Procurement

Our Procurement team enable public and private sector clients achieve efficient and cost-effective solutions to the procurement of supplies, services and works contracts.

Meet the team
Practice Procurement resized

Our experience advising state agencies and government departments, and local authorities provides an invaluable understanding of the public law requirements, decision making processes, administrative law constraints and the relevant political context oftentimes surrounding the procurement process.

We use this understanding to deliver the sharpest advice when planning compliant procurement strategies, drafting tender documents and defending high-profile procurement challenges to achieve our client’s commercial objectives.

Our Procurement team work seamlessly with our lawyers in numerous other practices – including corporate, disputes, competition and real estate– to minimise your risk and provide an end-to-end, service on any procurement issue, no matter how technical or complex.

Our services include:

  • Compliance issues
  • EU developments such as communications from the Commission and European Court of Justice (ECJ) decisions
  • The procurement process, the appropriate procedures, conduct of the evaluation of tenders and contract award issues
  • Framework agreements
  • Information entitlements under Freedom of Information Acts, EU Regulations, Data Protection law and Public Procurement rules
  • Interpretation of EU and Irish procurement law
  • Monitoring and auditing public procurement processes
  • Preparing relevant notices
  • Preparing tender documentation
  • Managing compliance through the structuring of procurement transactions
  • Preparing and advising on procurement documents such as contract
  • notices, instructions to tenders, prequalification questionnaires
  • Pursuing remedies for breach of procurement rules

Representative experience

  • Advised RPS Consulting Engineers on its successful High Court case challenging the reasons given by Kildare County Council to unsuccessful tenderers.
  • Advising a third level institution in relation to the procurement of a construction project involving advising on the prequalification and award criteria, evaluation process, clarifications and compliance issues.
  • Advised a utilities company on the procurement of a service provider for a major services contract involving the negotiated procedure under the Utilities Directive involving the preparation of PQQ and ITT documents, advising on award criteria and marking schemes and tender compliance.
  • Advised a third level institution in relation to procurement through framework agreements.
  • Advised a utilities company on the engineering procurement documents for the design supply and installation of wind turbines, civil and electrical works, involving the preparation of PQQ and ITT documents, advising on award criteria and marking schemes and tender compliance.
  • Advised various local authorities on the procurement process for services and works contracts involving the ITT documents, evaluation of tenders, clarification of tenders, advising on non-compliance of tenders, exclusion of tenderers and standstill letters.
  • Advised a State Agency in relation to EU procurement rules and procedures relating to a computer system project involving advising on the application of minimum requirements for short listing and contract award issues.

Key Contacts

Highly experienced in procurement, tendering and contract documents
– The Legal 500 (2022)
Finola McCarthy has a very good understanding of her brief and a style which is very clear and client-focused
– Chambers Europe (2022)
very effective at what she does, combining her specialist skills with a pragmatic approach
– The Legal 500 (2022)
Capacity to simplify complex legal issues and clearly set out options for consideration
– The Legal 500 (2022)