What a year it’s been! As we close the chapter on 2025, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on everything that’s made this year so special for us at Talent Drive. From commercial milestones and award wins to charity initiatives and team celebrations, it’s been a whirlwind of achievements, growth, and (of course) plenty of coffee and croissants. Let’s dive into the highlights and share what we have in store for 2026.
Commercial Success: Our Strongest Year Yet
2025 has been a record-breaking year for our business. We welcomed 36 new clients and achieved our highest-ever average placement fee. It’s been incredibly rewarding to partner with so many fantastic organisations across the UK and worldwide, helping them find the procurement and supply chain talent they need to thrive.
Whether you’re looking for your next career move or seeking to build out your team, we’re here to support you. Explore our latest procurement and supply chain roles and see how we can help you achieve your goals in 2026.
Framework Recognition: Now a SUPC Supplier
We’re delighted to announce that Talent Drive is now an Awarded Supplier on the Southern Universities Procurement Consortium (SUPC) Framework. This is a significant milestone for us, enabling public sector procurement teams across higher and further education to access our specialist recruitment services with confidence.
If you’re working in public sector procurement and would like to explore how we can support your recruitment needs through the SUPC Framework, please get in touch at info@talentdrive.co.uk.
Team Growth: Welcome Ellie!
Behind every great recruitment agency is an even greater team, and 2025 saw us expand ours. We hired Ellie to support Talent Group’s growth across operations and interim, and we’re thrilled to share that she’s already been promoted to Resourcing and Operations Coordinator. Ellie’s energy, organisation, and commitment have been instrumental in keeping everything running smoothly as we’ve scaled this year.
It’s reminders like this that make us proud of the culture we’re building at Talent Drive, which brings us nicely to our next highlight…
Award-Winning Workplace Culture
We’ve always believed that happy teams deliver exceptional results, and this year the wider community agreed. We were honoured to win Best Place to Work at the BCP Local Business Awards and took home a Silver Award for Best Place to Work at the Poole Business Awards.
These accolades reflect the collaborative, supportive, and impact-driven environment we strive to create every day. From team celebrations at Royal Ascot and a brilliant trip to Dublin, to the weekly rituals of coffee catch-ups and cakes, we’ve worked hard to make Talent Drive a place where people genuinely enjoy coming to work.
Giving Back: Charity and Sustainability
We’ve always been committed to making a positive impact beyond recruitment, and 2025 has been our biggest year yet for giving back. Our team raised over £2,000 for local charities, with the majority supporting Julia’s House, a Dorset and Wiltshire children’s hospice charity that provides expert nursing care and emotional support for children with life-limiting conditions and their families.
In addition to our fundraising, we partnered with Just One Tree to plant 252 trees throughout the year. Each placement we make contributes to reforestation efforts worldwide, helping us reduce our carbon footprint while supporting biodiversity and local communities.
As our commitment to sustainability and social responsibility continues to grow in 2026, we’re excited to share that our CEO Martin Smith will be running the London Marathon for Julia’s House. If you’d like to support this incredible cause, you can donate HERE.
Events: Our First CPO Roundtable
This year we hosted our first-ever Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) roundtable, bringing together senior procurement leaders to discuss the challenges and opportunities shaping the profession. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with attendees praising the open, collaborative atmosphere and the insights shared.
The success of this event has inspired us to make it a regular fixture. We have two more CPO roundtables planned for early 2026, and we can’t wait to continue these important conversations with the procurement community.
Talent Talks Podcast: Inspiring Conversations
Our Talent Talks podcast has gone from strength to strength in 2025, featuring incredible guests who’ve shared their insights on procurement leadership, career development, and industry innovation. Highlights this year included conversations with:
- Ben Freeman, CEO & Co-founder of Omnea, who discussed AI, procurement technology, and scaling a fast-growth startup.
- Ben Farrell MBE, CEO of CIPS (The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply), who shared his mission to modernise global procurement and insights from his 23-year military career.
All episodes are available to watch on our YouTube channel, and we’re already lining up exciting guests for 2026. Speaking of which, if you’d like to be featured on Talent Talks or know someone who’d be a great guest, we’d love to hear from you! Drop us a line at info@talentdrive.co.uk.
Women in Procurement: Celebrating Diverse Voices
We launched our Women in Procurement content series this year to shine a spotlight on the talented women driving change and innovation across the profession. Our latest feature with Nikki Rowbottom explored her career journey, leadership philosophy, and advice for aspiring procurement professionals.
This series is close to our hearts, and we’re committed to continuing it in 2026 as part of our broader mission to champion diversity, equity, and inclusion within procurement and supply chain.
Looking Ahead: What’s Next for 2026?
As we look to the year ahead, we’re extremely excited about what’s to come. Here’s a sneak peek at what we have planned:
Return of Talent Talks Live
Following the success of our podcast, we’re bringing back Talent Talks Live in 2026. Watch this space for details on dates, venues, and guest speakers.
More CPO Roundtables
We’ll be hosting additional CPO roundtables in 2026, creating more opportunities for senior procurement leaders to connect, share insights, and tackle industry challenges together.
2026 Procurement Salary Guide
Our highly anticipated 2026 Procurement Salary Guide will be launching in January, offering the latest salary benchmarks and market insights for procurement and supply chain professionals across the UK. Want early access? Email us at info@talentdrive.co.uk to request your copy before the official launch.
Continued Sponsorships
We’ll be maintaining our commitment to sponsorships and partnerships that support the procurement community and drive positive change across the profession.
London Marathon for Julia’s House
As mentioned, our CEO will be lacing up his trainers for the London Marathon, raising vital funds for Julia’s House.
Open Call for Podcast Guests
We’re always looking for inspiring voices to feature on the Talent Talks Podcast. If you’re a procurement leader, innovator, or changemaker with a story to tell, get in touch at info@talentdrive.co.uk.
Let’s Make 2026 Even Better
Thank you to everyone who’s been part of the Talent Drive journey in 2025 – our clients, candidates, partners, and the wider procurement community. Your trust, collaboration, and support have made this year truly unforgettable.
Whether you’re looking to make your next career move, fill a critical role in your team, or simply want to stay connected with the latest insights and opportunities in procurement recruitment, we’re here for you – and you can sign up to our newsletter to receive updates, market insights, and opportunities straight to your inbox – just pop us an email: info@talentdrive.co.uk
Browse our current vacancies, learn more about what we do, or reach out to discuss how we can support you in 2026 and beyond.
Here’s to another year of growth, impact, and partnership.
Happy New Year from all of us at Talent Drive! 🎉
