Provision of Consultancy Services to support the development of a Skills Strategy 2027-2031 for Dún Laoghaire Rathdown

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1. At a glance

2. Scope of Work

The Contracting Authority requires consultancy services to develop a comprehensive Skills Strategy for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown (DLR) for the period 2027–2030. The successful tenderer will conduct a detailed assessment of current and future skills requirements within the county, analysing both labour market demand and supply. This will establish an evidence base to inform policy.

The work comprises seven main components:

• Literature Review: An examination of relevant domestic and international skills policies, strategies, and research. This includes national strategies, OECD reports, Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) outputs, and regional/local policy documents such as the DLR County Development Plan and Social Enterprise Strategy.
• Baseline Study of Existing Employment Landscape: A detailed analysis of the county's employment profile, categorised by NACE Rev. 2 classifications and Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) occupations. This will use a mixed-methods approach, combining top-down data analysis (CSO, SLMRU, ESCO) with bottom-up insights from business and industry stakeholder interviews. The analysis will cover occupationally defined skills and cross-sectoral competencies, disaggregated by Local Electoral Areas.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Deep engagement with key stakeholders, including enterprise representatives, higher and further education providers (UCD, IADT, DLRETB), state agencies (DFHERIS, IDA, Enterprise Ireland), regional/local agencies (Regional Skills Forum), and social/community enterprises. A stakeholder engagement plan will be developed, potentially integrating consultations and using survey evidence.
• Projected Growth to 2030: Forecasting replacement and expansion demand for skills by competency and sector up to 2030. This will involve analysing data trends, benchmark comparisons, and the impact of megatrends like AI, automation, digitalisation, and hybrid working models.
• DLR Skills Supply to 2030: Assessing the current skills supply pipeline from Higher Education Institutions (UCD, IADT), Further Education and Training providers (DDLETB), Skillnet Ireland Networks, and other relevant bodies. The analysis will consider apprenticeships, traineeships, micro-credentials, and lifelong learning pathways, with a focus on supporting disadvantaged groups.
• Skills Forecasting: Analysing demand indicators (employment data, job ads) and supply indicators (graduates, jobseekers) to produce quantitative projections of future employment trends by sector and occupation. This includes estimating future education levels of the population and labour force annually from 2027 to 2030.
• Policy Recommendations: Developing clear, time-bound recommendations to address identified skills needs, aligning with DLR strategies and priority sectors. This includes mapping an implementation framework with lead organisations, timelines, success measures, and potential delivery mechanisms.

The final output will be a publishable Skills Strategy document, including an executive summary, supporting data visualisation, and high-resolution print files. The contract duration is approximately 20-24 weeks from commencement.

3. Background & buyer context

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council (DLRCC) is procuring consultancy services to develop a Skills Strategy for 2027–2030. This initiative aligns with DLRCC's responsibilities for economic and enterprise development, supporting the DLR County Development Plan 2022-2028 and the DLR Local Economic and Community Plan 2023-2028. The strategy aims to ensure a sustainable, inclusive, and accessible county with a strong economy by maintaining a diverse and accessible skills supply that meets business needs and citizen aspirations. DLRCC has over 250,000 residents and more than 95,000 businesses, with significant third-level education institutions. The county's economic profile includes a high concentration of professional, managerial, and technical employment, particularly in sectors like ICT, fintech, medtech, tourism, and creative industries. The strategy will also address social enterprise and communities experiencing marginalisation.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

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

• Turnover requirement: Not specified for this tender.
• Insurance:
• Employer's Liability: €13,000,000
• Public Liability: €6,500,000 (or €2,000,000 for services not involving working with equipment or interfacing with the public)
• Product Liability: €6,500,000
• Professional Indemnity: €1,000,000
• Cyber Liability: €2,000,000
• Certifications: Tenderers should provide information on measures in place to ensure quality service delivery, for example, through an externally certified system. Compliance with relevant Health & Safety and Environmental legislation and guidelines is mandatory.
• Past experience: Not specified for this tender.
• Personnel: Tenderers must demonstrate access to the minimum numbers of skilled personnel stated in the Tender Response Document (TRD). Specific roles and minimum years of experience are detailed within the TRD.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Not specified for this tender.
• Company Existence: The firm must have been in existence for at least 6 months.

Tenderers may rely on the resources of other entities to meet these requirements, provided they can prove these resources will be at their disposal.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The contract will be awarded based on the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT), determined by a combination of quality and price. The specific weighting between quality and price is not detailed in the provided text, but the award will be based on the lowest cost tender that meets all minimum qualitative requirements.

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