Office of Public Works pulls 600,000 tender for PR services only hours after advertising it [Video]

THE STATE AGENCY embroiled in controversy concerning the taxpayers’ spend of €335,000 on a bike shelter for Leinster House and €1.4m for a security hut has pulled a tender process for a new €600,000 PR contract – only hours after advertising it.

Yesterday morning, the Office of Public Works placed a notice on the e-tenders website inviting organisations “to submit proposals for advising and supporting the OPW’s communications, digital communications and public relations (PR) work”.

The duration of the contract was to be for three years and the tender documentation stated that the estimated spend was between €400,000 and €600,000.

The tender advised that “tenderers must understand that this figure is an estimate only based on current and future expected use”.

In the documentation, the OPW told bidders to address four items, and one was “to outline the opportunities and challenges facing the OPW with respect to its public profile …