Buying from lot 1
You can buy from lot 1 through direct award.
If you are a school in England and already have a DfE sign-in, use our agency selection tool.
If you are a school in England and do not have a DfE sign-in, fill out this form to request access.
If you are a school in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland or you are another type of customer, you will need to email the team to request access. We will then send you instructions on how to gain access to the agency selection tool.
To use the tool you will need to know the type of worker (job role) and length of contract you need. You will then be able to search for suppliers by distance from your organisation. You can directly contact the suppliers identified using the tool.
When you have chosen a supplier, sign an order form and send it to them. You can use “The Requirement” section of the form to further define your needs. You only have to do this once for each supplier and there is no limit to the number of suppliers you can use.
Buying from lots 2.1, 2.2 and 4
You can buy from lots 2.1, 2.2 and 4 through direct award or further competition.
Direct award
You should only use direct award when you are certain that one supplier on the relevant lot can meet your needs more than the others. Check your organisation’s policy to make sure that direct award is a compliant route.
Further competition
We will always encourage you to run a further competition to get the best value for money.
To do this, you should invite all of the suppliers listed on the relevant lot to take part in your further competition. For more information, read our how to run a further competition guide.
If you would like additional help, contact the team and we will support you through the process.
Once you have completed your further competition you will need to send a signed order form to the successful supplier.You should let all other suppliers know that they have been unsuccessful.
You will then need to agree an implementation plan with your chosen supplier. An implementation plan will help you to carry out the contract and is supported by regular update and progress meetings.
Moving forward, all requirements for workers through lot 2.1 and 2.2 should be sent to your chosen supplier. For lot 4, you should contact your chosen supplier and use their app or online portal to hire future workers.