SAND Resources, an IT recruitment company based in Tunbridge Wells, has been awarded a Catalist Framework Agreement for the supply of specialist contractors to Central Government and the wider public sector.

The compnay is one of just 13 IT recruitment companies to be awarded this Framework Agreement, which is estimated to generate revenue of £150 million per annum.

The Framework provides Public Sector organisations access to a wide range of specialist contractors to fill posts that are temporarily vacant or of limited duration. This could be to cover staff absences, resource a discrete project with a limited life, provide an extra resource for unexpected peaks in work or to inject specialist skills that are not available in-house.

Following an extensive and detailed tender process, the Framework Agreement was awarded by OGCbuying.solutions and is for an initial period of three years commencing 1st March 2006.

It has been set up to replace the existing 'Body-Shopping' category 5 of the current S-Cat framework agreements that expire in November 2006.

Sand Resources has specialised in the provision of IT contract staff and interim managers to the public sector since 2001 and was awarded its first Framework Agreement via OGCbs/S-Cat in 2003.

Business development manager Jo Harper said: “We are delighted to be awarded this framework agreement which places us in an exclusive group of recruitment businesses approved to operate in this sector.

The award reflects our continued success and track record of supply within the public sector and we are greatly looking forward to the new opportunities that this category offers.”