Publication
OGP Support Frequently asked questions
From Office of Government Procurement
Published on
Last updated on
From Office of Government Procurement
Published on
Last updated on
To assist in your search of Central Arrangements, click "Search Central Arrangements" on the upper right hand side of the OGP website (www.gov.ie/ogp) home page or click here.
The listing captures all central arrangements put in place by the OGP, Education Sector (EPS) and the Local Authority Sector (LGOPC).
Here is a list of all central arrangements. Click on the name of a central arrangement for additional information on that arrangement. Here you will also find links to our Buyer Zone where further information is then available once you have logged in.
To search for a central arrangement please enter any word into the search function on the right hand side and it will return all results containing that word.
Registration on the Buyer Zone is a self-service function.
Email addresses with a domain name not ending in gov.ie will need their email address authorised and can do so by sending an email directly to registration@ogp.gov.ie . Only emails that can be identified as work emails with work domains can be authorised. Once your email address is authorised then you can proceed to register as below:
Emails with a domain name ending in gov.ie are pre-authorised and can proceed to register as below:
On the Buyer Zone login page you will see 'Don’t have an account? Register' - click on the word 'Register'.
Once you click ‘Register’, you will be brought to a registration form to be completed. When completed you must click ‘Register’ button at the end of the form to submit your registration.
N.B. User Names are alphanumeric only and symbols or spaces are not allowed.
You need to set your password when registering. When setting your password please ensure that your password is:
Once you have set up your account, the login is two-step process. When you login, using your Username/Email & Password, an automated email will be sent to the email address used to register. Check spam folder if not received in inbox. Click on the link to login. This link can be used multiple times.
Please contact OGP Support Help Desk if you need assistance.
If you are not receiving emails or receive an invalid link message, you should follow the below steps:
If you still cannot access the Buyer Zone, please contact the OGP Support Help Desk at support@ogp.gov.ie or 01-773 8000 for further assistance.
If you receive an invalid link message when you first click your activate account link, please proceed to attempt to login using your Username/Email and password as the link should have activated your account.
Usernames are alpha-numeric, only letters and numbers can be used. Ensure when you type in your username that you have no spaces or symbols as these will prevent a successful login.
Passwords are case sensitive.
If you require further assistance, please contact OGP Support Help Desk.
The Office of Government Procurement delivers Procurement related events such as:
Details of these events can be located on our Events page on the Buyer Zone when logged in as a Buyer.
Public procurement events run by the OGP can be found in the events calendar.
Please contact OGP Support Help Desk further assistance, if necessary.
The Office of Government Procurement does not keep a preferred supplier list or panels for which Public Bodies can use to obtain quotes.
The OGP does however, have framework/contract member lists (lists of Suppliers who have won a place on a framework/contract). On accessing the Buyer Zone , these details can be found under the relevant framework information page in the User Guide for that framework. User Guides can be located under the ‘How to use this framework/contract?’ section. Click on the + sign to expand, if necessary.
Please contact OGP Support Help Desk further assistance, if necessary.
The Office of Government Procurement has established numerous framework arrangements in accordance with EU Directives, national legislation & policy and procurement best practice and support you in delivering value for money and compliantly procuring goods and services to meet your needs.
Depending on the nature of the goods and services required by Public Sector Bodies (PSBs) will dictate the complexity level and drawdown mechanism. In order to support your planning processes, the OGP has categorised all of its framework arrangements into tiers based on their complexity and has committed to a delivery timeframe. The tier categorisation for each framework arrangement is available in the User Guide relating to each arrangement. Please see Tiering information below:
Tier 1: Utilities sign up – Available immediately
Tier 2: Direct Drawdown – Available immediately
Tier 3: Low complexity Mini-Competition – Up to 10 weeks
Tier 4: Medium complexity Mini-Competition – Between 10 and 20 weeks
Tier 5: High complexity Mini-Competition – 6 months with a well developed specification
Self-serve allows Contracting Authorities to run and manage their own mini competitions from OGP framework agreements.
Contracting Authorities still have the option to engage the OGP to run a mini competition should that be preferable to the organisation.
For full information on how to use Self-Serve as a public sector buyer, you can register on the OGP Buyer Zone and access all related information and guidance here. A one page guide to Self-Serve is included.
Contracting Authorities must submit one Access Request Form for each Self-Serve request listing those who require access with a completed Confidentiality & Conflict of Interest form for each User listed on Access request form. All documentation needed is also available via the above link.
All documents once fully completed should be sent to the OGP Support Help Desk at support@ogp.gov.ie for processing.
Requests to access OGP framework agreements should only be made once it has been determined that a mini competition is to take place currently and the competition is ready to go to market.
Please contact OGP Support Help Desk further assistance, if necessary.
To register as a new Public Sector Buyer on eTenders, please contact your organisation's eTenders administrator. If you wish to register as a new Contracting Authority, please click on the link for the Buyer Registration form – which is available by scrolling down on the eTenders homepage to the Buyer Registration section.
The completed form should be emailed to the eTenders helpdesk at buyer-request@eu-supply.com
Tip: Save the file to your computer first before opening.
eTenders is operated and maintained by EU Supply on behalf of the OGP. For assistance, email the eTenders helpdesk on etenders@eu-supply.com or call +353 (0)21 243 92 77 during office hours (09:00am – 17:30pm GMT)
Please contact OGP Support Help Desk further assistance, if necessary.
The EU Commission periodically set the thresholds above which the EU Public Procurement Directives and the Remedies direct apply.
Above these thresholds each contracting authority needs to ensure that they are carrying on compliant procurements as regulated by the Public Procurement Directives and awarding contracts in such a way as unsuccessful applicants or tenders can seek remedies during standstill periods as set out by the Remedies Directive.
You can find out more information on the EU thresholds here.
National Thresholds are set out in 2.1 of Circular 05/2023 - Initiatives to Assist SMEs in Public Procurement , Circular 05/2023 replaces Circular 10/2014.
‘2.1. Advertising of contract opportunities to promote SME participation
The threshold at which contracting authorities are required to advertise all contracts for goods and services on eTenders is now €50,000 (exclusive of VAT). Contracts with a value between €5,000 (exclusive of VAT) and the new national advertising threshold of €50,000 (exclusive of VAT) may be awarded on the basis of responses to written specifications (for example, by email) issued to at least three suppliers or service providers’.
You can find out more information on national thresholds on the OGP Information page New circular to assist SMEs in Public Procurement and on the Circular page here.
Please contact OGP Support Help Desk further assistance, if necessary.
The EU Threshold time limits are set out in the Public Procurement Guidelines for Goods & Services on page 40 and page 108 Appendix V.
There are no prescribed time limits in relation to below threshold procedures. However, sufficient time must be permitted for preparation and submission of tenders to allow for genuine competition and SMEs to participate in the tender process.
Contracting authorities should consider the complexity of a contract when placing time limits on the receipt of tenders
Please contact OGP Support Help Desk further assistance, if necessary.
It is important to ensure that the State’s interests are protected when deciding to set insurance levels, how to limit any possible Contractor’s liability and set Retention values.
For insurance levels, Contracting Authorities should review Circular 10/14 which can be found here.
There are commercial implications for a Contracting Authority when deciding how to limit liability or set Retention values. These could impact on the price proposed by tenderers, on their interest as to whether they will participate, etc., and therefore it is a matter for the Contracting Authority to decide, having regard to the value of the contract and the possible risks involved in the provision of the services/goods, if any limit is applied to the liability.
Requests for assistance in setting the appropriate insurance types and levels (such as Product Liability Cover), assistance in setting limitation of liability and Retention values should be directed to the Risk Unit in the State Claims Agency or equivalent.
You can contact the Agency at stateclaims@ntma.ie
State Claims Agency, Risk Unit, Treasury Dock North Wall Quay Dublin 1 D01 A9T8
Phone: 01 238 4900 Email: stateclaims@ntma.ie
If your organisation does not fall under the remit of the States Claims Agency, you will need to seek your own third party insurance advice.
All up-to-date information on the new eTenders platform can be found here , including FAQ’s.