The contribution that public procurement can make to expenditure reduction and the stimulation of economic growth is the focus of increasing policy attention. Driven by budgetary pressures the State has set about reducing its public procurement bill through more astute purchasing. Not just in cost cutting, however, has public procurement a role to play in Ireland’s economic recovery. By making itself more sensitive to the needs of micro and small enterprises, public procurement can inject demand into the market for goods and services at local, regional and national level and even encourage the commercialisation of innovative products and services that can be used in the delivery of public services. This has the potential to create employment and sustain local economies. It is against this backdrop that the Opportunities in Public Sector Procurement Report was written. Using survey data obtained from over four thousand suppliers and six hundred public procurers, this report, the first in an annualised series, provides a panoramic view of the workings of the public procurement market in Ireland. The findings highlight successful initiatives such as www.etenders.gov.ie and progress in ensuring that financial capacity and insurance requirements are relevant and proportionate to public sector contracts. However, the findings also draw attention to areas in need of further reform, particularly barriers to the participation of micro-enterprises in the public procurement market. As the name suggests, this report presents a range of opportunities that its authors believe should be grasped by those involved in both the policy and everyday practice of public procurement. Doing so will lead to better outcomes for all stakeholders in the public procurement market in Ireland and, indeed, in the wider economy.