Circular 10/10, adopted by the government for immediate effect, will encourage many more small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to bid. Although this may seem like another layer of work for the public client, such decisions as raising the requirement to advertise contracts over €25k on www.etenders.gov.ie, the use of the Open tender procedure for contracts with a value up to €125k will result in fewer two-stage bids, and the limitation of supporting documentation solely to short-listed clients will certainly make the evaluation process quicker.

Research to be done by the public body can be delegated to firms such as Public Procurement Services equipped to do it quickly and efficiently, and the results kept by the client for future tenders. How to find this information (and keep it in a useful format) is another way Public Procurement Services can work with the public client to smooth the way.

Electronic tendering, once established, will save the time and human resources previously spent on constructing paper responses, allowing the public client to research and debrief as expected. How to handle the details of electronic submission, from presentation to confidentiality issues, is a specialty area Public Procurement Services is happy to share.

The ultimate result of the Circular 10/10 changes is healthy competition – and a selection of tenderers highly motivated to offer value for money while at the same time helping and encouraging the SME sector to avail of public sector opportunities.

To discuss the possibilities and pitfalls of Circular 10/10, Public Procurement Services holds regular briefings. Please contact us to choose a date.