ENQEIR966 - DS3 System Services – Volume Uncapped – Gate 13

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

EirGrid plc ran this procurement for “ENQEIR966 - DS3 System Services – Volume Uncapped – Gate 13” 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:

• Title: ENQEIR966 - DS3 System Services – Volume Uncapped – Gate 13
• mission to the Qualification System is subject to a Tenderer meeting all of the minimum requirements, with award of contracts subject to evaluation against the relevant criteria for award set out in this documentation
• ion from this competition and to warrant consideration, it must comply with the minimum requirements of the documentation, including all supporting documents
• The names and Lot number for all Services to be procured in the Qualification System are outlined below
• POR service must be approved by the TSO by 22 August 2025,
• ices Qualification System will commence on 1st October 2025 and the term of the contract will be effective until 30th April 2026, as pe
• and Transmission or Distribution System by 1st October 2025
• the service must be approved by the TSO by 22nd August 2025 unless otherwise agreed with the TSO), or
• the service must be approved by the TSO by 22nd August 2025 unless otherwise agreed with the TSO) and
• assessment of Fast Acting Services for a maximum period of 24 months from contract
• [EirGrid Gate 13 Qualification System Briefing Document v2.docx] Qualification System Briefing Document
• ENQEIR966 – DS3 System Services – Volume Uncapped – Gate 13

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.

• Regulated Arrangements – means the DS3 System Services procurement arrangements, as referenced in the SEM Committee DS3 System Services Future Programme Approach Information paper (SEM-17-017), replacing the DS3 System Services Interim Arrangements.
• [EirGrid Gate 13 Qualification System Briefing Document v2.docx] Following review by the Regulatory Authorities of the TSOs’ Report on Ensuring a Secure, Reliable and Efficient Power System in July 2011 the TSOs were requested by the SEM Committee to put in place a programme of work to solve the challenges associated with increased levels of penetration of variable non-synchronous renewable generation.
• In response the TSOs formally commenced the DS3[1] Programme in September 2011. The overall aim of the DS3 Programme is to put in place the required changes to system policies, system tools and system performance to meet the challenges of operating the electricity system in a secure manner while achieving the 2020 renewable electricity targets. A key aspect of this operational challenge is the increase of System Non- Synchronous Penetration (SNSP) from the 2011 limit of 50%[2] to 75%.
• Gate 13 of the DS3 System Services Qualification System will allow for the refresh of the existing 12 services that have been procured to date as part of the Regulated Arrangements (see section 1.6). The remaining 2 services, DRR and FPFAPR, may be added at a future procurement gate of the Qualification System. The arrangements for Gate 13 of the DS3 System Services Qualification System will commence on 1st October 2025 and the term of the contract will be effective until 30th April 2026, as per the decision of the Regulatory Authorities set

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:
• submit previously approved test data (test completed in the 12 months prior to application of the Data Poor S
• o submit test data, data must have been gathered within the 12 months prior to the last testing date of the c
• [EirGrid Gate 13 Qualification System Briefing Document v2.docx] This Qualification System refers to the system that is in place to enable interested parties to submit a Response and subsequently qualify for award of Contract for provision of DS3 System Services.
• The Qualification System is of indefinite duration. However, in order to be considered for the contracts, Tenderers must complete and return all documentation relating to their Response by the stated closing date. All companies submitting Responses will be informed at the earliest opportunity of the status of their Response.
• Evaluation of Responses may include subsequent clarifications, negotiations, meetings, presentations and reference site visits / calls.
• Qualification System – refers to the system that is in place to enable interested parties to submit a Response and subsequently qualify for award of Contract for provision of DS3 System Services.

7. Key dates & process

8. Contract terms that matter

Contract duration in the extract: 24 months. Payment cycle, SLA/KPI schedule, and penalty regime were not fully disclosed in the snippets unless listed below.

• VERIFIED PHRASES (deterministic regex extract from the documents — treat as authoritative for numerical claims)
• Qualification Criteria Description Weighting Minimum requirement
• Award Criteria Description Weighting Minimum requirement
• Tenderers who fail to meet the minimum requirement will be excluded from further participation in that Lot
• ices Qualification System will commence on 1st October 2025 and the term of the contract will be effective until 30th April 2026, as pe
• date for receipt of queries is 12 noon on 23rd July 2025
• NI anticipate to respond to all queries by 11th July 2025
• to 30 April 2026\n•\tPossible extension to 30 June 2026\n•\t9 months\nDescription of possible extension:\nOp

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 — not clearly specified in extract.
• 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: EirGrid Gate 13 Qualification System Briefing Document v2.docx, DS3 Bidders Information Session - 26th June 2025 (1).pptx, scheduled to be held on 26th June 2025.
• eTenders CFT / notice reference: OJEU outlining the requirements and timeframes involved in subse.
• Clarification contact / portal: [email protected].
• Key attachments to prioritise: scheduled to be held on 26th June 2025. Further information will be made available throu.