Supply, delivery, and commissioning of three renewable energy training rigs

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

This tender seeks the supply, delivery, and commissioning of three identical renewable energy training rigs. These rigs are intended for practical training of apprentices on the Wind Turbine Maintenance Technician apprenticeship and related further education programmes at Kerry College Monavalley Campus.

The scope includes:

• Supply of three (3) identical renewable energy training rigs: Each rig must be a purpose-designed didactic training system. They will be mounted on a vertical board or equivalent bench-mounted panel.
• Renewable Energy Focus: The rigs must cover solar photovoltaic, wind energy, and hydrogen fuel cell systems.
• Educational Functionality: Each rig must enable learners to perform a structured set of educational experiments as detailed in the specification (Appendix 2). The specification is brand-neutral, accepting equivalent equipment.
• Delivery: Rigs are to be delivered to Kerry College Monavalley Campus, Tralee, Co. Kerry, V92 PW50.
• Installation, Assembly, and Commissioning: The successful tenderer will be responsible for the complete installation, assembly, commissioning, and functional testing of the three rigs.
• Staff Familiarisation/Training: Provision of training for college staff on the operation and maintenance of the rigs.
• Data Acquisition Software Licence: A licence for data acquisition software is required for each rig.
• Warranty and After-Sales Service: The tender includes a warranty per rig and optional extended warranty. After-sales service and the availability of spare parts and consumables for a minimum of five years are also specified.
• Compliance: Tenderers must comply with minimum requirements laid down in the specification. Variant offers are allowed if they meet minimum requirements and offer alternatives.

The contract duration is 12 months, with potential for extension.

3. Background & buyer context

Kerry Education and Training Board (Kerry ETB) is the contracting authority. It is one of 16 ETBs established under the Education and Training Boards Act 2013, responsible for delivering a comprehensive range of quality education and training programmes in County Kerry. This includes post-primary education, further education, apprenticeships, and adult education. Kerry ETB manages numerous sites, including campuses and training centres. The procurement is funded by the Department of Education and Skills and SOLAS. This tender supports the practical training needs for the Wind Turbine Maintenance Technician apprenticeship and related programmes at the Monavalley Campus, aligning with the ETB's remit to provide relevant vocational training.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Bidders must meet the following minimum requirements to be considered eligible:

• Turnover requirement: Confirmation that turnover exceeded €82,500 for each of the last three years. Evidence must be provided promptly on request.
• Insurance:
• Employers Liability: €13 million
• Public Liability: €6.5 million
• Product Liability: €1 million Bidders must confirm they have these insurances or can obtain them if successful. Evidence must be provided promptly on request.
• Certifications: Not specified for this tender.
• Past experience: Successful delivery of three (3) previous comparable contracts within the past three (3) to five (5) years. Details required include client name, contact, annual contract value, and delivery dates, with an outline of comparability.
• Personnel: Minimum of 1 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Account Manager and 2 FTE Installation/Maintenance Technicians. An organisation chart must be attached.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Delivery is to Kerry College Monavalley Campus, Tralee, Co. Kerry. No other specific geographic constraints are stated for the bidder's location.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The contract will be awarded based on the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT) using a combination of price and quality.

A minimum score of 50% is required for each qualitative criterion (B, C, D, E).

6. Submission requirements

Bidders must submit the following:

• Tender Response Document: Completed in full, including all sections.
• Declarations:
• Article 57 Declaration (personal circumstances).
• Confirmation of acceptance of Contract Terms and Conditions.
• European Single Procurement Document (ESPD) via eTenders.
• Declaration of accuracy of self-declared information.
• Declaration re Statutory Obligations (Employment Equality, Equal Status, Minimum Wage, Working Time, Safety, Health & Welfare, Disability, GDPR).
• Financial and Technical Capacity Information:
• Tenderer details (name, contact, address, VAT number, legal structure, SME status).
• Tax Clearance details (Access Number, Tax Reference Number, or paper certificate details).
• Turnover figures for the last three years (2025, 2024, 2023).
• Insurance details (Employers, Public, Product Liability levels).
• Details of three (3) previous comparable contracts.
• Personnel details (FTEs for Account Manager and Technicians).
• Organisation chart.
• Quality Management System: Details of QMS (certified or in-house).
• Health & Safety Systems: Details of H&S systems (certified or in-house).
• Environmental Management Systems: Details of EMS (certified or in-house).
• Form of Tender: Completed and signed, including a Detailed Breakdown of Charges and Expenses.
• Pricing Schedule: Provided within the Form of Tender.
• Case Studies: Not explicitly mentioned, but previous contract descriptions serve a similar purpose.
• Mandatory site visit: Not specified for this tender.
• Submission portal: Via eTenders. Tender Response Document must be included in submission zip files.

7. Key dates & process

8. Contract terms that matter

• Term: 12 months from the contract start date.
• Extension: The Contracting Authority reserves the right to extend the term for up to [insert relevant period] in [insert number] extensions, subject to performance, budget, and legal obligations.
• Payment terms: As per the Contract at Appendix 3. Specific details not provided in this extract.
• Key SLAs/KPIs: Performance will be monitored based on cost competitiveness, quality of service, and turnaround time. Specific KPIs to be agreed.
• Liquidated damages: Not specified for this tender.
• Termination clauses: Not specified for this tender.
• IP ownership: Not specified for this tender.
• Sub-contracting rules: Tenderers may rely on resources of other entities, but must prove they will have these resources at their disposal. If a consortium is used, a single point of contact is required.
• Parent-company guarantee or bond: Not specified for this tender.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• Indicative Budget vs. Turnover: The indicative budget of €52,000 (excluding VAT) is close to the minimum turnover requirement of €82,500. This could suggest a tight margin for profit or a potential mismatch in scale for larger suppliers, or conversely, that the turnover figure is a statutory minimum rather than a direct reflection of the contract value.
• Brand-Neutral Specification: While standard practice, it requires bidders to demonstrate equivalence, which can sometimes lead to disputes if interpretations differ.
• Minimum Requirements for Variants: Variants are allowed only if they meet minimum requirements, implying a strict adherence to core functionality.
• Evidence Submission Timeline: Bidders must provide evidence of self-declared information within seven (7) calendar days of request, prior to award. Failure to do so will lead to elimination.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is potentially suitable for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with specialised knowledge in renewable energy training equipment.

• Credible bidders: Firms with a proven track record in supplying educational or technical training equipment, specifically in renewable energy sectors. They must meet the insurance, past experience (three comparable contracts), and personnel requirements. The turnover requirement of €82,500 average over three years is modest, making it accessible for many SMEs.
• Consortium/Sub-contracting: Allowed. Tenderers can rely on the resources of other entities to meet selection criteria or deliver the contract. SMEs are encouraged to form relationships with other SMEs or larger enterprises.
• Indicative bid-prep effort: Moderate. Significant effort will be required to detail the technical compliance with the specification (Appendix 2), the delivery and training plan, and warranty/after-sales service. Compiling details of three past contracts and ensuring all declarations are correctly completed will also be time-consuming. Estimated 5-10 days for a well-prepared bid.
• Pwin signal: The tender is an open procedure, suggesting it is genuinely open to competition. The modest indicative budget and turnover requirement do not strongly favour an incumbent. The key will be meeting the technical specification and demonstrating value through the qualitative criteria.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT filename(s): Kerry_CON_TRD(FINAL).docx, Kerry_CON_CFT_OPEN TRAINING_RIGS.pdf
• eTenders CFT ID: Not explicitly stated in the provided text.
• Contact email or clarification portal: Not specified in the provided text.
• Most important attachments:
• Appendix 2: Specification of Goods (detailed technical requirements for the rigs).
• Appendix 3: Contract Terms and Conditions.
• Tender Response Document (for completion).