Provision of Out of Hours/Emergency Call Answering Service

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

The contractor will provide an out-of-hours and emergency telephone call answering service for Cork City Council. This service will operate weekdays from 5 pm to 9 am the following day, and from Friday 5 pm to Monday 9 am on weekends. It also covers all bank holidays and other closures, including Christmas. The service must offer a secure, user-friendly experience to the public on behalf of the Council.

Key activities and deliverables include:

• Call Triage and Recording: Developing an operating manual to define call triage, distinguishing emergency calls from general information requests which are outside the scope. A tailored call script will be agreed with the Council's project team for call filtering and qualification.
• Call Referral: Liaising with a designated Call-Out Co-Ordinator via phone, SMS text, and email.
• Reporting: Providing daily and weekly feedback reports following each out-of-hours period. These reports must include statistics on call volume, time of calls, call duration, service request details (category, contact details, time to answer, abandoned calls). Annual evaluation and feedback reports are also required.
• Staffing and Scalability: Dedicating trained and appropriate staff resources for adequate coverage. The service must be capable of scaling up for severe weather events (Yellow, Orange, Red alerts) and other significant emergency situations, potentially requiring joint provision during normal business hours.
• Geographic Familiarity: Demonstrating familiarity with Cork City, using legitimate address referencing such as Eircodes, ArcGIS, or GPS coordinates.
• Service Continuity: Outlining technical resilience measures for service continuity during high call volumes and business continuity for staff working from home. A 24/7 technical support escalation path is required.
• Data Handling: Ensuring compliance with data protection regulations, including the use of a GDPR script and potentially a Data Protection Agreement. All data centre hosting must be within the European Economic Area (EEA) or an equivalent jurisdiction.
• Performance Standards: Meeting industry standards of 80% of calls answered within 20 seconds and a 95% or higher call answer rate.
• System Integration: Accessing an online form via secure login credentials and ensuring accurate data entry for each call, including customer service needed, caller details, address, issue description, time of call, escalation confirmation, and whether the address is a Local Authority Tenant. Mandatory validation checks are required before submission.
• Language Capability: Providing at least one call operator capable of handling calls in the Irish language to a B1 standard (TEG or equivalent).
• Exclusions: Calls relating to the State's emergency services (Fire, Gardai, Ambulance) must be redirected. General information requests are not in scope and must be referred to Council services during normal business hours. The use of AI or bots to replace customer care agents is prohibited.

3. Background & buyer context

Cork City Council is the local authority for the administrative area of Cork City. Following a boundary extension in 2019, the city's area increased significantly, as did its population. The Council is responsible for delivering a wide range of local services, including housing, planning, infrastructure, environmental protection, recreation, and community infrastructure, with a focus on making the city an attractive place to live, work, and invest. This procurement is for an out-of-hours call answering service to ensure continuity of essential public service communication outside of standard working hours. The service is intended to provide a secure and user-friendly interface for citizens during emergencies and out-of-hours periods.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

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

• Turnover requirement: Average annual turnover must have exceeded €300,000 in two of the last three years. Firms established more recently can provide a pro-rata figure, but must have been in existence for at least 6 months.
• Insurance:
• Employer’s Liability: €13 million
• Public Liability: €6.5 million
• Professional Indemnity: €1 million
• Cyber Liability: €2 million
• Certifications:
• Demonstrate operation of health & safety systems and procedures in line with Safety, Health & Welfare at Work legislation.
• Capability to access a data centre located within the European Economic Area (EEA) or an equivalent jurisdiction.
• Past experience: Not explicitly quantified in terms of number of projects, but demonstrated through testimonials and previous experience in managing and operating call services, including quality customer service experience. Familiarity with Cork City is mandatory.
• Personnel:
• Nomination of a dedicated Contract Manager responsible for overall service delivery and client liaison.
• Availability of at least one call operator fluent in English (verbal and written) and capable of handling calls in Irish to a B1 TEG standard or equivalent.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Data centres must be located within the EEA or an equivalent jurisdiction. Familiarity with Cork City is mandatory.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The contract will be awarded based on the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT), with a total of 10,000 marks available. The award criteria are weighted as follows:

The Cost criterion is assessed on the total of Section A (actionable calls) and Section B (additional services). The qualitative criteria (B and C) are assessed first.

6. Submission requirements

Tenderers must submit their response via the eTenders portal. The following documents and information are required:

• Tender Response Document (TRD): This mandatory document must be used, without personalisation or added branding.
• Pricing Schedule: Detailed within the TRD, including Section A (annual fee for 3,300 actionable calls, setup costs) and Section B (hourly fee for additional services).
• Declarations:
• Declaration of Bona Fides.
• Declaration of compliance with statutory obligations.
• European Single Procurement Document (ESPD) – electronic or separate attachment.
• Declaration regarding International Procurement Instrument and restrictive measures.
• Evidence of Compliance: Confirmation of tax compliance, financial standing, and insurance details.
• Technical Capacity Evidence: Information demonstrating health & safety systems, data hosting capability, and Irish language operator availability.
• Case Studies/Testimonials: Evidence of previous experience and quality customer service, including familiarity with Cork City.
• CVs: Not explicitly mentioned for specific roles, but implied for key personnel like the Contract Manager.
• Supporting Documents: Operating manual, call scripts, performance report samples, call flow diagrams, details of technical resilience measures.
• Submission Format: Tenders should be uploaded as a Zip file to eTenders.

7. Key dates & process

8. Contract terms that matter

• Contract Length: 2 years.
• Extensions: One extension is possible, subject to satisfactory performance, budget, and business needs.
• Payment Terms: Not explicitly detailed, but prompt payment is a standard clause.
• Key SLAs/KPIs: 80% of calls answered within 20 seconds, 95% call answer rate. Daily/weekly/annual performance reporting is required.
• Liquidated Damages: Not specified in the provided text.
• Termination: The Contracting Authority reserves the right to terminate if commercial arrangements become uncompetitive due to external factors (e.g., customs union changes). Standard termination clauses will apply as per the contract terms.
• IP Ownership: Not specified.
• Sub-contracting: Allowed, but if a subcontractor's capacity is relied upon and their subcontract value exceeds 10% of the contract, they must also meet exclusion ground and selection criteria.
• Guarantees/Bonds: Not specified.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• Indicative Budget vs. Turnover: The indicative budget (€100k-€210k) is significantly lower than the minimum turnover requirement (€300k average). This suggests the turnover requirement may be a standard gate, but the actual contract value is modest, potentially favouring smaller, specialised providers if they meet the financial threshold.
• Irish Language Requirement: A mandatory requirement for an Irish language operator (B1 TEG standard) adds a specific operational constraint.
• Data Hosting Location: The strict requirement for EEA or equivalent data centre hosting is a standard but critical compliance point.
• No AI/Bots: The explicit prohibition of AI or bots for replacing customer care agents means the service must be human-led.
• Call Volume Fluctuation: The service must be prepared for significant call volume increases during severe weather or other emergencies, with a defined scaling-up capacity.
• Tender Validity: A 12-month tender validity period is required, commencing from the submission deadline.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is potentially suitable for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that can meet the financial and technical requirements. A viable bidder would likely be an established call centre or business process outsourcing provider with a proven track record in emergency or out-of-hours services.

• Credible Bidders: SMEs with existing call centre infrastructure, trained staff, and robust IT systems capable of meeting the specified service levels and reporting requirements. They must also demonstrate the financial standing to meet the €300,000 turnover threshold. The Irish language requirement may narrow the field slightly.
• Consortium/Sub-contracting: Allowed. SMEs can form consortia or rely on the resources of other entities to meet capacity requirements. Sub-contracting is permitted, provided specific conditions are met.
• Indicative Bid-Prep Effort: Preparing a compliant bid will require significant effort, likely several days, focusing on detailing methodology, customer service quality, resilience measures, reporting capabilities, and accurate pricing.
• Pwin Signal: The tender is an open procedure, suggesting it is open to new entrants. However, the turnover requirement and the need for established infrastructure and processes might favour incumbent-like providers who already operate similar services. The relatively modest indicative budget might also suggest a focus on cost-effectiveness.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT Filename: [2A Request for Tender Contract Open Procedure (RFT).docx]
• eTenders CFT ID: Not specified in the provided text.
• Contact for Queries: Messaging facility on www.etenders.gov.ie
• Key Attachments:
• Tender Response Document (TRD)
• Appendix 1 – Contract Terms and Conditions
• Current practice outline (to inform bidder)