Galway Harbour Company Civil Engineering Services

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

Galway Harbour Company (GHC) seeks a single operator for a framework agreement to provide routine civil engineering maintenance, repair, minor works, and emergency response services. This contract is for the ongoing operation, protection, maintenance, repair, and safe functioning of GHC's existing harbour estate, infrastructure, occupants, and visitors. It explicitly excludes any port expansion, redevelopment, or major capital expansion projects.

The scope of services includes:

• Routine Maintenance: Undertaking scheduled and unscheduled maintenance activities on harbour infrastructure.
• Repair Works: Executing repairs to existing civil engineering structures and assets within the harbour estate.
• Minor Works: Carrying out small-scale civil engineering tasks that do not constitute major capital projects.
• Emergency Response: Providing immediate civil engineering support in response to unforeseen incidents or emergencies within the harbour.
• Infrastructure Management: Ensuring the continued safe and functional operation of the harbour estate through diligent civil engineering oversight.

The contract will be subject to satisfactory performance against agreed service levels and key performance indicators, with periodic contract reviews. GHC cannot guarantee specific volumes of work and reserves the right to procure requirements outside the scope of this tender where necessary and in accordance with law.

3. Background & buyer context

Galway Harbour Company is procuring these civil engineering services to ensure the continued routine operation, protection, maintenance, repair, and safe functioning of its existing harbour estate. This procurement is for routine maintenance, minor works, and emergency response, distinct from any port expansion or redevelopment projects. The services are essential for the day-to-day management and safety of the harbour infrastructure. The contract is structured as a single operator framework agreement.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

To be considered for this tender, bidders must meet the following minimum requirements:

• Turnover requirement: A minimum average annual turnover of €150,000 over the last three years. Proof of compliance will be required from the successful tenderer upon notification of intent to award.
• Insurance: The successful tenderer must hold the following insurances for the term of the Services Contract:
• Employers Liability: €13 million
• Public Liability: €6.5 million
• Product Liability: €1 million
• Certifications:
• Persons/Companies tendering must be members of the Irish Institution of Civil Engineers or an equivalent association.
• Persons/Companies tendering must be members of the Construction Industry Federation or an equivalent association.
• Past experience: Not specified for this tender.
• Personnel:
• Senior Engineer (3-7 Years’ Experience) - Note: This is a DO-NOT-USE-AS-BINDING figure and likely relates to a specific task or role within the scope, not a general selection criterion.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Not specified for this tender.

Additionally, tenderers must declare their ability to produce a current Tax Clearance Certificate from the Irish Revenue Commissioners within 5 working days of any notification of intention to award. Failure to state compliance with selection criteria will result in exclusion.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The contract will be awarded on the basis of the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT). The specific weighting and scoring mechanism for award criteria are not detailed in the provided text. Tenderers must include sufficient documentation to allow evaluation and confirm compliance. Unsuccessful tenderers may be notified of their scores and the preferred bidder's scores for each award criterion.

6. Submission requirements

Tenderers must adhere to the following submission requirements:

• Method statement / response document: Tenders must follow the format of the RFT and respond to each element in the order set out. Proposals should be self-contained, referencing external documentation only where specifically requested.
• CVs: Not specified for this tender.
• Pricing schedule: Tenderers must complete the Pricing Schedule at Appendix 2. All prices quoted must be all-inclusive (excluding VAT), expressed in Euro, and include a fixed hourly rate for 4 years (inclusive of Sundays and Bank Holidays).
• Case studies: Not specified for this tender.
• Declarations:
• Signed Tenderer’s Statement (Appendix 3) on letterhead.
• Declaration of Bona Fides (Appendix 4).
• Tax Clearance Certificate (required within 5 working days of notification of intent to award).
• Statement confirming account of employment protection and working conditions obligations.
• Statement confirming acceptance of the Services Contract (Appendix 5).
• Declaration regarding excluding circumstances under Article 57 of EU Council Directive 2014/24/EU.
• Mandatory site visit: Not specified for this tender.
• Submission portal: Tenders must be uploaded to the eTenders portal by the closing date and time. Hard copy submissions are not required.

7. Key dates & process

8. Contract terms that matter

• Term: The contract will have an initial term of 4 years from the date of acceptance notification.
• Extension: The Contracting Authority reserves the right to extend the term for up to two periods of 12 months each (totaling 2 years), subject to legal obligations.
• Payment terms: Payments will be made in accordance with the Services Contract.
• Key SLAs/KPIs: The contract is subject to satisfactory performance against agreed service levels and key performance indicators.
• Liquidated damages or penalty regimes: Not specified for this tender.
• Termination clauses: The Contracting Authority may cancel the procurement at any time prior to contract establishment. Termination clauses within the Services Contract (Appendix 5) should be reviewed.
• IP ownership: Not specified for this tender.
• Sub-contracting rules: Consortia and subcontractors are permitted. The Prime Service Provider will be responsible for all matters and communication.
• Parent-company guarantee or bond requirements: Not specified for this tender.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• Open Procedure (Non OJEU): This indicates the estimated value is below the EU procurement thresholds, potentially limiting the scope of services or the overall contract value.
• No guaranteed volumes: GHC explicitly states it cannot guarantee specific volumes of work, meaning the actual workload could be significantly lower than anticipated by a tenderer.
• Estimated budget disclosure: The stated estimated budget of €50,000 per annum is a DO-NOT-USE-AS-BINDING figure, but it provides a strong indication of the expected annual spend. This is a relatively low figure for a 4-year framework requiring significant insurance cover.
• Fixed hourly rate for 4 years: Tenderers must provide a fixed hourly rate for the entire contract duration, including Sundays and Bank Holidays, which carries pricing risk due to potential inflation or unforeseen cost increases.
• Single Operator Framework: This limits competition to one provider, concentrating risk and reward on a single entity.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is likely suitable for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with a strong track record in civil engineering maintenance and repair, particularly within port or industrial environments.

• Credible bidders: A firm with demonstrated experience in routine civil engineering works, emergency response, and a capacity to meet the insurance requirements (€13m EL, €6.5m PL, €1m PL) would be a credible bidder. Membership in the Irish Institution of Civil Engineers or CIF is mandatory. The turnover requirement of €150,000 average annual turnover is achievable for many established SMEs.
• Consortium/sub-contracting: Consortia and subcontractors are permitted, allowing smaller firms to partner with others to meet requirements or to bid for specific elements of the work.
• Indicative bid-prep effort: Preparing a compliant tender, including detailed pricing, technical responses, and declarations, could require 5-10 days of effort for an experienced team.
• Pwin signal: The tender is an Open Procedure (Non OJEU) with an estimated annual budget of €50,000, suggesting it is not a high-value contract. The absence of specific past performance requirements or named incumbents does not strongly indicate incumbent advantage, but the single operator framework means only one firm will be successful.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT filename: GHC Civil Engineering Services RFT_Final TENDER_07.2026.pdf
• eTenders RFT ID: TBC
• Contact / Clarification Portal: Queries must be directed through the eTenders portal.
• Key Attachments:
• Appendix 1: Requirements and Specification
• Appendix 2: Form of Tender (including Pricing Schedule)
• Appendix 3: Tenderer’s Statement
• Appendix 5: Draft Service Contract