Tax agency informs the market of plans to implement a major contract for a tech system that would enable those applying for civil service roles to independently submit filmed responses

HM Revenue and Customs has revealed plans to spend upwards of half a million pounds on technology to enable applicants for jobs at the department to pre-record and submit video interviews.

The tax agency has published a procurement planning notice outlining its intention to put in place a three-year contract with a supplier that could “provide a digital platform to support remote video interviewing as part of HMRC’s recruitment processes”.

The notice says: “The platform should enable the creation, distribution, and assessment of pre-recorded interview questions, allowing candidates to record their interview answers independently and securely. The solution must be user-friendly, accessible and capable of supporting various user roles. It should offer functionality for managing interview templates, issuing invitations, tracking candidate progress, and generating reports.”

The document adds that “security, accessibility, and data-protection are key priorities, and the platform must align with HMRC’s operational standards and legal obligations”.

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“The service should be resilient, scalable, and adaptable to meet the needs of multiple recruitment campaigns,” the notice says.

HMRC expects to issue a contract notice next month, opening bids from prospective providers. The department’s expectation is then to enter into a 36-month engagement with the chosen supplier beginning around the start of March 2026. This deal is slated to be worth £540,000, inclusive of VAT.

The notice instructs suppliers: “This procurement will consist of two stages. The first stage is an invitation to submit initial tender, where bidders will be assessed against a range of key award criteria – including, but not limited to – functional and non-functional requirements, social value, and price. The intention is to shortlist the highest-scoring bidders to proceed to the second stage, which will involve product demonstrations. The winning bidder will be the authority’s preferred bidder, and will be awarded the contract, subject to agreement upon contract terms and the completion of any further due diligence which is deemed necessary.”

The use of pre-recorded virtual interviews – in which applicants film their responses to a set of specified questions – became more prevalent in government during the early weeks of the coronavirus crisis. The Department for Work and Pensions notably deployed this model in response to a need to hire an additional 13,500 work coaches in 2020 and 2021.