Who runs the procedure

The contracting authority itself. Where the estimated value is less than €143,000, the procurement is issued, administered and determined by the contracting authority on its own, without the need to involve the Director (regulation 9(1)(a)). Administering that procurement is one of its duties (regulation 16(1)(b)).

The Director of Contracts, on behalf of the contracting authority, where the estimated value equals or exceeds €143,000 (regulation 9(1)(b)).

No. The contracting authorities listed in Schedule 3 issue, administer and determine their own public contracts without the need to involve the Director (regulation 9(2)), also where the value meets or exceeds the threshold (regulation 16(1)(b)).

Their calls under the open procedure with an estimated value exceeding €10,000 but not exceeding €750,000 are published, administered and determined by the Sectoral Procurement Directorate (regulation 9(1)(c)). The authority prepares the procurement documents and the supporting documentation and forwards them to the Directorate (regulation 16(2)(a)).

It is the figure the consolidated text of regulation 9 prints. The Minister determines the thresholds by regulations, equal to those established under the European Union Directives (regulation 9(3)), and the Department of Contracts has announced revised values for 2026–2027: see Thresholds.

That the award of the contract is subject to the review procedure of the Regulations, with an extract of the relevant part of the appeals process for the guidance of economic operators (regulation 16(1)(h)).