Public Sector Clients

The EPS is here to meet the education sector’s sourcing needs, by putting in place quality solutions that deliver value for money. Different clients have different needs and so we keep our frameworks and contracts as flexible – and as easy to use – as possible to take account of those needs.

EPS Frameworks reduce the time and cost associated with procurement by offering facilities that have already been competitively and compliantly tendered. By using our arrangements, our public sector clients can be confident that they are meeting their performance obligations, while at the same time reducing their administrative burden.

Suppliers

The EPS takes a balanced approach to delivering value for the taxpayer and supports SME access to public procurement by:

• Undertaking market analysis prior to tendering in order to better understand the range of goods and services on offer; market developments and innovation; what commercial models are available; the competitive landscape; and the specific capabilities of SMEs etc.
• Setting proportionate eligibility requirements, for example insurance and turnover, to support SME participation.
• Breaking tendering competitions into smaller lots (for example, by sector, region, value etc.) where possible to actively encourage SME participation and to align with the capacity and capability of the marketplace.
• Actively engaging in a range of events to help foster awareness of and to encourage engagement in the public procurement process.
• Supporting supplier awareness of eTenders, the national tendering platform (etenders.gov.ie)

By ensuring our processes are open, transparent and fair, the EPS delivers quality sourcing solutions in accordance with EU and Irish laws.

Download: Flow Chart Procurement Process (PDF)