2023/46 - Readvertisement Year 3 of a Panel for the Provision of Hardware, Tools and Consumables to LMETB Schools and Centres

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

Louth and Meath Education and Training Board 1384 ran this procurement for “2023/46 - Readvertisement Year 3 of a Panel for the Provision of Hardware, Tools and Consumables to LMETB Schools and Centres” as an operational contract requiring implementation and sustained service execution. The extracted pack showed qualification-stage material with references to later ITT technical depth; practical activity therefore centred on building, integrating, and operating the specified service stack with compliant reporting and handover obligations where stated. Constituent activities and named work elements in the supplied extracts:

• to the Request for Quotation; Request for Quotation or RFQ means the Request for Quotation (Goods & Services less than €25,000 in value) issued by the Client; Services means the services specified in the RF
• 4 Scope of the Service Required under the Panel 5
• Procurement Type: Supply of goods
• Louth Meath Education and Training Board (LMETB) is the Contracting Authority responsible for the delivery of services.
• The Contracting Authority is an ETB responsible for the delivery of services in the following location: Louth and Meath
• LMETB manages 18 Post Primary schools and 4 Community National schools, a Centre for European Schooling, 2 Colleges of Further Education and is also responsible for an extensive range of Adult Services throughout both counties, including Adult Learning Services, Community Education, Back to Education Initiative, VTOS and Adult Guidance. There are 8 Youthreach centres spread across the two counties.
• [Request to Participate Year 3.docx] The Contracting Authority proposes to engage in a competitive process for the readvertisement of a panel from which it will source providers for the provision of hardware, tools and consumables which will be used for the caretaking and maintenance within schools/centres under the remit of LMETB.
• [Request to Participate Year 3.docx] Schools and centres are required to maintain and upkeep buildings for the operation of teaching and learning and from time to time the caretaker/staff need to carry out maintenance and minor repairs. Under this panel tools, hardware and consumables will be for goods and supplies used in the maintenance and upkeep of schools and centres and will cover a large range of items.
• Prices quoted must be all-inclusive (i.e., including but not limited to supply, delivery, customs, import duty, ancillary costs and all other costs/expenses), be expressed in Euro only and rate of VAT shown separately.
• • Other social media platform activities
• [Request to Participate Year 3.docx] Tenders are required to provide contact details of staff who would have direct responsibility in providing this service and goods, also identifying who the proposed contract manager(s) will be.
• Where applicable, payments shall be subject to Irish ‘Professional Services Withholding Tax’ at the prevailing rate (currently at 20%) as laid down by the Revenue Commissioners in Ireland. Non-residents may be able to reclaim such deducted Tax from the Office of the Revenue Commissioners in Ireland, International Claims Section located currently at Government Buildings, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, Ireland (Tel: 353-1-6733533). Non-binding monetary references in the source were treated as context only and were not used as qualification thresholds.

3. Background & buyer context

The buyer context reflected a formal Irish public-procurement route, with pre-qualification used to control entry into the tender stage.

• [Request to Participate Year 3.docx] Education and Training Boards (ETBs) are statutory authorities which have responsibility for education and training, youth work and a range of other functions. Formerly known as Vocational Education Committees (VECs) ETBs manage and operate community national schools, second‐level schools, further education colleges and a range of adult, further education and training centres delivering education and training programmes, including 19 (former FÁS) training centres. There are 16 Education and Training Boards spread throughout the country with over 650 sites under their remit. The Chief Executive (CE) of each ETB carries out the executive functions of the ETB, including those in relation to procurement.
• The Education and Training Boards Act 2013 provided for the establishment of 16 new education and training boards to replace the existing 33 VECs. On July 1st, 2013, Co Louth VEC and Co Meath VEC merged to form Louth & Meath Education and Training Board (LMETB).
• Louth and Meath Education and Training Board is funded by the Department of Education and Skills in respect of primary and post primary and related education and by SOLAS in respect of further education and training.
• A schedule of payments will be agreed with the successful applicant. The Contracting Authority operates in accordance with the European Communities (Late Payment in Commercial Transactions) Regulations 2012. The method of payment used by the Contracting Authority is normally Electronic Funds Transfer.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

• Turnover requirement — not specified for this tender
• Insurance — not specified for this tender
• Certifications — not specified for this tender
• Past experience — not specified for this tender
• Personnel — not specified for this tender
• Geographic / facility constraints — not specified for this tender

5. Award criteria & scoring

6. Submission requirements

• Method statement / response document (template/page limits) — Appendix 1 questionnaire/PQQ response was required.
• CVs (page count, named roles) — not specified in extract.
• Pricing schedule (format/template) — expected at ITT stage.
• Case studies (number/value range) — client references/comparable project evidence was referenced.
• Declarations (ESPD/Bona Fides/Tax/COI) — ESPD/declaration/statement-of-confirmation language was present.
• Mandatory site visit — not specified in extract.
• Submission portal and formatting — eTenders portal and PDF electronic copies were referenced. Submission-related source lines:
• eTenders RFT ID 7523930
• Contact for Queries Questions and Answers facility on www.etenders.gov.ie
• Closing Date for Ongoing Applications (relevant to those who miss the initial deadline) The panel will operate for a 3-year period and is open to applications throughout that period, it will be re-advertised on eTenders on an annual basis.
• Please note that information relating to this Invitation to Participate in the establishment of a Panel, including clarifications and changes, will be published on the Irish Government Procurement Opportunities Portal www.etenders.gov.ie . Registration is free of charge and there is no charge for documents. Please note that the Contracting Authority cannot accept responsibility for information relayed (or not relayed) via third parties. Applications will be accepted throughout the lifecycle of this panel at any stage, however in order to be considered for the first tranche of contracts, applicants should apply by 23rd November 2023, 12noon. Duration of the panel will be 3 years. A notice will be published on an annual basis on [*www.eT
• [Request to Participate Year 3.docx] any stage, however in order to be considered for the first tranche of contracts, applicants should apply by 23rd November 2023, 12noon.* Duration of the panel will be 3 years. A notice will be published on an annual basis on www.eTenders.gov.ie to remind interested parties of the panel’s existence. Format for Application will be completion of the Application Response Document available via www.eTenders.gov.ie
• 5.5 Pricing/Invoicing 7

7. Key dates & process

8. Contract terms that matter

Contract duration in the extract: 3 years. Payment cycle, SLA/KPI schedule, and penalty regime were not fully disclosed in the snippets unless listed below.

• Sector: Office Supplies & Equipment
• VERIFIED PHRASES (deterministic regex extract from the documents — treat as authoritative for numerical claims)
• If a school/centre anticipates an order will be in excess of €5000 ex vat, they will be required to invite three (3) members of the panel to submi
• The closing date for receipt of queries is 7 days before the deadline
• breach(es) (if the breach(es) are capable of remedy) within 30 days after receipt of a request in writing f
• If the period of delay or non-performance continues for 30 days or more the party not affected may term
• [Request to Participate Year 3.docx]
• Closing Date / Time for receipt of initial applications 8th February 2027, 12 noon

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• Numeric qualification gates were only partially visible, so eligibility certainty required full pack review.
• The two-step process (PQQ then ITT) shifted effort to compliance evidence early, with competitive scoring detail potentially deferred.
• Technical and contractual granularity appeared ITT-dependent, increasing ambiguity at qualification stage for non-incumbent bidders.

10. SME fit assessment

This competition looked most accessible to firms with established public-sector tender capability, documented financial capacity, and direct operational experience in the relevant service category.

• Credible bidder profile — specialist operator with compliant procurement governance and evidencable experience.
• Consortium / sub-contracting — allowed or addressed in the extracts (Appendix references and reliance provisions).
• Indicative bid-prep effort — 6 to 12 working days for evidence collation, form completion, and review cycles at PQQ level.
• Pwin signal — strongest for bidders with reusable qualification artefacts, comparable references, and low-friction mobilisation capability.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT/PQQ filenames: Request to Participate Year 3.docx, *www.eT

[Request to Participate Year 3.docx, 5.

[Request to Participate Year 3.docx.

• eTenders CFT / notice reference: not specified in extract.
• Clarification contact / portal: [email protected].
• Key attachments to prioritise: List of Schools and Centres.docx, Standard Terms and Conditions.docx, RFT ID 7523930 .