Technical and Regulatory Consultancy Support for Gas Energy Safety

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1. At a glance

2. Scope of Work

The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) seeks technical and regulatory consultancy support for its Gas Safety Framework (GSF) team, Safety Supervisory Body (SSB) Operations team, and Promotion and Policy (P&P) team. The contract is for a term of 24 months, with an option to extend for up to a further 24 months. The estimated total value for the contract, including potential extensions, is up to €2.4 million (excluding VAT).

The scope of services includes:

• Technical and Regulatory Consultancy: Providing expert advice on gas energy safety matters. This encompasses a thorough understanding of relevant legislation and expertise in gas safety frameworks.
• Support for Specific Teams:
• Gas Safety Framework (GSF) Team: Assisting with the development, implementation, and oversight of the gas safety framework.
• Safety Supervisory Body (SSB) Operations Team: Supporting the operational aspects of safety supervision within the gas sector.
• Promotion and Policy (P&P) Team: Contributing to policy development and promotional activities related to gas energy safety.
• Improvement Roadmap Development: Creating a 12-24 month improvement roadmap with Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and quantifiable targets.
• Inspections: Conducting approximately 30 inspections of LPG networks, with each inspection estimated to require 0.5 to 1 day of work.
• Documentation and Resource Allocation: Estimated documentation work is 70 days, split between experts. Revision work is estimated at 90 working days per workstream.
• Emergency Response Support: Providing emergency response support on a 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week basis when incidents occur.
• Investigation Support: Conducting investigations, which may also be required on a 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week basis when incidents take place.
• Investigation Initiation: Investigations must be initiated within 2 days of notification.

The contract requires the successful tenderer to have proven experience in the areas of gas energy safety and regulatory consultancy.

3. Background & buyer context

This procurement is initiated by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) to ensure ongoing technical and regulatory expertise in gas energy safety. The services are critical for the effective functioning of the CRU's Gas Safety Framework (GSF) team, Safety Supervisory Body (SSB) Operations team, and Promotion and Policy (P&P) team. The contract is structured for an initial 24-month term with potential for extension, indicating a strategic need for sustained support in this domain. The estimated value of €2.4 million over the potential 48-month period suggests a significant and ongoing requirement for specialized consultancy. The CRU's policy aims to encourage participation from Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and for larger enterprises to include SMEs in their proposals, reflecting a broader government objective of fostering SME engagement in public contracts.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Bidders must meet the following minimum requirements to be considered:

• Turnover requirement:
• Average annual turnover of €1.2 million for the last three financial years (2022, 2023, 2024). If 2025 figures are unavailable, 2022, 2023, and 2024 figures are acceptable.
• Insurance:
• Employer's Liability: €13 million limit for any one claim or series of claims arising out of a single occurrence, per insurance year.
• Public Liability: €6.5 million limit for any one claim or series of claims arising out of a single occurrence, per insurance year.
• Professional Indemnity: €2.5 million for any one claim or series of claims arising out of a single occurrence (for each and every claim excluding defence costs).
• Cyber Liability: €1 million any one claim or series of claims arising out of a single occurrence.
• Certifications: Not specified for this tender.
• Past experience:
• Proven experience in technical and regulatory consultancy support for gas energy safety.
• Thorough understanding of relevant legislation.
• Proven experience in the areas of gas safety frameworks, SSB operations, and promotion/policy related to gas safety.
• Personnel: Not specified for this tender.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Not specified for this tender.

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 and scoring mechanism are detailed in Part 3 of the RFT.

Criterion Weight (%) Sub-criteria