CFT 3993 – The Provision of Mentoring Services for the Local Enterprise Office South Dublin – 15 Lots

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1. At a glance

2. Scope of Work

This tender seeks to establish a multi-party framework agreement for the provision of mentoring services to the Local Enterprise Office (LEO) South Dublin. The framework will support micro-enterprises and individuals considering starting a business within the region. The LEO Mentor Programme aims to connect experienced business practitioners with small business owners and managers requiring practical and strategic advice.

The scope encompasses 15 distinct lots, each representing a specific area of expertise:

• Lot 1: Finance
• Lot 2: Business Management
• Lot 3: Social Media & Digital Marketing
• Lot 4: Sales and Marketing / Public Relations
• Lot 5: Human Resources
• Lot 6: Food & Drink
• Lot 7: Social Enterprise
• Lot 8: Creative Economy (e.g., Textiles, Design & Fashion)
• Lot 9: Website / Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
• Lot 10: Intellectual Property (IP) / Legal services (including patents, trademark)
• Lot 11: Health Wellbeing & Fitness / Hair and Beauty Sector
• Lot 12: Technology
• Lot 13: IT / Digital / AI / Software Development / Cybersecurity
• Lot 14: Export / Customs
• Lot 15: Any other relevant sector (e.g., Procurement, Manufacturing, GDPR, Professional Services)

Mentors will provide one-to-one sessions or conduct mentor clinics within the South Dublin County Council administrative area, or remotely via telephone or online platforms. In 2024, over 800 mentoring sessions were organised.

Beyond direct mentoring, successful tenderers may be required to undertake additional activities, including:

• Representing LEO South Dublin at events and committees.
• Hosting or manning stands at LEO South Dublin events and trade shows.
• Co-ordinating and administering LEO South Dublin events/networks/seminars.
• Judging Business Awards and participating in the Student Enterprise Programme.
• Preparing grant applications for the Evaluation & Approvals Committee (EVAC).
• Writing reports, articles, and conducting research for LEO South Dublin.
• Working on social media on behalf of LEO.
• Assisting clients with financial grant applications, processing, and drawdown of funding.

Mentors are explicitly prohibited from investing directly or indirectly in any enterprise participating in the Mentoring Programme.

3. Background & buyer context

South Dublin County Council is one of four local authorities in the Dublin region, providing a wide range of public services. The Local Enterprise Office (LEO) South Dublin operates to promote and support micro-enterprises and aspiring entrepreneurs within the region. The LEO Mentor Programme is a key initiative within this remit, designed to foster business growth through experienced practitioners offering guidance. This procurement establishes a framework to ensure a consistent supply of qualified mentors for a three-year period, with an option for extension. The council encourages participation from Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and aims to facilitate social and environmental objectives through procurement.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Tenderers must demonstrate the required financial and technical capacity to be considered for evaluation.

• Turnover requirement: Tenderers must confirm that their turnover was in excess of €20,000.00 during at least one of the last three years of operation, or pro-rata if operating for a shorter period.
• Insurance:
• Employers Liability (Sole Traders): €13m
• Public Liability: €6.5m
• Professional Indemnity: €1m
• Certifications: Not specified for this tender.
• Past experience: A minimum of three (3) examples of comparable projects must be provided if applying for only one lot. Further details on the nature and scale of these examples are not specified.
• Personnel: Not specified for this tender.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Mentoring sessions are to be provided within the South Dublin County Council Administrative area, or by telephone or through online portals.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The evaluation process involves a single stage where all interested parties may tender, but only those meeting the selection criteria will be evaluated against the award criteria. The award will be based on the most suitable tenderer available in the relevant Lot for the particular assignment, based on their expertise as set out in their application and suitability to the client's needs.

Criterion Weight (%) Sub-criteria