Procurement is the acquisition, whether under formal contract or not, of works, supplies and services by public bodies. It ranges from the purchase of routine supplies or services to formal tendering and contracts for large infrastructural projects.
Procurement is governed by the following five principles:
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 taxpayer 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).
One of the key principles of public procurement is transparency. Here at Monaghan County Council, we aim to ensure high standards of openness, transparency and compliance with all relevant public procurement Directives and Legislations in all our Procurement work. This is reiterated through the publication of information on all purchase orders with a value greater than €20,000 on a quarterly basis; this information is available under the Finance Section.
The main objectives of the Procurement Function in Monaghan County Council are:
- To ensure the Council complies with all European and national legislation, Departmental circulars and local policies and procedures
- To support service delivery by the Council and to fulfil the strategic objectives in the Council’s Corporate Plan
- To achieve value for money for the Council
- To facilitate economic, social and environment objectives through social and green procurement and by engaging with businesses and suppliers
Doing Business With Us
Monaghan County Council utilises many of the frameworks and contracts put in place by the Office of Government Procurement (OGP). We also issue tenders and quotation requests in accordance with the business needs. Tender opportunities are published and available on eTenders www.eTenders.gov.ie and on SupplyGov www.supplygov.ie.
Public Procurement Guide for SMEs and Sole Traders
This guide aims to help small and medium enterprises and sole traders make the most of business opportunities in the Public Sector.