SureCert, a Belfast-based startup, has secured funding of £400k to develop and launch an online platform that will revolutionise and accelerate the recruitment process in industries where a high level of verification is required. Initially, the platform will focus on nursing.

With plans to create six positions in the next 12 months, SureCert is a recruitment platform that sources, stores, shares and analyses high quality verified candidate data, which enables recruiters to source, process and verify candidates quicker, in the knowledge that all information on the candidate has been pre-verified.

This will assist educational and membership organisations in speeding up the employment process for their students, match them to jobs directly and eliminate fraud. The user-friendly platform is aimed at industries such as healthcare, aviation and education where the recruitment process requires high levels of verification.

The funding behind the company, which is based in Catalyst Inc. and will first launch the platform amongst nurses and nurse recruiters, has been raised by sources including Clarendon/Co-Fund NI, TechStart NI, and various private investors.

Entrepreneur and SureCert Founder, Ian Savage, said:

“Supply and demand issues across the nursing profession have been widely documented and with workforce concern now the biggest risk facing the National Health Service, this is the sector chosen as a launchpad for the product.

“SureCert will not only reduce administration time by sharing the data in a digital format in real-time, but it also provides recruiters with a platform to fill positions quicker than ever before whilst carrying out a highly targeted recruitment campaign.

“Nurses and any other healthcare professional can register, verify their qualifications and references easily and then choose whether to be contactable by the recruiters using the platform. It will significantly reduce the time taken for nurses to connect with recruiters whilst automating the administration involved in verifying backgrounds. Currently, the verification of academic qualifications is an unwieldy and inefficient process for qualification holders, employers and awarding bodies alike.

“The secure SureCert platform therefore provides a trusted, innovative and recruitment platform for employers, recruiters and employment agencies and a great way for universities and other educational and member bodies to provide a way to connect their students and members directly with job opportunities.”

SureCert is now seeking to partner with data providers, such as universities, colleges and other awarding bodies, to provide the data in relation to candidates, who will then opt-in to use the platform and instantly verify their details such as qualifications and references from tutors or employers.

The platform also features a free data portability tool to help data providers and recruiters comply with the pending General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requirements.

Mr Savage continued:

“Throughout the research and development process we have facilitated numerous focus groups and testing sessions with all of the target user groups within the nursing profession through which the product has been extremely well received. It has also allowed us to take the product to the next level and ensure it caters to the so far unanswered needs of all the user groups, thereby helping them to find employment or do their jobs quickly and more efficiently.

“When opting-in to the process and verifying the data, our candidates can tailor the secure platform specifically to their requirements. If they are not seeking employment, they can set their profile to private. However, if they are seeking employment they can tailor information, such as ideal job location and job title, to be entirely reflective of their needs at any time.

“This means that the search results returned to employers and recruiters are already filtered, only providing them with candidates that are looking to change jobs and hold the relevant qualifications and experience required for the role.”

As CEO of the company, Mr Savage has the support of a Board of Directors which boasts extensive experience across technology, recruitment and healthcare, including Chairman, Brian Gannon, Tom Gray and Ronnie Geddis.

Co-FundNI invests with private investors such as business angels or their syndicates into eligible SMEs based in Northern Ireland, and provides up to 50 per cent of equity investment alongside 50 per cent from private investors on, a deal-by-deal basis. The programme is supported by ERDF under the EU Investment for Growth and Jobs Programme 2014-2020.

Brian Cummings from Clarendon/Co-FundNI said:

“We believe the SureCert platform has the potential to drive huge change in the recruitment process, for both candidates and recruiters alike. We are delighted to co-invest alongside the private investors and support such an innovative solution to a problem that is plaguing the medical professions.”

TechStart NI was established by Invest NI as part of its Access to Finance strategy and is part funded by ERDF under the EU Investment for Growth and Jobs Programme 2014-2020. TechStart NI provides support for early stage technology businesses and university spin-outs through its £17m equity fund, two £1.5m university funds and a £3.6m proof of concept grant fund.

Hal Wilson of Techstart commented: “SureCert has identified a unique approach to candidate verification. This approach holds the potential for the creation of an exciting scalable business.”

As a labour market data specialist, SureCert will partner with The Detail for its ‘Brexit in Detail: stories, data & analysis from the island of Ireland’ project which has received €400,000 of funding from Google through its Digital News Initiative (DNI).

Launching in March 2018, the multimedia data-led project will examine the implications of Brexit for industry, security, politics and society on the island of Ireland, with SureCert providing real-time labour market data that will visualise and explain the multifaceted impact of Brexit as it unfolds.

For more information, please visit surecert.pro

SureCert can also be followed on Facebook and Twitter (@SureCertPro)