Establishment of a Single Party Framework for a Single Point Design Team for Nicholas Street Public Realm Project

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1. At a glance

2. Scope of Work

This tender seeks to establish a single-party framework for a design team to act as a single point of contact for the Nicholas Street Public Realm Project. The framework will cover the provision of architectural and related design services for the project.

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

• Design Team Leadership: The appointed contractor will lead a multi-disciplinary design team, acting as the single point of contact for Limerick City and County Council.
• Architectural Services: Provision of architectural design services, including concept design, detailed design, and construction documentation.
• Conservation Architecture: Services related to the conservation of heritage elements within the project area, requiring a minimum Level 8 degree in Architecture and 10 years of post-qualification experience, including 3 projects of similar scale and complexity.
• Landscape Architecture: Design services for public realm landscaping, requiring a minimum Level 8 degree in Landscape Architecture and 10 years of post-qualification experience, including 3 projects of similar size, scale, and complexity.
• Quantity Surveying: Cost management and quantity surveying services, requiring a minimum Level 8 degree in Quantity Surveying and 10 years of post-qualification experience, including 3 projects of similar size, scale, and complexity.
• Civil Engineering Design: Design services for civil engineering aspects of the public realm, requiring a minimum Level 8 FETAC Qualification in Civil Engineering.
• Public Lighting Design: Design of public lighting schemes, requiring a minimum Level 8 degree in a relevant field and 5 years of post-qualification experience, including 3 projects of similar size, scale, and complexity. The design must adhere to BS 5489-1:2020 & BS EN 13201-1:2014 standards, with specific environmental zones (E4) and lighting classes (P3, Risk Assessed to C4) as detailed in the Outdoor Lighting Report.
• Archaeology Services: Design input and consultation related to archaeological considerations, requiring a minimum Level 7 degree in Archaeology and a full Professional Archaeology licence, with a minimum of 5 years of post-qualification experience, including 3 projects of similar size, scale, and complexity.
• BIM Coordination: Building Information Modelling (BIM) coordination services, requiring a minimum of 7 years of post-qualification experience, including 3 projects of similar size, scale, and complexity.
• Project Supervisor Design Process (PSDP): Provision of PSDP services in accordance with relevant regulations.
• Project Supervisor Construction Stage (PSCS): Provision of PSCS services in accordance with relevant regulations.
• Street Furniture Design and Specification: Design and specification of street furniture, including planters, benches, cycle stands, litter bins, drinking water fountains, and bollards, as indicated in the Schedule of Street Furniture.
• Service Box Painting: Coordination and execution of painting service boxes, subject to approval from service providers.
• Green Walls: Design and integration of vertically planted green walls.
• Power Supply Integration: Design and integration of outdoor power supplies, including 3-phase options and IPL sockets for bollards.
• Compliance: Ensuring all designs comply with relevant Irish and European standards and regulations, including BS EN standards for ducts and covers, and ISO 1083 or equivalent for materials.
• Site Context: Consideration of existing site conditions, including historical context such as the discovery of human bone remains during previous investigations on King's Island.

The project involves the development of public realm spaces, with specific design considerations for different zones (Residential, Commercial, Plaza) and specific requirements for vertical illuminance and intrusive light calculations.

3. Background & buyer context

This procurement is being conducted by Limerick City and County Council to establish a dedicated design team for the Nicholas Street Public Realm Project. The project aims to enhance the public spaces within Limerick city centre. The tender falls under an Open Procedure, indicating a competitive process for selecting the service provider. The project's context includes considerations for urban development and the integration of public amenities. Previous archaeological investigations on King's Island in 1998 uncovered human bone remains, highlighting the historical significance of the area. The project documentation references the Capital Works Management Framework (CWMF), indicating adherence to national public sector construction procurement guidelines.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

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

• Turnover requirement: Not specified for this tender.
• Insurance:
• Public Liability Insurance: Minimum €6,500,000 per claim.
• Employer's Liability Insurance: Minimum €13,000,000 per claim or series of claims.
• Professional Indemnity Insurance: Minimum €1,250,000 on an "Each and Every claim" basis and €1,500,000 on an "Annual Aggregate" basis for the Principal Service Provider and Specialist Skill Providers (including Landscape Architect, Public Lighting Engineer, Project Supervisor Design Stage, Quantity Surveyor, Conservation Architect).
• Certifications: Not specified for this tender, beyond professional qualifications for personnel.
• Past experience:
• Conservation Architect: Minimum 10 years post-qualification experience, including 3 projects of similar size, scale, and complexity.
• Landscape Architect: Minimum 10 years post-qualification experience, including 3 projects of similar size, scale, and complexity.
• Quantity Surveyor: Minimum 10 years post-qualification experience, including 3 projects of similar size, scale, and complexity.
• Archaeologist: Minimum 5 years post-qualification experience, including 3 projects of similar size, scale, and complexity.
• Public Lighting Designer: Minimum 5 years post-qualification experience, including 3 projects of similar size, scale, and complexity.
• BIM Coordinator: Minimum 7 years post-qualification experience, including 3 projects of similar size, scale, and complexity.
• General requirement for previous projects of similar nature, with Certificates of Satisfactory Execution to be provided.
• Personnel:
• Civil Consulting Engineers - Design Team Lead: Role specified.
• Conservation Architect: Minimum Level 8 degree in Architecture.
• Landscape Architect: Minimum Level 8 degree in Landscape Architecture.
• Quantity Surveyor: Minimum Level 8 degree in Quantity Surveying.
• Public Lighting Designer: Minimum Level 8 degree in a relevant field.
• Archaeologist: Minimum Level 7 degree in Archaeology.
• Project Supervisor Design Process (PSDP) / Project Supervisor Construction Stage (PSCS): Minimum Level 8 NFQ qualification in Occupational Safety, Health, & Welfare or equivalent professional qualification.
• Civil Engineering: Minimum Level 8 FETAC Qualification in Civil Engineering.
• Civil or Structural Engineering/Architecture/Architectural Technology: Minimum Level 7 Fetac Qualification, and membership of ACEI or equivalent.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Not specified for this tender.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The award criteria are not explicitly detailed with scoring percentages in the provided extract. However, the tender process is governed by an Open Procedure, which typically involves a Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT) evaluation. This usually balances price and quality. The Suitability Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) is used to establish if bidders meet the qualification criteria to proceed to tender evaluation. Bidders must pass the suitability assessment to have their tender evaluated. The evaluation will likely consider the technical merit, experience, and proposed approach of the bidders, alongside their pricing.

6. Submission requirements

Bidders are required to submit information through a Suitability Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ), which is divided into two parts:

• Part 1: Completed by the Contracting Authority, providing project details and qualification criteria.
• Part 2: Completed by Applicants, including:
• Applicant Details: Basic information about the Applicant, including any proposed sub-contractors or entities relied upon to meet qualification criteria. Specific additional requirements may be detailed by the Contracting Authority in Section 2.4 of Part 2.
• Applicant Declaration: A signed declaration by the Applicant, providing any evidence or information required by Part 1 of the Questionnaire.
• Certificates of Satisfactory Execution: For previous projects, applicants must provide these certificates, organised in order of precedence. Up to 20 projects can be listed, with the option to use the same format for additional evidence.
• Pricing Schedule: Not explicitly detailed in the provided extract, but expected as part of the full tender submission.
• Method Statement / Response Document: Not explicitly detailed in the provided extract, but implied for the tender evaluation stage.
• CVs: Not explicitly detailed in the provided extract, but likely required for key personnel.
• Declarations:
• European Single Procurement Document (ESPD) or eESPD, where required, for self-declaration of situations and qualification criteria.
• Bona Fides declarations.
• Tax clearance declarations.
• Conflict of Interest declarations.
• Mandatory Site Visit: Not specified for this tender.
• Submission Portal: Submissions are made via eTenders. The SAQ is issued as a protected MS Word form.

7. Key dates & process

8. Contract terms that matter

• Framework Agreement: The contract will be a single-party framework agreement.
• Payment Terms: Limerick City and County Council is committed to paying all valid invoices within 15 days from receipt. Payments made after 30 days of invoice receipt may incur penalties.
• Termination: Rights of termination will cease if disputes are not resolved within 21 days of a notice of dispute. Discontinuance notices may lead to termination, with rights ceasing if not acted upon within 28 days.
• Sub-contracting: Specialist Skill Providers may be sub-contractors to the Applicant.
• Parent Company Guarantee / Bond: Not specified for this tender.
• IP Ownership: Not specified for this tender.
• Liquidated Damages / Penalties: Not specified for this tender.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• Late Deadline: The submission deadline of August 2026 is significantly distant, suggesting a long procurement process or potential for project timeline shifts.
• Open Procedure with SAQ: The use of an Open Procedure combined with a detailed Suitability Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) indicates a rigorous pre-qualification stage. Bidders must be prepared for a thorough review of their capabilities and past performance.
• Single-Party Framework: The establishment of a single-party framework means only one contractor will be appointed to lead the design team, concentrating significant responsibility and potential risk on that entity.
• Detailed Technical Specifications: The inclusion of detailed lighting reports with specific illuminance levels, polar diagrams, and grid results indicates a high level of technical detail required in the design, demanding specialist expertise.
• Archaeological Sensitivity: The mention of previous archaeological findings (human bone remains) suggests potential for unexpected discoveries during the project, requiring careful management and contingency planning.
• Indicative Street Furniture: The Schedule of Street Furniture is marked as "Indicative only. Subject to Detail Design," meaning the final scope for these elements may evolve.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is structured as an Open Procedure with a Suitability Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ), indicating it is open to a broad range of qualified bidders. However, the requirement for a lead design team, potentially including specialist roles like Conservation Architect, Landscape Architect, and Public Lighting Designer, with significant experience (e.g., 10 years post-qualification and 3 complex projects), suggests that consortia or larger firms are likely to be well-positioned.

• Credible Bidders: Firms with established track records in public realm design, urban regeneration, and architectural services, particularly those with experience in heritage projects and complex lighting design, are best suited. Small businesses might find it challenging to meet all the experience requirements for the lead role unless they form a consortium.
• Consortium/Sub-contracting: The SAQ explicitly defines "Specialist Skill Provider" as an entity proposed by the Applicant, which can be the Applicant itself or a sub-contractor. This structure strongly supports the formation of consortia or the use of sub-contractors to meet the diverse specialist requirements. Small businesses could potentially bid as specialist sub-contractors within a larger consortium.
• Indicative Bid-Prep Effort: Preparing a comprehensive SAQ response, especially for a lead role, requires significant effort. This includes gathering evidence of past projects, detailing personnel qualifications and experience, and potentially developing preliminary technical approaches. For a lead bidder, this could range from 20-40 person-days. For a specialist sub-contractor, the effort would be focused on their specific area, perhaps 5-10 person-days.
• Pwin Signal: The distant deadline and the structured SAQ process suggest a formal procurement. The detailed technical specifications in the lighting report and the emphasis on specific professional qualifications and experience indicate a focus on technical competence. The "single-party framework" structure implies a competitive process where the most capable and cost-effective bidder will be selected. There is no clear indication of an incumbent, but the depth of experience required suggests established players in the market are likely to be strong contenders.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT Filename(s):
• [QC2-Part-1_v3.2-25-11-2025_Nicholas Street.docx]
• [RP6-Schedule of Street Furniture.pdf]
• [SLDS-4467-LR-RTMA-001-T0_Outdoor Lighting Report.pdf]
• [Appendix_B1_QC1_and_QC2_09-02-2022.docx]
• eTenders CFT ID: Not explicitly stated in the provided metadata.
• Contact Email / Clarification Portal: Not specified in the provided extract.
• Most Important Attachments:
• [QC2-Part-1_v3.2-25-11-2025_Nicholas Street.docx] (Suitability Assessment Questionnaire - Part 1)
• [RP6-Schedule of Street Furniture.pdf] (Nicholas Street Public Realm Plan - Schedule of Street Furniture)
• [SLDS-44