Circulars

Department of Public Expenditure & Reform Circular  05/23: This Circular is designed to further enable SMEs in competing for public contracts and replaces Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Circular 10/2014.
This Circular should be read in conjunction with the Public Procurement Guidelines for Goods and Services and the Capital Works Management Framework as appropriate.

Department of Public Expenditure & Reform Circular  05/22: The purpose of this Circular is to provide notification of revised guidelines for professional indemnity insurance (PII) for public works projects procured under the Capital Works Management Framework (CWMF). The guidance and revised procurement documents associated with the procurement of works-related consultancy services come into effect from the date of this Circular (09 February 2022. The guidance and revised procurement documents associated with the procurement of works contractors will be published before the end of February 2022. Please refer to our News Page on this website for further details.

Department of Public Expenditure & Reform Circular  20/19: The purpose of this Circular is to notify Departments and Offices that the Public Spending Code (PSC) has been updated, in particular as it applies to capital expenditure; that the guidance in relation to Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) has also been updated; and that related guidance material and rules have been consolidated.

Department of Public Expenditure & Reform Circular  20/19 promotes the wider use of environmental and social considerations in public procurement with specific regard to the Climate Action Plan 2019 

Department of Public Expenditure & Reform Circular  10/18 amends sections 3 and 6 of Department of Finance Circular 04/08 (published 13/02/2008) in respect of the threshold value for which the Short Public Works Contract (PW-CF6) may be used to procure public works projects.  

Circular 10/14: In the context of the reform of the Public Service and the establishment of the Office of Government Procurement, it has been decided to update and strengthen measures aimed at facilitating SME participation in Public Procurement in order to reinforce their application across the public sector. Circular 10/14 therefore replaces Department of Finance Circular 10/10 and applies to all public sector bodies. The Capital Works Management Framework (CWMF) suite of guidance, standard contracts and generic template documents will continue to apply to works and works related services as set out in Circular 06/10.

Circular 07/13: The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has issued on 1st May 2013 a circular reducing the level of construction performance bonds required on public works contracts. The construction sector has seen extremely high levels of insolvency in recent years which is reflected in the appetite of specialist insurance providers to provide cover at the levels previously sought. The tightening in the market is leading to tendering delays where it is proving increasingly difficult to award contracts should the performance bond level required in the tender exceed 12.5%.

The circular sets out new levels for performance bonds for projects and will take immediate effect.

In the context of the public capital programme this is the first of a number of steps that are being taken to reduce the risk posed by insolvency of a main contractor on a public works contract. In the event of insolvency there is a financial loss sustained both in the additional costs involved in retendering but also due to the delay in providing the project in question. Details of these further steps will be communicated shortly.

Circular 10/10: The Department of Finance Circular 10/10, issued on 13 August 2010, sets out positive measures that contracting authorities are required to take to promote SME involvement in a manner that is consistent with the principles and rules of the existing public procurement regulatory regime.

Circular 07/10: The Department of Finance Circular 7/10, issued on 3 June 2010, should be read in conjunction with the Department’s Circulars 40/02, 33/06, 04/08 & 06/10. Circular 7/10 deals with the approval of construction contracts and conditions of engagement for publicly funded projects which are not one of the standard forms included in the Capital Works Management Framework.

Circular 06/10: The Department of Finance Circular 06/10, issued on 5 May 2010, in relation to the CWMF should be read in conjunction with the Department’s Circulars 33/06 & 04/08. Circular 06/10 relates to the introduction of further Government Reform Measures in connection with Public Sector Construction Procurement.

Circular 04/08: The Department of Finance Circular 04/08, issued on 13 February 2008, should be read in conjunction with the Department’s Circular 33/06.

Please note that the threshold value referenced in Circular 04/08 sections 3 and 6 have been revised by Circular 10/18 (29/08/2018) Change Note 29/08/2018 refers.  

Circular 40/02: Sets out revised reporting procedures in relation to Public Sector contracts and the role of the GCC which is separated into 2 distinct entities, 1) dealing with construction procurement and 2) dealing with non-construction supplies and services procurement.