Staff Engagement Application (Staff App)

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

Clare County Council (CCC) seeks a provider for a Staff Engagement Application (Staff App) to enhance communication and engagement with its staff. The Staff App will be accessible to all CCC employees on mobile phones, smart devices, and computers, whether provided by CCC or privately owned by staff. This procurement establishes a single-operator framework agreement.

The scope encompasses the customisation and implementation of a staff app, with proven experience in local government or similar client sectors being a requirement. The initial contract term is two years, with an option for two one-year extensions. Beyond the initial implementation, tenderers must be capable of providing development services for additional or enhanced functionality as required by the Council throughout the agreement's duration. A detailed pricing schedule for such services, including all chargeable items, must be provided.

Key activities and deliverables include:

• Staff App Customisation and Implementation: Tailoring the application to meet CCC's specific needs.
• Deployment: Making the app available on various devices for all 1100 staff members.
• Hosting: The application must be hosted within the European Economic Area (EEA) or the EU.
• Support and Maintenance: Ongoing provision of support and maintenance for the application.
• Licensing: Provision of licenses for 1100 staff.
• Setup and Project Management: Management of the implementation process.
• Development of Additional Functionality: Responding to requests for new or enhanced features.
• User Documentation: Provision of user guides.
• Training: Delivering training plans for end-users, administrators, and technical staff.
• Reporting and Visualizations: Implementing reporting and visualization capabilities.
• Content Management System (CMS): Providing a CMS to support the Staff App.
• Registration Functionality: Enabling staff registration for the app.
• Accessibility: Ensuring the app meets accessibility requirements.
• IT Security: Adhering to CCC IT department's IT security standards.
• Testing: Executing testing requirements for implementation.
• Change Management: Providing change management support for successful implementation.
• Exit Strategy: Developing and providing an exit strategy.

Contract management activities, including regular reporting, performance reviews, and proactive discussions for service improvement, are also part of the scope but are non-billable.

3. Background & buyer context

Clare County Council is procuring a Staff Engagement Application (Staff App) to improve internal communication and staff engagement. This initiative aligns with the broader objective of enhancing digital communication channels within the local government sector. The procurement is conducted under an open procedure, establishing a single-operator framework agreement. The estimated maximum spend under this framework is €150,000 excluding VAT over its potential four-year duration. The Council seeks a provider with demonstrated experience in customising and implementing staff apps, particularly for local government clients. The framework agreement is designed to provide a single point of contact for the provision of the Staff App and any subsequent development of additional functionalities.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Bidders must meet the following minimum requirements to be considered for evaluation:

• Turnover requirement: Confirmation that the tendering party's turnover exceeded €300,000 during one of the last three years, or pro-rata if the firm is more recently established. The firm must have been in existence for at least 6 months.
• Insurance: Confirmation of the following insurances being in place:
• Employer’s Liability: €13 million
• Public Liability: €6.5 million
• Product Liability: €6.5 million
• Cyber Liability: €2 million
• Certifications: Not specified for this tender.
• Past experience: Proven experience of customising and implementing a staff app for local government clients or similar is required.
• Personnel: Not specified for this tender, but key personnel assigned to the contract must be available for clarification meetings.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Hosting of the application must be within the EEA/EU.

Tenderers may rely on the resources of other entities to meet these requirements, provided they can prove these resources will be at their disposal. For consortium bids, a single point of contact responsible for delivery and authorised to sign the agreement must be appointed.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The contract will be awarded based on the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT), considering both cost and quality. The award criteria and their weightings are as follows:

Criterion Title Weighting Maximum Marks Minimum Marks Required | :-------- | :---------------------------------- | :-------- | :------------ | :--------------------- | A Cost (Total Cost of Ownership) 30% 3,000 N/A B Technical Requirements 15% 1,500 750 C General Requirements 35% 3,500 1,750 D Contract Management and Support 15% 1,500 750 E Green Procurement 5% 500 250

A minimum score of 50% is required for each qualitative criterion (B, C, D, E). The cost criterion (A) is scored based on a formula relative to the lowest bid. Tenders must meet all minimum requirements for qualitative criteria to be considered.

6. Submission requirements

Tenders must be submitted electronically via the eTenders.gov.ie postbox facility only.

• Method statement / response document: Tenderers must provide detailed information in the Tender Response Document (TRD) addressing the selection and award criteria. Specific page limits apply to responses for certain award criteria (e.g., max 2 A4 pages for Award Criteria B1, B2, B3).
• CVs: Not explicitly required in the provided text, but key personnel must be available for clarification meetings.
• Pricing schedule: A detailed pricing schedule must be provided, including all chargeable items for additional functionality development. A daily rates table is referenced.
• 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 (or equivalent legislation if established outside Ireland).
• Confirmation of tax compliance with Irish Revenue Commissioners.
• Confirmation of meeting insurance and turnover requirements.
• Confirmation of consent for data processing for tender purposes.
• Mandatory site visit: Not specified for this tender.
• Submission portal: eTenders.gov.ie, using the "Submit Response" function. Tenderers must allow sufficient time for upload.

Tenderers are prohibited from amending the text or content of provided forms, declarations, or templates.

7. Key dates & process

These dates are estimates and cannot be guaranteed.

8. Contract terms that matter

• Term + extension: The framework agreement is for a maximum of 2 years initially, with an option for two one-year extensions, totalling up to 4 years. Contracts awarded under the framework may extend beyond the framework expiry date.
• Payment terms: Not specified in the provided text.
• Key SLAs/KPIs: Not explicitly detailed, but contract management includes performance reporting and reviews.
• Liquidated damages or penalty regimes: Not specified.
• Termination clauses: Not specified.
• IP ownership: Not specified.
• Sub-contracting rules: Tenderers may rely on resources of other entities. If a consortium is successful, it must establish legal personality.
• Parent-company guarantee or bond requirements: Not specified.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• Single-Operator Framework: This limits competition to one provider, meaning only the highest-scoring compliant tenderer will be selected. This structure can be advantageous for the buyer in terms of a single point of contact but may reduce competitive tension for subsequent call-offs.
• Indicative Value vs. Contract Length: The estimated maximum spend of €150,000 over a potential 4-year period suggests a low average annual spend (€37,500), which might be a concern for larger providers or indicate a limited scope of work beyond the initial implementation.
• No Guaranteed Expenditure: Admission to the framework does not guarantee any contract awards.
• Potential for Abnormally Low Tenders: The process includes provisions for investigating and potentially eliminating tenders deemed abnormally low or commercially unsustainable.
• Strict Submission Requirements: Amendments to tender documentation are prohibited, and submission is strictly via eTenders.gov.ie, with no exceptions.
• Hosting Constraint: Hosting must be within the EEA/EU, which is a standard but important compliance point.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is structured as a single-operator framework agreement with an estimated maximum spend of €150,000 over four years. This suggests the scope may be more suited to a specialist provider rather than a large enterprise, although the turnover requirement of €300,000 indicates a need for established financial capacity.

• Credible bidders: A small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) with proven experience in developing and implementing staff engagement applications, particularly for public sector or local government clients, would be a credible bidder. The firm must demonstrate the required insurance levels and financial turnover.
• Consortium/sub-contracting: Consortiums are permitted, and tenderers can rely on the resources of other entities to meet capacity requirements. This allows SMEs to partner with others to fulfil the tender's demands.
• Indicative bid-prep effort: Given the detailed technical and general requirements outlined across multiple appendices and award criteria, bid preparation could require significant effort, potentially 10-20 days for a dedicated team, especially for customisation and detailed technical responses.
• Pwin signal: The single-operator nature of the framework and the specific requirement for local government experience might favour an incumbent or a firm with a strong track record in this niche. The relatively low estimated value might deter very large organisations, potentially increasing the competitive landscape for SMEs.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT filename: RfT Public Staff App.docx
• eTenders CFT ID: Not explicitly stated in the provided text.
• Contact for Queries: Messaging via etenders.gov.ie (Questions and Answers facility).
• Most Important Attachments:
• Appendix 1: Detailed Specification of Requirements
• Tender Response Document (TRD)
• Mandatory Requirements Schedule (referenced implicitly within selection criteria)