Collection and Disposal of Category 1 Waste from Dublin Airport Passenger Terminals and Airside Stables

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 required involve the collection and disposal of Category 1 waste from designated locations at Dublin Airport. The contractor will be responsible for the removal, emptying, cleaning, and disinfection of bins containing Category 1 waste. These services are to be provided at three specific locations: Terminal One, Terminal Two, and the Airside Stables.

The scope of work includes:

• Waste Removal: Collection of Category 1 waste from bins located within Terminal One, Terminal Two, and the Airside Stables.
• Bin Servicing: This encompasses the emptying of bins, followed by thorough cleaning and disinfection processes.
• Waste Disposal: Ensuring the appropriate and compliant disposal of all collected Category 1 waste according to relevant regulations.
• Service Locations:
• Terminal One
• Terminal Two
• Airside Stables

The estimated expenditure for these services over the contract term is €138,000 (excluding VAT). The contract duration is three years, with an option for extension of up to twelve months.

3. Background & buyer context

This procurement is being conducted by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The requirement for the collection and disposal of Category 1 waste arises from operational needs at Dublin Airport, specifically concerning waste generated at passenger terminals and airside stables. Category 1 waste typically includes animal by-products that require specific handling and disposal procedures due to public health and biosecurity concerns. The procurement is being managed under an open procedure, indicating a competitive process to select a service provider. The estimated value suggests a service requirement of moderate scale.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Bidders must meet the following minimum requirements to be considered:

• Turnover requirement:
• Minimum average annual turnover of €100,000 for a minimum of two of the last three financial years.
• This turnover must have been achieved in a minimum of two of the three most recent years of audited accounts, or for each year the entity has been established if its establishment date is more recent.
• Insurance:
• Employer’s Liability: €12.7 million
• Public Liability: €6.5 million
• Product Liability: €6.5 million
• Professional Indemnity: N/A
• Motor Insurance: Commercial insurance policy with unlimited legal liability for death or bodily injury to any person, and a minimum limit of €1.3 million for third-party property damage per accident (increasing to €6.5 million if required).
• Certifications: Not specified for this tender.
• Past experience:
• Demonstrate delivery of similar services within the last three years, either in their current capacity or as a key resource with another provider.
• Personnel: Not specified for this tender.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Services are to be provided at Dublin Airport.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The award criteria are not explicitly detailed with scoring percentages in the provided extract. However, the tender documents indicate that evaluation will be based on the Award Criteria at part 3.3, following the selection of compliant tenderers. The selection criteria are pass/fail. The overall award mechanism is likely to be Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT), which typically involves a balance of price and quality. A minimum scoring threshold of 60% of total marks is mentioned in the context of scoring bands (60%-79%), suggesting a potential minimum score requirement for certain aspects of the evaluation.

6. Submission requirements

Bidders must submit the following:

• European Single Procurement Document (eESPD): Electronic version, confirming compliance with exclusion grounds and selection criteria.
• Tenderer’s Statement: Scanned, signed copy on letterhead, confirming acceptance of contract terms.
• Pricing Schedule: Completed as per Appendix 2.
• Turnover Details: For the last three financial years, in the specified format.
• Supporting Documentation: Formal audited accounts for turnover verification, if requested.
• Declarations:
• Declaration as to Personal Circumstances of Tenderer (Appendix 4).
• Declaration of any Registrable Interest.
• Declaration that the preparation of the Tender was carried out independently.
• Mandatory site visit:
• Location: DAFM, Border Control Post, Dublin Airport K67 S5K7.
• Dates: Thursday, 1 October 2026 to Friday, 2 October 2026.
• Times: 10:00-12:00 and 14:00-16:00.
• Booking: Download and return "Notification to Attend Site Visit" form via eTenders messaging by 14:00 on Friday, 25 September 2026.
• Submission portal: Via the electronic tenderbox on www.etenders.gov.ie.
• Format: Documents must be readable using Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, or Adobe Acrobat PDF.

7. Key dates & process

8. Contract terms that matter

• Term: 3 years, with an option for one extension of up to 12 months.
• Payment terms: Subject to and made in accordance with the Services Contract at Appendix 5.
• Price adjustments: Prices may be increased or decreased only on the first anniversary of the Effective Date and subsequent anniversaries, linked to an unspecified index.
• Sub-contracting: The successful tenderer will be designated the Prime Contractor and must designate a single entity responsible for the contract, irrespective of sub-contracting.
• Indemnification: Tenderers must indemnify the Contracting Authority for claims arising from failure to comply with Council Directive 2001/23/EC (transfer of undertakings).
• Employee rights: Compliance with the Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Act 2012 is required if agency workers are used.
• Confidentiality: Information disclosed by the Contracting Authority must be treated as confidential.
• Tax compliance: Compliance with all applicable EU and domestic tax laws is a condition of the contract. Tax Clearance Access Number and Tax Reference Number will be verified online.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• Estimated Value vs. Turnover: The estimated contract value of €138,000 over three years (€46,000 per year) is significantly lower than the minimum annual turnover requirement of €100,000. This suggests that the turnover requirement is a standard eligibility gate rather than directly reflecting the contract's scale, potentially limiting the pool of bidders to those with broader service offerings or experience in larger contracts.
• Mandatory Site Visit Booking: The deadline for booking the site visit (25 September 2026) is before the tender deadline (23 October 2026), requiring prompt action from interested parties.
• Insurance for Motor: While specific limits are provided for EL, PL, and Product Liability, the Motor Insurance requirement is described as a "commercial insurance policy" with specific coverages but less precise monetary limits for third-party property damage (€1.3 million minimum, increasing to €6.5 million if required).
• Professional Indemnity: Explicitly stated as "N/A", which is unusual for waste management services and may indicate a low perceived risk for this specific service.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is likely accessible to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that specialise in waste management, particularly those with experience in handling regulated waste streams. The turnover requirement of €100,000 per annum for two of the last three years is a common threshold for SMEs. The estimated contract value of €138,000 over three years is modest, aligning with the capacity of many SMEs.

• Viable Bidder Profile: An SME with established procedures for waste collection, cleaning, disinfection, and disposal of Category 1 waste, holding the required insurances, and capable of operating within the Dublin Airport environment.
• Consortium/Sub-contracting: The RFT encourages SMEs to explore relationships with other SMEs or larger enterprises. While not explicitly mandatory, forming consortia or using sub-contractors is permitted and may be a viable strategy for SMEs to meet broader capacity requirements or share risk.
• Indicative Bid-Prep Effort: Preparing a compliant tender, including the eESPD, pricing schedule, turnover details, and site visit, could require 5-10 working days for an experienced SME.
• Pwin Signal: The tender does not explicitly indicate an incumbent. The relatively low estimated value and the open procedure suggest a competitive process. The primary challenge for SMEs might be demonstrating the specific experience required for Category 1 waste handling and operating within the airport environment.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT filename: CFT 9090285 - Cat 1 waste Dublin Airport RFT 16092026.docx
• eTenders CFT ID: 9090285
• 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