The Office of Government Procurement (OGP) has updated the Procurement Policy – Goods and Services section of the OGP website. This revised page sets out, in a more accessible manner, the suite of information and resources that are available to public buyers. The page is aimed at:
- Making it easier for public buyers to find the resources that the OGP has developed
outlining current national policy and signposting future policy initiatives - Presenting the legislative and administrative frameworks
- Encouraging the use of strategic public procurement (including green, social and innovation).
The most recent IAE report ‘Climate Change Won’t Wait – Delivery of Renewable Energy Urgent’ prepared by a working group of the Infrastructure Standing Committee is available here – IAE_DeliveryofRenewableEnergyUrgent
IAE Reports can also be found in the “Publications” section of the Academy website www.iae.ie
Strategic Agenda in line with EFCA’s priorities
The Council has adopted its strategic agenda for 2024-2029, emphasising key priorities which could have come straight out of the EFCA election manifesto supplement, published earlier this year. Enhancing EU competitiveness (we highlighted EU autonomy); a stronger focus on innovation (we want more scope for ground breaking technical solutions in large public contracts); supporting the green and digital transition through infrastructure investments (our top concern). And as EU citizens spend a summer avoiding ear-shattering thunder storms and worry about flooded basements and aquaplaning home on waterlogged motorways, the Council plans to pressure the EU Commission to act on the Water Resilience Initiative. EFCA has put climate adaptation and reinforcing nature’s own infrastructure at the heart of its own position paper on the Blue Deal and along with 29 other organisations, had urged the Council to prioritise water in the upcoming mandate, recognising its importance for a prosperous and competitive Europe and the resilience of the economy. We welcome the Strategic Agenda and are looking forward to the new political term getting properly underway after the summer break. More information here.
Strategic Agenda in line with EFCA’s priorities
The Council has adopted its strategic agenda for 2024-2029, emphasising key priorities which could have come straight out of the EFCA election manifesto supplement, published earlier this year. Enhancing EU competitiveness (we highlighted EU autonomy); a stronger focus on innovation (we want more scope for ground breaking technical solutions in large public contracts); supporting the green and digital transition through infrastructure investments (our top concern). And as EU citizens spend a summer avoiding ear-shattering thunder storms and worry about flooded basements and aquaplaning home on waterlogged motorways, the Council plans to pressure the EU Commission to act on the Water Resilience Initiative. EFCA has put climate adaptation and reinforcing nature’s own infrastructure at the heart of its own position paper on the Blue Deal and along with 29 other organisations, had urged the Council to prioritise water in the upcoming mandate, recognising its importance for a prosperous and competitive Europe and the resilience of the economy. We welcome the Strategic Agenda and are looking forward to the new political term getting properly underway after the summer break. More information here.
Announcement expected in September
EFCA is proud to have received a nomination in the seventh annual Benelux Enterprise Awards! The Awards 2024 celebrate businesses of all sizes and sectors across the region, from innovative startups to established industry leaders. This initiative honours the diverse businesses driving the region’s economy, recognising their contributions regardless of sector or size. The final winners of the awards will be announced in September 2024, but even just to be acknowledged is an honour and we look forward to finding out! More information here.
EFCA Newsletter is taking a break – returning on 5 September! Have a wonderful and relaxing summer!
JB Barry and Partners, the long-established and Dublin-headquartered consultant engineering firm, is rebranding as Egis following its acquisition by the French-headquartered global engineering and operations group. Read all about it here.
The launch of the Supporting the Circular Economy Transition in the Irish Construction Sector document took place on 8 July 2024 with Minister of State, Ossian Smith.
This document sets out a sectoral perspective on why the Irish construction sector needs to understand and embed circular economy principles and provides initial recommendations for all in the sector, be they from industry, government departments and agencies, local authorities, NGOs, academia, or others to start the process of bringing circular economy thinking into the mainstream of construction and demolition practice across buildings and infrastructure.
The full document can be accessed here.
This year will see the launch of Griffiths & Armour’s latest publication, ‘Constructing Change –
Evolving the Status Quo or Time to Reset’. The document follows extensive engagement with our clients and other interested parties over the past 18-months and examines key challenges facing the construction, insurance and legal sectors, whilst also recognising the opportunity to deliver real change.
Read more about Griffiths & Armour’s work with The Association of Consulting Engineers of Ireland (ACEI) Here.
There has been an update to the software on the eTenders platform, which took place on 1st July 2024. The update to the platform software provides enhancements in the following areas:
- Changes to eForms Notices
- Enhancement of CPV alerting for Suppliers
- Enhancement to layout of email notifications for business alerts
- Improvements to the DPS Workflow to support offline evaluations
- Removal of requirement for supplier approval of a contract
- Multi-page selection of Contracting Authorities within FWA / DPS / QS
- URL Redirect for notification emails issued from the platform
Please review the release notes here.
A new report published by the Irish Academy of Engineering “Small Modular Reactors – Ireland needs to consider SMRs to achieve a zero-carbon energy sector by 2050” prepared by the Energy & Climate Action Standing Committee is available here.
Project: Vartry Water Supply Scheme
Description: The project comprises a 4km piped replacement of the Callowhill Tunnel, an 80 megalitre/day treatment plant and an 80 megalitre storage reservoir supplying 200,000 consumers. It had numerous stakeholders and interest groups coupled with critical interfaces including SAC’s and Grade A dams. Planning permission was a significant risk which led to its division into three independent projects. The consultant prepared a detailed Stakeholder Engagement Plan and assigned a senior resource to manage same. A highly complex and critical project which would not have enjoyed the ultimate success that it did without expert engineering project management.
Read more at their website. If you’d like to be featured in a future edition of ConsultA or as a spotlight member, get in touch with Kelly at kelly.oconnor@acei.ie.
Project: 70 St. Stephen’s Green
Description: A 7,000 m2 office development of five storeys over double basement. The building achieved nZEB, BER A3, LEED Platinum and WELL accreditations. The project was an early forerunner for nZEB compliance before this was either mandatory or usual. The scheme uses many significant innovative design approaches including night time ice generation and the reuse of waste heat to provide a highly efficient building. The consultant used extensive dynamic system simulation to achieve a 26% energy saving through various innovative measures. The project was Highly Commended in the RIAI 2021 Sustainability Awards.
Read more at their website, if you’d like to be featured in a future edition of ConsultA or as a spotlight member, get in touch with Kelly at kelly.oconnor@acei.ie Find out more about our members in our members directory – Here.