Deliver key components of the Fáilte Ireland ‘Ireland Home of Halloween Destination Development Scheme’

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1. At a glance

2. Scope of Work

Fáilte Ireland is procuring services to deliver key components of its ‘Ireland Home of Halloween Destination Development Scheme’ for the 2026/27 period. The contract requires a service provider to coordinate strategic direction, provide project management, and deliver reporting for the scheme. The objective is to ensure effective coordination, timely delivery, and alignment with Fáilte Ireland’s strategic tourism objectives.

The scope of work includes:

• Scheme Coordination: Providing strategic direction and project management for the Home of Halloween Destination Development Scheme.
• Reporting: Delivering comprehensive reporting on scheme progress and outcomes.
• Alignment with Objectives: Ensuring all activities align with Fáilte Ireland’s strategic tourism objectives.
• Destination Development Support: Facilitating the development of Halloween-themed destinations across the Island of Ireland.
• Scheme Duration: The scheme encompasses the month of October and extends into early November.
• Funding Structure: Each destination receives up to €100,000 annually over a three-year period (2025–2027). This tender focuses on the 2026/27 delivery phase.
• Deliverables:
• Preparation of a minimum of 2 national and/or international new initiative or destination development award submissions to support Ireland Home of Halloween profile elevation in 2026/2027.
• Ensuring effective coordination, timely delivery, and alignment with Fáilte Ireland’s strategic tourism objectives.

The contract is for an initial 12-month period, with an option to extend for a further 12 months, subject to requirements, operational reviews, and budget availability.

3. Background & buyer context

Fáilte Ireland, the National Tourism Development Authority, is undertaking this procurement as part of its ‘Ireland Home of Halloween Destination Development Scheme’. This initiative aims to enhance Ireland’s profile as a premier Halloween destination. The scheme is part of Fáilte Ireland's broader strategy to support the tourism industry and sustain Ireland as a high-quality, competitive tourism destination. The authority is committed to sustainable procurement, seeking value for money while minimising environmental impact and delivering wider social aims such as diversity and inclusion. This procurement is driven by the need to manage and market Halloween tourism products and services effectively, aligning with national tourism strategies.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

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

• Turnover requirement: Average annual turnover of at least €200,000 during any of the previous 3 financial years.
• Insurance:
• Employer’s Liability Insurance: €13,000,000 indemnity limit.
• Public Liability Insurance: €6,500,000 indemnity limit.
• Professional Indemnity Insurance: €1,300,000 indemnity limit per claim.
• Certifications:
• Up-to-date Tax Clearance Certificate.
• Compliance with relevant legislation regarding Employment, Working Hours, Official Secrets, Data Protection, Child Protection, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, and Health and Safety.
• Past experience: Details of 3 contracts undertaken within the last 3 years demonstrating successful provision of a service of similar scope, scale, and complexity. Bidders must clearly state their organisation's specific delivery under these contracts.
• Personnel: Must demonstrate an appropriate number of suitably qualified resources with relevant experience.
• Technical Systems: Must demonstrate effective and efficient technical systems to deliver the service.
• Quality Assurance: Must demonstrate adequate measures to ensure quality service delivery.
• Training and Development: Must demonstrate adequate training and professional development procedures.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Services are to be delivered across the Island of Ireland.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The contract will be awarded to the most economically advantageous tenderer. The award will be based on a combination of quality and price.

The tender will be evaluated against minimum requirements. The lowest total cost tender that also meets all minimum qualitative award criteria will receive the maximum score for the cost criterion.

6. Submission requirements

Tenders must be submitted electronically via the eTenders platform. The submission must adhere to the following:

• Method statement / response document: Tenderers must use the provided response document template, following its sequence and format. Incomplete responses will result in disqualification.
• CVs: Not explicitly mentioned with page limits, but personnel experience is a criterion.
• Pricing schedule: To be provided as per Appendix 2 – Award Criterion D - Costs. Prices must be in Euro, exclusive of VAT.
• Case studies: Details of 3 relevant contracts undertaken within the last 3 years.
• Declarations:
• Tenderers’ Statement (Section A5).
• Declaration of financial capacity and tax clearance.
• Declaration of insurance coverage.
• Declaration of agreement to the 12-month tender validity period.
• Declaration regarding the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools.
• Mandatory site visit: Not specified for this tender.
• Submission portal: www.etenders.gov.ie.
• File size limits: 250MB per file, 2GB total. Tenderers must ensure the "Submit" button is clicked.

7. Key dates & process

* Fáilte Ireland reserves the right to change these dates.

8. Contract terms that matter

• Term: 12 months, with an option to extend for up to a further 12 months.
• Payment terms: Payment within 15 days of receipt of a correct and appropriately vouched invoice, provided there is no dispute. Fáilte Ireland operates in accordance with European Communities (Late Payment in Commercial Transactions) Regulations 2012 and 2016.
• Key SLAs/KPIs: Not specified in detail, but effective coordination, timely delivery, and alignment with strategic objectives are core requirements.
• Liquidated damages or penalty regimes: Not specified.
• Termination clauses: Standard contract terms apply as per Appendix 1 – Supply of Services Contract.
• IP ownership: All programmes developed or material associated with the contract will be owned by Fáilte Ireland. The service provider must provide this to Fáilte Ireland on termination.
• Sub-contracting rules: Tenderers must indicate the proportion of the contract they intend to subcontract and provide details of proposed sub-contractors and services. Sub-contractors will be evaluated on technical merits.
• Parent-company guarantee or bond: Not specified.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• Tight Timeline: The period between tender issuance (14 July 2026) and the submission deadline (4 August 2026) is short, requiring prompt bidder action.
• AI Declaration: A mandatory declaration on the use of AI tools in tender preparation is required, with potential for non-compliance if incomplete or inaccurate.
• No Amendments to Tender Documents: Tenderers must not amend or delete sections from the tender documents or services contract, as this can lead to disqualification.
• Limited Value: The contract value of €210,000 is relatively modest for a 12-month project management and coordination role, potentially impacting the level of resource commitment from larger firms.
• Funding Dependency: While the scheme has a three-year funding window (2025-2027), contract extensions are explicitly subject to budget availability.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is likely suitable for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with proven project management and strategic coordination capabilities within the tourism or destination development sectors.

• Credible bidders: Firms with experience in managing government-funded schemes, tourism development projects, or event coordination would be well-positioned. The turnover requirement of €200,000 average annual turnover over 3 years is accessible for many established SMEs.
• Consortium/Sub-contracting: Consortium bids are permitted, and subcontracting is allowed, offering flexibility for SMEs to partner or outsource specific functions.
• Indicative bid-prep effort: Given the need to detail past experience, quality assurance, HR, and technical systems, alongside pricing, bid preparation could require 5-10 days of focused effort for a well-prepared SME.
• Pwin signal: The tender is open procedure, suggesting no incumbent is guaranteed. The relatively modest value and specific focus on Halloween destination development suggest a competitive field rather than a sole-supplier framework. The key will be demonstrating strong project management and alignment with Fáilte Ireland's strategic goals.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT filename: [ITT Home of Halloween.docx]
• eTenders CFT ID: Not explicitly stated in the provided text.
• Contact email or clarification portal: Queries must be submitted via the messaging body on www.etenders.gov.ie.
• Most important attachments:
• Appendix 1 – Fáilte Ireland Supply of Services Contract
• Appendix 2 – Award Criterion D - Costs
• Section A – Pass/Fail Criteria