Procurement at the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission (NIAC)

Current Opportunities

The following opportunities are now open for submissions:

 

Provision of Media Monitoring Services for the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission

Responses should be submitted via the Delta eSourcing platform (using the link above) by 3pm on Friday 6 June 2025.

 

Please note that we are now using the Delta portal system.

If you experience any technical difficulties accessing the Delta portal, then please contact the Delta eSourcing Helpdesk 0800 923 9236 or email helpdesk@delta-esourcing.com.

Supplying to the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission

The Northern Ireland Assembly is the legislative body for Northern Ireland. It consists of 90 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs). They are supported by members’ staff and the Assembly Commission. The Assembly Commission is the corporate body established to support the Northern Ireland Assembly. It is responsible for the provision of all of the requirements for the operation of the Northern Ireland Assembly e.g. staff, buildings, goods and services and contracts etc.

The Assembly Commission is separate from the Northern Ireland Executive and, therefore, is not regulated by the Northern Ireland Executive Procurement Board. As a public body, the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission is governed by the Procurement Act 2023 and the Procurement Regulations 2024.

Changes to Procurement Law

The Procurement Act 2023 became law on Monday 24 February 2025. This changes the way we can procure supplies, services and works. It replaces the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.

Procurement Information, Guidance and Support

To support implementation, the Cabinet Office has created a dedicated supplier information page which includes guidance on all stages in the procurement process. For example, there are ‘Knowledge Drops’ explaining changes on how to register as a supplier on Find a Tender. This can sometimes be referred to as the Central Digital Platform.

You should review the guidance alongside the Procurement Act 2023 Knowledge Drop for Contracting Authorities Northern Ireland. This highlights some exemptions or differences to the main rules in the act for contracting authorities in Northern Ireland.

To read more information on the procurement changes, go to Transforming Public Procurement.

 

Procurement Policy

The Assembly Commission's Procurement Policy sets out the key principles and objectives that govern the procurement of goods, services, and works by the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission.

 

Standard Terms and Conditions of Contract and Privacy Notice

Our Standard Terms and Conditions govern all contracts awarded by the Assembly Commission.

Please also read our Privacy Notice for relating to procurement.

 

How we Buy

The Assembly Commission has various ways in which to procure goods, services and works. These depends on the contract value.

  • Contracts up to £5k - No formal competition. However, we will act to ensure that our purchase offers value for money.
  • Contracts between £5k and £30k - We will undertake a formal quotation exercise involving a selected number of suppliers (minimum three). These will not be publicly advertised.
  • Contracts over £30k - A formal tender exercise is undertaken which will involve some kind of competitive procurement procedure.

Tenders are advertised on the 'Current Opportunities' section at the top of this page and through our sourcing portal – Delta eSourcing.

All notices will be published via Find a Tender.

It is free to register on this site to receive email alerts every time a tender is advertised that meets your criteria.  

If you have queries or experience any problems with Delta eSourcing, Tenderers can access support through a variety of channels:

  • online user guides and integrated help text should provide you with the information you require. User guides are contained in the HELP section within the footer on Delta eSourcing.
  • ‘Contact Us Form’ which sends an email directly to the helpdesk, they aim to respond within 24 hours.
  • ‘Live Chat’ function to ask questions to a helpdesk advisor in real time.
  • Telephone by calling 0800 923 9236 you can speak directly to the first available helpdesk advisor.

 

Collaborating with Others

We often work with other public bodies which results in collaborative contracts. We or the other public body may undertake the tender competition.

We also make use of frameworks that are available to us and will follow the call-off process specific to the framework.

 

How are Bids Evaluated?

All tender submissions are evaluated by appropriate staff, normally those involved in the delivery of the contract itself. The criteria they will assess the bid against are individual to the competition and will be detailed in the tender documents.

 

Contract Award

Internal approvals will be sought prior to proceeding to award of the contract. We will then contact all bidders to tell them of the outcome. Feedback will be provided to all bidders and those who have been unsuccessful will be provided with information which may assist them to improve future bids. 

 

Contract Management

The Assembly Commission will appoint a contract manager for each contract. They will be responsible for the administration of the contract.  All contracted suppliers are subject to performance reviews as set out within the contract.  The supplier must ensure that the required quality and performance stated in the contract are maintained (or improved) throughout the contract period. 

 

Top Tips for Preparing Bids

  • Before completing your quotation or tender, familiarise yourself with our standard terms and conditions and policies. 
  • Be mindful of the submission deadlines. We do not recommend waiting until the final day to upload or submit your bid. Technical or system issues are a risk that may lead to you missing the deadline. 
  • Read the instructions included in the documentation which will set out how to bid.
  • Read the specification carefully to ensure you understand what is required. 
  • If there is anything that is not clear, do ask clarification questions.
  • Make sure you can match the technical, skill and experience requirements.  
  • We can only evaluate what you have submitted. We cannot refer to any previous knowledge or experience we have with a supplier unless it is in your submission – do not make any assumptions about what we may or may not know about your or your company. 
  • It seems obvious, but please ensure you answer the question/criteria.
  • If you appoint a bid writer or use AI to assist in preparing your bid, we recommend that this is checked and verified by those who will be delivering the contract to ensure it is deliverable.