system (VMS) provision.
If you are a recruitment agency operating in the education or public sector space, this framework warrants serious attention. Submissions close on 15 May 2026.
Thinking of bidding? Contact Thornton & Lowe for a rapid eligibility review and bid strategy assessment.
About the Crescent Purchasing Consortium
CPC is a specialist procurement consortium focused primarily on the education sector, supporting schools, colleges, universities, and associated organisations. A place on this framework gives recruitment agencies a compliant route to supply temporary and permanent staff to CPC member organisations across the UK. Given the breadth of the consortium's membership, successful appointment can generate substantial, sustained volume.
Framework structure: six lots
- Lot 1 – Academic Roles: Teaching staff, lecturers, and other academic roles across education settings.
- Lot 2 – Non-Academic Roles: Support staff, administrative, and operational roles within education institutions.
- Lot 3 – Executive and Leadership Roles: Senior appointments including headteachers, principal and director-level roles, and executive leadership for education organisations.
- Lot 4 – Master Vendor: A single agency managing recruitment supply across multiple disciplines on behalf of the buyer.
- Lot 5 – Neutral Vendor: A technology-neutral intermediary managing recruitment spend across multiple agencies, without direct supply.
- Lot 6 – Vendor Management System (VMS): Technology-led lot for agencies providing software platforms to manage contingent workforce procurement.
Agencies can target one lot or bid across multiple. The lot structure rewards both niche specialists and full-service providers, but each lot has distinct requirements, and your evidence base should reflect the operational model each one demands.
Key facts
- Authority: Crescent Purchasing Consortium (CPC)
- Total value: £180,000,000 including VAT
- Term: 4 years
- Lots: 6
- Procurement type: Framework agreement
- Submission deadline: 15 May 2026
Tips for a competitive bid
- Choose lots strategically: Lots 4 and 5 (Master Vendor and Neutral Vendor) require a fundamentally different operational model to direct supply lots. Do not bid for these unless you have genuinely demonstrable capability in managing supply across multiple agencies or a neutral vendor platform already in operation.
- Safeguarding is non-negotiable: Given the education context and the potential for roles involving children and vulnerable groups, expect robust safeguarding requirements across all lots. Ensure your policies, DBS processes, and training protocols are current and clearly documented.
- VMS bidders: evidence your platform: Lot 6 requires a strong technology demonstration. Prepare case studies showing real-world implementation, integration capability, and user experience within education or public sector organisations.
- Demonstrate compliance with public sector standards: CPC, as a public sector consortium, applies the same transparency and compliance expectations as a local authority or NHS trust. Review the framework documentation carefully for reporting, vetting, and performance management requirements.
- Sector experience matters: Evidence specific delivery within the education sector: volume placed, types of roles, client testimonials, and retention rates. Generic recruitment capability will not differentiate you; education sector credibility will.
Full notice details are available at the Find a Tender notice.
Ready to bid for the CPC Staffing 2 Framework?
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