Multi Party Framework Agreement (2026-2030) for the Design and Execution of works in connection with the installation of Playgrounds

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 to establish a multi-party framework agreement for the design and execution of works related to the installation of playgrounds across Dublin City Council's administrative area. The framework will cover the period from 2026 to 2030. The core objective is to create natural, inclusive, and accessible play environments that align with Dublin City Council's Play Strategy and the principles of Play Sufficiency, as advocated by the UNCRC.

The scope of work encompasses the following key activities:

• Design and Concept Development:

• Creative design of play features that evoke an understanding of the world and provide opportunities for children to investigate complex real-world systems in a safe, managed space.

• Designs that incorporate natural elements such as trees, rocks, water, sand, muck, pebbles, gravel, and tree trunks to provide a direct sensory connection to the natural world.

• Replication of natural experiences and features that promote group play.

• Achieving a "wilder aesthetic" with playgrounds that engage with nature and encourage boundary testing.

• Integration with surrounding natural park features where possible, such as wooded areas or grasslands, extending the primary playground space.

• Design of constructed mounds or berms.

• Sensory play elements, including water features.

• Consideration of context, including larger footfalls, smaller spaces in city centre locations, and the need for robust design solutions.

• Careful consideration of different requirements and contexts to create inclusive and accessible natural playgrounds.

• Balancing risky play with physical accessibility to accommodate diverse users.

• Design for a broad age range, from toddler to intergenerational play, unless otherwise specified.

• Incorporation of features that promote creativity, imagination, and child-led play.

• Maximising site potential for unique, engaging, and challenging play experiences.

• Materials and Construction:

• Use of natural materials such as timber, stone, sand, boulders, and soft landscape elements including trees, grass, planting, and bark mulch.

• Use of durable, robust, and low-maintenance materials appropriate to the site context.

• Incorporation of a range of surfacing materials to enhance play value, accessibility, and visual quality.

• Construction of mounds or berms.

• Play Sufficiency and Inclusivity:

• Demonstration of how designs support Play Sufficiency and contribute to holistic play environments.

• Provision of accessible routes throughout play spaces and inclusive access to play features.

• Integration of inclusive play opportunities supporting children of all abilities.

• Provision of opportunities for social interaction through seating, gathering spaces, and parent/carer supervision areas.

• Consideration of communication boards and other features supporting inclusive play.

• Incorporation of sensory play experiences through planting, landscaping, landform, textures, sounds, and scents.

• Facilitation of interaction with natural and loose play materials (leaves, twigs, sand, water, mud, den-building).

• Inclusion of natural elements that change seasonally.

• Retention, utilisation, and enhancement of existing site features.

• Provision of opportunities for non-prescriptive, open-ended play (running, chasing, hiding, socialising, informal recreation).

• Ensuring a high level of play affordance, encouraging exploration and movement.

• Enabling both individual and group play.

• Provision of suitable surfaces and space for wheeled play (bicycles, scooters).

• Incorporation of managed risk and challenge within equipment and landscape features.

• Health and Safety:

• Compliance with Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013.

• Implementation of a safety management system in accordance with ISO 45001:2018 or equivalent.

• Appointment and performance of the Project Supervisor for the Construction Stage (PSCS) role.

The framework agreement will allow Dublin City Council to commission specific playground projects as needed during its term.

3. Background & buyer context

Dublin City Council is procuring this framework agreement to enhance its provision of high-quality play environments for children and young people. This initiative aligns with the Dublin City Play Strategy 2022-2027, which promotes the development of meaningful, inclusive, and accessible play opportunities. The strategy is informed by Article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), recognising the fundamental right of every child to play.

The procurement also reflects a broader understanding of the importance of natural play environments, as detailed in Appendix A. This document highlights research indicating that natural playgrounds foster language development, contribute to children's general wellbeing, health, and cognitive functioning, and are preferred by children for their sensory richness and unstructured play potential. Furthermore, the strategy addresses the decline in opportunities for "risk in play," which is considered crucial for developing resilience, problem-solving skills, and physical intelligence in children.

The framework aims to deliver on the principle of "Play Sufficiency," ensuring public play facilities offer varied, challenging, and inclusive opportunities for all ages and abilities. This approach seeks to create a child-friendly and playful city where children can fully exercise their right to play. Recent examples of natural playgrounds within Dublin City Council include Bridgefoot Street Playground, Chapelizod Playground (2025), and Kildonan Playground (2025).

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Bidders must meet the following minimum standards to be considered for this framework agreement. These are primarily focused on health and safety competence and past performance.

• Turnover requirement: Not specified for this tender.
• Insurance: Not specified for this tender.
• Certifications:
• Evidence of a safety management system in accordance with ISO 45001:2018 or equivalent.
• Certified membership of Safe-T-Cert may be deemed equivalent for safety management system purposes.
• Past experience:
• For Contractors (3.4.1c HS): Evidence of Health and Safety aspects of works previously undertaken over the past 5 years. Projects must be similar in nature and complexity to the works. A list of projects must be provided using Appendix B1 (List of Previous Projects for which there are certificates of Satisfactory Execution) and Appendix B2 (Certificate of Satisfactory Execution). Contracting Authorities may consider works delivered over the previous 7-year period to ensure adequate competition. Firms trading for less than the specified period will not be rejected solely on that basis.
• For PSCS (3.4.2c HS): Evidence of Project Supervisor Construction Stage (PSCS) appointments previously undertaken over the past 3 years. Projects must be similar in nature and complexity. A list of projects must be provided using Appendix B1 (List of projects for which there is a Satisfactory Certificate of Delivery of Services) and Appendix B3 (Certificate of Satisfactory Delivery of Services). Contracting Authorities may consider works delivered over the previous 5-year period to ensure adequate competition. Firms trading for less than the specified period will not be rejected solely on that basis.
• Personnel:
• For Contractors (3.4.1a HS): Evidence of management staff with appropriate educational/professional qualifications and experience relevant to the Works. This should be submitted via organisational structure documentation and CVs of management staff, detailing qualifications, experience on similar projects, and roles.
• For Contractors (3.4.1b HS): Evidence of personnel with appropriate educational/professional qualifications and experience relevant to the Works. This should be submitted via organisational structure documentation and CVs of personnel, detailing qualifications, experience on similar projects, and roles.
• For PSCS (3.4.2a HS): Evidence of management staff with appropriate educational/professional qualifications and experience relevant to the Works. This should be submitted via organisational structure documentation and CVs of management staff, detailing qualifications, experience on similar projects, and roles.
• For PSCS (3.4.2b HS): Evidence of personnel with appropriate educational/professional qualifications and experience relevant to the Works. This should be submitted via organisational structure documentation and CVs of personnel, detailing qualifications, experience on similar projects, and roles.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Not specified for this tender.

All health and safety selection criteria are pass/fail.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The award criteria are not explicitly detailed in the provided documentation. However, the selection criteria indicate a strong emphasis on health and safety competence, which are pass/fail. The overall award will likely be based on a combination of quality and price, following the standard MEAT (Most Economically Advantageous Tender) principle for public sector procurements of this nature. Specific scoring mechanisms, weightings, and minimum thresholds for quality and price components are not detailed in the provided extracts.

6. Submission requirements

Bidders are required to submit comprehensive documentation to demonstrate their suitability and technical capability. The specific requirements include:

• Health and Safety Documentation:
• For Contractors:
• A document outlining the Applicant’s organisational structure and the curricula vitae (CVs) of management staff, detailing relevant qualifications, experience on similar projects, and roles.
• A document outlining the Applicant’s organisational structure and the CVs of personnel, detailing relevant qualifications, experience on similar projects, and roles.
• A declaration of works carried out over the past 5 years (or 7 years if necessary for competition) in the format of Appendix B1 (List of Previous Projects for which there are certificates of Satisfactory Execution) and Appendix B2 (Certificate of Satisfactory Execution).
• Evidence of a safety management system, which can be third-party certification (e.g., ISO 45001:2018 or equivalent) or certified membership of Safe-T-Cert.
• A Safety Statement in the format outlined by the Health and Safety Authority, addressing specific requirements and minimum standards detailed in Table 1 of the HS Supplement 3.4.1.
• For PSCS:
• A document outlining the Applicant’s organisational structure and the CVs of management staff, detailing relevant qualifications, experience on similar projects, and roles.
• A document outlining the Applicant’s organisational structure and the CVs of personnel, detailing relevant qualifications, experience on similar projects, and roles.
• A declaration of technical services provided (PSCS appointments) over the past 3 years (or 5 years if necessary for competition) in the format of Appendix B1 (List of projects for which there is a Satisfactory Certificate of Delivery of Services) and Appendix B3 (Certificate of Satisfactory Delivery of Services).
• Evidence of a safety management system, which can be third-party certification (e.g., ISO 45001:2018 or equivalent) or certified membership of Safe-T-Cert.
• Declarations:
• Declarations related to staff awareness of safety legislation and responsibilities.
• Declarations confirming competence and adequate resources to fulfil obligations under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005.
• Pricing Schedule: Not specified in the provided extracts.
• Case Studies: Not specified in the provided extracts.
• Mandatory Site Visit: Not specified in the provided extracts.
• Submission Portal: Bids must be submitted via eTenders. Specific formatting rules are not detailed in the provided extracts.

7. Key dates & process

Note: The document mentions "submitted by 12 noon on 09th September 2026 to enable issue of responses to all interested," which appears to be an internal deadline for response processing rather than the final submission deadline for bidders.

8. Contract terms that matter

The contract will be structured as a multi-party framework agreement, intended to cover the period from 2026 to 2030. Specific details regarding contract length, extension options, payment terms, key service level agreements (SLAs) or key performance indicators (KPIs), liquidated damages, termination clauses, intellectual property ownership, sub-contracting rules, and parent company guarantees or bonds are not detailed in the provided extracts. Standard public sector contract clauses relating to GDPR, Freedom of Information, and prompt payment are expected to apply but are not elaborated upon here.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• Framework Agreement Structure: The use of a multi-party framework agreement means that while a total value is indicated, individual projects will be commissioned under the framework. This can lead to uncertainty in the volume of work for any single contractor.
• Health and Safety Focus: The tender places a very strong emphasis on health and safety competence, with detailed requirements for both the Contractor and the PSCS roles. This suggests a high-risk environment or a particular focus by the buyer on safety management. All health and safety criteria are pass/fail, meaning failure to meet these requirements will result in disqualification.
• Limited Detail on Award Criteria: The absence of explicit award criteria and scoring mechanisms in the provided documents is a significant gap. Bidders will need to infer the likely weighting between quality and price, and the specific quality aspects that will be evaluated.
• No Explicit Turnover Requirement: While common for tenders of this value, the absence of a stated minimum turnover requirement could indicate a desire to encourage a wider pool of bidders, or it may be detailed elsewhere in the full tender pack.
• Vague Submission Requirements: Key submission elements like the pricing schedule and detailed quality response formats are not specified in the provided extracts, requiring bidders to consult the full tender documentation.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is structured as a framework agreement with a substantial estimated value of €30 million over four years. This scale suggests that the primary target bidders are established medium to large enterprises with proven experience in playground design and construction, particularly in natural play environments.

• Credible Bidders: A viable bidder would likely be a construction company with a strong track record in public realm works, landscaping, and playground installation. They must demonstrate robust health and safety management systems, evidenced by ISO 45001:2018 or equivalent certification, and a history of successful project delivery, particularly in similar natural or nature-based play settings. Experience in fulfilling both Contractor and PSCS roles would be advantageous.
• Consortium/Sub-contracting: The tender documents do not explicitly state whether consortium bids or sub-contracting are permitted. However, given the scale and the dual role requirements (Contractor and PSCS), it is plausible that consortiums or