RFT 10/26DL - Construction of Veterinary Medical Facility

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 procurement is for the construction of a new Veterinary Teaching Hospital for Atlantic Technological University (ATU) in Letterkenny, Co Donegal. The facility will provide modern clinical, teaching, and research capabilities, encompassing small-animal, large-animal, and equine functions, along with pathology services, animal accommodation, external yards, and associated infrastructure. The project will be delivered in phases, with the initial veterinary hospital designed to operate as a self-sufficient clinical facility by December 2028.

The scope of work includes:

• Site Preparation and Enabling Works:
• Site establishment, temporary fencing, welfare facilities, access arrangements, and construction traffic management.
• Vegetation removal where necessary, with retention and protection of existing hedgerows, trees, and ecological features.
• Substantial earthworks, cut-and-fill operations, and ground formation due to significant site level changes (approximately 20m fall).
• Coordination for existing utilities, including 38kV electricity infrastructure, requiring diversions or underground works.
• Buildings and Structural Works:
• Formation of ground-bearing foundations, ground slabs, structural frames, external walls, roofs, doors, windows, and envelope works.
• Construction of the Pathology Laboratory, Equine Housing, and large-animal yards as the initial phase, followed by the Small Animal Hospital, Large Animal Hospital, parking, and landscaping.
• Robust and durable construction materials and finishes suitable for an agricultural and clinical environment, resistant to frequent cleaning, animal contact, moisture, disinfectants, and potentially aggressive chemicals.
• Specialist Veterinary Facilities:
• Small Animal Hospital: Specialist clinical accommodation, treatment, examination, and support spaces with durable, hygienic, and easily cleanable surfaces, appropriate drainage, controlled ventilation, and secure animal-safe doors and partitions.
• Large Animal Hospital and Yards: More robust construction for larger animals and handling equipment, accommodating higher impact loads. Consideration for animal movement, loading/unloading, gates, crushes, partitions, wash-down facilities, drainage, and safe separation of animals, staff, and visitors.
• Equine Facilities: Specialist stable construction with durable partitions, doors, ventilation, drainage, wash-down facilities, and safe handling arrangements.
• Covered Large-Animal Yard: Accommodation for current and future large-animal housing, teaching, and services.
• Farm Animal Building: Specialist accommodation for clinical teaching and handling of production/farm animals, supported by a dedicated yard and external infrastructure. Includes appropriate consideration for safe animal handling, movement, separation from public circulation, waste management, and environmental protection.
• Midden/Dung Stead and Waste Compound: Facilities for agricultural waste management.
• Biosecurity and Infection Control:
• Controlled access points, secure courtyards, and transitional functions (decontamination, gowning, animal receiving, waste management, observation).
• Clear separation between clean and contaminated flows, avoiding cross-over between animal species or clinical risk areas.
• Specialist doors, barriers, drainage, ventilation, hand-washing facilities, and cleanable finishes.
• Pathology and Cadaver Facilities:
• Dedicated area for post-mortem and pathology activities, maintaining separation from other veterinary functions.
• Appropriate cadaver receiving, handling, storage, and transfer arrangements.
• Robust floors, walls, drainage, ventilation, cleaning, and waste management provisions.
• Specialist refrigeration/cold-storage, pathology equipment, extraction systems, and detailed containment arrangements.
• Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Services:
• Heat pumps for mechanical heating and cooling, with consideration for passive heating/cooling.
• Carefully controlled ventilation for veterinary areas to manage air quality, odour, humidity, and infection risks.
• Dedicated extraction and ventilation systems for pathology and specialist areas.
• Specialist plumbing and drainage for animal washing, clinical areas, pathology, and external yards, accommodating frequent wash-down and disinfection.
• Dedicated water-storage tank for firefighting purposes.
• Drainage, External Works, and Animal Yards:
• Drainage strategy incorporating conventional gullies, gravity pipework, and a conveyance/attenuation swale with Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS).
• External animal yards with robust paving, secure fencing, gates, suitable falls, drainage, wash-down provision, and separation of circulation routes.
• Roads, parking, and access arrangements for public, staff, servicing, and controlled animal movements.
• Integration with the N56, proposed pedestrian/cycle infrastructure, and existing/proposed utilities.
• Environmental and Construction Management:
• Management of construction traffic, noise, dust, surface-water protection, and pollution prevention.
• Ecological considerations including protection of habitats, trees, hedgerows, and species.
• Management of invasive species (salmonberry).
• Prevention of construction-phase sediment, pollutants, and invasive species entering local watercourses, with potential indirect effects on Lough Swilly SAC/SPA.
• Phasing, Commissioning, and Specialist Procurement:
• Phased delivery to meet operational requirements, with the first phase being a self-sufficient veterinary facility.
• Early appointment and coordination of specialist suppliers for veterinary fit-out, pathology, animal handling systems, equine stables, specialist drainage, ventilation, animal-safe doors, fencing, refrigeration, laboratory services, fire protection, and controls/BMS.
• Comprehensive testing and commissioning programme before occupation, covering building services, ventilation, drainage, fire systems, specialist veterinary equipment, access control, biosecurity, and animal-handling routes.

3. Background & buyer context

Atlantic Technological University (ATU) is procuring the construction of a new Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Letterkenny, Co Donegal. This project aligns with the university's strategic development plans to enhance its educational and research offerings in veterinary medicine. The facility is intended to be a modern, self-sufficient clinical, teaching, and research hub. The project is situated on a greenfield site at Knocknamona and Carnamogagh Lower, Letterkenny, adjacent to existing ATU facilities and key road infrastructure. The development is planned to be delivered in phases, with the initial operational capability targeted for December 2028.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Bidders must meet the following minimum requirements to be considered for the next stage of the procurement process:

• Turnover Requirement:
• Average minimum annual turnover of €15,000,000 in two of the previous three financial years (2023, 2024, 2025).
• Evidence must be provided via a signed letter on an auditor's headed paper confirming the turnover amounts for each year.
• Insurance:
• Professional Indemnity Insurance: Minimum cover of €2,000,000 per claim. The maximum permissible excess is the greater of 2% of the applicant’s annual turnover or €5,000.
• Public Liability Insurance: Minimum cover of €6,500,000 per accident.
• Employer's Liability Insurance: Minimum cover of €13,000,000 per accident.
• Certifications:
• ISO 9001 certification or equivalent external Quality Management System (QMS).
• ISO 14001 certification or equivalent Environmental Management (EM) accreditation.
• Past Experience:
• Demonstrate experience through a minimum of four (4) separate projects completed within the last seven (7) years.
• Projects must be similar in nature, complexity, and comparative value to the veterinary facility.
• Substantial completion must have been certified within the past seven years.
• One project outside the seven-year limit may be included if it has a veterinary facility component, with a 100-word justification.
• At least two (2) of the four projects must be public works contracts (CWMF), preferably under the "PW-CF1 Public Works Contract for Building Works Designed by the Employer."
• Projects should collectively address themes including new build construction, groundworks, veterinary hospital/medicine facility, acute healthcare facility, educational/laboratory buildings, high sustainability standards, high architectural quality, accessibility, fire safety, complex sites, working adjacent to occupied accommodation, constrained programmes, Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014 compliance, utility stakeholder coordination, and specialist veterinary/healthcare equipment supplier cooperation.
• Details must be provided in Appendices B1 and B3 (maximum 2 A4 pages per project).
• Personnel:
• Managerial Staff (Director, Contracts Manager, Health & Safety Manager): All listed staff must have a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience, except for the Health and Safety Manager.
• Contracts Manager: If no formal qualifications/training, must have at least 15 years' experience in the Building Trade, including at least 8 years in a management role. With relevant formal training/qualifications, experience can be reduced to 10 years (at least 5 in management). Must have completed suitable H&S Training (minimum 4 Hours externally accredited CPD, or Degree/diploma).
• Health and Safety Manager: Minimum 8 years' experience in the Building Trade AND a relevant health and safety qualification. Must have completed at least 8 hours annual health and safety training. Minimum 3 years' experience in fulfilling the role of H&S Manager on building construction projects.
• CVs must be submitted in the format provided at Appendix X. Only three CVs will be accepted.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Not specified.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The award of the contract will be based on the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT) principle, with a weighting between price and quality.

Criterion Weight (%) Sub-criteria