Maintenance of Fire Safety Systems in Substations

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1. At a glance

2. Scope of Work

This procurement seeks a single-party framework agreement for the comprehensive inspection, testing, maintenance, servicing, certification, reporting, and associated fire safety compliance services for portable fire extinguishers and fire detection and alarm systems across the Electricity Supply Board (ESB) High Voltage (HV) Station portfolio. The portfolio comprises approximately 820 operational stations, ranging from 38kV to 400kV, with varying sizes, configurations, occupancy levels, and electrical equipment. The contractor will supply all labour, supervision, transportation, equipment, materials, consumables, and certification necessary for these services.

Key activities include:

• Portable Fire Extinguishers:
• Annual inspection, testing, maintenance, servicing, and certification for all portable fire extinguishers within the HV Station portfolio.
• Work must comply with I.S. 3218, relevant Irish statutory requirements, manufacturers' recommendations, and other applicable legislation, standards, and codes of practice.
• Provision of all required certification and records demonstrating compliance.
• Fire Detection and Alarm Systems:
• Inspection, testing, routine preventive maintenance, fault diagnosis, repair, certification, and statutory compliance activities for systems installed in approximately 35% of HV Stations.
• Bi-annual inspection and maintenance, or at other frequencies dictated by standards, legislation, or ESB.
• Compliance with I.S. 3218 and other relevant standards, regulations, or statutory obligations.
• Maintenance of all existing systems in an operational and compliant condition.
• Detailed condition assessment, justification, and recommendations for replacement or upgrade of systems deemed at end-of-life or beyond economic repair.
• Record Keeping:
• Maintenance of comprehensive records of all inspections, maintenance, repairs, deficiencies, recommendations, certifications, and compliance documentation.
• Provision of these records to ESB in specified formats and timeframes.
• Personnel and Safety:
• All services must be delivered by suitably qualified, competent, and certified personnel.
• Performance must adhere to ESB's safety requirements, access procedures, and operational restrictions for HV electrical environments.

Replacement, refurbishment, upgrade, extension, or complete installation of new fire detection and alarm systems are excluded from the core scope but may be procured as additional or optional services under separate instructions at ESB's discretion.

3. Background & buyer context

Electricity Supply Board (ESB) is a statutory corporation established in 1927, majority-owned by the Irish Government. It operates across the electricity market, including generation, transmission, and supply, and diversifies into gas, fibre telecommunications, and electric vehicle charging. ESB's strategy, "Driven to Make a Difference: Achieving Net Zero by 2040," prioritises sustainability, aiming for net-zero emissions by 2040. Procurement processes align with ISO 20400 Sustainable Procurement standards. ESB has a Sustainability Leadership Plan focusing on People, Planet, and Place, and is a founding member of the Irish Supply Chain Sustainability School. This procurement for fire safety system maintenance is part of ESB's operational management and commitment to safety and sustainability within its extensive High Voltage (HV) Station portfolio. The contract may be entered into by ESB or one of its subsidiaries or affiliates.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Bidders must meet the following minimum requirements to be considered for this tender:

• Turnover requirement:
• A minimum average annual turnover of €1,000,000, excluding VAT, over the two previous financial years.
• For consortiums or entities relying on third-party resources, each Applicant Member and/or Entity Being Relied Upon must individually meet a minimum turnover of €1,000,000, excluding VAT, over the two previous financial years.
• Insurance:
• Employer’s Liability Insurance: Minimum indemnity limit of €13 million per claim.
• Professional Indemnity Insurance: Minimum indemnity limit of €1,000,000 per claim.
• Public/Products Liability Insurance: Minimum indemnity limit of €6.5 million per claim, and in aggregate for Products Liability.
• Confirmation of willingness to provide higher required Public/Products Liability Insurance with a minimum indemnity limit of €6.5 million euro, in respect of each and every claim, and in aggregate in respect of Products Liability.
• Certifications:
• Compliance with EN ISO 9001 or equivalent quality management system.
• Compliance with ISO 45001, Safe T Cert, or an equivalent safety management system, verified by an independent third party.
• Past experience:
• Not specified for this tender.
• Personnel:
• Not specified for this tender.
• Geographic / facility constraints:
• Services to be performed within the Republic of Ireland.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The contract will be awarded on the basis of the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT). The specific award criteria and scoring methodology will be detailed in the Request for Tender (RFT) documents. Bidders who fail any pass/fail criteria during the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) stage will not be eligible for evaluation under qualitative criteria and will be eliminated from the procurement process.

Criterion Weight (%) Sub-criteria