A technical and engineering recruiter has been appointed to one of four first-tier suppliers for oil giant Shell after a dramatic eBay-style bidding process.

NES Overseas, a division of NES Group, will supply Shell with technical and engineering staff all over the world, but predominantly in Nigeria, the Netherlands, Russia, Qatar and Korea.

The firm won a place on the list after being invited to tender by Shell. It then had to pitch to Shell to demonstrate it could meet a list of non-financial criteria.

The final part of the process was an online auction – lasting just one hour – where eight to 10 companies competed on price. Shell picked the four successful suppliers both on the grounds of lowest price and meeting its required criteria.

Andy Rowlands, director of NES Overseas, said winning the Shell deal was in line with the company’s strategy of developing NES’s business with the oil and gas owner/operators. He added that he hoped the appointment would help the firm with potential new clients in similar fields. “It’s a great thing to have on our portfolio,” he said.

NES Overseas will also offer a range of services for Shell including co-ordinating accommodation and arranging transportation, visas and medicals for staff.