Provision of Integrated Marketing Campaign Services

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

Samaritans Ireland seeks a single supplier to provide integrated marketing campaign services. The contract duration is five months. The total estimated value for the contract term is €140,000, inclusive of all costs, media buying, agency fees, production, expenses, and VAT.

The scope of work encompasses the development and execution of an integrated marketing campaign. Specific activities and requirements include:

• Campaign Strategy and Development: Creating a comprehensive marketing campaign strategy aligned with Samaritans Ireland's objectives.
• Creative Services: Developing creative concepts, messaging, and assets for the campaign.
• Media Services: Planning, buying, and managing media placements across various channels.
• Campaign Execution: Implementing the integrated marketing campaign across selected platforms.
• Reporting and Analysis: Providing performance reports and analysis of campaign effectiveness.
• Budget Management: Managing the €140,000 budget, which includes all costs, media spend, and VAT.
• Compliance: Adhering to all applicable EU and domestic tax laws, environmental, social, and labour laws, and data protection regulations.
• Confidentiality: Maintaining strict confidentiality of all information disclosed by Samaritans Ireland.
• Reporting: Providing campaign performance data and insights.

The contract is for a fixed term of five months. Tenderers must ensure their proposals address all requirements outlined in Appendix 1: Requirements and Specifications.

3. Background & buyer context

Samaritans Ireland is procuring integrated marketing campaign services to support its mission. This procurement is initiated to establish a single source for these services, aiming for efficiency and a cohesive approach to their public outreach. The organisation operates as a purchasing body for Samaritans Ireland and its wholly owned subsidiaries. The estimated value of €140,000 is provided for guidance and does not represent a commitment to spend this amount. The procurement is conducted under an open procedure, adhering to the European Union (Award of Public Authority Contracts) Regulations 2016. Samaritans Ireland encourages participation from Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and advises larger enterprises to consider including SMEs in their proposals.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

To be considered for this tender, bidders must meet the following minimum requirements:

• Turnover requirement: Tenderers must have achieved an average annual turnover of €300,000 in at least one of the three financial years preceding the RFT date. Evidence required is a letter from an Accountant/Auditor confirming turnover for the previous three years, submitted on the Accountant/Auditor's letterhead.
• Insurance: Tenderers must declare they have in place or can obtain the following insurances:
• Employer’s Liability: €13 million
• Public Liability: €6.5 million
• Professional Indemnity: €6.5 million
• Cyber Insurance: €5 million Evidence required is a self-declaration.
• Certifications: Not specified for this tender.
• Past experience: Tenderers must demonstrate successful delivery of two (2) similar contracts. These contracts must be comparable in nature, scale, and complexity to the requirements detailed in Appendix 1. A table in the Tender Response Document must be completed detailing client information, contract duration, value, description of services, management systems, innovation, and comparability to the current tender.
• Personnel: Not specified for this tender.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Not specified for this tender.

Tenderers may rely on the capacity of other entities (e.g., subcontractors) to meet these criteria. If relying on third parties, an undertaking in satisfactory terms must be provided.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The award of the contract will be based on the evaluation of tenders against both selection and award criteria. Tenderers must pass all selection criteria to be considered for award. The award criteria will determine the most economically advantageous tender. The specific weighting and scoring mechanism for award criteria are not detailed in the provided extract, but the tender process will follow standard EU procurement regulations. Tenderers will be evaluated on their ability to meet the requirements outlined in the Tender Response Document, which covers both qualitative and quantitative aspects. The Contracting Authority reserves the right not to accept the lowest priced tender.

6. Submission requirements

Tenders must be submitted electronically via the eTenders platform. The following documents are mandatory:

• Tender Response Document: This document should address all selection and award criteria. It must be submitted in PDF format.
• Selection criteria supporting documentation: Evidence for Economic & Financial Standing (Turnover confirmation) and Technical & Professional Ability (Previous Experience table).
• Completed and signed Tenderer’s Statement: This must be printed on the Tenderer’s letterhead and signed.
• Completed, signed, and witnessed Declaration as to Personal Circumstances: This declaration must be completed by the tenderer.
• Pricing Schedule: This must be completed in full and submitted separately from the Tender Response Document.

The entire submission must be uploaded as a single zip file, with a specified folder structure for selection and award criteria documents. Individual documents like the Tender Response Document, Tenderer's Statement, Declaration, and Pricing Schedule can be individual files within the zip. Tenderers must ensure no embedded files are present in PDFs.

7. Key dates & process

8. Contract terms that matter

The Services Contract will operate for a fixed term of five months. There is no mention of extension options in the provided text. Payments will be made in accordance with the Services Contract at Appendix 5. Prices quoted must remain valid for 12 months from the Tender Deadline. Price adjustments are permitted only on the first anniversary of the contract's Effective Date, based on the Consumer Price Index, and require verifiable evidence and written agreement. Tenderers must comply with all applicable environmental, social, and labour laws, including those related to employee rights in the event of undertaking transfers and the Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Act 2012. Subcontracting is permitted, but the Prime Contractor remains responsible for the entire contract. A parent-company guarantee or bond is not specified.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• Short Contract Term: The five-month contract duration is unusually short for an integrated marketing campaign, suggesting a specific, time-bound project or a pilot phase. This may limit the appeal for agencies seeking longer-term engagements.
• Budget Clarity: While the total budget is stated as €140,000, the breakdown between creative, media, and other costs is not explicitly detailed in the provided sections, requiring tenderers to propose their own allocation.
• Insurance Requirements: The insurance levels, particularly Professional Indemnity and Cyber Insurance at €6.5 million and €5 million respectively, are substantial for a €140,000 contract, potentially posing a barrier for smaller, specialised agencies.
• Turnover Requirement: The €300,000 turnover requirement, while standard for many public tenders, represents a significant multiple (over 2x) of the total contract value, potentially favouring larger, established agencies over SMEs for this specific project.
• No Lowest Price Acceptance: The explicit statement that the Contracting Authority is not bound to accept the lowest priced tender highlights the importance of the qualitative aspects of the bid.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is structured to be accessible to SMEs, with explicit encouragement for their participation. However, the €300,000 turnover requirement means that only SMEs with a significant financial track record would qualify. The requirement for two comparable contracts of similar scale and complexity also suggests that bidders should have demonstrable experience in delivering integrated campaigns. Consortiums or subcontracting are permitted, offering a route for smaller agencies to participate by partnering with others to meet the financial and experience criteria. The bid preparation effort is estimated to be moderate, requiring detailed responses to qualitative criteria and a comprehensive pricing schedule. The absence of an incumbent mention and the open procedure suggest a competitive field, but the substantial insurance requirements and turnover threshold might favour established players.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT filename: SAMSIRE001 - Integrated Marketing Services - RFT 01.09.docx
• eTenders CFT ID: Not specified
• Contact email or clarification portal: Messaging facility on www.etenders.gov.ie
• Most important attachments:
• Appendix 1: Requirements and Specifications
• Appendix 2: Pricing Schedule
• Appendix 3: Tenderer’s Statement