Single Party Framework for Veterinary Services, Medicines and Lecturing

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1. At a glance

2. Scope of Work

This tender seeks a single-party framework agreement for the provision of comprehensive veterinary services, medicines, and academic lecturing for the Irish National Stud DAC. The framework is designed to establish overall terms and conditions for individual contracts awarded over its duration, with no guarantee of specific service volumes. The Contracting Authority reserves the right to operate outside the framework if greater value for money is identified. The initial contract term is one year, subject to annual review and extension for up to a total of eight years, contingent on successful performance and strategic appropriateness.

The scope of work encompasses three core areas:

• Clinical Veterinary Services: This includes specialized thoroughbred stud medicine for stallions, mares, foals, and yearlings.

• Thoroughbred Stallions: Infectious disease screening (CEM, EIA, EVA), vaccination protocols (EVA), drug sourcing/administration, fertility assessments, semen quality evaluation, "Fitness to Cover" examinations, and pre-purchase/fertility/mortality/insurance examinations.

• Thoroughbred Mares: Stud medicine and breeding management (ultrasound, covering times), pre- and post-covering care (lavages, infusions, endometrial swabs/biopsies), surgical procedures (Caslick procedures), pregnancy management (scans, twin management), preventative vaccination schedules (EHV-1, EHV-4, Rotavirus), infectious disease screening (CEM, EIA, EVA), and development of client care packages.

• Thoroughbred Foals & On-Site Foaling Unit Care: Neonatal evaluation, diagnostic screening (IgG SNAP, blood profiles, Rhodococcus equi), developmental and routine care (orthopaedic, conformation, digestive assessments, wound healing), and prophylactic treatments (neonatal vaccinations, Lawsonia intracellularis protocols). Development of neonatal care packages is also required.

• Thoroughbred Yearlings: Pre-sale diagnostics (radiographic screens), upper respiratory evaluation (video-endoscopic evaluations), and issuance of veterinary health certifications for sale or transport.

• Routine & General Veterinary Care: Herd health prophylaxis (Influenza, Tetanus vaccinations), parasite management (Faecal Egg Count analysis), general diagnostics (haematology, biochemistry), commercial support (pre-purchase, mortality, insurance examinations), and routine care for non-thoroughbred horses (ponies, teasers, nurse mares).

• Emergency & Hospital Facility Requirements:

• On-Site Emergency Attendance: A dedicated, fully staffed 24/7/365 emergency on-call service is mandatory, with a requirement for the attending vet to be on-site at the Irish National Stud within 15 minutes of an emergency notification.

• Referral Hospital Admittance: Guaranteed immediate referral access to a fully equipped, modern equine hospital facility within a 20-minute drive. This facility must handle critical cases including dystocia, emergency surgeries (colic, trauma), intensive care for neonates, and advanced orthopaedic procedures.

• Lecturing & Academic Services: Provision of qualified Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) for the annual Thoroughbred Breeding Management course (QQI Level 6 accredited by SETU).

• Lecture Delivery: 30 x 1-hour lectures annually, two per week from January to May, typically 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM, delivered on-site.

• Syllabus Modules: Covering Equine Breeding, Equine Anatomy & Physiology, and Horse Care & Management, including specific topics such as foaling, reproductive systems, skeletal/muscular systems, respiratory/circulatory systems, gastrointestinal system, genetics, skin, practical examination, veterinary care, first aid, infectious diseases, parasitology, and dentistry.

• Examination, Assessment, and Grading: Creation of examination questions and answer keys, formulation of an academic essay or practical assignment for the Anatomy & Physiology module (approx. 1,000 words), and grading of student assignments and examination scripts for Equine Breeding and Equine Anatomy & Physiology modules.

3. Background & buyer context

The Irish National Stud DAC (INS), established under the National Stud Act 1945, is a 863-acre stud farm in Tully, Kildare, dedicated to the Irish Thoroughbred. It houses an equine maternity unit, breeding centre, and quarantine facilities, and stands several stallions. INS also manages tourism activities, including The Irish Racehorse Experience, Japanese Gardens, St. Fiachra’s Gardens, and The Visitors Centre, attracting over 140,000 visitors annually. This procurement is conducted under an open procedure to establish a single-party framework agreement for essential veterinary services, medicines, and academic lecturing. The framework approach aims to leverage efficiencies and maximise cost savings over the potential eight-year duration. The incumbent provider is not explicitly named.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Bidders must meet the following minimum requirements to be considered. These are assessed on a pass/fail basis, with evidence requested from the lowest-priced, most economically advantageous tenderer. Failure to meet any criterion will result in elimination.

• Turnover requirement: Tenderers must demonstrate an average annual turnover of at least €500,000 in any one of the three preceding financial years.
• Insurance:
• Employer’s Liability: €13m
• Public & Products Liability (to include Wrongful Arrest and Defamation): €6.5m
• Professional Indemnity: €2.6m
• Certifications:
• Registered with the Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI).
• Possession of an Environmental Management Policy.
• Past experience: Tenderers must have previous experience in providing veterinary services. Specific details on the number or scale of past projects are not explicitly stated as a pass/fail criterion in the provided text, but "Previous Experience" is listed as a Pass/Fail eligibility criterion.
• Personnel: Not specified as a distinct eligibility criterion with minimum years of experience.
• Geographic / facility constraints:
• Must own, operate, or have guaranteed immediate referral access to a fully equipped equine hospital facility located no further than a 20-minute drive from the Irish National Stud site.
• Must operate a 24/7/365 emergency on-call service with a 15-minute on-site response time.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The award of the framework agreement will be based on the most economically advantageous tender. The evaluation process involves an initial review of self-declaration forms for completeness, followed by assessment against award criteria. Evidence for selection criteria is requested from the lowest-priced tenderer to ensure appropriate marking of the ultimate cost award criterion.

Criterion Weight (%) Sub-criteria