The following article has been taken from procurement.ie

Brian Hayes, T.D., Minister of State with special responsibility for Public Service Reform and the Office of Public Works, (13th March 2014) announced the award, following an EU tendering process, of an €11m public service ICT Consumables contract to Datapac Ltd.

The new two year contract, with an option to extend a further 12 months, will allow Datapac to grow its business and create 15 new jobs.  New contract prices are on average 35% lower than the last contract. Public sector buyers will also receive further discounts of 5% for ordering online and 3% for online and electronic payments.

This is the first contract put in place by the Office of Government Procurement (OGP). The OGP, commencing operations this year, is tasked with delivering on an ambitious programme of procurement reform with savings target of up to €500m over 3 years.

At the launch, Minister Hayes noted, “the award of this contract to Datapac, a wholly Irish owned SME, is a perfect example of an Irish SME successfully competing for government business. We want to see more SMEs competing for larger State contracts – both at home and abroad.  SMEs success at this level is key to securing a sustainable and durable recovery for Ireland.”

Patrick Kickham, Datapac director, said, “we are delighted to play our part in helping Government achieve sustainable cost savings and improved operational efficiency. This contract allows us to grow Datapac further, adding up to fifteen new people to the team over the next two years, and making further investments in our business and technology portfolio.  Datapac have invested significant time, energy and capital to enhance our service delivery capabilities, including an online ordering system that is second-to-none in Ireland.”

Speaking about the launch, Government Chief Procurement Officer Paul Quinn stressed that, “Our goal is to make it easier for business to engage with public procurement while at the same time driving improved value for money for the taxpayer.  The Office of Government Procurement is committed to ensuring that SMEs are fully engaged in the new model. We will bring consistency to how the public service procures. There will be greater standardisation of tendering documentation and contractual terms.  These improvements will reduce tendering costs and risks and reduce barriers to public procurement by SMEs.