Procurement of Services for the Safe Removal, Transport and Disposal of a Caesium-137 Gamma Irradiation Sources

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 Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) is procuring services for the safe removal, transport, and disposal of a Caesium-137 gamma irradiation source. The contract duration is short, specified as 6 to 12 weeks from the issue of award. The scope of work is not detailed beyond this high-level description in the provided metadata.

The User Requirement Specification, referenced as Appendix 1, would contain the detailed breakdown of the services required. Based on the title, the core activities will involve:

• Source Identification and Assessment: Locating and assessing the specific Caesium-137 gamma irradiation source.
• Safe Removal: Developing and executing a plan for the secure removal of the source from its current location. This will likely involve specialised equipment and trained personnel.
• Transport: Arranging and conducting the safe and compliant transport of the radioactive source. This will require adherence to strict national and international regulations for the carriage of dangerous goods, specifically radioactive materials.
• Disposal: Managing the final disposal of the source in an environmentally sound and legally compliant manner. This may involve transfer to a licensed disposal facility.

The contract is for a fixed, short term of 6 to 12 weeks, indicating a specific, time-bound project rather than ongoing service provision. The IBTS is the contracting authority.

3. Background & buyer context

This procurement is initiated by the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) to address the need for the safe removal, transport, and disposal of a Caesium-137 gamma irradiation source. The specific policy or programme driving this procurement is not detailed in the provided text. However, the nature of the material (Caesium-137) suggests a requirement for specialised handling due to its radioactive properties. The IBTS, as the national blood service, likely holds or has responsibility for such materials for specific medical or research applications, or has inherited responsibility for legacy items. The short contract term implies a focused, project-based requirement rather than a long-term operational need.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Bidders must satisfy the following criteria to be considered:

• Turnover requirement: Not specified for this tender.
• Insurance:
• Employer’s Liability: €12.7m for any one claim or series of claims arising out of a single occurrence.
• Public Liability: €6.5m limit for any one claim or series of claims arising out of a single occurrence.
• Professional Indemnity: €1m limit in the aggregate per insurance year.
• Product Liability: Not specified for this tender.
• Certifications: Not specified for this tender.
• Past experience: Evidence of successfully providing similar services within the last five years.
• Personnel: Not specified for this tender.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Not specified for this tender, though services will be provided in Ireland.

5. Award criteria & scoring

Criterion Weight (%) Sub-criteria