PET and CT Imaging 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

The Services comprise the provision of PET/CT imaging services for paediatric patients referred by Children's Health Ireland (CHI). The primary patient demographic is children and young people up to 18 years of age, with a smaller cohort of patients over 18 years of age. CHI anticipates approximately 80 PET/CT examinations annually. This volume is an estimate and does not represent a guaranteed minimum.

A proportion of patients, estimated at 5%, may require general anaesthesia or deep sedation during PET imaging. While facilities capable of providing this are preferred, it is not a mandatory requirement. CHI intends to establish a multi-supplier framework agreement with up to three Service Providers. However, CHI reserves the right to appoint fewer providers, including a single provider, based on the procurement outcome.

Services will be drawn down on a patient-specific basis. CHI will select the Service Provider for each referral considering:

• Clinical requirements of the patient.
• Service availability and capacity of the provider.
• Accessibility of the proposed facility.
• Patient and family preferences, where appropriate.

Ease of access for patients and families is a key aspect of service delivery. CHI will consider facility location and accessibility during tender evaluation and referral decisions under the framework.

3. Background & buyer context

Children's Health Ireland (CHI) is procuring PET and CT imaging services to meet the diagnostic needs of its paediatric patient population. This procurement aligns with CHI's commitment to providing specialised healthcare services for children and young people. The establishment of a framework agreement aims to ensure timely access to essential imaging diagnostics. The procurement is conducted under an open procedure, adhering to EU and Irish public procurement regulations. CHI intends to establish a multi-supplier framework, indicating a strategic approach to service provision and resilience.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Bidders must satisfy the following criteria to be considered:

• Turnover requirement: A minimum average annual turnover of €350,000 for the past three years (2022-2024 or 2023-2025). This must be evidenced by an auditor's letter and a bank statement confirming the account is in good standing.
• Insurance: The successful Tenderer must hold the following insurances for the term of the Services Contract:
• Employer's Liability: €12.7 million
• Public Liability: €6.5 million
• Professional Indemnity: €1.5 million (or Medical Malpractice Insurance appropriate to the services).
• Certifications: Not specified for this tender.
• Past experience: Not specified as a distinct criterion in the provided text, but implied through the need to demonstrate technical and professional ability.
• Personnel: Not specified for this tender.
• Geographic / facility constraints: While not a strict eligibility criterion, facility location and accessibility are considered in award decisions.

Tenderers must also declare via the eESPD that no mandatory grounds for exclusion apply, or if they do, that sufficient reliability measures are in place. Tenderers relying on the capacity of other entities must ensure those entities also meet the criteria.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The Services Contract will be awarded on the basis of the most economically advantageous tender(s). The award criteria and their weighting are as follows:

The total maximum marks available are 800, with a minimum of 60% required for the Quality & Technical Requirements criterion. The price/quality split is 300 marks for Cost and 500 marks for Quality & Technical Requirements.

6. Submission requirements

Tenders must be submitted electronically via the eTenders platform. Specific requirements include:

• Method statement / response document: Tenderers must follow the RFT format and respond to each element in the order presented.
• CVs: Not specified for this tender.
• Pricing schedule: Tenderers must complete and submit the Pricing Schedule at Appendix 2. Prices must be all-inclusive (excluding VAT), in Euro, and remain valid for 180 days from the Tender Deadline.
• Case studies: Not specified for this tender.
• Declarations:
• European Single Procurement Document (eESPD) must be completed electronically.
• Tenderer's Statement (Appendix 3), signed and scanned, must be returned.
• Declaration as to Personal Circumstances of Tenderer (Appendix 4) is not required.
• Tax Clearance Access Number and Tax Reference Number are required for online verification.
• Declaration of no conflict of interest.
• Mandatory site visit: Not specified for this tender.
• Submission portal: Tenders must be submitted via the electronic tenderbox on www.etenders.gov.ie. File size limits apply (250MB per file, 2GB total). Tenders must be submitted in English and in PDF format.

7. Key dates & process

8. Contract terms that matter

The Services Contract will have an initial term of 12 months. The Contracting Authority reserves the right to extend the term for periods up to 12 months, with a maximum of four such extensions. Prices quoted must remain valid for 180 days from the Tender Deadline. Currency variations over the contract term are borne by the Tenderer.

Payment terms are subject to the Services Contract (Appendix 5), with invoices generally paid within 30 days of receipt, less any permitted deductions. Price increases are permitted only on the second anniversary of the contract's effective date and subsequent anniversaries, linked to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase, subject to prior written agreement.

The successful Tenderer must comply with all applicable environmental, social, and labour laws. Obligations under Council Directive 2001/23/EC (transfers of undertakings) and the Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Act 2012 are noted.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

The procurement specifies a multi-supplier framework with up to three providers, but CHI reserves the right to appoint fewer, including a single provider. This creates uncertainty regarding the number of successful bidders. The estimated annual volume of 80 examinations is not a guaranteed minimum, meaning actual service drawdowns could be lower. Proximity and accessibility to NCHI, Dublin 8, is a significant award criterion, potentially favouring providers located in or near the city centre. The requirement for sedation/general anaesthesia capability, while preferred rather than mandatory, could still influence scoring and provider selection. The tender documents mention Regulations (EU) 2022/1031 (International Procurement Instrument) and (EU) 2022/2560 (Foreign Subsidies), requiring Tenderers to be aware of and comply with these, including potential notification obligations for foreign financial contributions.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is open to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), with larger enterprises encouraged to include SMEs in their proposals. A credible bidder would likely be a specialised imaging service provider with established PET/CT capabilities. The minimum annual turnover requirement of €350,000 suggests that very small or newly established businesses may find it challenging to meet this threshold. Consortium or subcontracting is permitted, offering SMEs opportunities to participate by partnering with other firms. The bid preparation effort is likely moderate, involving the completion of the eESPD, pricing schedule, and technical responses. The "Pwin" signal is not strong; the multi-supplier framework and the emphasis on quality and accessibility suggest a competitive field rather than an incumbent-dominated scenario.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT filename: RFT and Services Contract PET_CT Imaging.docx
• eTenders CFT ID: Not specified
• Contact / Clarification Portal: Messaging facility on www.etenders.gov.ie
• Key Attachments:
• Appendix 1: Requirements and Specifications
• Appendix 2: Pricing Schedule
• Appendix 5: Services Contract