In July 2012, following a government decision to make eight of the National Procurement Service (NPS) contracts mandatory, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform issued ‘Circular 06/12: Public Procurement (Framework Agreements)’. The purpose of this Circular is to inform all public bodies of the mandatory requirement to utilise central contracts, put in place by the NPS, when procuring a range of commonly acquired goods and services. Such central arrangements are targeted at securing best value for money and facilitating contracting authorities to deliver services within their budgetary constraints. The eight mandatory contracts are:
1. Stationery & Office Supplies
2. Paper
3. Janitorial Supplies
4. ICT Consumables
5. Managed Print Services (When opting for managed print service solutions it is mandatory to use this framework agreement.)
6. Advertising (Print Media)
7. Motor Vehicles (Cars and Pick-up Trucks)
- 8. Energy (Electricity and Natural Gas)
- The annual turnover required for each competition depends on the estimated value of the contract and will be different for every competition run by the NPS.