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Cabinet Decision clears Cork City Council to take key step in Process Designed to Deliver Events Centre for the City

17/04/2026

Cork City Council notes Tuesday’s Cabinet decision in relation to the proposed Cork Events Centre which allows it to take another key step in the process designed to deliver the venue for the city.

 

The City Council will now begin what is known as the Suitability Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) process - the first of a two-stage process of procurement for the events centre.

 

This is a prequalification stage and is not a tender for a final contract.

 

The documents published for this stage of the process will give a broad indication that the value of the contract for the construction element of the Cork Events Centre will be in the region of €150m to €200m.

 

The purpose of the SAQ process is to identify suitably qualified and experienced consortia with the capability to build, partially fund and operate a project of this scale and complexity.

 

The SAQ process will be open to the EU market, allowing any interested parties with relevant experience and capability to submit a response.

Given the nature and scale of the project, it is expected that submissions will be made by consortia combining large-scale construction delivery capability with event venue operation and management expertise.

 

A potential location and various site-specific technical and operational requirements will be developed and confirmed as the process progresses, and this will form part of the subsequent procurement stage.

 

The SAQ submissions will be evaluated and shortlisted, in accordance with public procurement requirements.

 

The entire process is being conducted in line with EU procurement rules and will remain fair, transparent, and competitive throughout.

Specific details on the value of the contract and any potential financial contribution to the development, will be set out in the contract with the successful tenderer, noting the availability, level and conditions of any financial contributions will be discussed during the dialogue stage.

In October 2024, Cabinet decided that a new procurement process was required to deliver an event centre in Cork. 

 

The Cabinet at the time reaffirmed its commitment to and ongoing exchequer funding support for the project and a project development board (PDB) was subsequently established.

 

Chaired by the Assistant Chief Executive of Cork City Council, Brian Geaney, it includes representatives from Government departments and agencies, as well as members from key local stakeholders in Cork. 

 

The PDB has been meeting monthly since January 2025 to oversee what will be a multi-stage procurement process. The key milestones have included:

  • The issuing last September of a Call for Expressions of Interest - effectively an invitation to potential developers and operators to express their interest, in a confidential process, with the intent that one-to-one bilateral discussions would follow:
  • The insights gained through that consultation process will inform the council’s procurement strategy and assist in defining the project’s requirements;
  • The submission just before Christmas of a preliminary business case (PBC) to the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage.

 

This latest phase is another important step in the process which will lead to the issuing this year of tender documents, followed by a process to select a preferred bidder. 

 

The procurement process is being overseen by global project management experts, AECOM, which has an office in Cork. 

 

AECOM has vast experience in developing event and conference centres, especially in the US, where it has either helped build or renovate conference centres in cities including Kentucky, Phoenix, New Orleans and Las Vegas, with a combined value of almost €16bn. It has also been involved in the development of an event centre in Cardiff. 

 

AECOM has been engaged to oversee the entire Cork Events Centre process, from procurement through to planning, development and delivery of an events centre for the city. 

 

AECOM is providing a range of expertise on the entire process, including cost management, advice on procurement, the development of a business case, risk management and stakeholder engagement. 

 

ENDS

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