Gelato Production and Refrigeration Equipment

AI-generated analysis of the documents. Check the official notice and any amendments for current submission details.

1. At a glance

2. Scope of Work

This tender seeks the supply, delivery, installation, and commissioning of a coordinated group of equipment for Nice Ice Cream's artisan gelato and sorbet production facility, operating under the NOBLE brand. The objective is to expand and modernise the facility, enabling repeatable product quality with reduced manual handling and an improved cleaning workflow. The procurement is divided into four lots, with tenderers able to bid for one, several, or all lots.

The scope encompasses the following key areas:

• Lot 1: Gelato and sorbet production, fruit and berry processing, and blast freezing. This includes:
• A pasteurisation and ageing system with approximately 300–350 L usable batch capacity, featuring controlled heating, cooling, maturation, agitation, and programmable cycles. It must record process temperatures and times for HACCP compliance.
• A professional batch freezer with a nominal 6–22 L mix-charge range, capable of repeatable consistency control.
• A cooking and cooling preparation kettle with approximately 40 L working capacity for fruit preparations, sauces, and ingredients, featuring adjustable temperature control and repeatable programmes.
• A food-grade sanitary product transfer pump with adjustable flow, suitable for proposed mixes, including compatible hoses and fittings to reduce manual lifting.
• A semi-automatic filling system in the 22 L cylinder capacity class for portion filling into retail and catering containers.
• A continuous feed fruit and berry pulper or automatic sieve with approximately 120–150 kg/h throughput, capable of separating seeds, skins, and fibres, with interchangeable screens.
• A compact cabinet blast freezer with a rated capacity of approximately 50 kg per cycle for rapid hardening of filled gelato and freezing of ingredients, capable of achieving a product core temperature of −18°C.
• Lot 2: Three professional refrigerated gelato service and display carts. Each cart is for fixed position use with an electrical supply, featuring:
• Display for 6 flavours in 5 L Napoli pans and refrigerated reserve space for an additional 6 pans per cart.
• Self-contained plug-in refrigeration system (R290 preferred), Climate Class 4 performance at 30°C/55% RH, with adjustable service temperature of −16°C to −10°C.
• Stainless steel worktop and food-contact interior, tempered display glazing, rear service closure, and LED lighting.
• Wheels or castors for positioning and a means of securing the cart in its operating position.
• Lot 3: Chocolate and premium ingredient processing equipment for gelato production. This lot includes:
• A melanger or refiner with a 35 kg class capacity.
• A tempering machine with an integrated vibrating table.
• A chocolate melter.
• A cocoa butter incubation unit.
• Lot 4: Modular walk-in freezer room. This room is for storing blast-frozen gelato and sorbet, with a normal storage setpoint of −25°C (adjustable to −22°C). It requires:
• Design for three EUR-pallet storage positions (fourth desirable), with manual pallet-truck access and side shelving.
• Planning envelope of approximately 12–14 m² internal floor area, 30–35 m³ internal volume, and 2.43–2.50 m internal height.
• A complete refrigeration system (packaged or split), calculating heat load for −25°C setpoint, insulation, doors, infiltration, loading, lighting, defrost, and ambient conditions. R290 refrigerant is preferred.
• Approximately 140 mm insulated panels or equivalent thermal performance, with a sealed vapour barrier and food-safe finishes.
• An insulated reinforced floor for EUR pallets, with anti-slip durable finish.
• Two manual sliding low-temperature doors (clear opening approx. 1200–1300 × 2100 mm), with heated frames, seals, emergency release, door switches, alarms, a heated pressure-equalisation valve, strip curtains, and impact protection.
• Internal air sensing, a product or buffered probe, continuous logging, high-temperature, door-open, system-fault, and power-failure alarms, with remote notification.

All equipment must be new or manufacturer/dealer demonstration equipment with a full warranty. Delivery, installation, commissioning, and operator training are included in the scope.

3. Background & buyer context

Alexander Kuzminov, trading as Nice Ice Cream under the NOBLE brand, is procuring this equipment to expand and modernise its artisan gelato and sorbet production facility. This procurement is supported by a proposed LEADER application, indicating a focus on rural development and agricultural/food processing initiatives. The project aims to enhance product quality, improve operational efficiency through reduced manual handling, and streamline cleaning processes. The delivery location is Unit 3, An Chistin Food Hub, Demesne, Castlerea, Co. Roscommon, Ireland. Funding approval for the LEADER application is a prerequisite for contract execution and commencement.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Bidders must meet mandatory requirements to be considered for evaluation. These include:

• Turnover requirement: Not specified for this tender.
• Insurance:
• Public Liability: At least €2 million.
• Product Liability: At least €2 million.
• Employer's Liability: At least €13 million (or legally valid equivalent) where employees undertake on-site work.
• Certifications: Not specified for this tender.
• Past experience: Two relevant comparable projects or equivalent evidence of technical capacity is required. This applies even to new businesses.
• Personnel: Not specified for this tender.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Commissioning and service arrangements in Ireland, and access to manufacturer support in Ireland, are required.

Additionally, tenderers must declare relevant exclusion grounds, tax and social contribution compliance, insolvency, convictions, conflicts of interest, and any involvement in preparing the competition. An ESPD and supporting evidence may be required as per the published notice. All equipment, including demonstration units, must have a full warranty of at least 12 months from documented acceptance, covering parts, labour, travel, and call-out costs in Ireland.

5. Award criteria & scoring

Offers will be evaluated separately for each lot. The award criteria and their weighting are as follows:

A tender must score at least 3 out of 5 in each quality criterion (Technical performance, Warranty/service, Delivery/installation/training) to remain eligible for award. The price score is calculated as (lowest evaluated compliant price / tenderer’s evaluated price) × 40. Quality criteria scores are calculated by multiplying the 0–5 score by the criterion's weight divided by 5.

6. Submission requirements

Tenderers must submit their responses electronically via the eTenders tender-submission facility. The submission must be in English, with prices in EUR. Key submission components include:

• Method statement / response document: A complete response for each lot offered, using the provided Tender Response and Price Schedule (Schedule 05). This includes:
• Legal name, trading name, contact details.
• Lots offered, lead supplier and subcontractors.
• VAT status number.
• Two comparable projects or equivalent capacity evidence.
• Ireland commissioning service and manufacturer support arrangements.
• Declarations on conflicts of interest, exclusion grounds, tax/social contribution compliance.
• ESPD and supporting evidence references.
• Insurance cover limits and evidence references.
• Confirmation of 120-day tender validity.
• Acceptance of RFT payment terms and advance security arrangements.
• CVs: Not specified for this tender.
• Pricing schedule: Itemised prices in EUR excluding VAT, with VAT shown separately. Includes all mandatory items, accessories, services, and compulsory charges during implementation and warranty. Optional extras and later recurring costs must be priced separately.
• Case studies: Two relevant comparable projects or equivalent evidence of technical capacity.
• Declarations: ESPD, Bona Fides (tax/social contribution compliance), Conflict of Interest, and any other required declarations as per the RFT and published notice.
• Mandatory site visit: Not specified for this tender.
• Submission portal: eTenders. Tenderers must submit early to allow for upload and receipt checks.

Supporting evidence, including datasheets, compliance matrices, deviation lists, delivery programmes, commissioning plans, warranty and service commitments, and demonstration equipment declarations (if applicable), must be attached and referenced.

7. Key dates & process

Tender validity is 120 days from the submission deadline. The contract start and go-live are contingent on funding approval.

8. Contract terms that matter

• Term + extension: Contract length is defined by a four-month delivery, installation, commissioning, and acceptance period, followed by ongoing warranty and support obligations.
• Payment terms: 30% upon contract execution and written commencement (secured by bank guarantee if advance), 60% upon complete delivery, and 10% upon documented acceptance and handover. Payment of undisputed invoices is within 30 calendar days.
• Key SLAs/KPIs: Minimum service commitments include acknowledgement within one business day, remote diagnosis within two business days, and on-site attendance within five business days for faults. Service hours are 09:00–17:00 Irish local time, Monday to Friday.
• Liquidated damages or penalty regimes: No automatic daily penalty is imposed. Material breach unremedied within 20 business days of written notice may lead to termination.
• Termination clauses: Either party may terminate for material breach if unremedied within 20 business days of notice. For rejected goods or supplier default, the supplier must refund payments and remove equipment. The purchaser may seek replacement performance and recover direct loss.
• IP ownership: Not specified for this tender.
• Sub-contracting rules: Lead supplier is contractually responsible, but may evidence insurance cover through the entity performing the activity. Material changes to subcontractors require written approval.
• Parent-company guarantee or bond requirements: An on-demand bank guarantee or equivalent is required to secure any advance payment.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• Funding contingency: The entire procurement is conditional on the approval of a LEADER application. This introduces significant risk regarding contract award and commencement.
• Demonstration equipment: While permitted, the requirements for demonstrating origin, usage history, and price justification for demonstration equipment are extensive and may deter some suppliers. Funding eligibility for demonstration equipment is subject to funder assessment.
• Price evaluation: The evaluated price includes costs for the four-month implementation and minimum warranty period. Later recurring costs are excluded from this evaluation but must be declared.
• Site verification: Purchasers have not certified available utility capacity. Tenderers must verify site information before manufacture and flag discrepancies promptly, but site verification cannot be used to reopen prices for disclosed requirements.
• Lot structure: While tenderers can bid for multiple lots, each lot is evaluated and awarded independently. No combined-lot discounts are considered. A single supplier may be awarded all four lots if successful in each and demonstrates combined capacity.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is structured into four distinct lots, offering potential opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) specialising in specific equipment categories.

• Who can credibly bid:
• Lot 1: Requires a comprehensive range of production equipment. SMEs with expertise in specific areas like pasteurisation, batch freezing, or fruit processing might bid for individual items or a subset if allowed, but a full bid likely requires a larger entity or a consortium.
• Lot 2: The supply of three refrigerated gelato carts is a more focused requirement, potentially suitable for an SME specialising in commercial refrigeration or display units.
• Lot 3: Chocolate and ingredient processing equipment is a niche area, potentially accessible to SMEs with specialised manufacturing or supply capabilities in this sector.
• Lot 4: The modular freezer room is a significant construction/refrigeration project, likely favouring established firms with experience in cold storage solutions.
• Consortium/sub-contracting: While not explicitly stated as mandatory, the requirement for lead supplier and subcontractors suggests that consortiums or subcontracting arrangements are permissible and potentially necessary for larger lots. This allows SMEs to participate by offering specialised services or equipment.
• Indicative bid-prep effort: Preparing a bid for a single lot, especially Lot 2 or 3, could require 5-10 days of effort for an SME, focusing on technical specifications, pricing, and service arrangements. Bidding for Lot 1 or 4, or multiple lots, would significantly increase this effort due to the complexity and volume of documentation.
• Pwin signal: The LEADER funding contingency introduces uncertainty. The requirement for new or manufacturer/dealer demonstration equipment with full warranties, and the detailed technical specifications, suggest a focus on quality and reliability. The absence of explicit turnover requirements might be favourable to SMEs, but the need for two comparable projects could be a barrier if not adequately addressed through equivalent evidence.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT filename(s): [00_NOBLE_Request_for_Tender_EN.docx], [01