Waterford City and County Council WCCC26 477 Winterval Security

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1. At a glance

Buyer Title CPV / category Estimated value Per-year Procedure type Lots Location Contract length Submission deadline Go-live / start | :--------------------------- | :---------------------------------------- | :------------- | :-------------- | :------- | :---------------------- | :--- | :-------------- | :-------------- | :------------------ | :-------------- | Waterford City and County Council WCCC26 477 Winterval Security 79710000-0 not disclosed not stated Open Procedure (National) 1 Waterford City 2 months + 2x2 month extensions 2026-10-01T14:00:00 2026-11-11

2. Scope of Work

This procurement is for the provision of suitably qualified and licensed security staff to oversee and secure the Winterval Christmas Festival in Waterford City centre. The contract duration is an initial two months, with two optional two-month extensions available for subsequent years. The festival operates for 23 days, commencing on November 11th and concluding on December 23rd, 2026.

The contractor will be responsible for two primary areas of security:

• Static Overnight Security:

• Security staff will patrol assigned areas and protect festival property between 9:00 PM and 6:00 AM daily.

• A daily report detailing previous night's activity and any logged incidents is required.

• Specific duties include property protection and maintaining visible presence.

• Overnight security is required at four distinct locations:

• Arundel Square / John Roberts Square

• Michael Street, Broad Street and Peter Street

• Cathedral Square

• Waterford Cultural Quarter

• Event Security:

• Security staff will provide security for festival events occurring at various locations within Waterford City Centre.

• This service will be required on dates between November 13th and December 23rd, 2026.

• A detailed calendar of specific times and dates for event security requirements is provided in an accompanying document.

All security personnel must be licensed in accordance with the Private Security Services Act 2004 to 2021. The scope includes ensuring the safety and security of festival installations and attendees.

3. Background & buyer context

Waterford City and County Council is procuring security services for its Winterval Christmas Festival. Winterval, established in 2012, is described as Ireland's largest Christmas festival, attracting significant visitor numbers and contributing to Waterford's designation as European City of Christmas 2024. The festival encompasses a range of free and paid attractions, including light shows, markets, and family-oriented events. The current procurement is for the 2026 festival, with potential extensions for 2027 and 2028. The council was formed on June 1st, 2014, through the merger of Waterford City Council and Waterford County Council under the Local Government Reform Act 2014.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Tenderers must meet the following minimum requirements to be considered eligible:

• Turnover requirement:
• Average annual turnover must have exceeded €75,000 in each of the last three years, or pro-rata for more recently established firms.
• Firms must have been in existence for at least six months.
• Insurance:
• Employer's Liability: €13,000,000
• Public Liability: €6,500,000
• Certifications:
• Personnel must be licensed as per the Private Security Services Act 2004 to 2021.
• Tenderers must demonstrate operation of health & safety systems and procedures in line with relevant Safety Health & Welfare at Work legislation.
• Tenderers must demonstrate a commitment to quality assurance, providing details of policies and systems, and whether they are 3rd party certified.
• Past experience:
• Demonstrate successful delivery of three comparable projects within the last five years.
• Projects must include features as defined in the Tender Response Document (TRD).
• If relying on third-party resources for experience, one project must be from that third party.
• Personnel:
• Access to the minimum number of skilled personnel as indicated in the TRD, including:
• Account manager
• Security Staff Supervisor
• Static Security Staff
• Event Security Staff
• Geographic / facility constraints:
• Not specified for this tender.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The contract will be awarded based on the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT), considering both qualitative and cost factors. Qualitative criteria are assessed first.

A minimum overall quality score of 2,100 marks (60%) is required. No minimum score applies to Criterion D. The cost score is calculated based on the lowest bona fide tender receiving maximum marks.

6. Submission requirements

Tenders must be submitted electronically via the eTenders postbox facility. The following documents and information are required:

• Tender Response Document (TRD): This mandatory document must be used, with no personalization or branding added.
• Pricing Schedule: A separate pricing document is provided.
• Declarations:
• Declaration of Bona Fides (as per Art. 57 of Directive 2014/24/EU).
• Declaration regarding compliance with relevant statutory obligations.
• European Single Procurement Document (ESPD) - electronically via eESPD or as a separate attachment.
• Declaration regarding the International Procurement Instrument (2022/1031) and article 5K of Regulation 2022/576.
• Supporting Information:
• Information on previous comparable experience/projects (three instances).
• Information demonstrating access to required personnel and technical resources.
• Details of health & safety and quality assurance management systems.
• Submission Format: Upload response as a Zip file to protect file names.
• Mandatory Site Visit:
• Date: September 18th, 2026, between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM.
• Confirmation of attendance required by June Bolger ([email protected]) by 3:00 PM on September 16th, 2026.

7. Key dates & process

8. Contract terms that matter

• Term: Initial contract duration is two months.
• Extensions: Two optional extensions of two months each are available for the 2027 and 2028 festivals, subject to performance, budget, and business needs.
• Payment: Based on approved invoices and supporting documentation.
• Service Level Agreement (SLA) / Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): To be agreed upon, with regular performance reviews.
• Termination: The Contracting Authority reserves the right to terminate if external factors (e.g., customs union changes) render the arrangement uncompetitive. Termination will follow contract terms.
• Sub-contracting: Tenderers may rely on the resources of other entities, but must prove these resources will be at their disposal. If a subcontractor's value exceeds 10% of the contract, they must also meet exclusion ground and reliability requirements.
• Parent Company Guarantee / Bond: Not specified for this tender.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• Indicative Budget vs. Contract Value: The indicative budget (€50,000 - €60,000 per annum, up to €180,000 total) is relatively low for a 23-day festival requiring significant static and event security, potentially indicating a need for highly efficient operations or a focus on specific event periods rather than full-time coverage.
• Tight Site Visit Confirmation: The deadline for confirming attendance at the site visit (September 16th) is very close to the RFT issue date (September 10th), requiring prompt action from interested parties.
• Pass/Fail Technical Criteria: Several technical capacity requirements are assessed on a pass/fail basis, meaning failure to meet any one of these will result in the tender being deemed inadmissible.
• Referees' Feedback: Feedback from referees for past projects is a pass/fail criterion, and negative feedback could lead to inadmissibility.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is structured as an Open Procedure at a National Level, but the RFT explicitly states it is "RECOMMENDED FOR BELOW EU THRESHOLD ONLY". This suggests it is accessible to smaller businesses.

• Viable Bidder Profile: A small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) specializing in security services, holding the required Private Security Services Act licenses, and possessing the specified insurance levels (€13m Employers Liability, €6.5m Public Liability) could be a suitable bidder. They must also demonstrate a turnover of at least €75,000 annually for the last three years and have been in operation for at least six months. Experience in event security and static overnight security for public events is crucial.
• Consortium/Sub-contracting: SMEs are encouraged to form relationships with other SMEs or larger enterprises to meet capacity requirements. Tenderers can rely on the resources of other entities, provided they can prove these resources will be available.
• Indicative Bid-Prep Effort: Preparing the Tender Response Document, gathering evidence for past experience, insurance, and personnel, and detailing methodologies for crowd management and service delivery will likely require significant effort, potentially 5-10 working days for a focused team.
• Pwin Signal: The tender is open, with no named incumbent explicitly mentioned. The emphasis on SMEs and the "below EU threshold" recommendation suggest a competitive field. The pass/fail nature of technical criteria and the reliance on referee feedback are key evaluation points.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT Filename: WCCC26 477 Winterval Christmas Festival Security 2026 RFT Final.pdf
• eTenders CFT ID: Not explicitly stated in the provided text.
• Contact for Queries: Messaging facility on www.etenders.gov.ie.
• Key Attachments:
• Appendix 1 – Contract Terms and Conditions
• Security Time Requirements (referenced for detailed dates/times)
• Tender Response Document (TRD)