Serco awarded UK Armed Forces’ AFRS contract

Image LCpl Isaac Reeson / UK Mod Crown Copyright 2024

The contract sees recruitment for these branches of the military brought together for the first time.

The Armed Forces Recruitment Service (AFRS) contract, will be for seven years, plus options for a further three one-year extensions. A 21-month mobilisation period is expected to begin in April 2025 with the new service commencing in early 2027.

Mark Irwin, Serco Group Chief Executive, said: “It is a true privilege to be selected to partner with the UK Ministry of Defence in service of the nation’s current and future Armed Forces. Serco has been working with the MOD for over 60 years and we fully recognise the critical importance of recruiting and retaining the right number of well-trained personnel willing to serve and defend their country. Along with our partners, we have invested in the development of this solution since the procurement for AFRS was launched in 2021 and we are fully committed to ongoing collaboration with the MoD to ensure we adapt to current and emerging needs.”

Anthony Kirby, UK & Europe Chief Executive, said: "This contract reflects our broader ability to support members of the Armed Forces on their career journey, from recruiting the right personnel, to providing assessments, medicals, and onboarding, leading into their military training. I am proud of the significant and strategic partnership we have with the MoD and look forward to building upon this as we enter this new service.”

Serco will be the prime contractor and, in conjunction with a strong team of delivery partners, will provide an end-to-end service from candidate attraction through to assessment, enlistment and onboarding into initial training. The new recruitment service, including management of all Armed Forces Career Offices across the UK, will operate with a blended workforce that incorporates military service personnel.  It is underpinned by best-in-class integrated technology, designed to improve the overall candidate experience at the same time as modernising and speeding up the current recruitment process.

The principal members of ‘TEAM Serco’ are:

• Serco – as the prime contractor, will be responsible for overall AFRS delivery including integration of all programme activities to be undertaken and will lead the transition from the current recruitment arrangements, providing career advice, a new contact centre, asset and fleet management, and estate management.
• Pegasystems – specialises in enterprise transformation and platform solutions, empowering leading organisations worldwide. They are the current provider of the Recruiting Information Technology System for the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. By leveraging intelligent automation and insights, Pega has revolutionised and automated various stages of the recruitment process, modernising and improving the candidate experience.
• Adecco – with a presence in 60 countries, Adecco is a global leader in workforce solutions, supporting 3.5 million careers daily. It has provided innovative recruitment services to the UK public sector for over 30 years and is the appointed prime partner of the tri-Service Australian Defence Force Recruiting contract.
• Akkodis – as Adecco’s in-house technology business, Akkodis specialises in Talent Management Digital Solutions, with 20+ years supporting the UK Ministry of Defence.
• TMP – the largest UK recruitment marketing agency, with over 80 industry awards for creativity and effectiveness. Their attraction and awareness campaigns utilise 1,200 media channels to recruit hard to fill roles across the public and private sector, plus the early careers space.
• Optima Health – the UK’s leading supplier of employee health assessments, supporting over 10% of the entire UK working population. With a team of over 1,600 staff, including over 800 clinicians, they deliver around a million clinical assessments each year throughout the UK, including at over 50 clinics.
• PA Consulting – works across the defence and security ecosystem, helping it to innovate and transform. Their people are experienced industry professionals and leaders in building innovative systems and solutions, using their experience and relationships to challenge conventional thinking, foster ingenuity and deliver rapid results.
• MPCT– is a leading provider of vocational education and training for people aged 16+ in the UK. With a focus on fitness, vocational qualifications, and employability skills, MPCT prepares learners for rewarding careers in the Armed Forces or uniformed services.