Provision of Project Management Services for Corporate Events

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

Bord Bia seeks independent service providers to manage the logistical aspects of corporate events, trade fairs, seminars, conferences, and trade missions. The contract duration is twelve months, with an estimated maximum expenditure of €75,000 to €85,000 excluding VAT. This figure is indicative, and no guaranteed expenditure is stated.

The scope of work includes:

• Project Management: Managing the logistical elements of a range of Bord Bia corporate events.
• Event Types: Covering trade fairs, seminars, conferences, and trade missions.
• Sector Specificity: The service provider must demonstrate a minimum of five years' relevant experience specifically in the food, drink, amenity horticulture, and edible horticulture sectors.
• Contract Management: Nominate a dedicated contract manager responsible for maintaining relationships, providing performance reports, attending review meetings, resolving disputes, and proactively suggesting service improvements.
• Sustainability: Championing sustainability in project delivery, including innovative proposals to address environmental impact.
• Collaboration: Efficient and proactive collaboration with all stakeholders.
• Budget Management: Ensuring value for money without compromising delivery.
• Contingency Planning: Outlining a proposal for service delivery with a contingency management process and detailed ways of working.
• Resource Management: Providing clear information on proposed personnel, their relevant experience, roles, and responsibilities.
• Account Management: A nominated Account Manager to serve as the single point of contact.

A detailed specification is available in Appendix A of the tender documents.

3. Background & buyer context

Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board, is the government agency responsible for promoting Ireland's food, drink, and horticulture industry globally. With headquarters in Dublin and a network of overseas offices, Bord Bia aims to enable growth and sustainability for Irish producers. This procurement is for project management services to support Bord Bia's corporate events and promotional activities. The agency encourages participation by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and allows for consortia or joint ventures to meet capacity requirements.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Tenderers must meet the following criteria on a pass/fail basis to be considered:

• Turnover requirement: Confirmation that the tendering party's turnover exceeded €75,000 for each of the last three financial years, or pro-rata for more recently established firms. The firm must have been in existence for at least six months.
• Insurance:
• Employer's Liability: €13 million (if applicable; not required for sole traders with no employees).
• Public Liability: €6.5 million.
• Professional Indemnity: €1.3 million for each and every claim.
• Certifications: Not specified for this tender.
• Past experience:
• Demonstrate successful delivery of three previous projects of comparable scope and complexity within the last three years.
• Only one of these three projects can be with Bord Bia.
• A minimum of five years' experience in Project Management of events is required.
• A minimum of five years' relevant experience specifically in the food, drink, amenity horticulture, and edible horticulture sectors is required.
• Personnel: Not specified for this tender beyond the experience requirements.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Not specified for this tender.

Tenderers may rely on the resources of other entities to meet these requirements, provided they can prove these resources will be at their disposal.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The contract will be awarded based on the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT), considering cost and qualitative criteria.

Qualitative criteria are scored on a scale from Exceptional (90-100%) to Acceptable (50-59%). Scores below 50% are considered ineligible. The cost score is calculated by comparing the lowest bona fide tender to other tenders.

6. Submission requirements

Tenderers must use the provided Tender Response Document (TRD) and adhere to its format.

• Method statement / response document: Use the TRD. Do not amend its text or content.
• CVs: Not specified by page count, but must detail proposed personnel and their experience.
• Pricing schedule: Complete and sign the Form of Tender within the TRD.
• Case studies: Provide evidence of three previous projects of comparable scope and complexity within the last three years.
• Declarations:
• European Single Procurement Document (ESPD) or equivalent self-declaration.
• Declaration of Bona Fides (Art. 57 of Directive 2014/24/EU).
• Declaration of compliance with relevant statutory obligations.
• Declaration regarding EU regulation 2022/576 on restrictive measures.
• Declaration of compliance with Human Rights and Ethical Employment standards.
• Confirmation of tax compliance.
• Mandatory site visit: Not specified for this tender.
• Submission portal: Tenders must be submitted electronically via the eTenders postbox facility on www.etenders.gov.ie only.

7. Key dates & process

The tender validity period is nine months from the closing date.

8. Contract terms that matter

• Term: 12 months.
• Extension: Not specified.
• Payment terms: Not specified.
• Key SLAs/KPIs: Not specified.
• Liquidated damages: Not specified.
• Termination: Bord Bia may terminate by giving a minimum of thirty (30) days' prior written notice.
• IP ownership: Bord Bia will have copyright ownership of any material developed for its use. The service provider may have a non-exclusive license for its own purposes.
• Sub-contracting: Allowed, but subcontractors must be subject to equivalent human rights standards.
• Parent-company guarantee/bond: Not specified.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• Low Estimated Value: The total estimated value (€75,000 - €85,000) is relatively low for a 12-month contract, suggesting a need for efficient service delivery and potentially limited scope per event.
• Sector-Specific Experience: The requirement for five years' experience specifically in the food, drink, amenity horticulture, and edible horticulture sectors narrows the potential bidder pool.
• No Guaranteed Expenditure: The contract states there is no guaranteed expenditure, meaning the actual spend could be at the lower end of the estimated range or even less.
• Pass/Fail Selection Criteria: Strict pass/fail on selection criteria means any failure to meet minimum requirements (e.g., experience, insurance) will lead to immediate disqualification.
• No Debriefings: Bord Bia will not offer individual debriefing meetings to unsuccessful bidders due to resourcing constraints.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is structured to be accessible to SMEs, particularly those with specialised experience in event management within the food and drink sectors.

• Who can credibly bid: SMEs with a proven track record of managing corporate events, trade fairs, seminars, conferences, and trade missions. Crucially, they must demonstrate at least five years of experience in event project management and a similar duration of specific experience within the food, drink, and horticulture industries. The turnover requirement of €75,000 annually is achievable for many established SMEs.
• Consortium/Sub-contracting: Permitted. SMEs are encouraged to form relationships with other SMEs or larger enterprises to meet capacity requirements. Sub-contracting is also allowed, provided subcontractors meet human rights standards.
• Indicative bid-prep effort: Moderate. The need to gather evidence for past experience, detail methodology, and complete specific declarations will require focused effort. The use of a mandatory TRD simplifies some aspects but requires careful adherence.
• Pwin signal: Moderate. The specific sector experience requirement and the relatively low value suggest that established players in this niche may have an advantage. However, the open procedure and encouragement of consortia indicate a genuine openness to new entrants. There is no explicit mention of an incumbent.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT filename: [Final ITT -Event Project Management.pdf]
• eTenders CFT ID: Not specified in the provided text.
• Contact email or clarification portal: All queries should be submitted through the messaging facility on www.etenders.gov.ie.
• Most important attachments:
• Appendix A - Detailed Specification
• Tender Response Document (TRD)
• Form of Tender