Complementing in-house staff with external experts

Following an intensive tendering procedure, Smals gives its trust to ProUnity for the third time in a row. Along with price and pricing policy, Smals assessed administrative and commercial conditions, and the platform’s integration, methodology and operational strength. The framework agreement allows Smals and its members to deploy targeted external ICT talent, such as freelancers and professionals from the private sector, to work together with its own internal staff. With this agreement, public institutions can call upon the services of external ICT talent at a socially responsible cost and with price evolutions in line with the budgetary discipline expected of our authorities. The agreement has taken effect on 1 January 2023.

Great opportunities for freelancers

From 2023, other private actors will again be able to offer their talent to Smals and its members via the ProUnity platform. There are already daily postings with opportunities for freelancers and service companies in projects from about 50 organizations.

Current users include the Federal Parliament, the federal public services of Finance, Justice, Interior, and Development Cooperation, the Walloon government, Sciensano, RIZIV, RVA, Forem, Actiris, the Federal Police and the Centre for Cybersecurity, etc. The new framework agreement ensures them continuity in their collaboration with the private sector, in a simple and cost-efficient way.

Candidates register for free on the ProUnity platform, to offer their services for interesting jobs with companies and public institutions. They receive mission offers every day to collaborate on innovative projects that benefit society, within the strategy of shared services, minimal costs and respect for the budgetary discipline expected of our authorities.

With ProUnity, knowledge workers apply for interesting new missions quickly and easily, thanks to ProUnity’s combination of an extensive marketplace, a VMS platform, and personalized support. ProUnity monitors the entire collaboration, from the publication of the new missions, contract management and time recording to reporting and invoicing, in strict compliance with Belgian tax and social legislation. This allows all parties to work together smoothly and efficiently, helping a growing number of clients and talent to find each other on the platform. With its innovative approach, ProUnity has become the fastest-growing HR technology company in Belgium.

The best talent at the best price

Donald De Keyser, Management Controller at Smals: “Our public institutions invest heavily in technology and innovation, to improve their services to citizens and businesses. To support this evolution, Smals will look for some 400 new employees this year. At the same time, we are adding ICT expertise from the private market to our projects and services. Via ProUnity, we are giving a large group of freelancers and service providers a gateway to step into our strategy of shared services, cost reduction and price continuity. They can collaborate on very exciting projects in all kinds of domains, with equal opportunities for all.”

Frank Robben, CEO of Smals: “The public authorities are expected to be cautious with the financial resources provided by the taxpayer. For years, it has been our strategy to offer our member institutions high quality shared services at minimal cost. We do this by reusing software components, economies of scale, and by targeted hiring of expertise from the private sector. Through ProUnity, we hope to manage this once more with minimal administrative costs for all parties. We expect external ICT staff, and the companies that provide them, to fully buy into our strategy of reuse and economies of scale. Specifically, they can help build optimal services for citizens, businesses, and public institutions, at a socially responsible cost that respects budgetary discipline in government. We will also monitor this systematically.”

Tania Vivane, Senior Client Director at ProUnity: “Smals is a true pioneer in the effective deployment of external talent in important projects for society. The labour market is changing, and Smals was a trailblazer in recognizing this. They deserve praise for their boldness and vision, helping to shape that renewal with us and their members, always constructive and with respect for the market and legislation. Our cooperation so far was built on trust; it’s great that we can now further expand it.” ​

“Winning this framework contract is the culmination of the work of our entire team,” concludes David Muyldermans, CEO at ProUnity. “Compared to the limited impact of our first collaboration in 2017, we have grown together with Smals in the role of magnet for external talent. Finding and managing external top talent quickly and smoothly is our passion; the trust of our growing group of customers proves that it works!”

About Smals

Smals is the joint non-profit ICT services organization of Belgian public social security and healthcare institutions at federal, regional, and local level. Thanks to its technical expertise, deep understanding of the business processes of its member institutions, technical standardization, reuse and economies of scale, Smals offers new innovative ICT applications and services with high added value. For more than 80 years, Smals has been a pioneer in information management for the benefit of Belgian citizens and businesses.

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​Contact

ProUnity
​Luc Malcorps
​Director Of Media relations
​press@pro-unity.com
​+32 310 87 15

About ProUnity

As a true pioneer in digital HR solutions, ProUnity offers a rock-solid combination of a proprietary VMS platform with an open marketplace and customized MSP since 2015. With ProUnity, 50+ major public and private clients find more and better external top talent within hours or days, employing some 1,500 external knowledge workers in their projects. The management platform, open marketplace with 10,000+ freelancers and 1,200 service companies, and customized support make the expert search and management transparent ​ and efficient, while respecting legislation and company rules. ProUnity ​ is part of international full-service HR services provider HeadFirst Group.
​www.Pro-Unity.com