Irish public bodies spend about €18.5 billion a year on goods, services and works. This guide covers eTenders, the €50,000 and €200,000 national advertising thresholds, the 2026–2027 EU thresholds, central frameworks and practical tips for winning Irish public contracts.
By TenderRadar Team
Live on Tender Radar
From eTenders and TED. Counts refresh hourly; overlapping sources are not double-counted.
See the ones that fit youIrish public bodies spend about €18.5 billion a year on goods, services and works (OGP estimate, December 2025). Buying is organized around five central purchasing bodies: the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) for common goods and services, the HSE, the Education Procurement Service, the Local Government Operational Procurement Centre and the Department of Defence. Government departments, 31 local authorities, universities and state agencies also tender directly, using eTenders for anything above the national thresholds. Capital spending is rising: the July 2025 National Development Plan review commits €275.4 billion of public investment for 2026–2035, and Ireland published its first National Public Procurement Strategy in August 2026. In TenderRadar's data on 6 October 2026, construction made up a quarter of open Irish tenders.
~€18.5B
Annual procurement value
198
Open Irish tenders on TED
TenderRadar count on 6 October 2026.
149
Open tenders on eTenders
TenderRadar count on 6 October 2026. eTenders (including below-threshold national notices) was added in late September 2026 and the backlog is still filling. Overlaps with TED, so don't add the two.
181
New Irish contract notices on TED, September 2026
TenderRadar data.
~€500,000
Median stated estimated value
Open Irish tenders in TenderRadar that state a value (271 notices), 6 October 2026.
Construction (25%)
Largest category of open tenders
Share of open Irish tenders by CPV division in TenderRadar, 6 October 2026; business services are next at 12%.
Source: Tender Radar analysis of TED and national portal data, October 6, 2026.
Since 15 September 2026 eTenders has a dedicated workflow for below-threshold quote competitions, with a simplified award notice and the option to invite suppliers who are not yet registered. The OGP also issued a standard Request for Quotation template. More lower-value work under €50,000 can now run through eTenders, so an accurate supplier profile and CPV codes matter even for small contracts.
Official sourceOn 5 August 2026 the Government published Procuring for our Future, with 51 actions across five pillars. For suppliers it promises simpler processes for SMEs, start-ups and social enterprises, revised SME guidance by end-2027, a supplier exhibition every two years from 2027 and a redesign of the national procurement policy framework by mid-2027.
Official sourceIreland has no general procurement act. It implements the 2014 EU directives through statutory instruments: S.I. 284/2016 for public authorities, S.I. 286/2016 for utilities and S.I. 203/2017 for concessions, with separate regulations for defense and for remedies. Below the EU thresholds no statute applies; public bodies follow government policy set by the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation (renamed in June 2025) through circulars and guidance, mainly Circular 05/2023 on SME access and national advertising thresholds, Circular 17/2025 on green procurement, the OGP's Public Procurement Guidelines for Goods and Services and, for works, the Capital Works Management Framework (CWMF). EU Treaty principles of transparency and equal treatment apply at every value. Circular 25/2026 (August 2026) lets Exchequer-funded projects designated under the Critical Infrastructure Act 2026 use NEC or FIDIC contracts, and the new National Public Procurement Strategy plans to redesign the policy framework by mid-2027. In September 2026 the European Commission proposed a Public Procurement Act regulation to replace the three directives; it still has to be agreed by the European Parliament and Council, so the current Irish rules remain in force.
Ireland's national e-tendering platform, run by the Office of Government Procurement on European Dynamics' ePPS software since May 2023. Public bodies must advertise goods and services contracts from €50,000 and works from €200,000 (excluding VAT) here; notices above the EU thresholds are forwarded to TED, while below-threshold ones are published nationally only. Free for suppliers: register, choose CPV codes for daily email alerts, download documents and submit bids online. It also handles quote requests (a Quotes Competition workflow since September 2026) and award notices for contracts over €25,000. TenderRadar collects eTenders calls for tenders, including below-threshold ones, since late September 2026; eTenders award notices are not included.
Visit portalThe EU's official journal for public tenders. Irish contracts above the EU thresholds (from €140,000 for central government supplies and services) are published here, including those of utilities, usually sent via eTenders. Free to search. TenderRadar monitors TED for Ireland and recorded 181 new Irish contract notices there in September 2026.
Visit portalThe local government procurement portal run by the Local Government Operational Procurement Centre (LGOPC), a shared service hosted by Kerry County Council. Councils and other public bodies use it for requests for quotations, tenders and framework mini-competitions, and the LGOPC uses it for its national frameworks and dynamic purchasing systems for plant hire and minor building works and civils (over €500 million a year, more than 2,500 suppliers, mostly micro and small firms). Suppliers register and pick categories to receive notifications. TenderRadar does not cover SupplyGov, so check it directly if you sell to councils.
| Category | Threshold (EUR) |
|---|---|
| Supplies | €140,000 (central government) / €216,000 (sub-central) |
| Services | €140,000 (central government) / €216,000 (sub-central); €750,000 for social and other specific services |
| Works | €5,404,000 |
EU thresholds valid 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027, excluding VAT (Commission Delegated Regulations (EU) 2025/2150, 2025/2151 and 2025/2152). The €140,000 supplies and services threshold applies to Government Departments and Offices, including the OGP; local authorities, the HSE, universities and other public bodies use €216,000. Works: €5,404,000 for all buyers. Light-touch regime for social and other specific services: €750,000 (€1,000,000 for utilities). Utilities: €432,000 for supplies and services, €5,404,000 for works. Concessions: €5,404,000. Defense and security: €432,000 for supplies and services, €5,404,000 for works. National rules below the EU thresholds (Circular 05/2023, 28 March 2023): goods and services must be advertised on eTenders from €50,000, works from €200,000 and works-related services from €50,000. Between €5,000 and €50,000 a buyer may instead send a written specification to at least three suppliers or run a quote request on eTenders; under €5,000 a verbal or written quote from one or more suppliers is enough. Works under €200,000 and works-related services under €50,000 that are not advertised need at least five written tenders. Award information for every contract over €25,000 must be published on eTenders.
The biggest category: 25% of open Irish tenders in TenderRadar on 6 October 2026. The July 2025 National Development Plan review commits €275.4 billion of public capital investment for 2026–2035, with €24.3 billion earmarked for transport and €12.2 billion for water, and a 300,000-home housing target. Public works use the CWMF standard contracts, but Exchequer-funded projects designated under the Critical Infrastructure Act 2026 (nine so far, including MetroLink) may use NEC or FIDIC forms instead.
CPV: 45
12% of open tenders. Consultancy, legal, marketing, HR and other business services are bought through OGP central arrangements in those categories and through direct tenders by departments, agencies and councils. Below €50,000 they can be awarded through quote requests rather than advertised tenders.
CPV: 79
9% of open tenders. Design teams, engineers and other consultants for public works are procured as works-related services under the CWMF, which must be advertised on eTenders from €50,000, well below the €200,000 works threshold. Their suitability questionnaires are moving to eWorks.
CPV: 71
7% of open tenders: vehicles, fleet equipment and parts for public bodies. The OGP runs central arrangements for fleet and vehicles, so check whether a framework already covers a need. The EPA's green procurement criteria include road transport vehicles and services, so expect emissions and energy requirements.
CPV: 34
5% of open tenders. The OGP's ICT sourcing team runs central arrangements for common ICT needs, while departments and agencies tender their own digital projects. Under the new procurement strategy the OGP is studying, by the end of 2026, whether to set up a central procurement arrangement for AI. EPA green criteria also cover ICT products and services.
Registration, tender documents and bid submission on etenders.gov.ie are free, and the registration form accepts organizations from any country. Registered suppliers get an end-of-day email listing new notices that match the CPV codes on their profile, and buyers search the same supplier register when they send quote requests, so list every code you can genuinely deliver. Upload standard documents (insurance, health and safety, accounts) to your profile so you can attach them to each bid.
Goods and services contracts must be advertised on eTenders from €50,000 and works from €200,000 (excluding VAT). Below that, a buyer can simply email a specification to three or more suppliers or use eTenders' quotes tools, and unadvertised works under €200,000 need at least five written tenders. To be invited, make sure local buyers know you: attend supplier events, keep your eTenders categories accurate and, for councils, register on SupplyGov. Quotes sent only to invited suppliers never appear as public notices, so no alert service, TenderRadar included, can show them.
The OGP and the sector bodies for health, education, local government and defense set up frameworks and dynamic purchasing systems that other public bodies are expected to use. Mini-competitions go only to appointed suppliers, so the moment to compete is when the framework itself is tendered on eTenders; a DPS, by contrast, accepts new suppliers throughout its life. The OGP's public 'Search central arrangements' page shows which categories are covered, from ICT and facilities management to minor works and plant hire.
Under Circular 17/2025 public bodies must include green public procurement criteria in every tender above the national advertising thresholds where possible, and use whole-life costing for all works contracts. The criteria usually come from the EPA's national guidance, which covers sectors such as ICT, cleaning, catering, vehicles, lighting, textiles, furniture and office buildings. Look up your sector in the free GPP Criteria Search tool (gppcriteria.gov.ie), which also lists how each criterion is verified, and have that evidence ready.
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On eTenders (etenders.gov.ie), the national platform run by the Office of Government Procurement. Public bodies must advertise goods and services contracts from €50,000 and works from €200,000 (excluding VAT) there, and notices above the EU thresholds are also published on TED. Below those values buyers can ask for quotes directly, often through eTenders, and many councils also use SupplyGov for quotes, tenders and mini-competitions. TenderRadar combines TED and eTenders calls for tenders, including eTenders' below-threshold national notices; it does not cover SupplyGov, eTenders award notices or invitation-only quotes.
In September 2026 TenderRadar recorded 181 new Irish contract notices on TED. On 6 October 2026 TenderRadar listed 198 open Irish tenders on TED and 149 on eTenders; the two sources overlap, and the eTenders figure is still growing because that integration went live in late September 2026. Construction made up 25% of open tenders, and the median stated estimated value was about €500,000 (based on 271 notices that state a value).
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Launched on 6 July 2026, eWorks (eworks.gov.ie) digitizes the Capital Works Management Framework suitability assessment questionnaire (SAQ) for works contractors and construction consultants. Word SAQs remain available for one year, after which all SAQs move to eWorks, while tenders still run on eTenders. Construction firms should register as applicants now.
Circular 17/2025 (21 July 2025) replaced Circular 20/2019 and tells all public bodies to include green public procurement criteria in every tender above the national advertising thresholds where possible, and to use whole-life costing for all works contracts. Expect environmental specifications and award criteria drawn from the EPA's national GPP criteria.
Official sourceKey authority: Office of Government Procurement (OGP), Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation
The CWMF's digital platform, launched in July 2026. Contracting authorities build suitability assessment questionnaires (SAQs) and open-procedure instructions to tenderers in it; contractors and construction consultants register as applicants, answer online and reuse their information across competitions. Word SAQs stay available for a one-year transition. The tender itself still runs on eTenders. It is not a notice source, so TenderRadar does not index it.
Visit portalThe Office of Government Procurement's guidance hub for suppliers: how the State buys, the five central purchasing bodies, SME measures under Circular 05/2023, reserved contracts for social enterprises, the Tender Advisory Service and dates of free OGP SME webinars and regional briefings. The linked 'Search central arrangements' page shows which frameworks and DPS exist in each category. Guidance only; tenders are published on eTenders.
Visit portalThe Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation's database of the largest National Development Plan projects by sector and location, with expected procurement and construction timelines (2026 edition, updated September 2026). It replaced the Project Ireland 2040 capital tracker and MyProjectIreland map. Use it to plan bids and partnerships before notices reach eTenders or TED.
Visit portalCPV: 72
5% of open tenders. The Education Procurement Service is the sourcing hub for the Department of Education and Youth, schools, Education and Training Boards and higher education; in TenderRadar on 6 October 2026 it had 9 open tenders and the Department itself 7. Training for public bodies is also covered by central arrangements.
CPV: 80
The HSE, one of the five central purchasing bodies, had 12 open tenders in TenderRadar on 6 October 2026. As the health sector's central purchasing body it sets up national contracts and frameworks for medical, surgical and laboratory supplies, so watch for those re-tenders as well as one-off competitions.
CPV: 33
Public works suitability questionnaires for contractors and consultants are moving to eWorks (eworks.gov.ie), launched in July 2026; Word versions remain for one year and the competition itself still runs on eTenders. Check the NDP Construction Pipeline, updated in September 2026, for the largest projects by sector, location and timeline before they are tendered. Exchequer-funded projects designated under the Critical Infrastructure Act 2026 (nine so far) may use NEC or FIDIC contracts rather than the CWMF forms (Circular 25/2026).
In TenderRadar's data on 6 October 2026, the Irish bodies with the most open tenders were the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (14), the HSE (12), Dublin City Council (10), the Education Procurement Service (9), Tipperary County Council (8) and the Department of Education and Youth (7). The median stated estimated value of open Irish tenders was about €500,000. Award information for every contract over €25,000 must be published on eTenders, which helps you see who wins what (TenderRadar does not collect eTenders award notices).
Circular 05/2023 says minimum turnover should not exceed twice the contract value except in justified cases, and you should only have to declare that you can obtain the required insurance, with proof needed if you win. If a live tender still looks unfair after the clarification process, the OGP's free Tender Advisory Service can review it, provided you raise it at least six days before the closing date. Small firms can also bid as a consortium; the OGP's SME webinars and InterTradeIreland's Go-2-Tender support program explain how.
From 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027 (excluding VAT) the EU thresholds are €140,000 for supplies and services bought by Government Departments and Offices, €216,000 for local authorities and other public bodies, €5,404,000 for works and €750,000 for social and other specific services; utilities use €432,000 for supplies and services. Below those, national rules apply: advertise on eTenders from €50,000 for goods and services, €200,000 for works and €50,000 for works-related services. Between €5,000 and €50,000 buyers can instead ask at least three suppliers for written quotes.
The Office of Government Procurement, part of the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, sets procurement policy and, together with the sector bodies, sources 16 categories of goods and services for the public service. It is one of five central purchasing bodies, with the HSE, the Education Procurement Service, the Local Government Operational Procurement Centre and the Department of Defence. They put frameworks and dynamic purchasing systems in place that public bodies should use where available. Suppliers win a place through a competition advertised on eTenders and then compete in mini-competitions; above-threshold frameworks normally last up to four years.
Yes. EU and EEA suppliers have the same rights as Irish firms, and suppliers from countries covered by the WTO Government Procurement Agreement or an EU trade agreement with procurement chapters, including the UK, have rights for covered contracts above the thresholds. Tenders are almost always run in English, documents on eTenders are free and its registration form accepts organizations from any country. If you win, you will need an Irish tax clearance certificate once public contract payments reach €10,000 (including VAT) in a 12-month period; non-residents without an Irish tax registration apply to Revenue's Non-Residents Unit using form TC1.
No. eTenders (etenders.gov.ie) serves public bodies in the Republic of Ireland under EU rules. eTendersNI (etendersni.gov.uk) advertises contracts for Northern Ireland government departments, agencies and arm's-length bodies, which follow UK procurement law, and needs its own supplier registration. One overlap: Northern Ireland-based partners in EU PEACEPLUS projects can advertise PEACEPLUS-funded competitions on eTenders under OGP guidance issued in November 2025. TenderRadar's Irish coverage is eTenders and TED, not eTendersNI.
Above the EU thresholds you complete the European Single Procurement Document (ESPD), a self-declaration, and only the shortlisted or winning bidder has to provide evidence such as insurance certificates and financial statements. Public works use the CWMF suitability questionnaire, which is moving onto eWorks. Any supplier receiving €10,000 or more (including VAT) from public contracts in a 12-month period needs a Revenue tax clearance certificate, and construction contractors also need a relevant contracts tax (RCT) rate of 0% or 20%.
By law (S.I. No. 580/2012) public authorities must pay within 30 days of receiving an invoice, or up to 60 days only if expressly agreed and justified, otherwise statutory interest and compensation of at least €40 apply. Government policy goes further: central government departments, the HSE, local authorities and other public bodies (except commercial semi-state companies) must pay valid invoices within 15 calendar days and publish quarterly prompt payment reports. The 15-day rule is policy and does not change your contractual rights.
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