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Educational book suppliers face being “wiped out” by nationalised tendering which is set to take €28million out of the industry.

A contract to supply academic libraries in schools and colleges, worth €14million over four years, was awarded to US firm ProQuest in 2015.

A second tender for public libraries, worth €6million for a potential four years, is being disputed after a UK firm was given €1.6million and the remaining €1.4million was shared between two Irish companies.

SMEs, or small and medium enterprises, yesterday insisted they are not looking for favouritism but claim nationalising the tendering process has left them unable to compete.

And they warned up to half a dozen companies are facing closure, which could cost upwards of 50 jobs.

An industry source said: “Really what we’re against is the general principle of putting the €6million together.

“For instance, if I won €6million from that tender I’d have to say no because in four years time my whole business would be up for option again.

“It just doesn’t suit small companies, it suits big companies. In terms of small companies, we only have to lose once.

“So if I won nothing in the last two tenders, I’m gone, I’m closed. Whereas with big companies, they only have to win once and we’re all gone.

“This will definitely wipe out all the dedicated library suppliers.

“We campaigned before the tender was out, we asked them to regionalise it, break it down, just give us a chance.

“If they broke it down provincially, between Leinster, Munster, Connacht, Ulster, it would give booksellers in those areas a chance and it would give local Irish library suppliers a chance.

“But they said no and went with the national tender.”

The SMEs claimed they have been treated unfairly in the process, being asked to provide e-invoicing software not yet available in Ireland – meaning they cannot possibly score full marks.

Fianna Fail’s Frank O’Rourke urged the Government to reconsider the process but his pleas fell on deaf ears.

The Kildare TD said he approached Housing Minister Simon Coveney, Education Minister Richard Bruton and Minister of State for Public Procurement Eoin Murphy about the issue, but no one took action.

He told the Irish Mirror: “None of them took ownership of the situation. This isn’t something that has taken us by surprise. I have been canvassing this issue for months. That was ignored. I went to great lengths to try and get someone to take ownership of the issue.

“It’s important to say nobody is looking for favouritism for Irish companies.

“The tendering process is transparent and we have to work within European rules and no one is disputing that. But because in this instance the process is nationalised, the SMEs simply aren’t able to provide for tenders of that size.

“They have no chance of winning these contracts whatsoever. And that is something that has to be looked at.

“If the tenders went out at regional level, they could reasonably compete with the larger foreign companies.”

(Image: Gareth Chaney/Collins)

Mr O’Rourke said the lack of action on the issue was disappointing given the importance placed on SMEs in job creation and economic recovery by the Government.

He added: “It’s inevitably going to lead to company closures and job losses.

“I spoke to one man who employs 11 people and he said all of those jobs would go.

“This is the most disappointing part of the whole thing.

“Everyone is trumpeting the SME sector and how important it is to the economy and the recovery.

“Then these tenders are done in such a way that make it very difficult, if not impossible, for the SMEs to attain.”