About ESB
Our history, our people and our principles
Frequently asked questions
Procurement FAQs
- What are the current thresholds that apply to contracts awarded in compliance with the Utilities Directive?
- What is the difference between a PIN and a Call for Competition?
- Do ESB publish Award Notices?
- Do I need to supply a Tax Clearance Certificate in order to do business with ESB?
- What are your standard payment terms?
- How can I find out if my product or service meets your specification?
- Do ESB always award contracts to the lowest priced bidder?
- What is ESB's sourcing strategy?
- What term of contract do you normally award?
- How does a new supplier who has no track record with ESB become a preferred supplier?
What are the current thresholds that apply to contracts awarded in compliance with the Utilities Directive?
Read current legislation information on the European Commission website.
As of January 2008 the thresholds are as follows:
| Use | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Supplies & services | €412,000 |
| Works | €5,151,000 |
Contracts valued at or above these amounts must be advertised via the OJEC.
What is the difference between a PIN and a Call for Competition?
A Periodic Indicative Notice (PIN) is a notice published in the European Journal to advertise a possible upcoming opportunity.
It does not mean that we will be definitely going to tender unless specifically stated.
A Call for Competition is a notice, which advertises our intention to issue tender documentation for a specified requirement.
The notice calls for expressions of interest, with certain minimum information requested to be submitted by a specified date.
Do ESB publish Award Notices?
Yes we do. They are published in the OJEC - check Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) for regular updates.
Do I need to supply a Tax Clearance Certificate in order to do business with ESB?
In the case of all contracts of a value of €6,349 (inclusive of VAT) or more within a 12-month period, contractors are required to produce a valid Tax Clearance Certificate.
Read the Guidelines for Tax Clearance at Revenue.ie
It is not necessary for a resident contractor to obtain a Tax Clearance Certificate if he/she can present a current C2 Certificate.
A C2 Certificate is a certificate of authorisation issued by the Irish Revenue Commissioners that qualifies a contractor, on tax grounds, to carry out construction type activities.
Failure to produce a C2 Certificate for construction type contracts will result in tax at 35% being deducted from relevant payments made by ESB to the Contractor.
What are your standard payment terms?
Our standard payment terms are nett monthly account.
Invoices are paid at the end of the month following the date of the invoice, e.g. invoices dated August are paid at the end of September (once delivery/performance has been effected).
However, if your contract specifies a different payment term, then the term of the written contract prevails. ESB complies with the Prompt Payment Act, 1997.
How can I find out if my product or service meets with ESB's specification?
Please contact one of our Procurement Managers - contact details are available on the right - to discuss the matter initially.
Assuming we have a need for the product or service, we may suggest that you meet with our technical specialist, who will explain our specification in more detail.
Do ESB always award contracts to the lowest priced bidder?
No. Our award criteria vary depending on the contract to be awarded but in general the most economically advantageous tender is accepted.
In addition to price, further possible criteria might be applied, such as:
- Total cost of ownership
- Compliance with specification
- Delivery times
- Satisfactory plant assessment
- Guarantees and warranties
- Acceptance of ESB's Terms and Conditions of Contract
- Clearance of financial checks and tax clearance requirements
- Compliance with health and safety laws
- Track record and satisfactory reference lists
The specific criteria for each tender will be identified in our tender documents.
What is ESB's sourcing strategy?
We source goods and services on a global basis. However, a significant volume of our requirements is supplied locally.
What term of contract do you normally award?
For Framework Agreements, our policy is to award contracts for up to 5 years as determined by prevailing market conditions.
How does a new supplier who has no track record with ESB become a preferred supplier?
We are always happy to find new suppliers who are innovative, customer focused and cost competitive.
Where a new supplier has offered a compliant, competitive bid, we may offer them a proportion of the business initially.
Subject to satisfactory factory visits, appraisals and acceptable performance, this proportion may be increased over the remaining term of the contract, at ESB's discretion.