Provision of Robotics Equipment and Related Items

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 City of Dublin Education and Training Board (City of Dublin ETB) seeks to establish a multi-party framework agreement for the supply of robotics equipment and related items. This framework will support the integration of robotics skills training across various education and training courses offered by City of Dublin ETB, including micro-qualifications for manufacturing skills gaps, pre-engineering courses, and computer networking/software courses. The equipment must be durable, robust, high-quality, and suitable for workshop environments with repetitive usage.

The scope encompasses:

• Robotics Equipment: Supply of equipment for robotics skills education and training.
• Related Items: Provision of associated items necessary for the training.
• Delivery: Initial delivery to two City of Dublin FET College locations, with potential expansion to other sites during the framework's lifetime.
• Training: Roll-out of training for staff post-installation and commissioning, with any associated additional costs to be detailed.
• Support and Maintenance: Provision of support and maintenance for the supplied equipment.
• Account Management: Nominated dedicated account manager for contract duration, responsible for relationship management, reporting, dispute resolution, and continuous improvement discussions. This activity is non-billable.
• Quality Assurance: Implementation of quality assurance policies and systems.
• Health & Safety: Adherence to health and safety policies.
• Environmental Considerations: Minimising environmental impact through work practices, carbon footprint reduction, energy efficiency, recycling, and packaging.

The framework agreement is for a period of four years, subject to performance, business needs, and budgetary constraints. Contracts awarded under the framework may extend beyond its expiry date. The estimated total value of purchases is approximately €2,500,000 (ex. VAT) over the framework's lifetime, though this is indicative and not guaranteed.

Contracts under the framework can be awarded via:

• Mini-tender competition: All admitted firms are invited to bid on a Request for Tender/Quotation.
• Cascade system: Contracts are awarded based on original tender submissions, starting with the highest-ranked firm.

For individual requirements up to €25,000, contracts may be awarded via cascade or Request for Quotation, based on price and availability, or price, availability, and quality. For requirements exceeding €25,000, contracts will be awarded via Request for Quotation or mini-competition based on qualitative criteria.

3. Background & buyer context

The City of Dublin Education and Training Board (City of Dublin ETB) was established on 1st July 2013 under the Education and Training Boards Act, 2013. It is the state education and training authority for Dublin, employing over 3,000 staff and serving more than 34,000 individuals across the city. City of Dublin ETB operates community national schools, community special schools, community hospital schools, and 11 community colleges. Its FET College provides PLC, apprenticeships, traineeships, and further education and training. City of Dublin ETB also manages SUSI, the national student grant awarding authority, and supports youth services and Music Generation Dublin City.

This procurement aligns with the ETB's strategy to integrate advanced manufacturing and technology training, specifically robotics skills, into its curriculum. This initiative aims to reskill and upskill the workforce, support business development, and enhance the resilience, productivity, and competitiveness of the manufacturing and technology sectors in Ireland by enabling companies to adopt new technologies. The procurement is managed through the ETBI Procurement Network, which coordinates procurement activities for the 16 ETBs nationwide.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Bidders must meet the following minimum requirements to be considered eligible for evaluation:

• Turnover requirement: Confirmation that average annual turnover exceeded €150,000 during one of the last three years, or pro-rata for newer firms.
• Insurance:
• Employers Liability: €12.7m minimum indemnity.
• Public Liability: €2.6m minimum indemnity.
• Product Liability: €2.6m minimum indemnity.
• Professional Indemnity: €1m minimum indemnity. Bidders must confirm their insurance policies include Ireland within their territorial limits and are not subject to exclusions or conditions that would materially impact coverage.
• Certifications: Not specified for this tender.
• Past experience: Demonstration of successful delivery of three comparable contracts within the last three to five years.
• Personnel: Access to minimum levels of manpower and skills as detailed in the specification, including an organisation chart.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Delivery locations are initially at two City of Dublin FET College sites, with potential expansion. No specific geographic constraints for bidders are stated.

Bidders must also confirm they are fully tax compliant with the Irish Revenue Commissioners and complete the Declaration of Bona Fides. Evidence of self-declared information must be provided within seven calendar days of request, prior to award.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The framework will be awarded based on the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT), considering the following criteria:

Tenderers must achieve a minimum score of 60% in qualitative criteria A through D to avoid elimination. Criterion A (Cost) is scored based on the lowest cost tender receiving maximum points.

6. Submission requirements

Tenderers must submit their proposals using the following documents:

• Tender Response Document (TRD): This document, provided as Appendix 3, must be completed for all sections, including Technical Capacity.
• Pricing Schedule: Appendix 3a, to be submitted alongside the TRD.
• European Single Procurement Document (ESPD): Appendix 8, to be completed and signed.
• Declaration of Bona Fides: To be completed and signed within the Tender Response Document.
• Referee Form: Appendix 7, to be completed as part of the Reliability and Continuity of Supply criterion.

Specific page limits apply to certain sections within the Tender Response Document:

• Quality and fitness for purpose of products (Criterion B): 20 x A4 pages.
• Project Management and Implementation Plan (Criterion C): 10 x A4 pages.
• Reliability and Continuity of Supply (Criterion D): 8 x A4 pages.
• Account / Contract Management (Criterion E): 4 x A4 pages.
• Green Procurement Initiatives (Criterion F): 4 x A4 pages.

Tenderers must also provide confirmation of their tax compliance and insurance details. Evidence supporting self-declared information will be requested prior to award.

7. Key dates & process

The Contracting Authority may extend these timelines.

8. Contract terms that matter

• Term: The framework agreement is for four years. Initial contracts awarded under the framework will be for two years, with an option to extend for one additional year, up to a maximum of three years.
• Payment terms: Invoices are submitted monthly for costs incurred in the preceding month. All invoices must quote a Contracting Authority purchase order number.
• Key SLAs/KPIs: Performance will be monitored based on cost competitiveness, quality of service, and turnaround time. Specific KPIs will be agreed upon.
• Liquidated damages or penalty regimes: Not specified for this tender.
• Termination clauses: The Framework Member can be terminated for material breach, failure to perform obligations, insolvency, or ceasing to carry on business. The Contracting Authority can terminate without liability by giving notice.
• IP ownership: Not specified for this tender.
• Sub-contracting rules: Information on sub-contractors and consortium members is required in the general information section.
• Parent-company guarantee or bond requirements: Not specified for this tender.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• Multi-party framework: The framework will admit three operators, subject to meeting minimum criteria. This structure means competition will occur both at the framework award stage and potentially during mini-competitions for individual contracts.
• No guaranteed expenditure: The estimated value of €2,500,000 is indicative, and there is no guaranteed purchase volume. The Contracting Authority reserves the right to procure outside the framework if it offers better value.
• Cascade system: For contracts awarded via cascade, the first-ranked tenderer must be able to deliver. If not, the next ranked tenderer is approached, indicating a potential advantage for higher-ranked firms.
• Funding dependency: The Contracting Authority reserves the right to alter requirements or not procure services if funding arrangements change.
• Minimum scores: Strict minimum scores (60%) are required for several qualitative award criteria, including cost, which could lead to elimination even with a strong overall bid.
• Non-billable account management: Account management activities are explicitly non-billable, meaning bidders must factor this cost into their overall pricing.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is structured as a multi-party framework agreement, aiming to admit three operators. This suggests a need for suppliers with established capacity and a proven track record in robotics equipment supply and training support.

• Credible bidders: Small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) could potentially bid if they can demonstrate:
• A turnover exceeding €150,000 in one of the last three years.
• The required insurance levels (€12.7m Employers Liability, €2.6m Public/Product Liability, €1m Professional Indemnity).
• Successful delivery of at least three comparable contracts in the last 3-5 years.
• Adequate manpower and skills.
• Robust quality assurance, health & safety, and environmental policies.
• The capacity to manage accounts and provide after-sales support.
• Consortium/sub-contracting: The tender documents mention information on sub-contractors and consortium members, indicating that these arrangements are permissible and may be necessary for some bidders to meet the requirements.
• Indicative bid-prep effort: Preparing a comprehensive bid, including detailed technical proposals, implementation plans, and pricing schedules, will likely require significant effort, potentially 10-20 working days for a dedicated team, depending on existing documentation.
• Pwin signal: The multi-party nature and the cascade system suggest that firms with strong past performance and high scores in the initial evaluation may have a higher probability of securing individual contracts once on the framework. The requirement for specific insurance levels and past experience may favour established suppliers.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT filename: CFT8516930 - Robotics - CFT Call for Tender.pdf
• eTenders CFT ID: CFT8516930
• Contact for Queries: Questions and Answers facility on www.etenders.gov.ie
• Most important attachments:
• Appendix 2a – Specification of Requirements
• Appendix 3 – Tender Response Document (TRD)
• Appendix 3a – Pricing Schedule
• Appendix 6 – Contract Terms and Conditions
• Appendix 7 – Referee Form
• Appendix 8 – European Single Procurement Document (ESPD)