HSE Estates SW: Development Control Plans for Bantry General Hospital, St. Finbarr’s Hospital and Mallow General Hospital

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 Health Service Executive (HSE) requires the provision of architectural and integrated design team services to develop Development Control Plans (DCPs) for three hospital sites: Bantry General Hospital, St. Finbarr’s Hospital, and Mallow General Hospital. The appointed Architectural Service Provider will lead a multidisciplinary design team, acting as sub-consultants to the lead provider.

The core services encompass:

• Architectural Services: This includes acting as the Principal Service Provider and leading the integrated design team.
• Specialist Skills Providers: The integrated design team must include the following disciplines:
• Planner (PL)
• Project Supervisor Design Process (PSDP)
• Fire Safety Consultant (FSC)
• BIM Information Manager (BIM)
• Quantity Surveyor (QS)
• Building Services Engineer (M&E)
• Civil / Structural Engineer (C&S)

The project involves the development of DCPs, which are defined in stages:

• Stage (i)A - DCP Brief Development: This initial stage focuses on developing the project brief.
• Stage (i)B - Preparation of DCP Options: This stage involves preparing and presenting various development control plan options.
• Stage (i)C - Development of Preferred DCP Option: This stage focuses on developing the chosen DCP option.
• Stage (i)D - Preparation & Presentation of DCP Report: This final stage involves preparing and presenting the comprehensive DCP report.

The appointed consultant will also be responsible for all duties of the Project Supervisor for the Design Process (PSDP) under the Safety, Health and Welfare (Construction) Regulations 2013, and potentially the Assigned Certifier under the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014, including signing the Design Certificate. The contract will be governed by the Standard Conditions of Engagement for Consultancy Services (Technical), Office of Government Procurement, Document Reference FTS 9 v1.10.

3. Background & buyer context

This procurement is being undertaken by the Health Service Executive (HSE) Estates department. The requirement for Development Control Plans (DCPs) for Bantry General Hospital, St. Finbarr’s Hospital, and Mallow General Hospital indicates a strategic need to define future development and control measures for these key healthcare facilities. The procurement aligns with the broader objectives of public sector capital works and estate management within the Irish healthcare system. The use of the Standard Conditions of Engagement for Consultancy Services (Technical) from the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) signifies adherence to national procurement standards. No specific programme or policy is explicitly cited as the driver, but the need for structured development planning for hospital sites is a common requirement in public infrastructure management.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Bidders must meet the following minimum requirements to be considered:

• Turnover requirement: Not specified for the Principal Service Provider in the provided extract. However, for an Architect as Principal Consultant, a minimum turnover of €600,000 is mentioned in a context that may not be directly applicable to this specific tender's Principal Service Provider role.
• Insurance:
• Public Liability: €6,500,000 per accident.
• Employer's Liability: €13,000,000 per accident.
• Professional Indemnity: €3,000,000 on an "Each and Every claim" basis, or €3,500,000 on an "Annual Aggregate" basis. Specialist skill providers (Planner, PSDP, Fire Safety Consultant, BIM, Quantity Surveyor, Building Services Engineer, Civil & Structural Engineer) must also hold €3,000,000 (Each and Every) or €3,500,000 (Annual Aggregate) Professional Indemnity cover.
• Certifications: Not explicitly detailed as mandatory selection criteria in the provided text.
• Past experience: Not specified as a quantitative requirement in the provided text. However, the tender submission requires a "Resource Allocation Schedule" and implies the need for demonstrated comprehension of services and personnel distribution across project stages.
• Personnel: The tender requires the identification of "Key Team Members" and a "Resource Allocation Schedule" detailing their estimated hours across project stages. Specific roles within the integrated design team are listed (Architect, Planner, PSDP, FSC, BIM, QS, M&E Engineer, C&S Engineer).
• Geographic / facility constraints: Not specified.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The award criteria are not explicitly detailed with scoring percentages in the provided extract. However, the tender documents indicate that the evaluation will consider both quality and price. The "Resource Allocation Schedule" is noted as being assessed under a "QUALITY criterion," while the "Form of Tender" (fee proposal) will be evaluated under the "PRICE criterion." The specific weighting between quality and price (MEAT - Most Economically Advantageous Tender) is not stated. Minimum scoring thresholds per criterion or overall are also not specified.

6. Submission requirements

Bidders are required to submit the following:

• Form of Tender: Including a breakdown of the tender price, either as a lump sum for the three DCPs or an overall percentage fee (N/A in this case).
• Tendered Time Charges: Daily rates for various personnel grades (Project Director, Senior Personnel, Junior Personnel/Technician, Administrator) across all specialist disciplines.
• Resource Allocation Schedule: A completed document detailing the tenderer's resources, including third-party specialist services, and estimated hours for project stages. This is assessed under the Quality criterion.
• CVs: For Key Team Members, as applicable.
• Pricing Schedule: As detailed in the Form of Tender and potentially including the rates for Time Charges.
• Declarations: Implicitly required through the tender process, including adherence to conditions of engagement and potentially others as specified in full tender documents.
• Submission Portal: Tenders must be submitted via eTenders. Specific format rules for electronic submission are not detailed here.
• Other Documents:
• Completed and signed Form of Tender.
• Completed Schedules A&B.
• Technical Requirements and Scope of Service documentation.
• Outline Design Brief and Project Information Pack.
• Standard Conditions of Engagement for Consultancy Services (Technical) CoE1 signed and executed.
• Quality Submission (Consultant’s Proposal) to include Resource Allocation Schedule, Pricing Document, CVs, etc.
• Appendix D: ‘Letter of Undertaking from Entity being relied upon’ (if applicable).
• MF2.3 Collateral Warranty for all Sub-Consultants (as relevant).
• MF2.9 Reliance Guarantee (if relevant).
• MF2.10 Reliance Warranty (if relevant).
• Health & Safety Compliance Declaration (MF2.4 or MF2.5 as relevant).

7. Key dates & process

8. Contract terms that matter

• Contract Length: Not specified, but insurance cover is required "From start to completion of the Services; and six years from certified substantial completion of the Project works."
• Payment Terms: Payment is linked to stages of the DCP development, with specific percentages of the total fee allocated to each stage (e.g., 25% for Brief Development, 25% for Options, 25% for Preferred Option, 25% for Report). Payment is due within 30 days of the Consultant supplying a valid invoice.
• Key SLAs/KPIs: Not explicitly detailed, but the tender requires the Consultant to provide professional services "in a timely manner and in line with the Technical Requirements document."
• Liquidated Damages: Not specified.
• Termination Clauses: The contract outlines "Scheduled termination events" including situations related to EU procurement regulations, corrupt gifts, or breaches of the Criminal Justice (Corruption Offences) Act 2018. The Client can terminate at will, with specific compensation provisions (5% of the difference between payable fees and estimated completion fees).
• IP Ownership: Not specified.
• Sub-contracting Rules: The use of specialist skills providers (sub-consultants) is integral to the service delivery. Appendix D requires an "Letter of Undertaking from Entity being relied upon" if specialist skills providers are external. Collateral Warranties for sub-consultants are also required.
• Parent-Company Guarantee/Bond: Not specified.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• Insurance Requirements: The dual requirement for Professional Indemnity insurance (Each and Every claim basis and Annual Aggregate basis) with specific levels and the clause regarding monitoring the market for better cover at increased premium rates could create administrative overhead for bidders.
• Fee Structure: The tender explicitly states that the Tenderer is NOT to complete the "Stage Fee" section, as this will be completed by the HSE for the preferred tenderer. This means the bidder submits a total fee and time charges, but the breakdown of stage fees is determined by the client post-award.
• Resource Allocation Schedule (RAS) as Quality Criterion: The RAS is explicitly stated as being assessed under the Quality criterion, not as part of the fee proposal. This means the detailed allocation of resources and personnel hours is a significant factor in the quality assessment, and its monetary total is not the fee proposal itself.
• No Minimum Turnover Specified: While insurance requirements are stringent, a specific minimum annual turnover for the Principal Service Provider is not stated in the provided text, which might be unusual for a public sector tender of this nature.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is structured for an established architectural practice that can lead an integrated design team. A Small to Medium Enterprise (SME) would likely need to operate as part of a consortium or as a sub-consultant to a larger lead firm to meet the insurance and potentially the breadth of specialist expertise required. Consortium bidding is implicitly allowed through the requirement for Appendix D (Letter of Undertaking from Entity being relied upon) and the mention of sub-consultants. The bid preparation effort would be substantial, requiring detailed planning of resource allocation, team composition, and pricing across multiple disciplines. The Pwin signal is neutral; there is no clear indication of an incumbent or a pre-determined winner. The tender is genuinely open to firms with a proven track record in architectural leadership and the capacity to manage a complex, multi-disciplinary design team for public sector healthcare facilities.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT Filename: [1.06_FTS9-Tender & Schedule A&B.docx]
• eTenders CFT ID: Not specified in the provided text.
• Contact Email / Clarification Portal: Conor Tierney, HSE Capital and Estates, [email protected]. Clarifications would typically be managed through the eTenders platform.
• Most Important Attachments:
• [1.06_FTS9-Tender & Schedule A&B.docx] (Core Tender and Schedules)
• [1.10_Resource Allocation Schedule - BGH SFH MGH DCP.xlsx] (Resource Allocation Schedule)
• Technical Requirements Suite of documents (referenced but not provided in extract).