Progress Report of the High Level Group on SME Access to Public Procurement Launched

Minister of State with Special Responsibility for Public Procurement, Simon Harris T.D., and Minister for Business and Employment, Ged Nash, T.D., today (7 January 2016) launched the Office of Government Procurement’sProgress Report of the High Level Group on SME Access to Public Procurement. The report was produced by the Office of Government Procurement (OGP), in conjunction with the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.

Full text:

Welcoming the report, Minister Harris said:

“This is further evidence of the Government’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that SMEs secure their share of valuable public procurement. We are aware of the importance of this sector to the economy and their role in creating jobs right around the country.

In 2013, the Office of Government Procurement, in conjunction with the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, established a High Level Group on SME Access to Public Procurement. The Government currently spends in the region of €8.5 billion on goods and services each year, in addition to approximately €3.5 billion spent on public works. This represents important opportunities for SMEs who access public procurement. Our commitment to ensuring SME participation in these opportunities led to the establishment of the High Level Group. The High Level Group is focused on the establishment of strategies and policies which continue to support SMEs in accessing public procurement opportunities.”

Commenting on the report, Minister Nash said:

“We are delighted to be centrally involved in the work of the High Level Group and to now have an evidence base for the work. SMEs account for 99.7% of all enterprises and 68% of employment in the Irish economy. SMEs are vital to our continued national economic recovery, as they provide and create employment. The High Level Group on SME Access to Public Procurement has been working to develop and monitor strategies to support SMEs accessing public procurement, including tendering skills development and Meet the Buyer events”.

The report can be downloaded @

Note to the Editor

The OGP and the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation set up the High Level Group on SME Access to Public Procurement in 2013. The focus of this Group is to develop policies to support SMEs in accessing public procurement opportunities.

The Group consists of representatives from OGP, the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Enterprise Ireland and InterTradeIreland. The Group is chaired by the Chief Procurement Officer.

The Progress Report gives information on the work of the High Level Group to date, which includes:

  • Monitoring the delivery of commitments in the Action Plan for Jobs in relation to SME access to procurement and developing further strategies to improve SMEs access
  • The introduction of Circular 10/14: Initiatives to assist SMEs in Public Procurement (updating Circular 10/10)
  • How SMEs can access public procurement opportunities via the OGP Published Schedule, the national portal, eTenders and OGP’s Helpdesk
  • The Meet the Buyer Programme, which allows SMEs to gain direct access to Public Sector Buyers
  • Training and Developments opportunities to assist SMEs to develop their tendering skills and build consortia.