From: Murphy, Colm [mailto:murphyc@bim.ie]
In a tender document, is the (anticipated) award date of the contract, the date that everything is expected to be signed and sealed (i.e. all cooling off periods take taken place etc) or is it the date that the preferred vendor is notified they have been successful and letters are sent out to all other tenderers stating that the contracted will be concluded with the successful vendor after all cooling off periods an necessary documentation is in place?
The wording leaves room for argument. If we are to be precise the earlier date would be accurately described as the "award decision" date (i.e. the stage the authority decides on the most suitable tender and (provisionally) notifies tenderers of the result. The later date would be the "contract signing" (or "contract conclusion", in the words of the Commission). I think, since the purpose is to give the candidates an idea of the timeframe for the tendering process, such preciseness is not necessary, or' in most cases, possible.
Billy Noone
National Public Procurement Policy Unit
Department of Finance
Dublin 2
Phone : + 353 1 639 6216
email : billy.noone@finance.gov.ie