DLR CoCo - Works Contractor and PSCS for Reuse, Retrofit and Extension of No. 9 George's Place and former Wash House, Kelly's Avenue, Dún Laoghaire as a Centre for Creative Lifelong Learning

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

This tender seeks a Works Contractor and Project Supervisor Construction Stage (PSCS) for the reuse, retrofit, and extension of No. 9 George's Place and the former Wash House at Kelly's Avenue, Dún Laoghaire. The project aims to establish a Centre for Creative Lifelong Learning. The contract duration is specified as 20 months.

The scope of work encompasses:

• Retrofit and Reuse: Undertaking necessary works to adapt and reuse the existing structures at No. 9 George's Place and the former Wash House. This includes structural repairs, internal refurbishment, and upgrades to meet current building regulations and functional requirements for a lifelong learning centre.
• Extension: Constructing an extension to the existing facilities. Specific details regarding the size, design, and purpose of the extension are not detailed in the provided metadata but will be part of the full tender documentation.
• Project Supervisor Construction Stage (PSCS): The appointed contractor will also be responsible for fulfilling the duties of the PSCS as mandated by the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013. This involves managing and coordinating health and safety during the construction phase, ensuring compliance with all relevant legislation, and liaising with the Project Supervisor Design Process (PSDP).
• Health and Safety Management: A significant component of the role involves demonstrating robust health and safety competence. This includes developing and implementing a comprehensive safety management system, conducting risk assessments, providing training, and ensuring all personnel are aware of their responsibilities under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and associated regulations.
• Quality Assurance: Implementing measures for ensuring quality throughout the construction process. This includes having access to relevant technicians or technical bodies for quality control and ensuring compliance with standards.
• Documentation and Reporting: Providing evidence of satisfactory execution for previous projects, maintaining job files with risk assessments, and potentially providing details of enforcement actions, legal proceedings, accidents, fatalities, or incidents.

The project is categorised under "General Construction/Civil Engineering/Works Specialist". The contract is expected to be awarded under a restricted procedure, meaning only shortlisted candidates will be invited to tender.

3. Background & buyer context

This procurement is being conducted by Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. The project involves the reuse, retrofit, and extension of two specific properties: No. 9 George's Place and the former Wash House at Kelly's Avenue, Dún Laoghaire. The objective is to transform these sites into a Centre for Creative Lifelong Learning.

The procurement process is being managed under a restricted procedure, indicating that a pre-qualification stage will be used to shortlist suitable candidates before they are invited to submit a full tender. This approach is common for public sector works contracts to ensure that only capable and experienced contractors are invited to bid.

The documentation references the Capital Works Management Framework (CWMF), which is the mandated guidance for public sector construction procurement in Ireland. This framework ensures best practices in project management, contract administration, and procurement are followed. The project is also subject to the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013, with specific emphasis placed on the health and safety competence of the applicant.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

To be considered for this tender, applicants must meet specific eligibility and selection criteria. These are primarily focused on health and safety competence, technical capability, and financial standing.

• Turnover requirement: Not explicitly stated as a minimum average annual turnover figure in the provided metadata. However, the project is categorised as "General Construction/Civil Engineering/Works Specialist" with a potential value band of €1M to €10M (Type 2) or >€10M (Type 3), suggesting a significant turnover requirement will be assessed.
• Insurance:
• Professional Indemnity Insurance: Minimum level of €1,500,000 per claim. The maximum permissible excess is the greater of 2% of annual turnover or €5,000.
• Public Liability Insurance: Minimum level of €6,500,000 per accident. A maximum excess of €10,000 is permitted for property only.
• Employer's Liability Insurance: Minimum level of €13,000,000 per accident.
• Certifications:
• Applicants must demonstrate their safety management system is in accordance with ISO 45001:2018 or equivalent.
• Certified membership of Safe-T-Cert may be deemed equivalent for quality assurance purposes.
• Past experience: Applicants must provide details of works carried out over the past 5 years (or potentially 7 years if necessary for competition). Projects submitted must be similar in nature and complexity to the works subject to this competition. Evidence required includes a list of previous projects with certificates of satisfactory execution (Appendix B1 and B2).
• Personnel:
• Management staff must possess appropriate educational/professional qualifications and experience, including relevant Health and Safety qualifications and training.
• General personnel must also have appropriate educational and professional qualifications and experience, including Health and Safety qualifications, training, and experience relevant to the works.
• The Contract Director/Contractor's Manager must have at least 10 years of experience.
• A Manager/Site Foreman must have at least 7 years of experience in delivering projects of similar scale and complexity.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Not specified for this tender.

All health and safety selection criteria are pass/fail. Applicants must meet the relevant minimum standards.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The provided metadata does not detail the specific award criteria or scoring methodology for this tender. However, as this is a public sector works contract in Ireland, it is expected to be awarded based on the principle of "Most Economically Advantageous Tender" (MEAT). This typically involves a balance between price and quality.

The evaluation will likely consider:

• Price: The submitted tender price will be a significant factor.
• Quality: This will encompass various aspects, including:
• Technical capability and proposed methodology.
• Health and safety competence and proposed management system.
• Experience and track record of the applicant and key personnel.
• Quality assurance measures.
• Understanding of the project requirements.

Specific weightings for price and quality, along with detailed sub-criteria and any minimum scoring thresholds, would be provided in the full tender documentation.

6. Submission requirements

Applicants are required to submit a comprehensive response to the Suitability Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) and associated Health and Safety Supplements. The specific submission requirements include:

• Suitability Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ): Applicants must complete the SAQ (Document ID QW1 v2.3) and any relevant Health and Safety Supplements (e.g., 3.4.1 for Contractor/PSCS).
• Evidence of Technical Capability: This includes details of educational and professional qualifications for management and personnel, CVs for key staff, and a list of previous projects with certificates of satisfactory execution (Appendices B1 and B2).
• Health and Safety Documentation: Evidence of a safety management system (ISO 45001:2018 or equivalent, or certified membership of Safe-T-Cert), details of training arrangements, and a declaration of compliance with relevant safety legislation. A Safety Statement, as outlined by the Health and Safety Authority, is also required.
• Financial Information: Details of average annual manpower and managerial staff over the last 3 years are required for health and safety assessment. Insurance details (Public Liability, Employer's Liability, Professional Indemnity) must meet the specified minimum levels. Tax clearance status will be verified online.
• Declarations: Applicants must complete declarations regarding conflicts of interest and potentially the European Single Procurement Document (ESPD) if required at this stage.
• Pricing Schedule: While not explicitly detailed for the SAQ stage, a pricing schedule will be required for the subsequent tender submission.
• Submission Portal: Submissions are to be made via the eTenders platform. Specific formatting rules for electronic submissions will be detailed in the tender documents.

7. Key dates & process

The tender process operates under a restricted procedure. This involves an initial suitability assessment phase, followed by an invitation to tender for shortlisted candidates. The submission deadline for the suitability assessment questionnaire is July 23, 2026, at 16:00.

8. Contract terms that matter

The contract will be based on the Public Works Contracts (PWC) suite, likely PW-CF2 (Building Works designed by the Contractor) or PW-CF4 (Civil Engineering Works designed by the Contractor), given the nature of the project. Key terms to note include:

• Contract Length: The contract duration is specified as 20 months.
• Extension: No specific information on extension options is provided in the metadata.
• Payment Terms: Standard public sector payment terms will apply, likely adhering to prompt payment legislation.
• SLAs/KPIs: Specific Service Level Agreements (SLAs) or Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are not detailed in the metadata but are expected to be included in the full contract documents, particularly concerning health and safety performance.
• Liquidated Damages: While not explicitly stated, liquidated damages clauses are standard in public works contracts and would likely apply for delays or breaches of contract.
• Termination: Standard termination clauses for breach of contract or for convenience by the Employer are expected.
• IP Ownership: Intellectual property rights ownership will be governed by the PWC.
• Sub-contracting: Rules regarding sub-contracting will be detailed in the PWC. The role of PSCS is typically non-delegable.
• Guarantees/Bonds: Requirements for parent company guarantees or performance bonds are not specified in the metadata but may be stipulated in the full tender documents.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• Health and Safety Focus: The tender places an exceptionally high emphasis on health and safety competence, with specific Health and Safety Supplements required. This suggests a history or heightened awareness of H&S risks associated with the project or the client's operations. Applicants must have a demonstrably strong H&S track record and management system.
• Dual Role (Contractor & PSCS): Appointing the same entity as both Works Contractor and PSCS is common but requires careful management to avoid conflicts of interest and ensure objective oversight of safety. The tender explicitly requires this dual role.
• Contractor Designed Works: The potential use of PW-CF2 or PW-CF4 suggests that the contractor may have design input or responsibility for the detailed design of the works, which increases the scope of responsibility beyond mere construction.
• Long Lead Time to Deadline: The submission deadline of July 23, 2026, is significantly in the future relative to the likely publication date of the tender documents (November 2025). This could indicate a phased procurement, a long planning period, or a deliberate strategy to allow ample time for applicants. It also means market conditions could change significantly before the tender is submitted.
• Value Not Disclosed: The absence of an estimated contract value is unusual for a tender of this nature and scale. This could mean the value is considered commercially sensitive, or it is to be determined based on the submitted tenders within a framework.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is structured as a restricted procedure, meaning it is not open to all interested parties. It requires a pre-qualification stage to shortlist candidates.

• Who can credibly bid: A credible bidder would be an established construction company with a proven track record in building works, retrofits, and extensions. Crucially, they must possess a highly developed and demonstrably effective health and safety management system, evidenced by ISO 45001 certification or equivalent, and a strong history of safe project delivery. Experience in managing projects of a similar scale and complexity, particularly those involving public buildings or educational facilities, would be advantageous. The requirement for specific experience levels for the Contract Director/Manager (10 years) and Manager/Site Foreman (7 years) indicates a need for experienced personnel.
• Consortium/Sub-contracting: The documentation defines "Applicant" as an individual trader, single entity, or a Consortium, Joint Venture, or Partnership. This implies that consortia and joint ventures are permitted. Sub-contracting is also implicitly allowed for specialist areas, though the PSCS role is typically non-delegable.
• Indicative bid-prep effort: Preparing a response for the Suitability Assessment Questionnaire, especially with the detailed health and safety requirements, would likely require significant effort. This could range from 10-20 days for a well-prepared company with existing systems and documentation, potentially more if significant new documentation or evidence needs to be generated.
• Pwin signal: The restricted procedure itself signals a desire for experienced contractors. The strong emphasis on health and safety suggests the client prioritises safety over cost alone. The long lead time to the deadline might suggest a less urgent need or a desire to attract a specific type of contractor. Without knowing the incumbent or previous project history, it's difficult to assess Pwin definitively, but a company with a strong, verifiable H&S record and relevant project experience is likely to be a strong contender.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT filename(s):
• [3_3.4.1-HS-Works-Contractor_v3.1-25-11-2025 (1).docx]
• [1_QW1-Part-1-v2.3-25-11-2025 BR Comments 260619 (1).docx]
• eTenders CFT ID: Not specified in the provided metadata.
• Contact email or clarification portal: Not specified in the provided metadata.
• Most important attachments:
• Suitability Assessment Questionnaire (QW1 v2.3)
• Health and Safety Supplement 3.4.1 (Contractor/PSCS)
• Appendix B1 - List of Previous Projects
• Appendix B2 - Certificate of Satisfactory Execution