Recruitment Agency Panel

AI-generated analysis of the documents. Check the official notice and any amendments for current submission details.

1. At a glance

2. Scope of Work

This tender seeks to establish a panel of recruitment agencies to support Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) and its subsidiaries in filling vacancies. HRI primarily handles recruitment internally but engages external agencies for specialist roles or when initial advertising fails to reach the target market. The panel will operate for four years, with annual readvertisements allowing new agencies to apply and existing ones to withdraw. Agencies must demonstrate expertise in at least one of the specified recruitment categories, including Finance, General Admin/PA/Reception, HR, IT, Marketing, Public Procurement, Sales, and Technical roles.

Key operational requirements for panel members include:

• CV Submission: Agencies will only submit CVs when requested for a specific role. Unsolicited submissions may lead to removal from the panel. CVs must be pre-screened, formatted appropriately, and address any potential questions regarding timelines or employment gaps. CVs must be submitted via Occupop within the allocated timeframe.
• Communication: Initial vacancy details will be issued via Occupop. Clarifications should be queried via email and responses shared via email or Occupop.
• Candidate Screening: Agencies are expected to have met all applicants before submitting their CVs. Submitted CVs must be fit for review for the specific role without requiring clarification of basic details.
• Feedback and Notification: CVs will be reviewed, and feedback provided within one month of receipt. Agencies will be notified of deadline extensions, decisions to engage external agencies, and successful candidate appointments.
• Refund Policy: Agencies must agree to a refund policy for candidates who cease employment within the first six months. This includes an 80% refund for placements ending between 0-3 months and a 50% refund for placements ending between 3-6 months. This applies if the candidate leaves voluntarily, their experience/qualifications are not as described, or they provide substandard performance.
• Rate Structure: Agreed commission rates are tiered based on salary: 12% for salaries up to €25k, 15% for salaries up to €45k, 20% for salaries up to €65k, and 25% for salaries above €65k.
• Panel Operation: Job descriptions and relevant information will be issued to agencies based on their declared specialisms. Deadlines for CV submissions will be provided.
• Subcontracting: While not explicitly detailed as prohibited, the tender implies direct engagement with panel members. The structure of the qualification questionnaire suggests a focus on the primary agency's capacity.

3. Background & buyer context

Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) was established by the Irish Government under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act 2001. It functions as a commercial semi-state body responsible for the promotion, development, and administration of Irish horse racing. HRI's subsidiaries include Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Ltd (ITM), Tote Ireland Ltd, and the HRI Racecourse Division. HRI headquarters are located in Ballymany, Newbridge, Co Kildare. The current procurement is an annual readvertisement to refresh and maintain the Recruitment Agency Panel for HRI and its subsidiaries. This process allows for new agencies to apply for inclusion and ensures the panel remains current with service providers.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Bidders must meet the following mandatory criteria to be considered for the Recruitment Agency Panel:

• Turnover requirement: Not specified for this tender.
• Insurance:
• Employer’s Liability Insurance: €12.7m in any one occurrence.
• Public Liability Insurance: €6.5m in any one occurrence.
• Professional Indemnity Insurance: €500k in any one occurrence.
• Cyber Liability Insurance: €1 Million in any one occurrence.
• Evidence of current insurance certificates or a broker's letter confirming insurances can be put in place is required.
• Certifications: Not specified for this tender, beyond general quality assurance measures.
• Past experience: Candidates must demonstrate successful delivery of four projects of a comparable nature and scale to HRI's requirements within the previous three years.
• Personnel: Not specified for this tender.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Not specified for this tender, though tax compliance within the Republic of Ireland is mandatory.

5. Award criteria & scoring

This procurement uses a Pass/Fail criteria structure for qualification onto the panel, rather than a scored award mechanism for individual placements. The key criteria are:

Criterion Weighting Sub-criteria