Energy Master Plan - Murrintown

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

This procurement seeks a consultant to develop an Energy Master Plan (EMP) for the Murrintown Sustainable Energy Community (SEC), encompassing the villages of Murrintown and Piercestown and their hinterland. The SEC has a population of 2,028 people. The project's objective is to enable the community to understand its energy usage and identify pathways for energy efficiency and renewable energy integration, aligning with SEAI's SEC programme. The contract duration is a maximum of nine months from signing.

The consultant's core activities include:

• Baseline Data Analysis:
• Desktop analysis of CSO and BER data for the Residential Sector.
• Conducting a household energy survey.
• Performing 3 Home Energy Assessments (HEAs) to SEAI One Stop Shop criteria.
• Desktop analysis of Non-Residential sector data (CSO, Valuations Office, CIBSE benchmarks).
• Conducting 5 Energy Audits (Ashrae Level 2) for community facilities: Piercestown Church, Rathaspeck Church, Murrintown Church, St. Martin’s GAA, and Murrintown National School. Audits must comply with SEAI's Support Scheme for Energy Audits (SSEA).
• Desktop analysis of Transport Sector data (CSO, NTA).
• Conducting a local commuter survey (can be incorporated into the household survey).
• Developing an Active Travel Plan.
• Identifying existing renewable energy sources within the SEC.
• Reporting and Roadmapping:
• Developing an Energy Baseline Summary across Residential, Non-residential, Transport, and Agriculture sectors.
• Creating a Register of Opportunities (ROO) listing energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, including behavioural changes and capital investment projects, with ranking/categorisation.
• Developing a Sustainable Energy Roadmap outlining a plan to reach 2030 reduction targets (30% CO2, 50% energy reduction, 30% renewable energy). This includes analysing dwelling upgrades, commercial/public sector contributions, renewable energy suitability (using SEAI's LARES Sieve methodology where possible), and EV potential.
• Selecting suitable projects for years 1, 2, and 3, setting targets against baseline figures.
• Community Engagement:
• Organising a public information session for the EMP launch.
• Producing a 4-page professionally printed summary report for public dissemination.
• Creating a short video suitable for social media sharing.
• Project Development Strategy:
• Assessing realistic options for local project development based on EMP priorities, SEC team capacity, existing partnerships, and available grants.
• Deliverables:
• An EMP report in a concise, non-technical format, using graphics and diagrams, with technical details in appendices.
• All documents and drawings provided in editable formats (MS Word, MS Excel, CAD files).
• A public version of the EMP, with personal or sensitive information removed.
• Coordination with the SEC team, including a kick-off meeting, monthly online interim meetings, and a final EMP review meeting.

3. Background & buyer context

Wexford County Council is procuring this Energy Master Plan as part of its commitment to supporting Sustainable Energy Communities (SECs) across Ireland, in line with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) network. The Murrintown SEC is a community initiative designed to foster energy efficiency, renewable energy use, and smart energy solutions. This procurement aligns with national policy objectives for energy reduction and sustainability at a local level. The project focuses on the Parish of Piercestown, excluding public sector organisations within the Johnstown Castle Estate.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Tenderers must demonstrate the required level of financial and technical capacity to be considered. The following are the minimum requirements:

• Turnover requirement: Confirmation that the tendering party's turnover exceeded €50,000 during each of the last three years, or pro-rata if more recently established. The firm must have been in existence for at least 6 months.
• Insurance:
• Employer’s Liability: €13 million
• Public Liability: €6.5 million
• Product Liability: €6.5 million
• Professional Indemnity: €1 million
• Certifications: Not specified for this tender.
• Past experience: Not specified as a minimum number of projects, but technical capacity will be assessed.
• Personnel: Tenderers must nominate a dedicated contract manager responsible for overall delivery and client liaison. Specific experience requirements for personnel are not detailed but will be assessed as part of technical capacity.
• 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 lowest cost tender that also meets all minimum requirements of the qualitative award criteria will receive the maximum score for the cost criterion. Specific scoring methodologies for qualitative criteria are detailed in Section 5.2 of the RFT.

6. Submission requirements

Tenderers must submit their responses electronically via the eTenders portal. The following documents and information are required:

• Tender Response Document (TRD): This mandatory document must be used and should not be personalised with branding.
• Pricing Schedule: A separate pricing document is required.
• European Single Procurement Document (ESPD): Can be submitted electronically via eESPD on eTenders or as a separate uploaded attachment.
• Declarations: Bona Fides, Tax clearance, Conflict of Interest declarations are required.
• CVs: Not explicitly mentioned with page limits, but personnel qualifications will be assessed.
• Case studies: Not specified.
• Method statement / response document: The TRD serves this purpose.
• Mandatory site visit: Not applicable for this tender.
• Submission portal: All submissions must be made via www.etenders.gov.ie.
• File format: Responses should be uploaded as a Zip file to protect file name integrity.

7. Key dates & process

8. Contract terms that matter

• Contract length: Nine months, with a provision for two extensions, each up to three months, subject to satisfactory performance, budget availability, and business needs.
• Payment terms: A maximum project budget of €20,000 including VAT. Payments are milestone-based, with a maximum milestone payment of €7,000 including VAT. Invoices must be supported by pre-agreed service evidence or completion of service packages.
• Key SLAs/KPIs: Not explicitly detailed, but contract management activities will focus on satisfactory delivery and adherence to an agreed Service Level Agreement.
• Liquidated damages or penalty regimes: Not specified.
• Termination clauses: The Contracting Authority reserves the right to terminate for reasons outside its control (e.g., increased costs) or if the successful tenderer fails to deliver.
• IP ownership: Not specified.
• Sub-contracting rules: Tenderers may rely on the resources of other entities, provided they can prove these resources will be at their disposal. If a consortium is successful, it must establish legal personality.
• Parent-company guarantee or bond requirements: Not specified.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

The most significant unusual aspect of this tender is the very low maximum budget of €20,000 including VAT for a project involving multiple energy audits (5 Ashrae Level 2, 3 Home Energy Assessments), extensive data analysis, community engagement, and the production of a comprehensive Energy Master Plan and roadmap. This budget is significantly below typical market rates for such a scope of work, particularly considering the requirement for registered energy auditors and professional report production. This suggests a potential risk of the scope being unachievable within budget, or a reliance on very low-cost delivery models. The tight timeline of nine months for this scope, coupled with the low budget, presents a challenge. The requirement for specific SEAI reporting formats and adherence to their programme also adds a layer of complexity.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is likely suitable for small to medium-sized consultancies specialising in energy consultancy, sustainability, and community development. A viable bidder would need demonstrable experience in conducting energy audits, analysing energy data, and producing strategic plans for communities. The low budget suggests that larger, more established firms might find the financial return insufficient, potentially favouring smaller, agile consultancies or individuals with relevant expertise.

Consortium or sub-contracting is permitted, allowing smaller firms to pool resources or bring in specialist skills (e.g., registered energy auditors). The bid preparation effort is likely moderate, focusing on demonstrating relevant experience and a clear methodology within the constraints of the TRD and budget. The "Pwin" signal is unclear due to the low budget and lack of incumbent information, but the budget constraint itself may deter larger players, potentially increasing the win probability for a well-prepared SME.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT filename: WCC_2A_RFT_Contract_OpenProcedure_2026 Murrintown EMP.docx
• eTenders CFT ID: Not surfaced in provided text.
• Contact for Queries: Messaging facility on www.etenders.gov.ie
• Most important attachments:
• Tender Response Document (TRD)
• EMP Report Template & Guidance Document (linked via Trello)
• SEAI's SEC Programme information (www.seai.ie/SEC/)