Single Party Framework for Taxation and Consultancy Services

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1. At a glance

2. Scope of Work

Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) and its subsidiaries require a single-party framework agreement for the provision of taxation and consultancy services. The framework aims to establish overall terms and conditions for individual contracts over a specified duration, with no guarantee of specific service quantities. The Contracting Authority reserves the right to operate outside the framework if it offers better value.

The scope of services includes, but is not limited to:

• Tax Compliance and Preparation: Filing corporation tax, income tax, VAT, RCT, and PSWT. This involves liaising directly with Revenue and notifying HRI of legislative changes, departmental circulars, and relevant correspondence to ensure compliance with the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies.
• Advisory and Strategic Tax Planning: Support in providing international tax strategies, transfer pricing advice, and structural tax support for mergers and acquisitions.
• Statutory Audit & Tax Preparation: Preparation and advice on corporation tax calculations and compliance for annual financial statements.
• Employment Tax Support: Occasional ad-hoc advice on PAYE, PRSI, BIK, and share schemes.
• Tax Advisory including Specialised Tax Areas: Strategic advice on restructuring, Relevant Contracts Tax (RCT), and stamp duty.
• Revenue Liaison: Acting as the authorised agent to manage queries or audits from the Revenue Commissioners on HRI's behalf.
• Other Consultancy Services: Providing technical accountancy services and other taxation or consultancy services as requested by HRI.

The current software system used by HRI subsidiaries is One Source. Tenderers must detail any implications of proposed new software packages or migration details.

Support Requirements: A flexible and responsive service is expected, with the following general response times for advice to the Finance Team, taxation issues, and technical updates:

• Acknowledgement of e-mail/phone call: Same business day
• Response to straightforward query: One working day
• Facilitating meeting request: Three working days
• Response to complex queries: Five to ten working days, depending on query complexity. Shorter response times may be required in specific instances.

Contract Management: An overall Account Manager of senior level must be nominated to act as the initial point of contact. Responsibilities include maintaining a good working relationship, understanding HRI's workload, arranging review meetings, handling disputes, providing feedback, and proactively discussing efficiency improvements. Hourly rates must include account management activities.

Value-Added Services: Tenderers must provide a comprehensive list of value-added services, which may include complementary services, repeat advice, training days, external seminars, briefing documents, newsletters, and 'know-how' tools.

Sustainability: Tenderers must demonstrate how they incorporate sustainability into their work practices.

3. Background & buyer context

Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) was established by the Irish Government under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act 2001 and the Irish Horseracing Industry Act 1994. It operates as a commercial semi-state body responsible for the administration, promotion, and development of horse racing in Ireland. HRI's subsidiaries include Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Ltd (ITM), Tote Ireland Ltd, and the HRI Racecourse Division, which comprises Leopardstown Club Ltd, Fairyhouse Club Ltd, Navan Races Ltd, and The Tipperary Race Co Plc, along with a holding interest in Cork Racecourse. HRI Headquarters are located in Ballymany, Newbridge, Co. Kildare.

Cork Racecourse Mallow and Curragh Racecourse Limited, while not subsidiaries, are closely affiliated with HRI and may use this framework. The Contracting Authority reserves the right to extend the framework's use to other business ventures or industry bodies in which it is involved. The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB), though not an associate of HRI, may also avail of this framework.

The procurement is being conducted using the open procedure under the European Union (Award of Public Authority Contracts) Regulations 2016. The framework agreement approach is adopted to leverage efficiencies and maximise cost savings over a four-year period.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Tenderers must meet the following minimum requirements to be considered:

• Turnover requirement: Tenderers must provide evidence of having attained an average annual turnover of at least €600,000 in any one of the three previous financial years.
• Insurance:
• Employer's Liability: €13 million in any one occurrence.
• Public & Product Liability: €6.5 million in any one occurrence.
• Professional Indemnity: €6.5 million in any one claim.
• Certifications: Not specified for this tender.
• Past experience: Not specified for this tender.
• Personnel: Not specified for this tender.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Not specified for this tender.

Tenderers must confirm acceptance of the Contracting Authority's Framework Agreement Terms & Conditions.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The evaluation process involves two stages. First, self-declaration forms are reviewed for completeness. Tenderers meeting this requirement are then assessed against the award criteria to identify the most economically advantageous tender (MEAT). The MEAT tenderer will be requested to submit evidence to validate against eligibility criteria.

The award criteria are not explicitly detailed with weightings in the provided extract. However, the tender states that "The lowest ultimate cost quotation that also meets all minimum requirements described in this document will attain the highest score available under this criterion." This indicates that cost will be a significant factor in the award decision, alongside meeting all mandatory requirements.

The tender documents indicate that the "lowest ultimate cost quotation that also meets all minimum requirements" will receive the highest score for the relevant criterion.

6. Submission requirements

Tenderers must submit a comprehensive tender response that includes all information identified in the Checklist for Tender Submissions. Key submission components include:

• Method statement / response document: Tenderers must use the Form of Tender provided at Appendix 1. Amendments to provided forms or templates may result in elimination.
• CVs: Not explicitly mentioned, but implied through personnel requirements if specified.
• Pricing schedule: Tenderers must use the template documentation provided, particularly for costing/pricing. Failure to do so may result in elimination. Hourly rates must be inclusive of account management activities.
• Case studies: Not specified for this tender.
• Declarations:
• Form of Self-Declaration (Appendix 3).
• Tax Reference Number and Access Number for online verification, or a valid tax clearance certificate.
• Confirmation of acceptance of Framework Agreement Terms & Conditions (via Tenderer's Statement at Appendix 1).
• Details of all members of a consortium, if applicable, including a nominated representative.
• Mandatory site visit: Not specified for this tender.
• Submission portal: Tenders must be submitted electronically via the eTenders website (www.etenders.gov.ie). Hard copy submissions are not permitted.
• File size limits: Total upload of 500MB, with individual files up to 250MB. Tenderers are responsible for ensuring submitted documents are not corrupt.

7. Key dates & process

The tender validity period is twelve months from the submission deadline.

8. Contract terms that matter

• Term + extension: Initial contract of two years, with an option to extend annually up to a maximum of four years total duration. Extensions are subject to performance assessment and strategic appropriateness.
• Payment terms: Operates in accordance with European Communities (Late Payment in Commercial Transactions) Regulations 2012. Payment via Electronic Funds Transfer. Winning tenderer must provide bank details on headed paper.
• Key SLAs/KPIs: Response times for queries and meetings are specified (e.g., same business day acknowledgement, one working day for straightforward queries, five to ten working days for complex queries).
• Liquidated damages or penalty regimes: Not specified for this tender.
• Termination clauses: The framework agreement may be terminated in accordance with its terms and conditions (Appendix 4). The Contracting Authority can terminate the agreement and commence a new process if the successful tenderer cannot deliver services satisfactorily.
• IP ownership: Not specified for this tender.
• Sub-contracting rules: Consortia and subcontractors are permitted, with a single nominated Prime Contractor responsible for the framework agreement.
• Parent-company guarantee or bond requirements: Not specified for this tender.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• Single-party framework: This structure means the successful bidder does not compete for each new contract, but it also offers no guarantee of volume. The Contracting Authority can operate outside the framework if it offers better value.
• Maximum value cap: The framework has a maximum potential value of €1,000,000 over its duration, with an estimated annual expenditure of €100k-€125k. This suggests a need for efficient service delivery and potentially limited scope for very large, ad-hoc projects outside the estimated annual spend.
• No amendments to templates: Strict prohibition on amending provided forms and templates, including pricing schedules. This requires careful adherence to the specified formats.
• Potential for award to runner-up: The Contracting Authority reserves the right to award the framework to the next highest-ranked tenderer if the primary awardee cannot deliver services satisfactorily.
• Sustainability requirement: Tenderers must demonstrate how they incorporate sustainability into their work practices, adding a non-financial evaluation element.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is likely best suited for established accountancy and tax consultancy firms with a proven track record in corporate tax, advisory, and compliance services.

• Who can credibly bid: Firms with demonstrated experience in serving semi-state bodies or large commercial organisations, possessing expertise across the listed tax areas (corporation tax, VAT, RCT, PAYE, PRSI, etc.), and capable of managing complex advisory and strategic planning requirements. The turnover requirement of €600,000 in one of the last three years indicates a need for a firm of a certain size and financial stability.
• Consortium/sub-contracting: Allowed. This provides an avenue for smaller firms to participate by partnering with others to meet all requirements, or for larger firms to subcontract specialist areas.
• Indicative bid-prep effort: Significant. Preparing a compliant bid will require detailed responses on service delivery, account management, value-added services, sustainability, and accurate pricing. This could range from 10-20 days of effort for a dedicated team, depending on existing proposal materials.
• Pwin signal: The single-party framework structure, combined with the specific nature of tax and consultancy services for a semi-state body, may favour an incumbent if one exists and has performed well. However, the open procedure and clear criteria allow for new entrants. The emphasis on "lowest ultimate cost quotation that also meets all minimum requirements" suggests that price will be a critical differentiator among qualified bidders.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT filename: Issued ITT HRI Tax Consultancy 07072026.pdf
• eTenders CFT ID: Not specified in the provided text.
• Contact / Clarification Portal: Queries must be submitted via the eTenders website (www.etenders.gov.ie).
• Most important attachments:
• Appendix 1 – Form of Tender
• Appendix 3 – Form of Self-Declaration
• Appendix 4 – Draft Terms and Conditions of the Framework Agreement