An Coimisiún Toghcháin Mapping, Geospatial, Application Support and Maintenance Services

AI-generated analysis of the documents. Check the official notice and any amendments for current submission details.

1. At a glance

Buyer Title CPV / category Estimated value Per-year Procedure type Lots Location Contract length Submission deadline Go-live / start | :-------------------- | :-------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :------------- | :-------------- | :------- | :------------- | :--- | :------- | :-------------- | :------------------ | :-------------- | An Coimisiún Toghcháin Mapping, Geospatial, Application Support and Maintenance Services Not stated €350,000 Not stated Open procedure 1 Ireland 3 years 2026-10-12 12:00 Not stated

2. Scope of Work

The Electoral Commission requires mapping, geospatial, application support, maintenance, enhancement, development, training, and related professional services. These services will support the Commission's statutory functions. The contract is for a term of three years, with an option for extensions up to a maximum of twelve months. The estimated expenditure over the contract term, including potential extensions, is €350,000 (excluding VAT).

The scope of work encompasses the following key activities:

• Mapping and Geospatial Services: This includes the provision and management of mapping and geospatial data, tools, and applications. Specific details on the systems or data involved are not explicitly detailed in the provided text but are implied to be critical for electoral functions.
• Application Support and Maintenance: This involves ensuring the ongoing operational stability and functionality of relevant software applications. This includes troubleshooting, bug fixing, and general system upkeep.
• Enhancement and Development: The scope includes the ability to enhance existing applications and develop new functionalities as required by the Electoral Commission. This suggests a need for agile development capabilities to adapt to evolving needs.
• Training: The contractor will be required to provide training to Electoral Commission staff on the use of the supported applications and systems.
• Related Professional Services: This is a broad category that may include consultancy, project management, and advisory services related to the core mapping and geospatial functions.

The contract is structured as a single lot. The services are to be provided in support of the Electoral Commission's statutory functions, indicating a need for reliability, accuracy, and adherence to relevant regulations. The estimated value suggests a requirement for a service provider capable of delivering these functions within a defined budget.

3. Background & buyer context

An Coimisiún Toghcháin, Ireland's independent electoral commission, is initiating this procurement. The services are required to support the Commission's statutory functions. The procurement is being conducted under an open procedure, in accordance with the European Union (Award of Public Authority Contracts) Regulations 2016. The estimated value of the contract is €350,000 (excluding VAT) over an initial three-year term, with potential for extensions. The Contracting Authority aims to encourage participation by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and encourages larger enterprises to consider how SMEs can be included in their proposals.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Tenderers must meet specific criteria to be considered for evaluation. These include:

• Turnover requirement: Tenderers must confirm an average annual turnover of not less than €120,000 per annum (excluding VAT) for each of the three most recent years of audited accounts. If the entity has been established for a shorter period, the average annual turnover must be not less than €120,000 for each year the entity has been established.
• Insurance: The successful Tenderer will be required to hold the following insurances for the term of the Services Contract:
• Employer’s Liability: €13,000,000 limit for any one claim or series of claims arising out of a single occurrence, per insurance year.
• Public Liability: €6,500,000 limit for any one claim or series of claims arising out of a single occurrence, per insurance year.
• Service Liability: €6,500,000 limit for any one claim or series of claims arising out of a single occurrence, per insurance year.
• Professional Indemnity: €6,500,000 limit for any one claim or series of claims arising out of a single occurrence, per insurance year.
• Cyber Insurance: €1,500,000 in the aggregate per insurance year, with specific provision for ransomware.
• Certifications: Not specified for this tender.
• Past experience: Not specified for this tender.
• Personnel: Not specified for this tender.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Not specified for this tender.

Tenderers must also declare, via the eESPD, that no mandatory grounds for exclusion apply, or if they do, that sufficient measures are in place to demonstrate reliability. Tenderers relying on the capacity of other entities (subcontractors) must ensure these entities also meet relevant criteria and submit separate eESPDs.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The award criteria are not explicitly detailed with scoring weights in the provided text. However, the tender states that Tenderers will be evaluated in accordance with the Award Criteria at Part 3.3. It is noted that Tenderers will receive a minimum of 80 and a maximum of 90 marks, dependent on the overall quality of the submission. The contract will not necessarily be awarded to the lowest priced tender. The evaluation will likely follow a standard Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT) approach, balancing quality and price, though specific weightings are not provided.

6. Submission requirements

Tenders must be submitted electronically via the eTenders platform. Key submission requirements include:

• Method statement / response document: Tenderers must complete and submit the electronic version of the European Single Procurement Document (eESPD). They must also respond to each element in the order set out in the RFT and conform to all instructions and requirements. Tender Response Documents (TRD) must not exceed stated maximum word count limits, and alterations to formatting are not permitted.
• CVs: Not specified for this tender.
• Pricing schedule: Tenderers must complete the Pricing Schedule at Appendix 2. All prices must be all-inclusive (excluding VAT), expressed in Euro, and remain valid for 180 days from the Tender Deadline.
• Case studies: Not specified for this tender.
• Declarations: Tenderers must submit the eESPD, a Tenderer’s Statement (Appendix 3), and a Declaration as to Personal Circumstances of Tenderer (Appendix 4). They must also confirm acceptance of the Services Contract terms (Appendix 5).
• Mandatory site visit: Not specified for this tender.
• Submission portal: Tenders must be submitted via the electronic tenderbox on www.etenders.gov.ie. File size limits apply: 250MB per single file, with a maximum total of 2GB for all documentation.

7. Key dates & process

8. Contract terms that matter

The Services Contract will have an initial term of three (3) years, with the option for the Contracting Authority to extend it for periods up to twelve (12) months, with a maximum of three (3) such extensions. Payments will be made in accordance with the Services Contract. Tenderers must confirm that prices quoted will remain valid for 180 days from the Tender Deadline. Currency variations over the contract term will be borne by the Tenderer. The successful Tenderer and any subcontractors must comply with all applicable environmental, social, and labour laws. Tenderers must also provide an undertaking to comply with Council Directive 2001/23/EC regarding the safeguarding of employees’ rights in the event of transfers of undertakings.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

The estimated contract value of €350,000 over three years, with potential extensions, is relatively modest for the scope of services described (mapping, geospatial, application support, development). This could indicate a need for a provider with efficient operational models or a focus on specific, perhaps smaller-scale, electoral mapping functions. The requirement for high insurance limits (€6.5m Public Liability, €13m Employer's Liability) is notable for a contract of this estimated value, suggesting a high-risk environment or a standard policy for the buyer. The emphasis on SME participation, while common, is explicitly stated, suggesting the buyer may be looking for innovative solutions that can be delivered by smaller, agile firms, potentially in partnership.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is structured as a single lot with an estimated value of €350,000 over three years. This value suggests that a small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) with specialized expertise in mapping, geospatial services, and application support could credibly bid. The requirement for significant insurance cover (€6.5m Public Liability, €13m Employer's Liability) may present a challenge for very small businesses, but is standard for public sector contracts.

Consortium bidding and subcontracting are permitted. The Contracting Authority encourages SMEs to explore forming relationships with other SMEs or larger enterprises if the scope is beyond their individual capacity. Larger enterprises are also encouraged to include SMEs in their proposals.

The bid preparation effort is likely to be moderate, involving the completion of the eESPD, a pricing schedule, and a Tenderer's Statement. The absence of specific technical evaluation criteria or detailed scoring weights makes it difficult to assess the precise bid-prep effort or the strength of an incumbent. However, the focus on quality and the potential for a MEAT evaluation suggest that a well-articulated technical approach and understanding of the Electoral Commission's needs will be important.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT: RFT An Coimisiún Toghchain - Mapping Geospatial Application Support and Maintenance Services - Final.pdf
• eTenders CFT ID: Not specified in provided text.
• Contact: Queries must be directed via the messaging facility on www.etenders.gov.ie.
• Key Attachments:
• Appendix 1: Requirements and Specifications
• Appendix 2: Pricing Schedule
• Appendix 3: Tenderer’s Statement
• Appendix 5: Services Contract