Armed Forces: Recruitment
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of contracting a single advertising agency to deliver all Armed Forces recruitment advertising.
Answered by Luke Pollard
The Armed Forces Recruiting Service (AFRS) contract has recently been awarded to Serco, with a contract commencement date of 1 April 2025. The Recruiting Service will transition to a full-service implementation by October 2027, replacing the separate schemes operated by the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force.
Serco will collaborate with HQ Armed Forces Recruiting to deliver focused tri-Service marketing campaigns using an omni-channel, digital and social first approach. Partnering with TMP Worldwide, a leader in innovative and strategic marketing solutions, Serco aims to attract proactive candidates and engage those not initially considering Defence as a potential opportunity, expanding and diversifying the applicant pool.
The use of TMP Worldwide as the sole marketing agency aims to boost efficiency and coherence whilst building an in-house team with deep Armed Forces marketing expertise. Subcontracting to top-tier agencies remains an option to access specialised skills as needed.
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