Contracted Training for Forklift Truck Training for Beginners (Ennis)

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 procurement seeks contracted training services for Forklift Truck Training for Beginners, to be delivered in Ennis. The Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board (LCETB) requires external partners to provide this ETB-funded education and training. The service is designed for agility, enabling LCETB to meet evolving Further Education and Training Service Plan goals through outsourced provision.

The scope of work involves the delivery of a single course provision as outlined in Appendix 2 of the tender documents. Key activities and requirements include:

• Course Delivery: Provision of Forklift Truck Training for Beginners.
• Location: Ennis.
• Volumes: The tender is for a single course provision. The course will run with a minimum of 5 learners.
• Pricing: All prices must be all-inclusive, expressed in Euro, and exclusive of VAT. Prices must remain valid for six months from the tender deadline. The supplier must have sufficient funds to deliver the course, with a minimum requirement of 25% of the overall course cost based on the Pricing Schedule.
• Account Management: Tenderers must nominate a dedicated account manager responsible for the contract's overall delivery, acting as the main point of contact. This role includes managing the relationship, reporting on performance, meeting to review performance, handling disputes, and proactively discussing efficiency improvements. Account management activities are non-billable.
• Invoicing: Invoices are to be submitted monthly for costs incurred in the preceding month. Invoices must quote the contract number, course title, invoice number, period of claim, outstanding balance, fees invoiced to date, and invoice fees for the period of claim. Invoices not quoting relevant information will be returned.
• Personnel: Tenderers must provide evidence of minimum levels of personnel (tutors) and skills. Replacement personnel must be of equal or better standing in terms of qualifications and experience, with written approval from the Contracting Authority.
• Quality Assurance: Tenderers must provide details of quality assurance policies and systems, and whether they are 3rd party certified.
• Health & Safety: Tenderers must provide details of health and safety policies and whether they are 3rd party certified.
• Environmental & CSR: Tenderers must provide details of environmental policies and systems, and whether they are 3rd party certified. They must also provide an Environmental Management Plan and describe their CSR strategy.

3. Background & buyer context

The Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board (LCETB) is the contracting authority for this procurement. LCETB is one of 16 Education and Training Boards established under the Education and Training Boards Act 2013, responsible for delivering a comprehensive range of quality education programmes in Limerick and Clare. These programmes include primary and post-primary education, Post Leaving Certificate programmes, Further Education, apprenticeships, second-chance learning, and adult and community education.

LCETB delivers services to over 38,000 students and learners annually, employing 2,600 staff. The authority has an average annual budget of €240 million across its divisions, with a capital programme investment exceeding €150 million over the next four years. LCETB operates across numerous locations, including schools, education centres, and community group settings throughout Limerick and Clare. This procurement is part of LCETB's strategy to outsource specific training provisions to meet evolving educational needs and service plan goals.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Bidders must meet the following criteria to be considered eligible for evaluation:

• Turnover requirement: Confirmation of turnover for each of the last three years (2023, 2024, 2025) is required. No specific minimum turnover figure is stated.
• Insurance:
• Employers Liability Insurance: €13,000,000 for any one claim or series of claims arising out of a single occurrence. (Not required if the third party is self-employed).
• Public Liability Insurance: €6,500,000 for any one claim or series of claims arising out of a single occurrence. (May be provided as part of a combined policy).
• Product Liability Insurance: €6,500,000 for any one claim or series of claims arising out of a single occurrence. (May be provided as part of a combined policy).
• Professional Indemnity: €1,000,000 for any one claim or series of claims arising out of a single occurrence.
• Certifications:
• Details of quality assurance policies and systems, and whether 3rd party certified.
• Details of health and safety policies, and whether 3rd party certified.
• Details of environmental policies and systems, and whether 3rd party certified.
• Confirmation of compliance with ISO9000 or an equivalent internationally recognised standard is mentioned in relation to Quality Assurance.
• Past experience: Demonstration of successful delivery of three (3) previous comparable contracts in the past one (1) to three (3) years.
• Personnel: Access to minimum levels of personnel (tutors) and skills as detailed in the tender documents. An organisation chart is also required.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Not specified for this tender.

Tenderers must provide evidence of self-declared information within seven (7) calendar days of request, made prior to any award decision. Failure to provide evidence will result in elimination.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The contract will be awarded based on the most economically advantageous tender, considering the following criteria and weightings:

Tenderers must achieve a minimum score of 50% for each of the qualitative criteria (B, C, and D) to avoid elimination. The lowest cost tender that meets minimum qualitative requirements receives the maximum cost score.

6. Submission requirements

Bidders must submit their tenders electronically via the eTenders postbox facility on www.etenders.gov.ie. The tender response should be a single uploaded file, clearly labelled, page numbered, and indexed.

Key submission components include:

• Tender Response Document: This document must be completed and signed, responding to all information requested in the tender documents, including legal, financial, and technical capacity.
• Pricing Schedule: To be completed as per Appendix 3.
• Declaration of Bona Fides: To be completed and signed as per Art. 57 of Directive 2014/24/EU.
• Evidence of Capacity: Tenderers must be prepared to provide evidence of self-declared information within seven (7) calendar days of request, prior to award.
• File Size Limits: A maximum of 250MB per single file, with a total limit of 2GB for all documentation.
• Format: Tenders must be submitted in English.

A mandatory site visit is not specified.

7. Key dates & process

These dates are estimates and may be extended.

8. Contract terms that matter

• Contract Length: The contract will be for an initial period of six (6) months.
• Extension: There is an option to extend the contract for a period of up to six (6) months, with a maximum of one (1) such extension. Extensions are subject to satisfactory performance, business needs, budgetary constraints, and legal obligations.
• Payment Terms: Invoices are submitted monthly for costs incurred in the preceding month.
• Liquidated Damages: Not specified.
• Termination: Not specified beyond general compliance with terms and conditions.
• IP Ownership: Not specified.
• Sub-contracting: Not explicitly mentioned, but consortia may be required to establish legal personality or have members act as sub-contractors.
• Parent Company Guarantee/Bond: Not specified.

All tenders must accept the Contract Terms and Conditions as contained in Appendix 4 without amendment.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• Indicative Budget vs. Contract Value: The indicative budget is €18,000, while the estimated value is €28,000. This discrepancy warrants attention to understand the basis of each figure.
• Short Contract Term: The initial contract term is six months, with a potential six-month extension. This short duration may impact the willingness of larger providers to bid or require a focus on efficient mobilisation.
• Conditional Award: The contract award is conditional upon the successful tenderer accepting the Contract Terms and Conditions without amendment.
• Tender Validity: Tender prices must remain valid for six months from the tender deadline.
• Minimum Funding Requirement: Suppliers must demonstrate sufficient funds to deliver the course, with a minimum of 25% of the overall course cost.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is structured as an Open Procedure, encouraging participation from all interested parties, including SMEs.

• Who can credibly bid: A small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) with established experience in delivering accredited forklift truck training would be well-suited. The requirement for three comparable contracts in the last 1-3 years suggests a need for recent, demonstrable experience. The insurance requirements are substantial, and SMEs may need to leverage existing policies or seek specific cover.
• Consortium/Sub-contracting: SMEs are explicitly encouraged to form relationships with other SMEs or larger enterprises to meet capacity requirements. Consortia are permitted, but a single point of contact must be appointed for the procurement process.
• Indicative bid-prep effort: Bid preparation is likely to involve compiling detailed responses on technical capacity, quality assurance, environmental/CSR policies, and financial information. This could require 5-10 days of effort for a focused bid team, depending on the availability of existing documentation.
• Pwin signal: The tender is for a single course provision in Ennis, suggesting a localised market. The low indicative budget (€18,000) and short contract term (6 months) may deter very large national providers, potentially increasing the chances for smaller, specialist training providers. The absence of an incumbent mention does not provide a clear Pwin signal.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT filename: CFT_Forklift_Truck_Operators_Ennis_Contracted_Training.pdf
• eTenders CFT ID: LCETB\2026\2811
• Contact / Clarification Portal: Messaging facility on www.etenders.gov.ie
• Most important attachments:
• Appendix 2 – Course Specification
• Appendix 3 – Pricing Schedule
• Appendix 4 – Contract Terms and Conditions