From Department of Education; Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science
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On 14 June the Department of Education and Skills published a Request for Information (RFI) to identify PPE, Consumables and Equipment Suppliers to support the education sector. This procurement has been managed as a negotiated procedure under Article 32 for the 2016 Procurement Regulations in order to secure supplies in time to reopen the sector’s schools and institutions.
The process has identified a number of suppliers that are capable of providing the full suite of core products required by the Government’s Roadmap for the Full Return to School and this is considered the most favourable solution to meet the aggregated needs of the number and geographic spread of educational institutions – including schools – right across the State.
The Roadmap outlines how schools will reopen from the end of August and how they will be able to access their PPE requirements from suppliers (under the Education Sector supply agreement) from early August in advance of reopening.
That procurement process has now concluded with supply agreements signed and the award notice published. Further guidance will issue to the sector, in the next week regarding the steps schools and education and training boards must take in early August. Advice will also issue to the higher education institutions on how they can engage in the process in late August to meet their needs.
The above procurement process relates to how schools will be able to access their PPE requirements from suppliers (under the Education Sector supply agreement) from early August in advance of reopening. Schools offering summer programmes will have separate arrangements in place.