CIE Strategic Delivery Partner

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1. At a glance

2. Scope of Work

This procurement seeks a single Strategic Delivery Partner to provide integrated expert advice and assistance to Coras Iompair Éireann (CIE) and its three operating companies: Bus Átha Cliath-Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann-Irish Bus, and Iarnród Éireann-Irish Rail. The partner will also support CIE Tours and the CIE Holding Company, which manages shared services and property portfolios. The scale of the CIE Group is significant, employing over 13,000 staff and carrying over 335 million passengers in 2025.

The core requirement is to support CIE's group-wide programme, "Vision 2030." This involves providing strategic capability and practical delivery support across multiple entities with differing priorities, governance, and operating contexts. The appointed partner must work effectively at Group, company, and programme levels.

Key activities and areas of support include:

• Strategic Capability: Providing high-level strategic advice and assistance.
• Practical Delivery Support: Assisting with the implementation of strategic initiatives.
• Operational Credibility: Engaging effectively with senior leadership across the Group.
• Cross-Entity Working: Facilitating collaboration and alignment across the five CIE entities.
• Strategy, Governance, and Implementation: Supporting all aspects of programme delivery.
• Communications: Assisting with communication strategies related to Vision 2030.

The partner must demonstrate the ability to work credibly with senior leaders and build strong relationships across the Group, understanding the strategic and operational context of each operating company. The contract is structured as a one-year term with the option for CIE to extend it by two additional years on a yearly basis.

3. Background & buyer context

Coras Iompair Éireann (CIE) is the statutory body responsible for public transport in Ireland, comprising Bus Átha Cliath-Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann-Irish Bus, and Iarnród Éireann-Irish Rail. The group also includes CIE Tours and CIE Holding Company. CIE was founded in 1945 under the Transport Act 1944.

This procurement is driven by the need to support "Vision 2030," a group-wide programme requiring strong alignment across strategy, delivery, and external stakeholders. The complexity and cross-Group nature of this vision necessitate a single strategic delivery partner. The appointed partner will work with senior leadership and across multiple entities, each with its own leadership, governance, operational priorities, and existing transformation initiatives. The procurement is being conducted under the negotiated procedure of the Utilities Directive (2014/25/EU) and the European Union (Award of Contracts by Utility Undertakings) Regulations 2016.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

To be considered for this tender, applicants must meet the following minimum qualification criteria:

• Turnover requirement: Applicants must demonstrate an average annual turnover of at least €2,500,000 (exclusive of VAT) in each of the past three audited financial years (2023, 2024, and 2025). Audited accounts must be provided to demonstrate financial stability.
• Insurance: Not specified for this tender at the PQQ stage.
• Certifications: Not specified for this tender at the PQQ stage, though Quality Management Systems compliant with EN ISO 9001:2000 or equivalent are mentioned in relation to company resources.
• Past experience: Not specified as a mandatory pass/fail criterion at this PQQ stage, but relevant experience will be evaluated in Part 4 of the Questionnaire.
• Personnel: Not specified as a mandatory pass/fail criterion at this PQQ stage.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Not specified for this tender.

Additionally, all applicants must:

• Complete and sign the Declaration of Eligibility (Part 9 of the Questionnaire).
• Satisfy any mandatory or discretionary exclusionary criteria as detailed in the Declaration of Eligibility.
• Comply with CIE's policy on conflicts of interest.

Applicants relying on the resources of third parties (including subcontractors) to meet selection criteria must comply with Article 79 of the Utilities Directive, including providing detailed arrangements, Declarations of Eligibility from those third parties, and potentially legally binding Letters of Undertaking/Support.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The PQQ stage focuses on pre-qualification and shortlisting. The award criteria for the subsequent tender stage will be detailed in the Invitation to Tender (ITT) documentation. However, the PQQ outlines the minimum qualification criteria that must be met to proceed.

Criterion Weight (%) Sub-criteria