Conference Chairperson & Opening Remarks

Dr. Paul Davis, Lecturer in the Faculty of Business, DCU

Contract Management, Framework Agreements & Mini-Competitions

Speaker: Fergal Ruane, Partner, Byrne Wallace Shields LLP

• Best practices in contract performance monitoring and management
• Techniques for ensuring value for money and accountability
• Tools for effective communication and relationship management with suppliers
• Can frameworks exceed the standard 4-year limit?
• Reusing or adapting award criteria for mini competitions
• Managing cascade and rotational call-off systems
• Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s)

Evaluation & Scoring Methodologies

Speaker: Anna Marie Curran, Partner, A&L Goodbody LLP

• Scoring with a single submission: Is justification always required
• Using multiple panels for specialist criteria – benefits and risks
• Threshold inconsistencies and internal scoring deviations
• Consensus and moderation in the evaluation process

Regulation 72: Modifications After Award

Speaker: Dorit McCann, Partner, Mason Hayes and Curran

• When and how can contracts be lawfully modified?
• Understanding the 50% value limit – and cumulative changes
• Can Reg. 72 be applied before contract award?

Ireland’s Public Procurement Strategy and Thresholds: What Buyers and Suppliers Need to Know for 2025‍

Speaker: Ross McCarthy, MD, Keystone Procurement

• Overview of the forthcoming National Public Procurement Strategy and its four key pillars: Strategic Procurement, Transparency, Digitalisation, and Informed Delivery
• Analysis of the updated 2025 national and EU procurement thresholds and what they mean for public bodies and private suppliers
• Insights into the public consultation process and the expected impact of the strategy on procurement practice and service delivery
• Guidance for suppliers on staying competitive and compliant in a shifting regulatory environment
• View from the frontline - considerations arising from the EU review of the 2014 directives

Managing Abnormally Low Tenders (ALTs) – Legal Considerations

Speaker: Emma Hinds, Senior Associate, McCann FitzGerald LLP

• Identifying and responding to ALTs – legal and practical considerations
• Should ALTs be investigated below EU thresholds?
• Use of ALT formulas – when and where to publish them

Legal Challenges & Internal Transparency

• Are evaluation notes subject to discovery in disputes?
• How to handle standstill periods during a challenge
• Burden of proof when internal criteria deviate from published documents

DPS (Dynamic Purchasing Systems) Best Practices

Speaker: Richard Hourihan, Associate, A&L Goodbody LLP

• Time limits and renewal considerations
• Differences between DPS and frameworks
• Best practices for long-term or rolling DPS contracts

Green Public Procurement: Implementing the2024–2027 Action Plan

Speaker: Peter Curran, Partner, Procurement& Projects, Commercial, Eversheds Sutherland LLP

• Understanding the objectives of Ireland’s Green Public Procurement Strategy
• Case studies on successful integration of environmental criteria intenders
• Tools and resources available to support sustainable procurement practices