Purchase of 1 No. Diesel Medium Panel Van

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 purchase of one new, unused Diesel Medium Panel Van. The vehicle must be a standard production model, suitable for general use by Tipperary County Council's Machinery Section. The primary objective is to acquire a reliable vehicle with a minimum lifespan of 10 years, ensuring parts availability and minimal downtime for maintenance.

The scope includes the supply of a specific vehicle configuration and associated items:

• Vehicle Type: New medium-sized panel van, right-hand drive, white colour, N1 commercial vehicle classification.
• Engine: HVO validated, compliant with EN 15940 standard.
• Capacity: Loading capacity of 5-8m³.
• Configuration: Long wheelbase (LWB), minimum 3 front seats.
• Features:
• Tow bar and hitch.
• Top-mounted LED bars with front and rear strobe lights.
• Colour infra-red reversing camera.
• Audible warning alarm activated automatically in reverse.
• Air conditioning.
• Radio.
• Double-sliding doors on vehicle sides for payload access (unglazed).
• Two back doors (unglazed).
• Fitted steel bulkhead.
• Tie-down brackets or hooks.
• Interior light storage area.
• Included Accessories: First Aid kit, warning triangle, fire extinguishers, and a set of extra keys.
• Registration: Vehicle to be registered to Tipperary County Council with all VRT and relevant taxes paid.
• Delivery: Included in price, to Tipperary County Council, Machinery Yard, Carrigeen Business Park, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, with a full tank of fuel.
• Training: Training and induction for Operators and Workshop staff to be included in the cost.
• Documentation: A Driver's handbook must be supplied.

The vehicle must be sourced directly from the manufacturer or an authorized dealer. Any deviations from the manufacturer's literature must be clearly stated and may require rectification or compensation at the tenderer's expense.

3. Background & buyer context

Tipperary County Council is the local authority for County Tipperary, responsible for delivering a wide range of public services. The council operates administrative centres in Nenagh and Clonmel and has 40 elected members. This procurement is for a single medium panel van to support the operations of the council's Machinery Section. The vehicle is intended for general operational use, with a specified minimum lifespan of 10 years and a focus on minimizing downtime. The tender process is conducted under an Open Procedure, allowing any interested party to submit a bid, provided they meet the specified eligibility and selection criteria.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Tenderers must meet the following criteria on a pass/fail basis to have their tender considered.

• Turnover requirement: Average annual turnover must have exceeded €100,000 during one of the last three years, or pro-rata for more recently established firms. The firm must have been in existence for at least 6 months.
• Insurance: Confirmation of the following insurances being in place is required:
• Employer’s Liability: €13 million
• Public Liability: €6.5 million
• Product Liability: €6.5 million
• Environmental Liability Impairment: €6.5 million
• Certifications: Not specified for this tender.
• Past experience: Not specified as a mandatory pass/fail criterion.
• Personnel: Not specified as a mandatory pass/fail criterion.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Spares and mechanical servicing facilities must be available within 3 working days. The vehicle must be a model commonly sold in Ireland.

Tenderers must also confirm full tax compliance with Irish Revenue Commissioners or equivalent legislation in their country of establishment. Financial standing must demonstrate the capacity to pay debts as they fall due, with evidence required prior to award. Tenderers may rely on the resources of other entities to meet these requirements, provided they can prove these resources will be at their disposal.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The contract will be awarded based on the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT), considering both cost and qualitative factors. Qualitative criteria are assessed first.

The lowest cost tender meeting all minimum qualitative requirements receives maximum cost marks. Other tenders are scored proportionally. Qualitative criteria are assessed using a scoring band system from 1 (excellent, 81-100%) to 6 (no response, 0%), with specific descriptions for each band. A tie-break will favour the tender with the highest overall quality score, or the highest score on the highest weighted qualitative criterion if quality scores are identical.

6. Submission requirements

Tenders must be submitted electronically via the eTenders postbox facility on www.etenders.gov.ie.

• Method statement / response document: Tenderers must use the provided Tender Response Document (TRD). Personalisation or branding of the TRD is not allowed. Amendments to the TRD text or content are prohibited.
• CVs: Not specified for this tender.
• Pricing schedule: Must be completed using the provided template.
• Case studies: Not specified for this tender.
• Declarations:
• Declaration of Bona Fides (as per Art. 57 of Directive 2014/24/EU).
• Declaration regarding compliance with relevant statutory obligations.
• Confirmation of tax compliance.
• Confirmation of financial standing.
• Confirmation of required insurances.
• Mandatory site visit: Not applicable for this tender.
• Submission portal: eTenders postbox facility. Responses should be uploaded as a ZIP file.

7. Key dates & process

The provided dates are estimates and cannot be guaranteed. The tender validity period is 6 months from the closing date.

8. Contract terms that matter

• Term: The contract will be for a period of 1 year.
• Extension: The Contracting Authority reserves the right to extend the contract, subject to satisfactory performance, budget availability, and ongoing needs. The number and duration of extensions are specified as 0, implying no automatic or pre-defined extensions.
• Payment terms: Not specified in the provided extract.
• SLAs/KPIs: Tenderers must nominate a contract manager responsible for performance reporting, adherence to Service Level Agreements (SLAs), and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Contract management activities are non-billable.
• Liquidated damages: Not specified for this tender.
• Termination: The Contracting Authority may terminate the contract due to matters outside its control, such as increased costs rendering the arrangement uncompetitive. Termination will follow the relevant contract terms.
• IP ownership: Not specified for this tender.
• Sub-contracting: Not specified for this tender.
• Guarantees/bonds: Not specified for this tender.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• Indicative Budget vs. Value: The indicative budget is €40,000 ex VAT, aligning with the estimated value. This suggests a straightforward, single-item purchase rather than a complex service.
• Single Item Procurement: The tender is for a single vehicle, simplifying the scope but also meaning that any single failure in meeting specifications or delivery could lead to disqualification.
• HVO Validation: The requirement for an HVO-validated engine (according to EN 15940 standard) is a specific technical detail that may limit the pool of immediately available vehicles or require specific manufacturer confirmation.
• No Qualitative Scoring: The award criteria heavily favour cost (90%), with only 10% allocated to delivery time. This indicates that price will be the dominant factor in the award decision, provided minimum technical specifications are met.
• Strict TRD Usage: Tenderers are prohibited from amending the Tender Response Document (TRD) or adding branding, which is a common control to ensure fair comparison. Failure to comply can lead to elimination.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is designed for suppliers of new medium panel vans. A credible bidder would typically be a franchised dealer or an independent commercial vehicle supplier with established relationships with manufacturers.

• Who can credibly bid: Small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are authorized dealers or suppliers of commercial vehicles like Citroen Dispatch, Ford Transit Custom, Peugeot Expert, or similar models. The firm must have been in existence for at least 6 months and meet the financial and insurance requirements.
• Consortium/sub-contracting: SMEs are encouraged to form relationships with other entities to meet capacity requirements. If a consortium is successful, it will be required to establish legal personality to enter the contract.
• Indicative bid-prep effort: For a supplier familiar with commercial vehicle tenders and the eTenders platform, bid preparation might require 2-3 days, primarily focused on completing the TRD, confirming vehicle specifications, and gathering insurance/tax compliance documents.
• Pwin signal: The tender is open procedure, suggesting it is not exclusively for an incumbent. The high weighting on cost (90%) indicates that competitive pricing is key. The specific vehicle model examples (Citroen Dispatch, Ford Transit Custom, Peugeot Expert) suggest the council has a preference or benchmark in mind, but equivalent offers are permitted.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT filename: (RFT) Diesel Van Tipperary Co.pdf
• eTenders CFT ID: Not specified in the provided text.
• Contact email or clarification portal: Queries must be submitted via the messaging facility on www.etenders.gov.ie.
• Most important attachments:
• Tender Response Document (TRD)
• Contract Terms and Conditions (as appended at the relevant Appendix)