Recruitment for Deliberative Engagement
Scottish Parliamentary Corporate BodyEstimated Value
Not specified
Deadline
Not specified
Published
5 June 2026
Type
services
Overview
The SPCB require a Contractor to provide recruitment services to randomly select and recruit members of the public to participate in deliberative engagement events delivered to support the work of the Scottish Parliament. Further information can be found below.
The SPCB require a Contractor to provide recruitment services to randomly select and recruit members of the public to participate in deliberative engagement events delivered to support the work of the Scottish Parliament. Recruitment shall be undertaken using a robust and transparent random selection methodology, designed to minimise selection bias and maximise inclusivity.
The preferred approach is random selection via postal invitation to a randomly generated sample of residential addresses, with appropriate follow-up procedures to support response rates and accessibility. Where alternative or supplementary methods are proposed, Contractors must clearly demonstrate how these preserve the integrity of random selection.
Contact & helpdesk
Any service providers with the ability to provide this service, or wishing to request further information, are invited to contact nigel.macgillivray@parliament.scot by 19 June 2026 to note their interest.
Additional details
Potential participants will then be stratified from the pool of respondents to broadly reflect the specified demographic profile requested by the Scottish Parliament, such as the adult population of Scotland, a Parliamentary region, or within a specified radius of an event location. To ensure broad participation the contractor should consider how their methodology encourages participation from residents in lower SIMD and have contingency plans to support successful fulfilment of all demographic targets.
The SPCB will typically require between 20–30 participants to be involved in deliberative engagement processes; however, this may vary depending on the needs of the Parliamentary Committee requesting deliberative input and available budget. The Contractor shall propose a methodology that is both cost-effective and consistent with the principles of random selection and stratified sampling, setting out how participants will be contacted, recruited, and selected from the respondent pool. Any service providers with the ability to provide this service, or wishing to request further information, are invited to contact nigel.macgillivray@parliament.scot by 19 June 2026 to note their interest.
AI Analysis
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The Scottish Parliament (SPCB) needs a recruitment contractor to find and sign up ordinary members of the public for deliberative engagement events — essentially focus groups or consultation panels that help inform Parliament's work. You'd be responsible for randomly selecting participants from the general population, ensuring fair representation across different demographics, and managing the whole recruitment process from invitation to confirmation.
Requirements
- Ability to conduct robust random selection methodology that minimizes selection bias
- Experience with postal invitation recruitment to randomly generated residential addresses
- Capability to stratify participants to match specified demographic profiles (e.g., adult population of Scotland, specific Parliamentary regions, geographic radius around event)
- Demonstrated understanding of SIMD (Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation) and ability to encourage participation from lower SIMD areas
- Contingency planning to meet all demographic targets
- Cost-effective approach to recruitment
- Clear follow-up procedures to improve response rates and accessibility
- Ability to manage participant contact, recruitment, and selection from respondent pool
- Transparency in methodology and approach to alternative or supplementary selection methods if proposed
Key Tasks & Deliverables
- Design and implement random selection methodology using postal invitations to randomly generated residential address samples
- Conduct follow-up procedures to increase response rates and support accessibility
- Stratify respondents by demographic characteristics to match Parliament's specified requirements (typically aiming for 20–30 participants per event, though this varies)
- Recruit participants to match demographic profiles such as adult population of Scotland, specific Parliamentary regions, or geographic areas around event locations
- Implement contingency plans to ensure all demographic targets are met
- Contact, manage, and select final participants from the respondent pool
- Propose alternative or supplementary recruitment methods if applicable, while demonstrating how these maintain random selection integrity
How to Read This Tender
- 1This is a recruitment services contract, not a delivery contract — you're finding people, not running the actual engagement events. Focus on the methodology section; Parliament cares deeply about how you select people fairly, not just how many you recruit.
- 2Random selection and minimizing bias are non-negotiable. Parliament wants to avoid the accusation that they've stacked the room with friendly faces. Your proposal must show robust process and transparent reasoning — this is about democratic legitimacy, not convenience.
- 3SIMD is a Scottish government measure of deprivation. Parliament wants you to actively reach out to deprived areas and demonstrate how your method includes, not excludes, less affluent communities. Don't just send letters and hope; show your contingency plans for lower response rates in these areas.
- 4The scale is small (20–30 people per event typically) and variable. This isn't a mass recruitment campaign. Your cost proposal needs to reflect that you might do several small batches rather than one big push, and budgets may change between events.
- 5Contact Nigel MacGillivray by 19 June 2026 to express interest — this appears to be an early-stage notice. Get your questions in early; there will likely be a fuller tender document released later with detailed evaluation criteria and contract terms.
Tips for Small Businesses
- You don't need to be a massive recruitment firm to bid for this. Small specialist market research or public engagement companies with experience in random sampling (e.g., opinion polling firms, deliberative democracy consultancies) are well-suited. If you lack postal logistics capability, consider subcontracting mail fulfillment while keeping recruitment methodology in-house.
- Social value matters in Scottish Parliament contracts. Highlight how your approach supports inclusion of hard-to-reach groups, supports local employment (if you use local fieldworkers), or contributes to democratic participation. Parliament cares about this — build it into your proposal.
- This is likely to be repeat business if you perform well. SPCB will run multiple deliberative events over time, potentially with the same contractor. Pitch not just a one-off solution but a scalable, flexible framework that Parliament can reuse with different geographic areas and demographic targets. Emphasize your ability to turn around recruitment quickly and adapt methodology to different committee requests.
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Buyer Profile
Scottish Parliamentary Corporate BodyKey Dates
Published
5 June 2026
Submission deadline
Not specified
Notice type
planning
Source
find a tender
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