PDSP Framework

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 Request for Information (RFI) pertains to the PDSP Framework, procured by daa plc. The RFI seeks to gather information from potential suppliers regarding their capabilities and qualifications for services under this framework. While the specific services are not detailed in the provided extract, the RFI outlines a comprehensive set of minimum requirements across various domains that bidders must address. These include financial robustness, legal standing, insurance coverage, quality management systems, health and safety, environmental management, sustainability, information management (BIM), and information security.

The RFI is structured into multiple parts, each requiring specific information and documentation from applicants. These parts cover:

• Part A: Applicant Details: Information on the applicant, authorised representative, structure (single bidder or consortium), legal form, consortium agreements, conflicts of interest, registrable interests, and reliance on external resources.
• Part B: Eligibility: Assessment of applicants based on legal and regulatory compliance, including convictions for criminal offences, bankruptcy, grave professional misconduct, anti-competitive agreements, conflicts of interest, and breaches of tax or social security obligations.
• Part C: Financial Robustness: Requirements for audited financial statements for the last three years, balance sheets, profit and loss statements, cash flow statements, management accounts, cash flow forecasts, details of current and forecasted works, current year budget P&L and cash flow, credit rating reports, and updated financial forecasts. A minimum average annual turnover of €3,000,000 from the Lead Applicant in each of its last three financial years is mandated.
• Part D: Legal Proceedings: Disclosure of material outstanding judgments, court orders, pending or threatened litigation, or other legal proceedings, as well as tax or regulatory investigations.
• Part E: Insurance: Confirmation of specific insurance types and minimum indemnity levels, including Employer's Liability (€13m per claim), Professional Indemnity (€10m per claim), Public Liability (€10m per claim), and Cyber Insurance (€2.3m per claim). Applicants must also detail any refused insurance applications or claims made in the past five years.
• Part F: Quality Management Systems: Requirement for ISO 9001:2015 or equivalent certification, or active work towards it.
• Part G: Health and Safety Management Systems: Requirement for ISO 45001:2018 or equivalent certification, or active work towards it, along with a signed Safety Statement compliant with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005.
• Part H.1: Environmental Management Systems: Requirement for ISO 14001:2015 or equivalent certification, or active work towards it.
• Part H.2: Sustainability Management: Confirmation of a sustainability management programme/plan/strategy/procedure with defined objectives and targets, supported by evidence.
• Part I.1: Information Management Systems (BIM): Requirement for PAS1192:2013 / ISO 19650:2018 or equivalent certification, or active work towards it.
• Part I.2: Information Security Management (IT): Requirement for ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials Plus (UK standard) or equivalent certification, or active work towards it.
• Part J: Experience: Applicants must demonstrate relevant experience, with specific limitations on aggregating projects and a page limit for submissions.
• Part K: Confirmations and Acknowledgements: Standard declarations and confirmations.

The RFI process involves a sequential assessment of these parts, though the Contracting Authority may conduct assessments in parallel.

3. Background & buyer context

This Request for Information (RFI) is part of the procurement process for the PDSP Framework, initiated by daa plc. The RFI document itself does not provide extensive background on the specific programme or policy drivers behind this procurement. However, it is structured as a Request for Information, indicating that daa plc is in the information-gathering stage to understand the market's capabilities and potentially refine its requirements before a formal tender. The framework's name, "PDSP," suggests a focus on project delivery, support, or a specific type of service, but the exact nature of these services is not detailed in the provided RFI extracts. The procurement is being conducted under Irish and EU public procurement regulations, as evidenced by references to SI 286 of 2016 and SI 284 of 2016.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Bidders must meet a series of minimum requirements across several categories to be considered eligible. These are assessed on a pass/fail basis.

• Turnover requirement: An average minimum turnover of €3,000,000 per annum from the Lead Applicant in each of its last three financial years is required. Interim or un-audited accounts may be submitted if audited accounts for the preceding year are unavailable.
• Insurance:
• Employer's Liability: €13m for each and every claim.
• Professional Indemnity: €10m for each and every claim.
• Public Liability: €10m for each and every claim.
• Cyber Insurance: €2.3m for each and every claim.
• Certifications:
• Quality Management Systems: ISO 9001:2015 or equivalent, or active work towards it.
• Health and Safety Management Systems: ISO 45001:2018 or equivalent, or active work towards it.
• Environmental Management Systems: ISO 14001:2015 or equivalent, or active work towards it.
• Information Management Systems (BIM): PAS1192:2013 / ISO 19650:2018 or equivalent, or active work towards it.
• Information Security Management (IT): ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials Plus (UK standard) or equivalent, or active work towards it.
• Safety Statement: Compliance with Section 20 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 or national equivalent.
• Past experience: Not explicitly quantified in terms of a minimum number of projects in the provided text, but Part J requires demonstration of relevant experience with specific page limits. Projects cannot be aggregated from separate contracts, and single projects cannot be split.
• Personnel: Not specified in the provided extract.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Not specified in the provided extract.

Applicants must also confirm they are not subject to any grounds for exclusion as listed in Part B, including convictions for criminal offences, bankruptcy, grave professional misconduct, anti-competitive agreements, conflicts of interest, and breaches of tax or social security obligations.

5. Award criteria & scoring

This RFI document does not detail the award criteria or scoring methodology. As an RFI, its primary purpose is to gather information from the market to inform future procurement stages. The selection criteria outlined in Section 4 are for eligibility and pre-qualification, not for the final award of a contract. A formal tender process, which would follow this RFI, would typically include detailed award criteria, often based on a combination of price and quality (MEAT - Most Economically Advantageous Tender), with specific weightings and scoring mechanisms.

6. Submission requirements

The RFI Questionnaire requires comprehensive responses across multiple parts, submitted in English.

• Method statement / response document: The RFI Questionnaire itself serves as the response document. Each part must be completed fully, with sections marked "not relevant" if applicable, along with a reason. Responses should be paginated with an index and cross-referenced.
• CVs: Not specified for this RFI.
• Pricing schedule: Not applicable at this RFI stage.
• Case studies: Not specified for this RFI.
• Declarations:
• Confirmation of no conflicts of interest or registrable interests, or full disclosure if they exist.
• Confirmation of willingness to provide a parent company guarantee if required.
• Statement confirming whether any grounds for exclusion (criminal convictions, bankruptcy, grave professional misconduct, etc.) apply.
• Confirmation of holding or working towards required management system certifications.
• Mandatory site visit: Not specified for this RFI.
• Submission portal: Information on the submission portal is not detailed in the provided extract, but it is implied that responses are submitted via eTenders or a similar platform for public procurements.
• Specific formats:
• Applicant details are to be provided via a spreadsheet titled "Applicant Response Data PV2 & BESS".
• Authorised Representative details are to be provided via a spreadsheet titled "Applicant Response Data".
• Financial statements (audited, balance sheets, P&L, cash flow) for the last three years are required.
• Current credit rating report for the Lead Applicant.
• Updated forecast Profit and Loss and cashflow for the Lead Applicant.
• Part J (Experience) submissions are limited to ten (10) A4 pages.
• Supporting certificates for management systems are to be submitted.

7. Key dates & process

This RFI is the initial stage. The RFI Questionnaire must be completed fully. The Contracting Authority will assess applicants sequentially through Parts A to K, though parallel assessment is possible.

8. Contract terms that matter

As this is an RFI, specific contract terms are not detailed. However, the RFI does include provisions that will likely translate into contract terms:

• Parent Company Guarantee: Applicants must confirm willingness to provide or procure a parent company guarantee if required.
• Sub-contracting: The RFI mentions reliance on resources from other entities, which implies sub-contracting or consortium arrangements may be permitted, but specific rules are not detailed.
• Confidentiality and Data Security: Implicit in the requirement for ISO 27001 certification.
• Compliance: Applicants must confirm compliance with various legal and regulatory obligations, which will be a contractual requirement.
• Termination: Grounds for exclusion (Part B) suggest potential contractual termination clauses for breaches of integrity, legal obligations, or performance deficiencies.

Further details on contract terms would be provided in a subsequent Request for Tender (RFT) document.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• RFI Stage: This is an RFI, not a full tender. This means daa plc is gathering information, and the final scope, requirements, and procurement structure may change significantly. Bidders should be aware that their RFI response may influence the subsequent tender documents.
• Late Submission Deadline: The submission deadline is in September 2026, which is unusually far in the future for an RFI. This could indicate a long-term strategic planning process or potential delays.
• Lack of Specificity: The RFI extract provides minimal detail on the actual scope of services or the nature of the "PDSP Framework." This lack of specificity means bidders must infer potential requirements based on the extensive minimum criteria.
• Turnover Requirement: The €3 million average annual turnover requirement for the Lead Applicant is a significant hurdle for smaller businesses.
• Extensive Management System Requirements: The demand for multiple ISO certifications (Quality, H&S, Environmental, BIM, Information Security) indicates a high standard for operational maturity and compliance expected from potential suppliers.
• Reliance on Resources: The provision for relying on parent company or other linked entities' resources (Part A, Section 8) suggests that daa plc may be open to consortia or sub-contracting, but also requires robust evidence of resource availability.

10. SME fit assessment

This RFI is structured to attract established businesses with a proven track record and robust management systems.

• Who can credibly bid: A credible bidder would be a medium-to-large enterprise or a consortium capable of demonstrating:
• An average annual turnover of at least €3 million from the Lead Applicant over the last three financial years.
• Significant experience in the type of services to be procured under the PDSP Framework (though this is not specified).
• Established Quality, Health & Safety, Environmental, BIM, and Information Security management systems, evidenced by ISO certifications (or clear plans to achieve them).
• The financial capacity to meet substantial insurance requirements (€13m EL, €10m PI/PL, €2.3m Cyber).
• A clean record regarding legal proceedings, financial stability, and regulatory compliance.
• Consortium or sub-contracting: The RFI explicitly allows for applicants to be consortia and to rely on the resources of other entities. This suggests that a collaborative approach is permissible and potentially encouraged, allowing smaller firms to participate as part of a larger consortium or as subcontractors to a lead applicant.
• Indicative bid-prep effort: Preparing a comprehensive RFI response, especially one requiring detailed financial statements, management system evidence, and experience documentation, would likely require significant effort. For a business not already holding the required certifications, the effort could extend to several weeks of dedicated work, involving multiple departments. For businesses already compliant, the effort might be in the range of 5-10 days for compilation and review.
• Pwin signal: The RFI process itself is an early stage, making a "probability of winning" (Pwin) assessment difficult. However, the high bar set by the turnover and certification requirements suggests that daa plc is likely seeking experienced, established players. The lack of specific service details means it's hard to gauge incumbent strength or market competition. The extensive requirements point towards a structured, compliance-heavy procurement.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT filename(s): [002 PDSP Framework- RFI Volume 2.pdf]
• eTenders CFT ID: Not specified in the provided text.
• Contact email or clarification portal: Not specified in the provided text.
• Most important attachments:
• RFI Questionnaire (Volume 2)
• Guidance Notes (referenced in Part A)
• RFI Volume 1 (referenced throughout for further details)