Strategic communications and public relations support for Coimisiún na Meán

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

Coimisiún na Meán ran this procurement for “Strategic communications and public relations support for Coimisiún na Meán” 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: Strategic communications and public relations support for Coimisiún na Meán
• Detail the roles and responsibilities for each team member detailing their individual role in respect of the services required
• [20240412 CnaM_RFT Agency Support FNL .docx] REQUEST FOR TENDERS
• Request for Tender for strategic communications and public relations support for Coimisiún na Meán
• The Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill (‘OSMR Act’) 2022 was commenced on 15th March 2023 on which date the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) was dissolved and Coimisiún na Meán (An Coimisiún), a new independent Regulator was established. As well as taking on the functions previously exercised by the BAI in its role as independent regulator for radio and television broadcasting services in Ireland, the OSMR Act also provides for the transposition of the revised Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD), an updated regulatory framework for broadcasting services and on-demand audiovisual media services, and the establishment of a new regulatory framework for online safety.
• As an independent Regulator, An Coimisiún will oversee and enforce the new and updated regulatory frameworks and to play a key role in the development and funding of the wider media sector. Coimisiún na Meán will devise and implement a Media Fund, in line with the recommendations of the Future of Media Commission, with a range of schemes to support public service content and digitalisation in the sector. It will advise the Minister on the creation of a European Works Levy to fund new audiovisual works in line with the provisions of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill. An Coimisiún will have a key role in stimulating greater equality, diversity and inclusion in the media and in supporting sustainability through environmental initiatives across the wider media sector. In co-operation with other bodies, An Coimisiún will have strong role in supporting the Irish language in media services and in promoting educational and training initiatives, in particular as regards online safety and media literacy.
• Given the significantly expanded regulatory framework for the regulation of media and online services set out in the Act, Coimisiún na Meán has been established as a multi-person commission
• [20240412 CnaM_RFT Agency Support FNL .docx] supporting the Irish language in media services and in promoting educational and training initiatives, in particular as regards online safety and media literacy.
• Given the significantly expanded regulatory framework for the regulation of media and online services set out in the Act, Coimisiún na Meán has been established as a multi-person commission, led by five Commissioners.
• An Coimisiún seeks support from communications and public affairs providers firms or consultants (suppliers) to provide strategic communications support and advice to An Coimisiún. A detailed specification of requirements is provided in Appendix 1.
• [20240412 CnaM_RFT Agency Support FNL .docx] Conditions).
• [20240412 CnaM_RFT Agency Support FNL .docx] . NoHard copy, emailed or faxed tenders cannot be considered and will be returned. Late tenders will not be considered. 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.

• As an independent Regulator, An Coimisiún will oversee and enforce the new and updated regulatory frameworks and to play a key role in the development and funding of the wider media sector. Coimisiún na Meán will devise and implement a Media Fund, in line with the recommendations of the Future of Media Commission, with a range of schemes to support public service content and digitalisation in the sector. It will advise the Minister on the creation of a European Works Levy to fund new audiovisual works in line with the provisions of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill. An Coimisiún will have a key role in stimulating greater equality, diversity and inclusion in the media and in supporting sustainability through environmental initiatives across the wider media sector. In co-operation with other bodies, An Coimisiún will have strong role in supporting the Irish language in media services and in promoting educational and training initiatives, in particular as regards online safety and media literacy.
• Provide on-going senior strategic counsel on approaches to communications which will aid in the delivery of the organisation’s overall strategic objectives.
• Deliver ongoing advice to An Coimisiún on public affairs issues with the specific aim of supporting our organisational objectives.
• Provide Coimisiún na Meán with relevant information to assist with the achievement of public affairs objectives. This will include:

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

• Turnover requirement — — use these verbatim for insurance / turnover. If a category (insurance, turnover) has no entry here, treat it as 'not specified' for THIS tender.
• Insurance — — use these verbatim for insurance / turnover. If a category (insurance, turnover) has no entry here, treat it as 'not specified' for THIS tender.; 2) Insurance type Level required Indicate the section / appendix of your tender submission where this evidence is provided Employers Liability €12.7m Public Liability €6; 5m Professional Indemnity €2.6m ALTERNATIVELY ALTERNATIVELY
• Certifications — and levels of insurance, and will provide insurance certificates as evidence of this fact promptly following receipt of a request from An Coimisiún: Public Liability Insurance €6.5m Employer’s Liability Insurance €12
• Past experience — not specified for this tender
• Personnel — not specified for this tender
• Geographic / facility constraints — not specified for this tender Additional binding lines surfaced in the deterministic extract:
• — use these verbatim for insurance / turnover. If a category (insurance, turnover) has no entry here, treat it as 'not specified' for THIS tender.
• 2. Insurance type Level required Indicate the section / appendix of your tender submission where this evidence is provided Employers Liability €12.7m Public Liability €6
• 5m Professional Indemnity €2.6m ALTERNATIVELY ALTERNATIVELY
• and levels of insurance, and will provide insurance certificates as evidence of this fact promptly following receipt of a request from An Coimisiún: Public Liability Insurance €6.5m Employer’s Liability Insurance €12
• 7m Professional Indemnity €2.6m I confirm possession of the following
• 7m Professional Indemnity €2.6m I undertake to put the required

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:
• 2. Insurance type Level required Indicate the section / appendix of your tender submission where this evidence is provided Employers Liability €12.7m Public Liability €6
• We expect to spend in the range of €90-150k per annum divided across the three lots outlined in Appendix 1, based on r
• The Form of Self-Declaration confirms either (a) the possession of appropriate evidence that demonstrates a turnover of €500,000 in any one of the three previous financial years
• An Coimisiún seeks support from communications and public affairs providers firms or consultants (suppliers) to provide strategic communications support and advice to An Coimisiún. A detailed specification of requirements is provided in Appendix 1.
• We expect to spend in the range of €90-150k per annum divided across the three lots outlined in Appendix 1, based on retainer arrangements.
• Payment will be on the basis of invoices and will be per an Coimisiún payment terms (see Appendix 8, Coimisiún na Meán Terms and Conditions).

7. Key dates & process

8. Contract terms that matter

Contract duration in the extract: 6 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)
• and levels of insurance, and will provide insurance certificates as evidence of this fact promptly following receipt of a request from An Coimisiún: Public Liability Insurance €6.5m Employer’s Liability Insurance €12
• €300,000, for three years (should an extension be
• I confirm that I produce a tax clearance access number and tax reference number which will be made available promptly following receipt
• re parts of the contract may be performed that are in force 7 days prior to the deadline for receipt of te
• Payment will be on the basis of invoices and will be per an Coimisiún payment terms (see Appendix 8, Coimisiún na Meán Terms and Conditions).
• Tenderers shall immediately notify an Coimisiún should they become aware of any ambiguity, discrepancy, error or omission in the Request for Tenders. Coimisiún na Meán shall, upon receipt of such notification, notify all tenderers of its ruling in respect of any such ambiguity, discrepancy, error or omission. Such ruling shall be issued in writing and shall form part of the Request for Tenders.
• The deadline for receipt of tenders is 18th April 2024 at 12:00 noon.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• Qualification gate: the deterministic extract included a turnover threshold line (— use these verbatim for insurance / turnover. If a category (insurance, turnover) has no entry here, treat it as 'not specified' for THIS tender.), which can materially narrow bidder pool composition.
• 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 — mid-sized to large specialist with formal QA/compliance process.
• 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: 20240412 CnaM_RFT Agency Support FNL .docx, appendix of your tender submission where this evidence is provided Employers Liabili, Appendix 1, based on r.
• eTenders CFT / notice reference: not specified in extract.
• Clarification contact / portal: [email protected].
• Key attachments to prioritise: RFT refers to 80 days;, Appendix 1., Appendix 1, based on retainer arrangements..