Netherlands Awards €29.89 Million Temporary Staffing Contract to Support Municipal Workforce Requirements

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The Municipality of Zwolle has awarded a €29.89 million public services contract to Driessen B.V. for the provision of temporary personnel. The contract will support the municipality's flexible staffing requirements for positions up to salary scale 8, enabling it to respond efficiently to fluctuating workforce demands while maintaining continuity in public service delivery.

Introduction

Public authorities increasingly rely on flexible workforce solutions to address changing operational demands, staff shortages, seasonal workloads and temporary replacement requirements. Rather than maintaining permanent staffing capacity for every operational scenario, municipalities often procure specialised staffing providers capable of supplying qualified personnel whenever additional resources are required.

Reflecting this approach, Gemeente Zwolle (Municipality of Zwolle) has completed a competitive procurement for the provision of temporary staffing services. Published as TED Contract Award Notice 507818-2026, the procurement covers the supply of temporary personnel for positions up to salary scale 8 through an open procurement procedure conducted under the European Union's public procurement framework.

The contract has been awarded to Driessen B.V., one of the Netherlands' established workforce solutions providers. With a total contract value of €29.89 million, the agreement is expected to support the municipality's workforce planning by providing access to qualified temporary employees across a range of administrative, office and operational functions.

Why This Contract Matters

Temporary staffing has become an important component of workforce management within the public sector. Municipal authorities must continue delivering essential public services despite changing workloads, employee absences, project based requirements and recruitment challenges.

By awarding a dedicated staffing contract, Gemeente Zwolle gains access to a structured recruitment solution capable of supplying temporary personnel as operational requirements arise. This reduces recruitment lead times while helping departments maintain service continuity during periods of increased demand.

The procurement specifically focuses on temporary personnel supplied through employment agency services for positions up to salary scale 8. According to the procurement notice, detailed operational requirements are contained within the tender documentation, while the awarded contract establishes the commercial relationship governing future staffing services.

Contract Timeline

Contract Overview

The procurement concerns the provision of temporary staffing services for Gemeente Zwolle through professional employment agency services. The contract covers the supply of temporary personnel for positions up to salary scale 8, enabling municipal departments to recruit qualified workers when permanent staffing capacity requires reinforcement.

The procurement was conducted using the Open Procedure under Directive 2014/24/EU, allowing qualified staffing providers to compete for the contract. Unlike framework agreements commonly used for recurring procurement requirements, this procurement results in a direct service contract awarded to a single supplier.

The total value of the awarded contract amounts to €29,890,000. The agreement will commence on 1 January 2027 and continue until 31 December 2028, with the possibility of two one year extensions as described in the procurement documentation.

Key Contract Details

Project Scope

The awarded contract enables Gemeente Zwolle to procure temporary staffing services for municipal operations requiring flexible workforce capacity. The procurement covers personnel supplied through employment agency services for positions up to salary scale 8.

According to the procurement notice, the contract includes staffing services supporting office personnel as well as commercial or industrial workers under the relevant CPV classifications. Detailed operational requirements, staffing profiles and service specifications are contained within the procurement documents referenced in the notice.

The contract will run for an initial two year period beginning on 1 January 2027, with the municipality retaining the option to extend the agreement twice for one additional year each.

About the Contracting Authority

Gemeente Zwolle serves as the contracting authority responsible for this procurement. As a regional authority in the Netherlands, the municipality delivers a broad range of public services including local administration, urban development, public infrastructure, social services and community programmes.

To maintain continuity across these services, the municipality periodically procures specialist external providers capable of supporting operational requirements, including workforce solutions where temporary personnel are required to supplement internal staffing capacity.

About the Organisations Involved

Gemeente Zwolle acted as the contracting authority, procurement administrator and organisation responsible for signing the contract. The municipality also provides additional procurement information and review related information associated with this tender.

Driessen B.V. has been selected as the successful contractor following the competitive procurement process. The company will provide temporary staffing services under the contract valued at €29.89 million. According to the contract award notice, Driessen B.V. was selected on 10 July 2026, with the contract formally concluded on 21 July 2026.

The procurement attracted five electronic tenders, demonstrating competitive participation from the staffing services market before the Municipality selected Driessen B.V. as the winning supplier.

Procurement Analysis

The Municipality of Zwolle conducted this procurement using the Open Procedure under Directive 2014/24/EU, enabling interested staffing providers to compete openly for the contract. The procurement sought a single supplier capable of delivering temporary staffing services for positions up to salary scale 8 while ensuring service quality and competitive pricing.

Unlike many recurring personnel procurement arrangements that rely on framework agreements, this procurement resulted in a direct service contract. The notice confirms that neither a framework agreement nor a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) forms part of this procurement, meaning Driessen B.V. will provide the services under the awarded contract for its duration.

The evaluation was based on the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT), combining quality and price considerations. Quality accounted for 75 points while price represented 25 points. According to the procurement notice, the quality assessment included three sub criteria covering the quality of temporary workers and good employment practices, service quality and implementation methodology.

The contract will commence on 1 January 2027 and continue until 31 December 2028, with the possibility of two one year extensions. The procurement attracted five electronic tenders, indicating competitive participation from the temporary staffing market before the Municipality selected Driessen B.V. as the successful supplier.

The procurement is covered by the WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA), is not financed by European Union funds and does not include strategic procurement objectives.

Additional Procurement Facts

Market and Industry Perspective

Demand for flexible workforce solutions continues to grow throughout Europe's public sector as government organisations respond to workforce shortages, changing service demands and project based staffing requirements. Temporary staffing contracts provide municipalities with rapid access to qualified personnel without permanently expanding their workforce.

Employment service providers increasingly play an important role in supporting public administration by supplying administrative personnel, operational staff and other professionals required for day to day municipal operations. Competitive procurement procedures ensure that contracting authorities can balance workforce quality with cost efficiency while maintaining transparency.

The Zwolle procurement reflects a broader trend among European municipalities to outsource temporary recruitment to specialised staffing companies capable of delivering qualified personnel together with recruitment, onboarding and workforce management services.

Economic Significance

The contract value of approximately €29.89 million represents a significant investment in workforce continuity rather than physical infrastructure. Reliable access to temporary personnel enables municipalities to maintain uninterrupted delivery of essential public services during periods of staff absence, seasonal demand and organisational change.

For Driessen B.V., the award provides a long term opportunity to support one of the Netherlands' municipal authorities through the supply of temporary workers over the contract period. The agreement also demonstrates continued investment by public authorities in professional workforce management services.

Future Procurement Opportunities

The contract highlights continuing opportunities within the European public sector for workforce solution providers. Future tenders may include:

• Temporary administrative personnel
• Office support services
• Industrial and operational workers
• Municipal project staffing
• Human resource support services
• Recruitment and placement services
• Payroll and workforce administration
• Public sector staffing programmes
• Specialist temporary professionals
• Managed workforce solutions

Opportunities for Suppliers

The procurement demonstrates opportunities for companies specialising in workforce management and recruitment.

• Temporary staffing agencies
• Recruitment consultancies
• Human resource service providers
• Managed service providers
• Payroll service companies
• Public sector recruitment specialists
• Administrative staffing providers
• Industrial workforce suppliers
• Talent acquisition specialists
• Employment service organisations

What Businesses Should Watch

Public authorities across Europe continue investing in flexible workforce arrangements to improve operational resilience. Staffing providers should monitor municipal procurement opportunities that emphasise both service quality and workforce management capability rather than price alone.

Suppliers capable of demonstrating strong recruitment processes, employee support and effective implementation strategies are likely to remain competitive in future public staffing procurements.

NetherlandsTenders.com Procurement Intelligence

From a procurement intelligence perspective, this contract illustrates several developments within European public sector workforce procurement.

• Municipal authorities continue outsourcing temporary staffing requirements.
• Quality has become a more influential evaluation factor than price.
• Long term staffing contracts support workforce continuity.
• Professional employment agencies remain key partners for local government.
• Competitive procurement continues driving transparency in workforce services.
• Public sector demand for flexible staffing solutions remains strong.

Supplier Takeaways

• Invest in workforce quality and employee support programmes.
• Strengthen implementation and onboarding capabilities.
• Develop experience serving municipal authorities.
• Maintain compliance with European procurement regulations.
• Offer scalable staffing solutions for changing workforce demands.
• Monitor future Dutch municipal staffing procurements.

Key Takeaways

• Gemeente Zwolle awarded a €29.89 million temporary staffing contract.
• Driessen B.V. was selected as the successful supplier.
• The contract covers temporary personnel up to salary scale 8.
• The procurement used an Open Procedure under Directive 2014/24/EU.
• Quality carried a 75% weighting compared with 25% for price.
• The contract runs from January 2027 through December 2028 with extension options.

Conclusion

The Municipality of Zwolle's procurement demonstrates the growing importance of professional workforce management within public administration. By awarding a long term staffing contract to Driessen B.V., the municipality has secured a structured solution for meeting temporary workforce requirements while maintaining continuity in public service delivery.

The procurement also reflects broader trends across Europe, where municipalities increasingly evaluate staffing providers on service quality, implementation capability and employment practices alongside commercial competitiveness. As workforce flexibility continues to play a critical role in public sector operations, similar procurements are expected to remain an important part of municipal procurement strategies.

Source: TED Contract Award Notice: 507818-2026; Official Journal of the European Union (OJ S 139/2026); Publication Date: 22 July 2026