Graduate Development Programme for Tech Industry Alliance Skillnet (TIAS)

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1. At a glance

2. Scope of Work

This procurement seeks a single service provider to design, manage, and deliver a Graduate Development Programme for Tech Industry Alliance Skillnet (TIAS). The programme aims to support participating employers in attracting, developing, and retaining graduate talent, accelerating participants' transition into confident professionals. The successful provider will be responsible for the entire programme lifecycle, from design to delivery and evaluation.

The programme is envisioned as a multi-module offering, delivered over approximately 10-12 months. Delivery is expected to be predominantly instructor-led and experiential, with a preference for face-to-face sessions in Cork or the South West region. Live online or blended elements are permissible if they enhance the learning journey or reduce travel.

Key activities and components include:

• Programme Design: Developing an evidence-based design reflecting contemporary graduate and early-career development needs, adaptable to participating employers. The design must integrate practical workplace application with relevant theory, creating a coherent development journey.
• Capability Development: Focusing on specific capability areas, including:
• Transition to effective professional (personal responsibility, standards, career ownership).
• Self-awareness, emotional intelligence, resilience, confidence, and reflective practice.
• Communication, presentation, influencing, negotiation, and stakeholder management.
• Commercial and business acumen, understanding organisational value creation.
• Collaboration, teamwork, and cross-functional/cultural working.
• Critical thinking, structured problem-solving, judgement, and decision-making.
• Adaptability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Project and priority management, personal effectiveness, and accountability.
• Leadership mindset and foundations of leading self and others.
• Active/applied learning addressing real workplace challenges.
• Delivery Methods: Employing facilitated workshops, practical exercises, peer learning, cohort-based collaboration, workplace application/action learning assignments or projects, diagnostic or psychometric instruments with debriefs, experiential team or cohort development activities, reflection and feedback mechanisms, digital tools and learning resources, and a closing/integration activity.
• Customisation: Engaging with TIAS and participating employers to tailor examples, case material, sequencing, workplace assignments, and delivery emphasis to reflect the operating environment of participating companies, while preserving programme integrity.
• Participant Support: Onboarding participants, managing attendance and participation records, and addressing participant issues and complaints.
• Evaluation and Reporting: Conducting participant evaluations (reaction and learning, Kirkpatrick Levels 1 and 2 or equivalent), providing evidence of workplace application, and delivering interim and final programme reports summarising attendance, engagement, feedback, outcomes, issues, and recommendations.
• Contract Management: Nominating a dedicated Contract/Programme Manager as TIAS's primary point of contact, developing a clear mobilisation plan, and ensuring prompt escalation of delivery risks.
• Personnel: Providing experienced facilitators with equivalent or greater qualifications, skills, and experience to those identified in the tender.

3. Background & buyer context

Tech Industry Alliance (TIA) is the contracting organisation for TIA Skillnet (TIAS). Established over 20 years ago, TIA is a not-for-profit organisation representing the technology sector in the South West of Ireland. TIA Skillnet, established in 2013, is a learning network funded by Skillnet Ireland (through the National Training Fund) and the European Union, alongside company contributions. Its purpose is to address current and future skills needs in the technology sector and beyond through subsidised workforce development solutions, enhancing business performance and competitiveness. This procurement is for a Graduate Development Programme to support companies in developing and retaining graduate talent within this regional ecosystem.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

• Turnover requirement: Not specified for this tender. Tenderers must confirm they have the financial and economic capacity to perform a contract of the scale described and provide supporting evidence if requested.
• Insurance:
• Employer's Liability: €13,500,000 for any one claim or series of claims.
• Public Liability: €6,500,000 for any one claim or series of claims. Evidence of cover must be provided before contract award and maintained during the contract term.
• Certifications: Not specified for this tender.
• Past experience: Tenderers must demonstrate at least two relevant assignments delivered within the previous five years, comparable in nature, scope, and complexity. At least one example must involve a structured graduate, emerging talent, early-career, or equivalent multi-module development programme. Referee contact details must be provided.
• Personnel: Not specified for this tender, beyond the requirement for experienced facilitators and a dedicated Contract/Programme Manager.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Delivery is expected to be predominantly face-to-face in Cork / the South West of Ireland.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The contract will be awarded on the basis of the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT).

Tenderers must achieve at least 60% of the marks available under each qualitative criterion (A-D). Failure to meet the minimum score in any of these criteria will result in elimination before price evaluation.

6. Submission requirements

• Method statement / response document: Completed Tender Response Document (TRD) following the specified structure, answering each requirement in the provided location. Responses must be self-contained, without reliance on external hyperlinks.
• CVs: Not explicitly specified with page limits, but proposed programme team qualifications and experience are evaluated.
• Pricing schedule: Completed Pricing Schedule, including all mandatory cost components, stated in Euro and exclusive of VAT. Prices must be all-inclusive and remain valid for 180 days.
• Case studies: Two relevant assignments delivered within the previous five years, with at least one being a structured graduate/emerging talent programme. Referee contact details must be provided.
• Declarations: Signed Tenderer Declaration contained in the TRD, declarations relating to grounds for exclusion, conflicts of interest, anti-competitive conduct, and accuracy of information.
• Mandatory site visit: Not specified for this tender.
• Submission portal: Electronic submission through the eTenders tender box only (www.etenders.gov.ie). Tenders submitted by other means will not be accepted.

7. Key dates & process

8. Contract terms that matter

• Term: Initial period of 12 months, with options to extend for up to two further 12-month periods, subject to funding, demand, and satisfactory performance. Maximum potential term is 36 months.
• Payment terms: Payment is subject to TIAS being satisfied that Services have been delivered in accordance with the Contract and the Contractor maintaining tax clearance status. Invoices must contain supporting information. The European Communities (Late Payment in Commercial Transactions) Regulations 2012 apply.
• Key SLAs/KPIs: Defined in Schedule 4, covering programme mobilisation, delivery against schedule, Key Personnel continuity, attendance records, participant experience, learning evaluation, reporting, continuous improvement, issue escalation, and data protection. Specific numerical targets may be completed at contract award.
• Liquidated damages/penalties: Not explicitly detailed, but TIAS may recover reasonable additional direct costs from the Contractor if replacement services are procured due to Contractor failure, subject to the liability cap.
• Termination clauses: TIAS may terminate for convenience on 30 days' written notice, paying for Services delivered. Either party may terminate for material breach (30-day remedy period), insolvency, or if a conflict of interest cannot be managed. TIAS may terminate for mandatory exclusion grounds or serious performance deficiencies.
• IP ownership: TIAS retains ownership of bespoke reports, evaluation outputs, and TIAS-specific materials created under the contract. The Contractor retains ownership of its pre-existing methodologies and grants TIAS a perpetual, royalty-free, non-exclusive licence for embedded Contractor Pre-Existing IPR for TIAS's internal and programme purposes.
• Sub-contracting: Material subcontracting requires TIAS's reasonable approval. The Contractor remains fully liable for subcontracted Services.
• Parent-company guarantee/bond: Not specified for this tender.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• Indicative value vs. contract length: The estimated total value of €300,000 over a maximum 36-month term averages €100,000 per year. This is relatively low for a programme of this duration and complexity, suggesting a need for highly efficient delivery or a focus on a smaller number of cohorts per year.
• No guaranteed spend: Clause 4.2 and 4.4 explicitly state that TIAS provides no guarantee as to participant numbers, cohort numbers, annual expenditure, or minimum contract value. This indicates a variable demand model, and bidders must price accordingly.
• Draft Services Contract: Tenderers are required to review and accept the Draft Services Contract, with queries raised during the clarification period. By submitting a tender, bidders confirm they are prepared to enter into the contract substantially in the form issued.
• MEAT with minimum qualitative scores: The award structure requires bidders to pass minimum score thresholds in qualitative criteria (A-D) before price is considered. This means a low price alone will not secure the contract if quality requirements are not met.
• Sustainability assessment: Sustainability is assessed as part of Award Criterion A, not as a separate weighted criterion.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is likely open to small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with specialised expertise in graduate development programmes. A credible bidder would need:

• Organisational capacity: Demonstrated ability to manage and deliver complex programmes, including robust quality assurance and business continuity arrangements.
• Specialist expertise: Proven experience in designing and delivering graduate or emerging talent development programmes, with a strong understanding of the technology sector's needs.
• Qualified personnel: A team of experienced facilitators with relevant qualifications and industry credibility.
• Financial standing: The ability to meet insurance requirements and manage cash flow, given the payment terms and lack of guaranteed spend.

Consortium bidding is not explicitly mentioned, but subcontracting is permitted with TIAS approval, meaning an SME could potentially partner with other specialists. The bid preparation effort is likely moderate to high, given the detailed TRD, programme design requirements, and the need to demonstrate past experience. The "Pwin" signal is not strong for an incumbent, as this appears to be a new programme design procurement. The MEAT award criteria with minimum qualitative thresholds suggest that quality and experience are paramount, potentially favouring established providers in this niche.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT filename: [TIAS_Graduate_Development_Programme_Services_Contract_Final.docx], [TIAS_Graduate_Development_Programme_CFT_Final.docx]
• eTenders CFT ID: Not surfaced in provided text.
• Contact email: [email protected]
• Most important attachments:
• [TIAS_Graduate_Development_Programme_CFT_Final.docx] (Call for Tender)
• [TIAS_Graduate_Development_Programme_Services_Contract_Final.docx] (Draft Services Contract)
• Pricing Schedule (format to be completed by bidder)
• Tender Response Document (TRD) (format to be completed by bidder)