Consultancy Services - Quality Reviews

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 National College of Art and Design (NCAD) requires consultancy services to support its Quality Reviews between 2026 and 2030. The estimated expenditure for these services is €50,000, excluding VAT. The contract duration is initially 2 years, with an option for two further 1-year extensions, subject to requirements, annual review, and budget availability.

The appointed consultant will assist NCAD in conducting Self-Assessment Quality Reviews in compliance with QQI Statutory Guidelines. This involves external support for consultations with various stakeholders.

Key activities and responsibilities for the consultant include:

• Stakeholder Consultations: Engaging with:
• Head of School and Heads of Department.
• Lecturers and Technical Officers from relevant Departments/Programmes.
• Department of Media: Lecturers and Technical Officers.
• Other Programme stakeholders: First Year Studies, School of Visual Culture, School of Education.
• Industry Representatives.
• Pre-planning Meeting Attendance: Participating in initial planning meetings with the NCAD Self-Assessment Quality Review Team.
• Advisory and Leadership Role: Assisting the review team throughout the quality review process, providing leadership and advisory capacity.
• Meeting Facilitation: Attending assessment meetings, ensuring they run to schedule and are conducted professionally.
• Liaison: Acting as a communication link between the review team, the unit under review, and NCAD Management.
• Report Assistance: Aiding in the collation of self-assessment review reports.
• Deadline Management: Ensuring clarity among the review team regarding deadlines for draft and final report submissions.
• Report Purpose: The review reports are intended to communicate major ideas for improving the quality and performance of schools/departments, with recommendations made considering resource constraints and NCAD's strategic goals.
• Account Management: Nominate a dedicated account manager to serve as the primary point of contact for the contract's duration, possessing authority for all contract-related matters and responsibility for satisfactory service delivery.
• Invoicing: Submit invoices on an agreed milestone basis, quoting a purchase order number on all official invoices.

3. Background & buyer context

The National College of Art and Design (NCAD) is a specialist art and design college in Ireland, offering a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. Its origins trace back to 1746, with a history involving various governmental and departmental controls before its establishment as NCAD by act of an tOireachtas in 1971. NCAD is governed by a board appointed by the Minister for Education and Science. The college has approximately 1,700–2,000 registered students and is located on a campus in the Liberties area of Dublin. This procurement is driven by NCAD's need to comply with QQI Statutory Guidelines for quality reviews, necessitating external consultancy support for stakeholder consultations and report collation.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Bidders must meet the following criteria to be considered compliant:

• Turnover requirement:
• Minimum average annual turnover of €100,000.
• Insurance:
• Professional Indemnity: €500,000 indemnity limit.
• Tenderers must confirm they will obtain and hold specified insurance types and levels from the effective date of the Services Contract, with territorial limits including Ireland. A formal confirmation from the insurer or broker will be requested prior to award.
• Certifications:
• Not specified for this tender.
• Past experience:
• Provide details of 3 contracts undertaken within the last 5 years demonstrating successful provision of a service of similar scope, scale, and complexity.
• Personnel:
• Not specified for this tender.
• Geographic / facility constraints:
• Insurance policies must include Ireland within their territorial limits and jurisdiction.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The contract will be awarded based on the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT), evaluated according to the following criteria:

A minimum score of 60% is required for each qualitative criterion (Quality of Resources and Methodology & Approach).

6. Submission requirements

Tenders must be submitted electronically via www.etenders.gov.ie.

• Method statement / response document: Tenderers must follow the RFT format, respond to each element in order, and not alter the RFT document. Specific response document requirements are detailed in Appendix 1.
• CVs: Not explicitly mentioned, but implied within "Quality of Resources" criterion.
• Pricing schedule: Must be completed as per Appendix 2. Prices must be all-inclusive (excluding VAT), quoted in Euro, and remain valid for 120 days from the Tender Deadline.
• Case studies: Details of 3 relevant contracts undertaken within the last 5 years must be provided.
• Declarations:
• Tenderer's Statement (Appendix 3), signed and scanned.
• Declaration as to Personal Circumstances of Tenderer (Appendix 4).
• Tax Clearance Access Number and Tax Reference Number for online verification.
• Confirmation of acceptance of the Services Contract terms (Appendix 5).
• Mandatory site visit: Not specified for this tender.
• Submission portal: www.etenders.gov.ie. Tenders must be submitted in English and compiled in a readable format (e.g., PDF).

7. Key dates & process

A standstill period of 14 calendar days (or 16 if notice is not by electronic means) will apply after notification of the competition results before a contract can be executed.

8. Contract terms that matter

• Term: 2 years, with an option for two 1-year extensions.
• Payment terms: Invoices submitted on an agreed milestone basis, requiring a purchase order number.
• Key SLAs/KPIs: Not explicitly detailed in the provided text, but performance review is mentioned.
• Liquidated damages or penalty regimes: Not specified.
• Termination clauses: Not specified beyond standard contract provisions.
• IP ownership: Not specified.
• Sub-contracting rules: Prime Contractor must designate a single entity responsible for the contract, irrespective of subcontracting. Subcontractors must also meet selection criteria if their capacity is relied upon and the subcontract value exceeds 10% of the contract value.
• Parent-company guarantee or bond requirements: Not specified.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• Estimated Value vs. Turnover: The estimated contract value of €50,000 is significantly lower than the €100,000 turnover requirement. This suggests either a very low volume of work per review, or the turnover requirement is a general gate for the consultancy firm's overall business size rather than specific to this contract's value.
• Contract Duration and Extensions: The 2-year base term with two 1-year extension options provides a potential 4-year engagement, which is substantial for a consultancy project with a stated €50,000 estimated value. This could indicate a high level of ongoing support or a phased approach.
• Limited Award Criteria Detail: While MEAT is stated, the specific sub-criteria for "Quality of Resources" and "Methodology & Approach" are not detailed, making it difficult to fully assess how these will be weighted and scored beyond the overall percentages.
• No Minimum Score for Price: The pricing criterion has no minimum score requirement, meaning a technically superior bid could be rejected if its price is too high relative to others, even if it meets qualitative thresholds.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is potentially suitable for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with demonstrated expertise in quality assurance, academic review processes, and stakeholder consultation within the higher education sector.

• Credible bidders: Firms with a proven track record in providing consultancy services to educational institutions, particularly in quality assurance or accreditation processes, would be well-positioned. The €100,000 turnover requirement is modest, making it accessible to many established SMEs. The requirement for 3 past contracts of similar scope, scale, and complexity is a key differentiator.
• Consortium/sub-contracting: The RFT allows for groups of undertakings (consortia) and specifies a Prime Contractor who can utilise subcontractors. This provides flexibility for SMEs to partner with others to meet requirements or to subcontract specific elements of the service.
• Indicative bid-prep effort: Preparing a compliant bid will require careful attention to detail, particularly in detailing past experience, developing a robust methodology, and completing all required declarations and appendices. An estimate of 5-10 days of dedicated effort for a small team is reasonable.
• Pwin signal: The tender does not explicitly indicate an incumbent or a strong Pwin signal. The relatively modest estimated value and the open nature of the criteria suggest a competitive process. However, the specific requirement for 3 recent, similar contracts means firms without this direct experience will struggle.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT filename: RFT Consultancy Services Quality.docx
• eTenders CFT ID: Not specified in the provided text.
• Contact email or clarification portal: www.etenders.gov.ie
• Most important attachments:
• Appendix 1: Requirements and Specifications
• Appendix 2: Pricing Schedule
• Appendix 5: Services Contract