Suppliers

Overview

UCD operates in accordance with the public procurement guidelines which means that it uses competitive procurement approaches to source goods, services and works.

Contract opportunities with an estimated value greater than €50,000 excl. VAT will be advertised via a national or EU tender process on the national tendering portal (opens in a new window)eTenders.

UCD also works closely with the national public procurement agencies, the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) and the Educational Procurement Service (EPS). The OGP and EPS organize framework agreements which cover a broad range of common requirements across the Public Sector. For more information about the range of procurement activities managed by the OGP and EPS and for information on how to become a supplier to the public service in Ireland, please visit their websites at (opens in a new window)Office of Government Procurement (OGP) and (opens in a new window)Education Procurement Service (EPS)

For works and works-related services, UCD follows the procurement guidelines set out in the Capital Works Management Framework details of which are available from the OGP's (opens in a new window)Construction Procurement website. 

You must (opens in a new window)register on the eTenders portal to access all relevant information and documentation relating to UCD tenders and are able to submit questions about tenders through the portal’s dedicated messaging facility.

Fraud

Please be alert for fraudulent emails and purchase orders

What is the fraudulent purchase order scam?

This is a scam where fraudsters attempt to obtain equipment from suppliers by providing them with a forged UCD purchase order.

The scam operates in the following way: A supplier will receive an email requesting a quotation for specific item/s of equipment, often medical or I.T. equipment, and often in large quantities and of high value. Once the quotation has been provided, a purchase order is emailed to the supplier, which bears resemblance to an authentic UCD purchase order. The purchase order typically instructs delivery to an address not affiliated with the UCD. After shipping the item/s of equipment, the supplier never receives payment and is unable to retrieve the shipped products.

How to identify the Fraudulent emails/POs:

• Incorrect domain names are used to send emails and purchase orders. A valid UCD email address will always end in @ucd.ie or @ucdconnect.ie an example of an incorrect domain being used in these fraudulent emails is universitycollegedublin@outlook.com
• The shipping address is not a UCD location. Fraudulent addresses will typically be a domestic residence or a self-storage facility.
• Poorly written email with grammatical errors are always a sign of a suspicious email.
• Unusually large quantities are requested.
• Rush to ship priority/overnight.
• Use of a false or unknown contact from the university. If requests are received from an unknown university contact that raises your suspicion, please contact the UCD Procurement & Purchasing Function by email at procurement@ucd.ie to verify the validity of the request. Do not contact the name/number used on the email/purchase order. Please note fraudulent emails may contain seemingly legitimate contact information so it is important to look for other signs.

What you can do:

• Confirm legitimacy: If you are unsure about a quotation request sent by email, or the subsequent purchase order, please contact the UCD Procurement & Purchasing Function for confirmation of its legitimacy.
• Report suspicious emails: If you have received any suspicious emails please forward them to: procurement@ucd.ie
• UCD is working with the Garda Cybercrime unit in relation to these attacks and further evidence of fraudulent emails will aid the investigation.