Management & maintenance of the Free Trade Ireland platform www.freetradeireland.ie/

Tender description

Free Trade Ireland www.freetradeireland.ie is a website which provides an online platform for free exchange of items for reuse. Registration as a site member is free and the items are traded for free. Items traded include furniture, household goods and garden equipment. Free Trade Ireland was launched as a national service in July 2010 (having previously operated as a Dublin regional service) and since 2010 has been supported by the Environmental Protection Agency-led National Waste Prevention Programme. The vision of the National Waste Prevention Programme is to prevent waste and drive the circular economy in Ireland. The Free Trade Ireland platform supports reuse, and supports circular economy, because any activity that extends the life of goods and materials in the economy is a circular economy activity. An external contractor maintains and manages the platform, with support from a software development company. The EPA is seeking an operator to manage and maintain the Free Trade Ireland platform for a 24-month period commencing at earliest end August 2020. The following tasks are envisaged: • maintenance and management of website, • data compilation and quarterly reporting to the EPA, • promotion of service using clear social and digital media strategy, • update of service to ensure an improved user experience, • develop a vision for how the platform would be managed after the 24-month period.