The Schools Procurement Unit (SPU) is the central support resource for providing guidance to all primary and post-primary schools in Ireland (except Education and Training Board schools) on any procurement-related issue. The SPU delivers free advice and practical support to schools to help them achieve improvements in their procurement processes, practices and outcomes.
The SPU give schools access to professionally-qualified staff who are highly experienced in public procurement, as well as also providing guidance on procurement best practice. In addition to this, they issue regular newsletters containing the latest procurement information relevant to schools. The SPU also assists schools in accessing contracts for goods and services which have been negotiated centrally by the Office of Government Procurement and others.
This course addresses the procurement deficits in schools, which the SPU believes are due to a lack of support and expertise. The course provides schools with the information they need to get procurement right and to alleviate their administrative burdens.
