SOLAS

SOLAS is the State’s Further Education and Training (FET) authority, responsible for funding, planning and coordinating FET provision through the Education and Training Boards and related partners. Its procurement profile is typically weighted toward education and training services, research and strategy work, digital/ICT support, consultancy, communications, and programme delivery rather than heavy capital works. Recent published awards show spending on research and strategy development, including a €147,600 contract for "Research and Strategy Development Services: Skills for the Green Economy" awarded to KPMG Future Analytics.[1] SOLAS also issues consultancy-led tenders linked to sector-wide implementation projects such as Enterprise Connect, indicating recurring demand for specialist advisory and implementation support.[2]

Strategic Context

SOLAS is operating in a policy environment focused on FET reform, green skills, and sector-wide implementation of shared services and digital transformation, which drives demand for strategic consultancy and programme support.[1][2] While no SOLAS-specific capital programme was identified in the provided sources, public procurement developments in Ireland are increasingly framed by the Government’s green public procurement agenda and the wider development of a National Procurement Strategy, which may influence how SOLAS scopes future tenders and evaluates sustainability criteria.[6][7]

Typical Suppliers

Management consultancies and strategy firms supporting FET reform, labour-market analysis, and programme design, such as KPMG Future Analytics.[1]
Education-sector ICT and systems implementation consultancies supporting shared services or enterprise platforms.[2]
Research providers and policy analysis specialists with skills, labour-market, or green-transition expertise.[1]
Training and curriculum development suppliers with experience in further education and training delivery.
Professional services firms that can provide strategic change, procurement support, and stakeholder engagement for public-sector programmes.[2]

Supplier Tips

Lead with evidence of delivery in Irish public-sector education or FET settings, because SOLAS appears to buy strategically focused professional services rather than generic consulting.[1][2]
Show clear capability in sustainability and green-skills work, as recent award activity includes a green-economy research brief and Irish procurement policy is moving toward greener purchasing.[1][6][7]
Monitor eTenders for framework-style and consultancy tenders tied to implementation programmes, and tailor bids to measurable outputs, stakeholder engagement, and implementation support rather than high-level advisory language.[1][2]

Updated 28 June 2026