Focus Housing Association Development Deal Agreement with Stage Payments 2026/02

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 tender seeks Expressions of Interest (EOI) from developers, builders, or land/property owners for development deal agreements involving stage payments. The objective is to identify potential partners for housing development projects. The scope encompasses the acquisition of sites or existing developments, and the subsequent construction of new housing units.

Key activities and requirements for potential developers include:

• Site Acquisition/Development: Identifying and proposing suitable sites or existing developments for housing projects.
• Housing Design and Construction: Designing and constructing residential units that meet Focus Housing Association's quality and sustainability standards. This includes adherence to:
• Irish Building Regulations and relevant statutory documents.
• Focus Housing Association's Design Guide, which often exceeds minimum standards.
• Green Building Councils "Home Performance Index" (minimum certified level).
• Specific space standards for dwellings and room dimensions.
• High-quality design principles focusing on simplicity, clarity, usability, and durability.
• Technical Specifications:
• Daylight and Sunlight: Adherence to EN 17037:201 Daylight in Buildings and BRE 1991 guidelines.
• Materials and Finishes: Use of composite aluminium clad timber doors and windows, polyester powder coated in RAL colours. Timber fencing is to be avoided. Block paving to BS EN 1338. Sinks to BS EN 13310. Plinths to BS EN 312 Type P3.
• Building Envelope: Consideration for Insulated Concrete Form (ICF), Timber Framing, and 3D Modular Construction. Avoidance of rain-screen systems with brick slips.
• Internal Layouts: Clear layout of functional spaces, easy access, adequate amenities, safe and secure environment, provision for services (space, water heating, electricity).
• Entrance: Defined transition zones, minimum 1.2m wide routes to the entrance, canopies projecting at least 1.2m, vertical alignment of doorbell, door number, and light.
• Doors and Windows: Five-point locking system on external doors. Easy-to-clean hinges. Safety glass, restrictors, and manifestation requirements for windows.
• Thresholds: Narrow galvanized or stainless-steel slot drain in front of the door, thermally broken threshold sills.
• Rainwater Goods: Seamless aluminium, colour matched, tested for leaks.
• Telecoms and IT: Infrastructure for telecoms and IT services in each dwelling, with a minimum of one connection outlet in the living room and one in the main bedroom. Integrated TV Reception System (Saorview) with minimum one TV connection point in the living room and one in the main bedroom.
• Common Areas: Design of communal stairs with shallow pitch, suitable for ambulant disabled people. Lifts required in buildings with three or more storeys, or two-storey buildings with underground parking. Two lifts required per apartment block.
• Kitchens: Tiled flooring (slip resistance R11), minimum 1m clear food preparation worktop (increasing with household size), one and a half bowl stainless steel sinks, provision for integrated oven, hob, fridge-freezer, washing machine, and dishwasher.
• Sustainability: Meeting a minimum Certified level on the Green Building Councils "Home Performance Index".
• Insurance: All units must be covered by Homebond Structural Guarantee Latent Defects Insurance Policy, or an equivalent approved by the Employer.
• Development Scale: A minimum size of 6-70 units may be considered, though smaller numbers can be evaluated.

3. Background & buyer context

Focus Housing Association was established in 1985 as the property wing of Focus Ireland, a homeless charity. Its core objective is to provide sustainable homes for individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness, often requiring ongoing support. The organisation employs an "innovative Meascan Model of intentional social mix" to build vibrant, integrated developments. Focus Housing Association is committed to high-quality design, believing it enhances the local environment and fosters community. This tender aligns with their commitment to providing quality housing and reflects learnings from their research into the housing and support needs of residents, including vulnerable and older individuals. The specification document is primarily intended for Turnkey projects but also applies to Design and Build projects.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

While specific formal selection criteria are not detailed in the provided EOI documents, the declarations required indicate the following implicit and explicit requirements for bidders:

• Turnover requirement: Not specified for this tender.
• Insurance: Not specified for this tender.
• Certifications:
• Must comply with Irish Building Regulations.
• Must be a Building Member of the Homebond Guarantee Scheme or an equivalent approved by the Employer.
• Past experience: Not specified for this tender.
• Personnel: Not specified for this tender.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Not specified for this tender.

Declarations Required (indicating implicit criteria):

• Legal Standing: Not to be bankrupt, subject to insolvency, or in analogous situations.
• Compliance:
• No convictions for participation in criminal organisations, corruption, fraud, terrorist offences, money laundering, child labour, or trafficking in human beings.
• No breach of obligations relating to payment of taxes or social security contributions.
• Compliance with applicable environmental, social, and labour law obligations.
• No grave professional misconduct.
• No prior involvement in the preparation of the competition.
• No significant or persistent deficiencies in performance of prior public contracts.
• No serious misrepresentation in supplying information or failure to submit supporting documents.
• No undue influence on decision-making or obtaining confidential information.
• No awareness of conflicts of interest.
• Application Accuracy: Information submitted must be correct and accurate.
• Understanding: Applicant must have read and fully understood the EOI.
• Data Protection: Confirmation of consent for processing personal data of Data Subjects.

5. Award criteria & scoring

As this is an Expressions of Interest (EOI) stage, formal award criteria and scoring mechanisms are not detailed. The process is focused on gathering expressions of interest from suitable developers. The evaluation will likely focus on the applicant's declared ability to meet the implicit requirements outlined in the EOI documents, particularly regarding legal standing, compliance, and the capacity to undertake housing development projects of the required standard. Further stages of the procurement process would involve detailed evaluation against specific criteria.

6. Submission requirements

The submission for this Expression of Interest (EOI) requires the completion and signing of specific declaration forms.

• Method statement / response document: Not specified for this tender.
• CVs: Not specified for this tender.
• Pricing schedule: Not specified for this tender.
• Case studies: Not specified for this tender.
• Declarations:
• Schedule B: Declaration by Applicant: To be signed by the authorised representative, confirming the accuracy of information, understanding of the EOI, and raising any queries.
• Schedule A: Declaration as to Personal Circumstances: To be signed by the authorised representative, declaring the absence of grounds for exclusion (criminal convictions, tax/social security breaches, bankruptcy, grave professional misconduct, conflicts of interest, prior contract failures, etc.).
• Bona Fides: Implicitly covered by Schedule A.
• Tax clearance: Implicitly covered by Schedule A (no breach of obligations relating to payment of taxes).
• Conflict of Interest: Explicitly addressed in Schedule A.
• Mandatory site visit: Not specified for this tender.
• Submission portal: Not specified, but typically eTenders.gov.ie for public sector tenders. Specific format rules are not detailed for the EOI stage.

7. Key dates & process

8. Contract terms that matter

As this is an Expression of Interest (EOI) stage, detailed contract terms are not provided. However, the "Guidelines September 2025" document outlines Focus Housing Association's expectations for future development agreements. Key aspects include:

• Term + extension structure: Not specified for this EOI. Future contracts will likely detail this.
• Payment terms: The title mentions "Stage Payments," indicating a phased payment structure tied to project milestones.
• Key SLAs/KPIs: Not specified for this EOI. Future contracts will define these, likely including quality, sustainability, and delivery timelines.
• Liquidated damages or penalty regimes: Not specified for this EOI.
• Termination clauses: Not specified for this EOI.
• IP ownership: Not specified for this EOI.
• Sub-contracting rules: Not specified for this EOI.
• Parent-company guarantee or bond requirements: Not specified for this EOI.
• Insurance: All units require Homebond Structural Guarantee Latent Defects Insurance Policy or equivalent.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• EOI Stage: This is an Expression of Interest, not a full tender. Bidders are expressing initial interest, and further stages will follow with more detailed requirements and evaluation.
• "Development Deal Agreement with Stage Payments": This suggests a flexible contractual arrangement where developers might bring sites or projects to Focus Housing, with payments structured around construction progress rather than a fixed upfront purchase. This could imply a need for developers with strong financial management and project delivery capabilities.
• Minimum Unit Size: The "minimum size of 6-70 units" is a broad range, and the note that "smaller numbers may be considered" indicates flexibility but also potential for varied project scales.
• Focus Housing's Design Guide: The emphasis on exceeding minimum Building Regulations and adhering to a specific Design Guide means that developers must be prepared for potentially higher specification requirements than standard.
• Turnkey vs. Design & Build: The document distinguishes between Turnkey projects (planning permission granted, minimal design influence) and Design & Build projects (greater design influence). The EOI does not specify which model is preferred, suggesting flexibility or a need for developers to propose based on their site/project.

10. SME fit assessment

This Expression of Interest is primarily aimed at developers, builders, and property owners with existing sites or developments.

• Who can credibly bid: Small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are established developers or builders with a proven track record in residential construction, particularly those familiar with Irish housing standards and potentially social housing requirements, could be suitable. The requirement for Homebond or equivalent insurance suggests a need for established entities.
• Consortium or sub-contracting: The EOI documents mention that where the Applicant is a group, an authorised representative from each member must sign. This implies that consortia are permissible. Sub-contracting is not explicitly mentioned at this EOI stage but is common in construction.
• Indicative bid-prep effort: For this EOI stage, bid preparation effort would be moderate. It primarily involves completing and signing Schedule A and Schedule B, ensuring all declarations are accurate and understood. The main effort would be in identifying suitable sites/developments and assessing their alignment with Focus Housing's general requirements.
• Pwin signal: The tender is at an EOI stage, so there is no incumbent or pre-selected supplier. The "minimum size of 6-70 units" and the consideration of "smaller numbers" suggests openness to a range of project sizes, which could favour SMEs. However, the detailed quality and sustainability standards may require specific expertise.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT filename(s):
• [EOI 3 out of 3 Schedule B.docx]
• [EOI 2 out of 3 Schedule A.doc]
• [Focus Housing Assoc CLG Guidelines September 2025.pdf]
• eTenders CFT ID: Not specified in provided documents.
• Contact email or clarification portal: Not specified in provided documents.
• Most important attachments:
• Schedule A: Declaration as to Personal Circumstances
• Schedule B: Declaration by Applicant
• Focus Housing Association CLG Guidelines September 2025