NTA Cost Management Guidelines (Updated 2024) & NTA Inflation Bulletin

The National Transport Authority (NTA) is the “Approving Authority” for public transport projects in the metropolitan areas of Dublin, Cork Galway, Limerick and Waterford, as well as urban active travel projects nationwide. Projects funded by the NTA are generally proposed by the NTA’s partner organisations known as Sponsoring Agencies. To fulfil our statutory duty to secure the provision of public transport infrastructure on a value for money basis, the NTA requires that Sponsoring Agencies follow these Guidelines with respect to cost estimation, cost profiling, cost reporting and the general management of costs.

Sponsoring Agencies are required to follow these CMG’s in implementing these processes, ensuring that the NTA is informed on all cost related issues and that at each milestone in the development of a project the NTA is consulted and sufficiently informed about the developing project costs to make informed decisions in relation to the application of exchequer monies.

The NTA Cost Management Guidelines have been designed to assist Sponsoring Agencies with the development of appropriate scheme budgets in line with the requirements of the NTA Project Approval Guidelines (PAG’s Phase 1-7). The Guidelines are broken into three cost bands, Band 1 – €0-€500k, Band 2 – €500k – €10m, and Band 3 – €10m and Above, and have been structured to allow Sponsoring Agencies easily identify processes, primary cost management deliverables and minimum cost reporting requirements.
** originally published on 14th March 2023, Updated on 23rd February 2024

Please see below template appendices relating to these guidelines: