DCCS Awards €239K Evaluation Consultancy Contract to MCO Projects Limited

The Department of Culture, Communications and Sport (DCCS) has awarded a contract for the evaluation of Creative Ireland's Shared Island initiative (2026-2028) to MCO Projects Limited. The €239,112 contract covers economic appraisal, qualitative analysis, and the management of a formal evaluator network for approximately 23 Creative Ireland Shared Island projects. The contract runs for 36 months and was awarded following an open procedure that attracted six tenders.

Introduction

The Department of Culture, Communications and Sport (DCCS) has conducted an open procedure for the procurement of evaluation consultancy services for Creative Ireland's Shared Island initiative for the period 2026-2028. The initiative aims to harness the full potential of the Good Friday Agreement to enhance cooperation, connection, and mutual understanding on the island of Ireland.

The contract, valued at €239,112, has been awarded to MCO Projects Limited, a small Irish consultancy firm based in Dublin. The contract runs for 36 months and covers economic appraisal, qualitative analysis, and the development of capacity for individual project-level evaluators through a formal evaluator network.

Six tenders were received, and no subcontracting was declared. The evaluation placed strong emphasis on quality (70% weighting), with cost accounting for 30%.

Why This Contract Matters

This contract ensures that Creative Ireland's Shared Island initiative is independently evaluated, providing evidence on the impact of cross-community cultural and creative projects across the island of Ireland.

This contract matters because it:

• Supports cross-community collaboration: Evaluates Shared Island creative initiatives
• Significant value: €239,112
• Long-term commitment: 36-month contract
• Comprehensive scope: Economic appraisal, qualitative analysis, evaluator network
• Quality focus: Quality weighting of 70%
• SME participation: Winner is a small Irish company
• Strong competition: Six tenders received

Contract Timeline

• Previous notice: 63f675c9-d32c-4dbd-a43e-73e7fe7f40a9-01
• Contract concluded: 2 September 2026
• Contract duration: 36 months
• Notice published: 7 September 2026 (OJ S 172/2026)

Contract Overview

The Department of Culture, Communications and Sport conducted an open procedure under the standard regime, governed by EU Directive 2014/24/EU.

Key features include:

• Single lot: One contract covering all evaluation services
• Awarded value: €239,112.00
• Estimated value: €195,000.00
• Duration: 36 months
• No framework agreement: Direct services contract
• Evaluation: Quality (70%), Cost (30%)
• Winner: MCO Projects Limited (small enterprise)
• No subcontracting declared
• No EU funding

Key Contract Details

Detail	Information
Contracting authority	Department of Culture, Communications and Sport (DCCS)
Contract title	Evaluation of Creative Ireland's Shared Island initiative, 2026-2028
Main CPV	79419000 Evaluation consultancy services
Additional CPVs	79311400, 79311410, 73210000, 73220000
Procedure type	Open procedure (standard regime)
Legal basis	EU Directive 2014/24/EU
Awarded value (EUR)	€239,112.00
Estimated value (EUR)	€195,000.00
Number of lots	1
Contract duration	36 months
EU funding	None
Covered by GPA	Yes
Evaluation criteria	Quality (70%), Cost (30%)
Location	Dublin, Ireland (NUTS: IE061)
Subcontracting	No
Number of tenders	6

Creative Ireland Shared Island Initiative – Overview

• Phase 1 funding: €6 million over 3 years (2023-2025)
• Phase 2 funding: €9.3 million over 3 years (2026-2028)
• Projects: Approximately 23 Creative Ireland Shared Island projects across the island of Ireland
• Project-level evaluators: Each project has its own individual evaluator
• Initiative objectives:
  • Increase cross-community cultural and creative initiatives for children and young people
  • Support local authorities to enhance creativity networks
  • Position Ireland as a global leader in creativity and mental health
  • Deepen collaborations for a more sustainable island

Scope of Services

The contract covers three main requirements:

• Requirement 1: Economic appraisal of Creative Ireland's Shared Island initiative 2026-2028
• Requirement 2: Qualitative analysis of the initiative
• Requirement 3: Develop capacity of individual project-level evaluators by managing a formal evaluator network

Independence Requirement

• In order to preserve the independence of the evaluation element, Requirements 1 and 2 must be undertaken in isolation from Requirement 3
• Tenderers must demonstrate capacity to carry out these elements in this manner

Project Outputs

• Interim Report
• Final Report
• Timeline to be agreed with the successful tenderer

About the Contracting Authority

Department of Culture, Communications and Sport (DCCS) is the Irish government department responsible for culture, communications, and sport policy. The Creative Ireland Programme is a government initiative to promote creativity and culture across Ireland.

About the Winning Supplier

MCO Projects Limited is a small Irish consultancy firm based in Dublin, specialising in project management, evaluation, and research services.

• Size: Small enterprise
• Headquarters: 43 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2, Ireland (NUTS: IE061)
• Registration number: 177219
• Specialisation: Project management, evaluation, research consultancy
• Subcontracting: No

Evaluation Criteria

The contract was awarded based on two main criteria:

• Quality (70%): Quality of the proposed methodology and approach
• Cost (30%): Overall cost of the services

Procurement Analysis

• Procedure: Open procedure under the standard regime, governed by EU Directive 2014/24/EU.
• Competition: Six tenders were received.
• SME participation: The winner is a small enterprise.
• Subcontracting: No subcontracting was declared.
• No EU funding: The procurement was not financed with EU funds.
• No framework agreement: This is a direct services contract.
• No dynamic purchasing system used.
• Accelerated procedure: No.
• Strategic procurement: No strategic objectives specified.
• Review body: The High Court of Ireland.

Additional Procurement Facts

• The contract is covered by the WTO's Government Procurement Agreement (GPA).
• No EU funds were used for this procurement.
• The contract value is €239,112.
• The estimated value was €195,000.
• The contract runs for 36 months.
• Quality is heavily weighted at 70%.
• Cost accounts for 30% of the evaluation.
• Six tenders were received.
• The winner is a small enterprise.
• No subcontracting was declared.
• The contract supports the evaluation of Creative Ireland's Shared Island initiative.
• Review deadlines fall to The High Court of Ireland.

Market & Industry Perspective

The Irish public sector evaluation and research consultancy market is competitive, with a mix of large consultancies and smaller specialist firms. Government initiatives like Creative Ireland's Shared Island programme require independent evaluation to demonstrate impact and inform future policy.

Key trends in this market include:

• Quality focus: 70% weighting on quality
• SME participation: SMEs compete effectively
• Independent evaluation: Growing demand for independent evaluation
• Cross-border initiatives: Shared Island projects require all-island perspective
• Public sector: Strong demand from government departments

Economic Significance

At €239,112, this contract represents a significant investment in evaluation for the Creative Ireland Shared Island initiative. The contract will:

• Support policy development: Provide evidence for future funding decisions
• Support SME: MCO Projects Limited is a small enterprise
• Enable cross-community collaboration: Evaluate Shared Island projects
• Provide long-term stability: 36-month contract
• Ensure quality: 70% quality weighting

Future Procurement Opportunities

With this contract now in place, future opportunities include:

• Re-tender: Expected after the 36-month contract period
• Related services: Additional evaluation and research services
• Subcontracting: Potential opportunities with MCO Projects
• Other government initiatives: Similar evaluation contracts

Opportunities for Suppliers

While this contract is awarded, opportunities remain for evaluation and research consultancies:

• Re-tender: Prepare for the next procurement cycle
• Subcontracting: Potential opportunities with MCO Projects
• Related services: Other government evaluation contracts
• Specialist services: Economic impact assessment and qualitative analysis

What Businesses Should Watch

• DCCS's future procurement notices
• Irish public sector evaluation and research tenders
• Creative Ireland programme developments
• Shared Island initiative announcements
• Changes to Irish procurement regulations

IrelandTenders Procurement Intelligence

This evaluation consultancy contract is a notable example of Irish public sector research procurement. Several features stand out:

• Scale: €239K over 36 months
• Quality focus: 70% weighting on quality
• SME winner: MCO Projects Limited is a small enterprise
• Competition: Six tenders received
• Independence requirement: Isolated evaluation elements
• Cross-border: All-island initiative evaluation

For suppliers, this procurement highlights the importance of:

• Quality demonstration: Quality accounts for 70% of evaluation
• Competitive pricing: Cost accounts for 30%
• Evaluation expertise: Economic appraisal and qualitative analysis
• Capacity management: Managing evaluator networks
• Public sector experience: Understanding of government requirements

Supplier Takeaways

• Demonstrate high quality – 70% of evaluation is quality-based
• Offer competitive pricing – 30% weighting
• Show evaluation and research expertise
• Demonstrate capacity management capability
• Build public sector experience
• Monitor Irish public sector evaluation procurement opportunities

Key Takeaways

• DCCS awarded a €239K evaluation contract to MCO Projects Limited
• Single lot covering economic appraisal, qualitative analysis, and evaluator network management
• Duration: 36 months
• Evaluation: Quality (70%), Cost (30%)
• Six tenders received
• Winner is a small enterprise
• No subcontracting declared
• Supports Creative Ireland's Shared Island initiative (€9.3M funding)

Conclusion

This evaluation consultancy contract ensures that Creative Ireland's Shared Island initiative is independently evaluated, providing evidence on the impact of cross-community cultural and creative projects across the island of Ireland. By awarding the contract to MCO Projects Limited, a small Irish enterprise, the Department supports local expertise while ensuring high-quality evaluation.

The 70% weighting on quality reflects the importance of methodological rigour in evaluation, while the 30% weighting on cost ensures value for money. The independence requirement – isolating economic appraisal and qualitative analysis from the evaluator network management – demonstrates the commitment to objective evaluation.

For suppliers, this procurement highlights the importance of quality, evaluation expertise, and public sector experience in winning Irish government evaluation contracts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is Creative Ireland?

Ans: A government initiative to promote creativity and culture across Ireland.

Q: What is the Shared Island initiative?

Ans: A government initiative to enhance cooperation and connection across the island of Ireland, harnessing the Good Friday Agreement.

Q: What is the value of the contract?

Ans: €239,112.

Q: Who is the winner?

Ans: MCO Projects Limited, a small Irish consultancy firm based in Dublin.

Q: What services are covered?

Ans: Economic appraisal, qualitative analysis, and management of an evaluator network for approximately 23 Creative Ireland Shared Island projects.

Q: What were the evaluation criteria?

Ans: Quality (70%) and Cost (30%).

Q: How long is the contract?

Ans: 36 months.

Q: How many tenders were received?

Ans: Six tenders were received.

Q: Is this contract funded by the EU?

Ans: No, the procurement is not financed with EU funds.

Q: What is the review body?

Ans: The High Court of Ireland.

Q: What is the funding for the Shared Island initiative?

Ans: Phase 1: €6M (2023-2025); Phase 2: €9.3M (2026-2028).

Source: EU Official Journal, Contract Award Notice 615649-2026, OJ S 172/2026, published 7 September 2026.

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