What is Procurement?

1. Public Procurement refers to the acquisition whether under formal contract or not of works , supplies and services by public bodies.
2. Works, Supplies and Services are clearly defined in the EU Directives 2014/24/EU.
3. All Procurement and Contract Award irrespective of value must adhere to the principles of the European Treaty

Transparency: The reason tenders are advertised; there is a standstill notice; and a notice of award.  Tenderers are also entitled to feedback.  This is designed to help both the tax payer understand what the public service is spending their money on, and helps business to understand why they won or lost a tender, helping them improve for the next round.

Mutual Recognition: Equal validity must be given to the qualifications and standards of other EU member states. 

Equal treatment of tenderers: The systems of advertising the contracts, the contract award and procurement processes all help to ensure that the public sector acts with integrity and is accountable for how public money is spent.

Non-discrimination: One example of this is the freedom of movement of people, goods and services across the EU.  While it means that businesses in other European countries can bid for Irish contracts, it also means that Irish businesses can bid for contracts in other EU States.  Enterprise Ireland provides supports to businesses who want to bid for contracts in the rest of the EU.

Proportionality: The requirements of the contract should be suitable for the particular contract (e.g. turnover levels, insurance requirements).