eTenders

Access to the old eTenders website is ending in May 2024. Public procurement buyers should act now to retain past competition records after this deadline.

In May 2023, Ireland’s national electronic tendering website, eTenders, switched to a different service provider and a new eTenders website was launched.

Public buyers and suppliers have been able to access both the new and old eTenders websites but this is changing soon as access to the old website is ending in May 2024.

The OGP is encouraging anyone who used the old website to take action now to ensure that they retain the procurement competition files they require. This is particularly important for public buyers.

Maintaining procurement competition records

Each year, thousands of EU- and national-level competitions are posted on the eTenders website. Using the eTenders website allows public buyers to procure electronically in a way that is compliant with public procurement regulations.

Contracting authorities and public buyers have to comply with data protection, data retention and legal and policy requirements. They are tasked with maintaining appropriate records throughout the purchasing process and beyond.

While eTenders was never intended as a facility for long-term record keeping, over the years, many buyers have become accustomed to the convenience of using eTenders to store and access competition files.

With access to the old site ending soon, the OGP is asking public buyers to take three key steps to save their past competition files before the May 2024 deadline so that they can continue to meet their record keeping and data retention obligations.

Key steps to retrieving data from eTenders

• Step 1 – Close: The first step is to close any procurement competition that you want to retrieve the data for;
• Step 2 – Archive: Closed competitions can now be moved to the archive area on the old site. Public buyers can set up the old eTenders website to automatically transfer closed competition files to the archive area after a set period. Company administrators are able to choose the set period that will best suit their organisation’s needs; and
• Step 3 – Download: Once a procurement competition has been closed and archived, you can download the files to your designated storage location. The archive file will include all relevant documentation, such as tender notices, bidder responses, messaging and an audit trail for the competition process.

A detailed guide with further information on how to close, archive and download procurement competition files from the old eTenders website is available, visit gov.ie/ogp
Act now

Public buyers need to act now to ensure they retain the procurement competition files they require after the May deadline.

The Office of Government Procurement

eTenders is managed by the Office of Government Procurement (OGP). The OGP is the national authority for public procurement and is responsible for driving the public procurement reform programme in Ireland. The OGP is a division of the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform.

For further information:
T: +353 1 773 8000
W: www.etenders.gov.ie
www.gov.ie/ogp