AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
Department for Business & Trade has published contract details for executive search and recruitment support for its Director General Chief Operating Officer (SCS3) appointment. The contract was signed with KORN FERRY (UK) LIMITED on 13 October 2026.
Published outcomeOne active award and active contract are recorded for KORN FERRY (UK) LIMITED under a direct, below-threshold procurement without competition.
Market significanceThe procurement covers a senior civil-service executive recruitment assignment, including candidate sourcing, due diligence, interview support and recruitment administration. The published net contract value is £60,000 (£72,000 gross).
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
KORN FERRY (UK) LIMITED
99% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · £60,000 net; £72,000 gross GBP · Verified supplier; active award and contract
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Award 1 identifies supplier GB-COH-00763575. Supplier verification matches company number 00763575 to KORN FERRY (UK) LIMITED. Contract 1, linked to award 1, states GBP 60,000 amount and GBP 72,000 amountGross.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Notice type
99% confidenceContract details notice on Find a Tender
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Document 096791-2026 is described as a "Contract details notice on Find a Tender".
Procurement status
98% confidenceComplete
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Tender status is "complete".
Award status
98% confidenceActive
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Award 1 status is "active".
Contract status
98% confidenceActive
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Contract 1 status is "active".
Contract signature
99% confidenceSigned on 13 October 2026
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Contract 1 gives dateSigned as 2026-10-13.
VALUES
Published values explained
Contract value excluding VAT
99% confidence£60,000
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Contract 1 value.amount is 60000 GBP.
Contract value including VAT
99% confidence£72,000
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Contract 1 value.amountGross is 72000 GBP.
Value allocation
97% confidenceContract-level value linked to award 1 and lot 1
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Contract 1 is linked to award 1; award 1 is linked to lot 1.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Contract signed
99% confidence13 October 2026
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Contract 1 dateSigned is 2026-10-13.
Contract start
99% confidence13 October 2026
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Contract 1 period.startDate is 2026-10-13.
Contract end
99% confidence13 March 2027
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Contract 1 period.endDate is 2027-03-13T23:59:59+00:00.
Notice published
99% confidence14 October 2026
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Notice 096791-2026 was published at 2026-10-14T09:20:28+01:00.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
99% confidenceExecutive search and recruitment agency services for appointment of the Department for Business and Trade's Director General Chief Operating Officer (SCS3)
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Published tender description.
Included activities
99% confidenceCandidate sourcing, due diligence, interview support and recruitment administration
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Published tender description.
Procurement category
98% confidenceServices
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Award 1 mainProcurementCategory is "services".
CPV classification
99% confidence79600000 — Recruitment services
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Award item 1 additional classification.
Lot structure
98% confidenceOne published lot (lot 1)
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Tender and award data each reference lot 1 only.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procurement method
99% confidenceDirect
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Tender procurementMethod is "direct".
Method detail
99% confidenceBelow threshold - without competition
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Tender procurementMethodDetails states "Below threshold - without competition".
Threshold status
99% confidenceBelow threshold
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Contract 1 aboveThreshold is false.
Competition information
96% confidenceNo competition was used; number of suppliers approached or bids received is not supplied.
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The published method detail says "Below threshold - without competition"; no bid-count data is present.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Contract period
99% confidence13 October 2026 to 13 March 2027
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Contract 1 period startDate and endDate.
Published duration
96% confidenceApproximately five months
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Calculated from the explicit contract period of 13 October 2026 to 13 March 2027.
Extension or renewal terms
99% confidenceUnknown
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No extension or renewal terms are supplied in the published notice data.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Commercial model
97% confidenceA single-supplier, direct below-threshold engagement for a defined senior-executive recruitment assignment.
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One supplier is linked to award 1 and lot 1; the procurement method is direct and below threshold without competition.
Value interpretation
98% confidenceThe published £60,000 net and £72,000 gross figures apply to the single contract linked to award 1 and lot 1.
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Contract 1 links to award 1 and reports both GBP value fields.
Award rationale
99% confidenceUnknown
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No evaluation narrative, award rationale, scoring, or supplier-selection explanation is supplied.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Supplier name normalisation
99% confidenceVerified legal name used
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The source notice uses "Korn Ferry", while company-number verification identifies KORN FERRY (UK) LIMITED; the source/verified name mismatch is recorded.
Lot detail
99% confidenceLot 1 has no published title, description or separate value.
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Lot 1 is present with status complete, but its title, description and value fields are null.
Award date
99% confidenceNot supplied
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Award 1 award_date is null.
Evaluation and bidding data
99% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice.
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No bid count, scores, criteria weighting, pricing breakdown or award rationale is present.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- Lot 1 has no published title, description or separate value.
- The published data does not provide an award date.
- Information on suppliers approached, bids received, evaluation, scoring, award rationale and pricing breakdown is not supplied.
- No extension, renewal or follow-on procurement terms are supplied.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
KORN FERRY (UK) LIMITEDDepartment for Business & Tradeexecutive recruitmentrecruitment servicesSCS3direct awardFind a Tender
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who won the Department for Business & Trade executive recruitment contract?
KORN FERRY (UK) LIMITED, verified by company number 00763575. The source notice names the supplier as Korn Ferry.
What is the value of the contract?
The published contract value is £60,000 excluding VAT and £72,000 including VAT.
When does the contract run?
The published contract period runs from 13 October 2026 to 13 March 2027.
How was the supplier selected?
The notice records a direct, below-threshold procurement without competition. Detailed evaluation and bid information was not supplied.
ProcuraAxis award analysis supplements, but does not replace, the official award notice, contract data or procurement documents. “Awarded” does not by itself prove that a contract has been signed.