· Bryan Collins · Guides · 6 min read
Office of Government Procurement Ireland — A Guide for Suppliers
The OGP manages national framework contracts covering all Irish public bodies. For suppliers, getting on the right OGP framework can open up every government department as a customer.
The Office of Government Procurement (OGP) is the central procurement authority for the Irish public service. It manages national framework contracts that every government department, local authority, state agency, and public body can use. For suppliers, the OGP is the single most important organisation in Irish public procurement.
What is the OGP?
The OGP was established in 2014 as part of the Public Service Reform Plan. Its role is to centralise and professionalise procurement across the Irish public service — replacing fragmented, individual buying with aggregated national contracts that deliver better value.
The OGP is a division of the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform. It is based in Dublin and operates from a central mandate to reform how the state buys common goods and services.
Core functions:
- Manage national framework contracts for common categories
- Set procurement policy and issue circulars to public bodies
- Publish guidance for both buyers and suppliers
- Develop and maintain the eTenders platform
- Support sectoral procurement categories (health, education, local authorities)
OGP National Framework Contracts
The most valuable thing the OGP does, from a supplier perspective, is run national framework contracts. A framework is a pre-qualification arrangement — the OGP runs a competition, selects a panel of approved suppliers, and then all Irish public bodies can call off contracts from that panel without further competition.
Why frameworks matter for suppliers:
Getting on an OGP framework transforms your addressable market overnight. Instead of competing separately for contracts from 31 local authorities, 16 government departments, the HSE, and hundreds of state agencies, you are on a panel that all of them can use.
Framework call-offs can be small (€5,000 for a training course) or very large (multi-million IT contracts). The pipeline is ongoing for the lifetime of the framework — typically 2-4 years.
How framework call-offs work:
When a public body needs to buy something covered by an OGP framework, they have two options:
- Direct call-off — award directly to the framework supplier with the lowest framework rate (for straightforward commodity purchases)
- Mini-competition — issue a mini-ITT to all framework suppliers, asking them to compete on price or quality for the specific requirement
Mini-competitions are common for services where specifications vary by project. The framework supplier with the best mini-competition response wins that call-off.
Key OGP Framework Categories
The OGP maintains frameworks across a wide range of categories. Current active frameworks include:
Technology
- IT hardware (PCs, laptops, servers, peripherals)
- Software licensing and maintenance
- Cloud services (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS)
- IT professional services (development, project management, testing)
- Managed print services
- Telecommunications
Professional Services
- Management consultancy
- Internal audit services
- Legal services (multiple lots by specialism)
- Training and development
- HR advisory
- Financial advisory
Facilities and Estate
- Office supplies and stationery
- Cleaning services
- Security services (guarding)
- Waste management
- Catering and food services
- Fit-out and office furniture
Fleet and Transport
- Cars and light commercial vehicles
- Specialist vehicles
- Fuel cards
- Fleet management services
Healthcare (sectoral — run by HPAI and HSE Procurement)
- Medical consumables (multiple clinical lots)
- Pharmaceutical supply
- Medical equipment
Construction (CWMF — Capital Works Management Framework)
- Works frameworks (by value band and trade)
- Specialist subcontracting lots
How to Find OGP Framework Competitions
New framework competitions are advertised on eTenders.gov.ie — they follow the same procurement rules as individual contracts. Competitions are also announced on the OGP website at ogp.gov.ie.
How to track upcoming frameworks:
- Set up eTenders alerts with “framework” as a keyword
- Monitor ogp.gov.ie — the OGP publishes a forward pipeline of planned competitions
- Subscribe to OGP supplier newsletters (sign up at ogp.gov.ie)
- Attend OGP supplier engagement days — held periodically for each category
Typical framework competition timeline:
- Pre-market engagement (optional): OGP publishes a Prior Information Notice (PIN) and holds market engagement
- Publication on eTenders: typically 4-6 weeks response time
- Evaluation: 4-8 weeks
- Standstill period: 14 days after notification
- Framework established: suppliers notified and framework live
The window between publication and deadline is shorter than you might expect — set up alerts and respond quickly.
Qualifying for OGP Frameworks
OGP framework competitions use a two-stage process for larger categories:
Stage 1 — Selection (pass/fail) Minimum qualifying criteria — financial standing, insurance, tax clearance, relevant experience. Pass these and you proceed to Stage 2.
Stage 2 — Award (scored) Quality and price scored against each other. The top-scoring suppliers are admitted to the framework. The number of panel places varies by category — some frameworks admit all qualifying suppliers; others cap the panel.
Common qualification requirements across OGP frameworks:
- Tax Clearance Certificate (Revenue) — mandatory, must be current
- Minimum annual turnover (varies by category — typically 2-3× the anticipated call-off value)
- Public liability insurance (minimum levels specified)
- Professional indemnity insurance (for services categories)
- Audited accounts (last 2 years minimum)
- ISO 9001 or equivalent quality management (for some categories)
- Relevant experience references
The OGP Supplier Portal
The OGP publishes guidance specifically for suppliers at ogp.gov.ie, including:
- List of current active frameworks (with call-off instructions for public bodies)
- Upcoming framework competitions
- Guidance notes on how to bid
- Template ESPD and qualification documents
- The OGP’s procurement policy circulars (useful background on how public bodies are required to buy)
Supplier registration: The OGP doesn’t maintain a separate supplier register — registration on eTenders is sufficient. For some specific frameworks (particularly IT), the OGP may use additional supplier portals.
Sectoral Categories
Not all central procurement happens through the OGP. Several sectoral procurement offices manage categories for specific parts of the public service:
Health Business Services (HBS) Manages procurement for certain HSE and voluntary hospital categories. Separate from OGP frameworks but operates on similar principles.
HEANET Manages IT and connectivity procurement for Irish universities and institutes of technology. Framework agreements are available to all HEIs.
Education Procurement Service Manages procurement for the Department of Education — school building, furniture, equipment.
Local Government sector The Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) manages some frameworks specifically for local authorities — not all OGP frameworks are structured for council use.
Understanding which procurement office covers your target category and buyer type helps focus your framework qualification efforts.
Tips for Suppliers Targeting OGP Frameworks
Pick your frameworks strategically
Don’t try to get on every framework. Identify the 2-3 frameworks most relevant to your core offering. Framework qualification requires investment — a full bid response takes significant time. Focus where you have genuine competitive strength.
Track the forward pipeline
The OGP publishes indicative timelines for upcoming framework competitions. Monitor this so you’re not caught off guard by a deadline. Framework competitions in IT and professional services in particular can be highly competitive — preparation time matters.
Understand the mini-competition dynamics
Getting on the framework is step one. Winning call-offs through mini-competitions is step two. The mini-competition scoring criteria vary by call-off — read each one carefully. Price is more dominant in mini-competitions than in the initial framework award.
Maintain your framework standing
Once on a framework, maintain your qualification documents. Tax clearance certificates expire — let yours lapse and you can be removed from the framework. Some frameworks require annual updates of accounts and insurance.
Build relationships within public bodies
Even with a framework in place, public bodies choose which suppliers to invite to mini-competitions (for larger calls-off where invitation is at their discretion). Being visible, responsive, and known to the relevant procurement teams within your target authorities matters.
Current OGP Opportunities
For current open framework competitions and individual tenders from OGP-managed contracts, browse TenderWatch:
Use the Bid Readiness Checker to assess your organisation’s readiness before investing in a major framework response.