# Awarding Public Contracts Skilfully and Lawfully within the Northern Irish Procurement Rules

> Court-Proven, Solution-Focused Answers to 7 Thorny Questions: Directly from Top-Flight Lawyers, Policy Makers and Industry Experts

- Format: In-person
- Date: Wednesday, 16 October 2024, 10:00AM to 4:00PM (registration from 9:30AM)
- Venue: The Hilton Hotel, 4 Lanyon Place, Belfast, BT1 3LP
- 5 hours CPD
- Rates: Live Attendance £249.00 + VAT per person
- Status: This conference has taken place
- Book: https://whitepaper.co.uk/conferences/procbelfast24

## Programme

- 09:30 Registration and coffee
- 10:00 Procurement Act 2023: Where are the risks in the new Act, where will the procurement challenges come from and how can you use the new flexibilities to your advantage?
  - Chaired by Micaela Diver, A&L Goodbody
- Panellist: Lesley Kippax, Director of V4 Services
- 10:15 Levelling the playing field: How do you level the playing field, specify correctly and assess tenders objectively when the incumbent has a favourable position or in-built advantage?
  - Answered by Ciara Kennedy-Loest, Hogan Lovells
- 10:55 Non-tangible criteria: How do you incorporate softer, non-tangible criteria into tenders, such as social inclusion, diversity, biodiversity, and accessibility, and evaluate them?
  - Answered by Kerry Teahan, Carson McDowall
- 11:35 Morning coffee
- 11:55 Prior performance: How do you use new powers to curtail bidders who have scored well on tender submissions but performed poorly on other contracts, without making this known?
  - Answered by Sarah Hannaford KC
- 12:35 Preliminary Market Engagement: Given the new emphasis on preliminary market engagements, how do you ensure equal treatment, avoid undue bidder influence, and lawfully elicit improved and innovative solutions?
  - Answered by Bruno Herbots, Herbots Solicitors
- 13:15 Lunch
- 14:00 Incentivisation: How do "gain share" contracts incentivise suppliers to deliver above and beyond, enhancing the outcome? When do they work, and when do they fall short, supported by practical examples?
  - Answered by David Hansom, Clyde & Co
- 14:40 Framework difficulties: How do you control - and overcome - difficulties with frameworks, including exceeding estimated contract values, the likelihood of challenge and the impact of the Procurement Act 2023?
  - Answered by Lisa Boyd, Eversheds Sutherland
- 15:20 Negotiation angles: How far can you push negotiations with bidders whilst remaining compliant with the regs, including new routes to market and post-tender negotiations?
  - Answered by Amardeep Gill, Trowers & Hamlins
- 16:00 Close of conference

## How to book

Choose a rate on the [conference page](https://whitepaper.co.uk/conferences/procbelfast24) and press Book Now. Checkout asks for the booking contact and company address, then each delegate's name and email, then payment: Credit/Debit Card, or Bank Transfer/Cheque to be sent an invoice. Bookings are subject to the [booking policy](https://whitepaper.co.uk/booking-policy).