Irish Procurement Glossary

A tender process the contracting authority cancels before award, normally for legal, budget or process reasons.

A bid so low the contracting authority must investigate before awarding — sustainability, labour law, or state-aid concerns.

The standards used to evaluate tenders and pick the winner — in Ireland either lowest price or MEAT.

Contracts below EU thresholds, governed by Irish national rules rather than EU directives.

The structured go/no-go assessment a supplier runs on a tender opportunity before committing time and cost to a bid.

An individual contract awarded to a supplier from an existing framework agreement, either by direct draw-down or mini-competition.

The suite of standard documents — contracts, conditions of engagement, guidance — that all Irish public bodies must use for construction procurement.

Buying goods, services and works in a way that keeps materials in use for longer, reduces waste, and prioritises reuse, repair and recycled content.

A flexible EU procedure for complex contracts where the authority develops the solution with shortlisted candidates.

An EU procedure where the buyer invites tenders, then negotiates with shortlisted bidders before final offers, used for complex or design-led contracts.

A contract where the supplier earns its return mainly from exploiting the works or services (e.g. tolls, user fees), bearing operational risk.

Any situation where a person involved in a procurement has a private interest that could compromise impartiality, must be declared and managed.

A joint tender by two or more firms that team up to meet selection requirements or scale they could not meet alone.

The notice published after a contract is signed, naming the winner and the value — published on eTenders and TED.

The formal advertisement of a procurement opportunity — above-threshold notices go to eTenders and TED.

A public body that buys goods, services, or works with public funds — departments, councils, the HSE, ETBs, etc.

A formal correction or amendment to a previously published procurement notice, often extending deadlines or clarifying specifications.

An 8-digit EU classification code identifying the type of goods, services, or works being procured.

Your right to a written explanation of why your bid lost — the highest-ROI feedback loop in public procurement.

The period after substantial completion during which the contractor must return to remedy defects at its own cost, typically 12 months on Irish public works.

A competition where suppliers submit design proposals (architecture, planning, data) judged by an independent jury, with a prize or follow-on commission.

An electronic system, open for new suppliers to join at any point during its lifetime.

The EU procurement term for any supplier, contractor or service provider (an individual, firm, or consortium) that bids for or performs a public contract.

A reverse auction stage at the end of a tender process where qualified bidders compete in real time on price (and sometimes other quantifiable criteria).

Mandatory online submission of tenders via the eTenders platform, paper bids are no longer accepted on Irish public procurements above threshold.

Standardised self-declaration confirming you meet exclusion grounds and selection criteria — required on EU-threshold tenders.

Ireland's national e-procurement platform at etenders.gov.ie, where all public contracts over €25,000 should be advertised.

The EU rules governing public procurement above threshold values, transposed into Irish law as S.I. 284/2016.

Reasons a bidder must (mandatory) or may (discretionary) be barred from competing — convictions, tax debt, insolvency, prior misconduct.

The opening section of a tender response that distils the win themes, value proposition and key proofs onto one or two pages for the evaluator.

An early-stage submission a supplier makes to register interest in a future tender, often on a restricted procedure or framework.

A contract clause requiring the supplier (and its subcontractors) to comply with employment, equality and pay legislation throughout the contract.

A pre-qualification arrangement where a panel of approved suppliers compete for call-off contracts.

A policy requiring public bodies to include environmental criteria in contracts — mandatory over €50k in Ireland from 2025.

An EU procedure where the buyer co-develops a new product or service with one or more suppliers and can buy the result without re-tendering.

The formal invitation, with full specification and contract terms, sent to qualified bidders.

A formal commercial vehicle (often an incorporated company or partnership) set up by two or more firms to deliver a public contract together.

An OGP-managed central arrangement (framework, DPS or contract) that public bodies use instead of running their own competition, to leverage scale.

An evaluation method that scores bids on total cost of ownership over the asset's life, not just purchase price.

A simplified EU regime for social, health, education and other Schedule 3 services with a higher threshold (€750k) and lighter procedural rules.

A pre-agreed daily or weekly sum the contractor pays for late completion — enforceable without proof of actual loss.

A subdivision of a contract that can be tendered for separately — used to open contracts up to SMEs.

An award method where the contract goes to the cheapest compliant bid, allowed in Ireland only for fully specified, low-complexity requirements.

The evaluation method that weighs quality alongside price — required for most above-threshold Irish contracts.

A competition held among suppliers already on a framework or DPS to award a specific contract.

A change to a public contract during its term, allowed only within the limits of Regulation 72 without triggering a new procurement.

A flexible EU procedure where the authority negotiates terms with shortlisted bidders — only allowed in defined circumstances.

The category of procurement notice — PIN (advance), CN (tender call), CAN (award announcement).

Ireland's central purchasing body, established 2014 — manages national frameworks and sets procurement policy.

The simplest EU procedure — any supplier can submit a tender, with no shortlisting stage.

A guarantee from the parent of a bidding company that it will stand behind the contract, often required where the bidder is a thinly capitalised subsidiary.

A guarantee from a surety (bank or insurer) that the contractor will complete the works — typically 12.5% of the contract sum on Irish public works.

A questionnaire used in restricted procedures to shortlist suppliers on capacity and experience before they are invited to tender.

An advance notice alerting the market to upcoming procurement — not a call to tender.

Insurance covering claims arising from professional negligence, often required as a selection criterion on Irish public service contracts.

Ireland's rules for ensuring value for money in public expenditure, published by DPENDR.

The standard Irish government construction contracts (PW-CF1–CF5) under the Capital Works Management Framework — fixed-price, non-negotiable.

S.I. 130/2010 as amended — the rules letting unsuccessful bidders challenge a procurement decision in the High Court.

A lighter-touch process for low-value purchases where suppliers submit a price quote against a short brief.

The Irish public-sector term for a tender pack inviting formal bids on a contract.

A contract or lot reserved for sheltered workshops, social enterprises or supported-employment providers under Regulation 20.

A two-stage EU procedure — pre-qualification followed by invitation to shortlisted candidates.

A percentage of each interim payment held back by the authority to secure rectification of defects, released after substantial completion and again at the end of the defects period.

Minimum requirements a supplier must meet to be considered — financial standing, technical capability, tax clearance.

A standardised questionnaire used at the selection stage to confirm a bidder meets minimum capacity and exclusion-ground requirements.

EU Directive 2014/24/EU, which consolidated and modernised the classical public-sector procurement rules.

A direct award to a single supplier without a competition, allowed only in narrowly defined circumstances and subject to audit scrutiny.

A contract requirement that the supplier deliver social outcomes (apprenticeships, employment of long-term unemployed, training places) alongside the works or services.

A mandatory 14-day wait between award decision and contract signing, so unsuccessful bidders can challenge.

The practice of a main contractor engaging third parties to deliver part of a public contract, regulated under Regulation 71 of S.I. 284/2016.

A supplier engaged by the main contractor to deliver a part of a public contract, named on the bid where regulations require.

Procurement that integrates economic, environmental and social goals across the full life cycle of contracts.

A Revenue certificate confirming tax compliance — required for any Irish public contract over €10,000.

The online version of the EU's Official Journal for procurement, at ted.europa.eu — TenderWatch's data source.

A formal offer submitted by a supplier in response to a contract notice — must be submitted on eTenders by deadline.

A bond submitted with a bid that the authority can call if the bidder withdraws or refuses to sign the contract after award.

The period after submission during which a bidder is bound by its priced offer, commonly 90 to 180 days on Irish tenders.

The value above which specific procurement rules apply — €50k national, €140k/€216k EU services, €5.404M EU works (2026–2027 cycle, effective 1 January 2026).

A minimum annual turnover a bidder must demonstrate to qualify, capped at twice the contract value under EU rules except in justified cases.

The separate EU procurement regime for utilities sectors (water, energy, transport, postal), with higher thresholds and more flexible procedures.

Procurement by entities operating in water, energy, transport and postal sectors, governed by S.I. 286/2016 with higher thresholds than the public-sector regime.

The Irish public-sector test for procurement decisions, balancing cost, quality and fitness for purpose over the contract's life.

A formal written instruction to change the scope of a public contract, must be agreed and documented before the work is done.