Code of Federal Regulations Title 5. Administrative Personnel § 5.300.401 Definitions

(a) A commercial recruiting firm is a profit-making entity which, by contract, supplies individual candidates for consideration for specific Federal vacancies, in accordance with the requirements set by the Federal agency.

(b) A nonprofit employment service is one legally established as nonprofit under State law. It may be operated, for example, by professional societies, organizations of college graduates, social agencies, or a State or local government. Federal agencies may not, however, use a nonprofit employment service sponsored by a partisan political organization. By contract, a nonprofit employment service supplies individual candidates for consideration for specific Federal vacancies, in accordance with the requirements set by the Federal agency.