Parking Fines Management System

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 a cloud-based Parking Fines Management System (PFMS) to manage the full lifecycle of parking fines within the County of Cork. The system will support traffic wardens in issuing Fixed Charge Offence Notices (FCON) for parking offences on-street and in car parks. It will also manage the collection of fines, the issue of summonses, and provide operational and financial management reports. A comprehensive transition and migration plan, including testing and commissioning, is required.

The system's scope includes:

• Fines Management:
• Issuance of Fixed Charge Offence Notices (FCON) by traffic wardens.
• Management of the full lifecycle of parking fines.
• Handling of appeals, with appeals accepted within 14 days of FCON issue.
• Tracking of FCN payment status (paid within 28 days, paid within 28-56 days).
• Automated generation of unpaid fines lists where 56 days have elapsed since FCN issue.
• Issuance of summonses based on non-payment within 56 days.
• Operational Support:
• Deployment of 15 Traffic Wardens across 8 Municipal Districts.
• Access for up to 15 administration staff.
• Mobile data storage and transmission devices for wardens.
• System must allow wardens to enter a registration number and an observation.
• Ticket Number and/or Vehicle Reg Number and/or Date recording.
• Reporting:
• Provision of operational and financial management reports.
• System Requirements:
• Full cloud-based solution.
• Data centres must be certified with ISO27001 security or attained by accredited 3rd parties such as ISO27001.
• Capability to access two data centres located within the European Economic Area (EEA) or countries with an adequate level of data protection.
• Implementation:
• Development of a comprehensive transition and migration plan.
• Inclusion of testing and commissioning phases.
• Training for staff.
• Migration of existing data.
• Interfacing of data with other systems.

3. Background & buyer context

Cork County Council is procuring a Parking Fines Management System (PFMS) to modernise its existing parking enforcement operations. Traffic Wardens are empowered under the Road Traffic Act, 1994 and Section 11 of the Road Traffic Act, 2002 to issue Fixed Charge fines for parking offences. The current system deploys 15 Traffic Wardens across 8 Municipal Districts. The requirement for a new system aligns with a general move towards digital transformation and improved efficiency in public service delivery. The procurement is conducted under an Open Procedure at a national level.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Tenderers must meet the following minimum requirements to be considered for evaluation. These are assessed on a pass/fail basis.

• Turnover requirement:
• Average annual turnover exceeding €100,000 in each of the last three years, or pro-rata for more recently established firms.
• Firm must have been in existence for at least 6 months.
• Confirmation of financial standing to pay debts as they fall due.
• Insurance:
• Employer’s Liability: €13 million
• Public Liability: €6.5 million
• Product Liability: €6.5 million
• Cyber Liability: €1 million
• Certifications:
• Not specified for this tender, but data centres must be ISO27001 certified or equivalent.
• Past experience:
• Successful delivery of 2 comparable projects involving a Parking Fines Management System (PFMS) and Handheld Data Storage and Transmission Devices.
• Projects must be of similar nature and scale.
• Projects must have been completed within the last 5 years.
• Personnel:
• CVs for Key Project Staff: Contract/Project Manager, 2 Technical Support Staff.
• Confirmation that identified staff are available for the contract.
• Demonstration of how staff will deliver for Cork County Council when dealing with multiple contracts/customers.
• Minimum number of skilled personnel as defined in the Tender Response Document (TRD).
• Geographic / facility constraints:
• Capability to access two data centres located within the European Economic Area (EEA) or countries with an adequate level of data protection.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The contract will be awarded on the basis of the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT), with qualitative criteria assessed first. The total maximum marks available are 1,000.

The lowest cost tender meeting all qualitative minimum requirements receives maximum cost score. Qualitative criteria are scored using a band system from 1 (excellent) to 6 (no response).

6. Submission requirements

Tenders must be submitted electronically via the eTenders postbox facility on www.etenders.gov.ie.

• Method statement / response document:
• Use the provided Tender Response Document (TRD).
• Personalisation of the TRD (adding branding/colours) is not allowed.
• Proposed Solution response limited to 6 A4 pages.
• Project Implementation response limited to 3 A4 pages.
• Maintenance and Support response limited to 4 A4 pages.
• Environmental Considerations response limited to 4 A4 pages.
• CVs:
• CVs for Key Project Staff (Contract/Project Manager, 2 Technical Support Staff) as per CV9 format.
• Pricing schedule:
• Use the attached pricing document.
• Case studies:
• Not explicitly stated, but previous comparable projects must be detailed.
• Declarations:
• Declaration of Bona Fides.
• Declaration regarding compliance with statutory obligations.
• European Single Procurement Document (ESPD) - electronic or separate attachment.
• Declaration regarding International Procurement Instrument (2022/1031) and Article 5K of Regulation 2022/576.
• Mandatory site visit:
• Not applicable (N/A).
• Submission portal:
• eTenders.gov.ie.
• Upload response as a ZIP file.

7. Key dates & process

8. Contract terms that matter

• Contract length: 3 years, with 2 x 1-year extension options, totalling a potential 5 years.
• Payment terms: Not specified in the provided extract, but prompt payment is a standard requirement.
• Key SLAs/KPIs: A comprehensive Service Level Agreement (SLA) will be required. Contract management activities are non-billable.
• Liquidated damages or penalty regimes: Not specified in the provided extract.
• Termination clauses: The Contracting Authority reserves the right to terminate if increased costs render the arrangement uncompetitive due to matters outside its control (e.g., changes in the Customs Union). Termination will follow contract terms.
• IP ownership: Not specified in the provided extract.
• Sub-contracting rules: Tenderers may rely on the resources of other entities, but must prove they will have these resources at their disposal. Subcontractors whose value exceeds 10% of the contract value must not be prohibited economic operators under Regulation (EU) No 833/2014.
• Parent-company guarantee or bond requirements: Not specified in the provided extract.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• Indicative Budget vs. Contract Length: The indicative budget of €100,000-€120,000 for a 3-year contract (potentially 5 years) appears low for a comprehensive system including hardware and ongoing support, suggesting a potential for tight margins or a focus on a highly efficient, off-the-shelf solution.
• Cloud-Based Solution Requirement: Mandating a full cloud-based solution requires bidders to have robust infrastructure and security compliance, potentially favouring established SaaS providers.
• Data Centre Location: The requirement for data centres within the EEA or equivalent protection zones limits the hosting options.
• Low Turnover Threshold: The €100,000 annual turnover requirement is relatively low for a system of this nature, potentially indicating a desire for broad market participation or a system that is not overly complex or resource-intensive.
• No Site Visits: The absence of mandatory site visits may mean that initial assessments are purely desk-based, placing higher importance on the written response.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is likely open to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that specialise in developing or providing cloud-based software solutions for public sector enforcement or administrative processes.

• Who can credibly bid: A firm with proven experience in developing and implementing Parking Fines Management Systems or similar regulatory/enforcement software. They must be able to demonstrate the required insurance levels, have a track record of 2 comparable projects within the last 5 years, and provide qualified personnel. Cloud infrastructure and ISO27001 compliance capabilities are essential.
• Consortium/Sub-contracting: SMEs are encouraged to form relationships with other SMEs or larger enterprises to meet capacity requirements. Sub-contracting is permitted, provided the subcontractor meets eligibility criteria and their value does not exceed 10% of the contract value if relying on their capacity for selection criteria.
• Indicative bid-prep effort: Bid preparation will require significant effort, likely in the range of 15-25 days for a dedicated team. This includes understanding the detailed specification (Appendix A), preparing the TRD, compiling CVs, detailing the proposed solution, implementation plan, maintenance strategy, and environmental considerations, as well as completing all declarations and pricing schedules.
• Pwin signal: The tender is for a national-level procurement, suggesting it is open to a wider market. The low indicative budget and specific technical requirements (cloud-based, ISO27001) might favour established software providers over very small, niche players. The requirement for 2 comparable projects within 5 years is a clear gate.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT filename: 2A Request for Tender Contract Open Procedure 2025.pdf
• eTenders CFT ID: Not specified in the provided text.
• Contact for Queries: Messaging facility on www.etenders.gov.ie.
• Most Important Attachments:
• Appendix A – Specification
• Tender Response Document (TRD)
• Appendix 1 – Contract Terms and Conditions