Education Procurement Service (EPS)

What Education Procurement Service (EPS) does

Education Procurement Service (EPS) is the designated sector sourcing hub for Ireland's Department of Education and Youth (DEY), operating as a statutory shared service within the Irish Government's Public Service Reform agenda. It is one of four sector-specific procurement functions — alongside Health, Defence, and Local Government — that operate under the national procurement model coordinated by the Office of Government Procurement (OGP). EPS delivers professional, compliant sourcing of goods and services on behalf of DEY, its agencies, the schools sector, the 16 Education and Training Boards (via ETBI), and Higher Education institutions including the University of Limerick, where it is physically headquartered at IBC Block 2 on the UL campus in Limerick.

EPS runs framework agreements and direct procurement support using digital infrastructure that includes the eTenders Self-Serve platform (for mini-competitions) and an internal Contract Management System that processes Procurement Support Requests (PSRs). Recent framework output includes the October 2025 LA3211F Reagent Framework (30 suppliers across 16 lots) and the March 2025 Post-primary Schoolbooks Scheme Dynamic Purchasing System. The team of approximately 17 staff is structured around a Director (Philip Gurnett), Portfolio Manager (Maria Owens), Category Managers and Specialists, Data & Reporting Analysts, Corporate Services, and Procurement Coordinators, with additional capacity drawn from University of Limerick cooperative education students.

The business model is government-funded shared-service delivery rather than commercial sales: EPS provides its procurement services at no direct charge to public sector clients, with funding flowing from the State via DEY/OGP. Engagement is not through enterprise sales motions but through sector-wide collaboration, statutory mandate, stakeholder events (Procurex Ireland, Government Supply Expo, Eolas Digital Government Conference), quarterly newsletters, and LinkedIn/Bluesky communications. The customer base is structurally concentrated within the Irish education sector, and EPS's competitive position rests on its regulatory designation and institutional reach rather than technology differentiation or commercial pricing.

Name

Education Procurement Service (EPS)

Legal name

Education Procurement Service (EPS)

Website

https://educationprocurementservice.ie

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Education Procurement Service (EPS) is Ireland's Department of Education and Youth sector sourcing hub, providing statutory, compliant procurement of goods and services for the schools sector, Education and Training Boards, and Higher Education institutions under the national procurement model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Sector Procurement Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Compliance, State Reporting & Education Data Exchange (Ed-Fi/SIF) (EDAFAEAO)

Keywords

• Public sector procurement
• Education procurement
• Framework agreements
• Category management
• Shared services

Headquarters

HQ city

Limerick

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public Sector Procurement Services: EPS is a government-funded shared service providing professional compliant sourcing services for goods and services on behalf of the education sector. It operates as part of the Government's Public Service Reform agenda and is one of four sector-specific procurement functions under the Office of Government Procurement.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

EPS provides a professional, compliant sourcing service for goods and services on behalf of the Irish education sector, acting as the Department of Education and Youth (DEY) sector sourcing hub. Core deliverables include category management, framework agreements, mini-competitions via the eTenders Self-Serve platform, contract management, and direct procurement support for schools, Education and Training Boards, and higher education institutions.

Product overview

Education Procurement Service (EPS) is the Department of Education and Youth (DEY) sector sourcing hub operating as a shared service for the DEY, its agencies, the schools sector, Education and Training Boards and the Higher Education Sector. It offers professional and compliant procurement services, acting as one of four sector-specific procurement functions (Education, Health, Defence, Local Government) operating under the national procurement model with the Office of Government Procurement (OGP). The core service is procurement support across categories including procurement strategy, category management, and framework arrangements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Education Procurement Service (EPS) Core Procurement Services Professional, compliant sourcing service for goods and services on behalf of the Irish education sector, including procurement strategy, category management, framework arrangements, and direct procurement support for the Department of Education and Youth, its agencies, schools sector, Education and Training Boards, and Higher Education institutions.
• eTenders Self-Serve Platform (Mini-Competitions) Digital procurement platform enabling mini-competitions among pre-qualified suppliers on framework agreements, accessible to all EPS framework clients for more complex or recurring procurement requirements.
• Contract Management System System for managing procurement documentation and framework timelines across EPS framework agreements.
• LA3211F Reagent Framework Multi-supplier framework for laboratory and research chemicals with 30 suppliers across 16 lots, supporting schools and higher education institutions via Mini-Competitions through the eTenders Self-Serve platform.
• Post-primary Schoolbooks Scheme Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) Centralised procurement solution (Dynamic Purchasing System) for the Post-primary Schoolbooks Scheme, developed in collaboration with the Department of Education and Schools Procurement Unit to streamline procurement and ensure compliance.

Quantifiable outcome

• LA3211F Reagent Framework with 30 suppliers across 16 lots, 6 more than previous generation, improving supplier diversity and access for institutions.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• InterTradeIrelandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 November 2025Co-host of Government Supply Expo 2025 with the Office of Government Procurement. Event held at Aviva Stadium bringing together suppliers and public procurement professionals across Ireland and Northern Ireland.
• Office of Government Procurement (OGP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPS operates as one of four sector-specific procurement functions (Education, Health, Defence, Local Government) under the national procurement model together with OGP as part of the Government's Public Service Reform agenda. EPS leads the education sector's engagement during the consultation phase of the National Public Procurement Strategy.
• Department of Education and Youth (DEY)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPS is the designated Department of Education and Youth sector sourcing hub, operating as a shared service for DEY, its agencies, schools sector, ETBs, and Higher Education Sector. Multiple collaborative projects including National Procurement Awards entries and schoolbooks scheme.
• Procurex IrelandmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerEPS partnered with Procurex Ireland 2025 at the RDS, a national public procurement conference. EPS Director Philip Gurnett delivered keynote address alongside Portfolio Manager Maria Owens. EPS also participated at Procurex 2026.
• University of LimerickcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPS is headquartered on UL campus and participates in UL's Cooperative Education Programme hosting students. EPS supported UL ITD's digital transformation winning awards. Also supported procurement of UL's My Learning Space LMS from Enovation Solutions.
• Enovation SolutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIrish LMS provider selected following rigorous tender process supported by EPS to deliver My Learning Space platform for University of Limerick staff training and development.
• Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorConfirmed exhibitor at Government Supply Expo 2025 alongside EPS and other Central Purchasing Bodies. Represents ETBs across Ireland.
• Higher Education InstitutionsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCollective of universities and higher education institutions served through EPS procurement frameworks and direct procurement support.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• ProActis: ProActis provides source-to-contract and procurement software used by UK and European higher-education and public-sector organisations. It is comparable to EPS's procurement support and contract management capability at the technology-services layer.
• SAP Ariba: SAP Ariba is a major procurement and sourcing platform widely adopted by universities and public sector bodies. It represents the kind of commercial procurement technology stack that education-sector shared services like EPS integrate with or compete against at the platform level.
• Jaggaer: Jaggaer is a procurement and supplier management platform provider that serves higher education and public sector clients with sourcing and contract lifecycle tools. It overlaps with EPS's eTenders Self-Serve platform functionality as a technology enabler for compliant procurement.

Regional players

• Education Procurement Australia (Department of Education): Australia's federal Department of Education runs procurement frameworks and shared services for the Australian education sector. It performs a structurally similar sector-specific procurement role in a different geography, making it a regional peer.

Broad incumbents

• Crown Commercial Service (CCS): CCS is the UK's national procurement shared service, providing framework agreements and compliant sourcing for UK public bodies including the education sector. It is a broader incumbent with a larger scope but functionally analogous to EPS's framework-and-sourcing model.
• Office of Government Procurement (OGP) Ireland: OGP is the umbrella Irish public procurement body that coordinates EPS and the three other sector-specific procurement functions (Health, Defence, Local Government). EPS operates under OGP's national procurement model, making OGP the most structurally comparable broad incumbent.

Direct peers

• Health Service Executive (HSE) Procurement: HSE Procurement is the Irish health-sector equivalent of EPS within the same four-sector national procurement model (Education, Health, Defence, Local Government). It delivers shared compliant sourcing services for a different sector using the same model, framework mechanisms, and OGP coordination as EPS.
• Defence Forces Ireland Procurement: The defence sector procurement function is one of the four designated sector-specific procurement bodies operating with OGP, parallel to EPS. It applies the same shared-service model to defence procurement needs and is a direct sister-function peer.
• Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) Procurement: LGMA operates the local government sector procurement function, the fourth of the four sectoral bodies coordinated with OGP. It runs framework agreements and shared sourcing services for Irish local authorities, structurally identical to EPS's role for the education sector.

Others

• Procurex Ireland: Procurex is Ireland's leading public procurement conference and exhibition, where EPS actively participates and delivers keynote addresses. It is an ecosystem peer rather than a direct competitor, providing market intelligence and supplier engagement channels that EPS uses.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/education-procurement-service-eps

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Education Procurement Service (EPS)