The Irish Examiner reports that the State has sought to overhaul the system of public tenders with the aim of achieving better value for money. Chairman of Bid Services consultancy, in a critical review of the system, highlighted the high transaction costs, including heavy delays faced by those submitting tender proposals, and the relatively high level of leakage of business from the country. An in-depth analysis shows SMEs could gain €6.8bn in extra work and corporate tax revenues could rise €2bn over five years if the State’s tendering process were to be changed. The shakeup follows the decision by telecoms company Eir to withdraw from the National Broadband Plan procurement process, which has sparked a strong reaction, particularly from parts of the country that have yet to benefit from high-speed broadband services, where many businesses claim they are being held back as a result of delays in the rollout. Serious questions have been raised about the handling of public tenders generally. Read the full story here.