Supply of Service Contracts for Laboratory Instruments

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 State Laboratory requires service contracts for multiple laboratory instruments. This procurement is structured as a single lot comprising nineteen distinct categories of service. Each category will result in a separate contract. The estimated total expenditure for these services, including potential extensions, is €4,000,000 (excluding VAT). The specific contract lengths for each category are detailed within Appendix 1 and the Pricing Schedule.

The nineteen categories of service are:

• Category 1: Ventilated Balance Enclosure
• Category 2: Safety Storage Cabinets
• Category 3: Reformulyser
• Category 4: GenoGrinder
• Category 5: Fibretecs
• Category 6: MIURA
• Category 7: Microwave Asher
• Category 8: Smoking Machine
• Category 9: LCMS - Category 9
• Category 10: ICPMS
• Category 11: GCMS
• Category 12: GC
• Category 13: HPLC
• Category 14: Grinding Mills
• Category 15: Freezedrier
• Category 16: UV Spectrophotometer
• Category 17: 2DGC-TOFMS
• Category 18: Tobacco lab equipment
• Category 19: LCMS - Category 19
• Category 1: Automated SPE (Note: This appears to be a duplicate or miscategorisation, as Category 1 is listed as Ventilated Balance Enclosure. The tender documents list "Category 19- LCMS - Category 19Category 1- Automated SPE" which suggests a potential error in the source document numbering.)

The Contracting Authority reserves the right to extend the contract term for periods up to a total of 12 months, comprising a maximum of four separate extensions, subject to legal obligations.

3. Background & buyer context

The State Laboratory is procuring these service contracts to ensure the ongoing operational integrity and functionality of its diverse range of laboratory instruments. This procurement aligns with the State Laboratory's operational requirements for maintaining its analytical and testing capabilities. The tender is being conducted under an open procedure, as defined by the European Union (Award of Public Authority Contracts) Regulations 2016. The estimated value of €4,000,000 (excl. VAT) over the potential contract term, including extensions, indicates a significant commitment to maintaining these critical laboratory assets. The Contracting Authority explicitly seeks to encourage participation from Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), suggesting a policy objective to foster broader market engagement.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Tenderers must satisfy the following criteria to be considered for evaluation:

• Turnover requirement: Combined turnover must have exceeded €50,000 per annum, averaged over the last three years (2022, 2023, 2024). Audited accounts are required unless the company's annual turnover is less than €12 million, in which case a statement of accounts from the company's accountants will suffice.
• Insurance: The successful Tenderer must hold the following insurances for the term of the Services Contract:
• Employer’s Liability: €13 Million
• Public Liability: €6.5 Million
• Product Liability: €6.5 Million
• Professional Indemnity: €1.3 Million Requests for lower indemnity limits will be considered if submitted as a query before the deadline.
• Certifications: Not specified for this tender.
• Past experience: Tenderers must provide evidence of having the appropriate levels of insurance as detailed in section 2.21.1. Specific past experience requirements are not explicitly detailed in the provided extract but will be assessed under Technical and Professional Ability.
• Personnel: A minimum of two suitably qualified engineers must be available for the specific instrument and ancillary parts.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Not specified for this tender.

Tenderers must also declare via the eESPD that they satisfy the economic and financial standing requirements and technical and professional ability requirements. They must be able to provide supporting documentation upon request. Tax Clearance Access Number and Tax Reference Number issued by the Irish Revenue Commissioner are required for online verification.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The award criteria are not detailed in the provided extract. However, the tender documents state that Tenderers MUST achieve a minimum of 60% in each subsection of Section A (which is not provided here) in order to avoid elimination from the competition, excluding Ultimate Cost. This implies a scoring mechanism where specific thresholds must be met. The overall award will likely be based on a combination of quality and price, consistent with the MEAT (Most Economically Advantageous Tender) principle, although the specific weighting is not detailed.

6. Submission requirements

Tenders must be submitted electronically via the eTenders platform. Key submission requirements include:

• Method statement / response document: Tenderers must follow the format of the RFT and respond to each element in the order set out.
• CVs: Not explicitly mentioned, but personnel qualifications will be assessed.
• Pricing schedule: All Tenderers must complete the Pricing Schedule at Appendix 2. Prices must be all-inclusive (excluding VAT), expressed in Euro, and remain valid for 12 months from the Tender Deadline.
• Case studies: Not explicitly mentioned.
• Declarations:
• European Single Procurement Document (eESPD) must be completed and submitted electronically.
• Tenderer’s Statement (Appendix 3), signed and printed on letterhead, must be returned.
• Declaration as to Personal Circumstances of Tenderer (Appendix 4).
• Mandatory site visit: Not specified for this tender.
• Submission portal: Tenders must be submitted via the electronic tenderbox on www.etenders.gov.ie. File size limits apply (250MB per file, 2GB total).

Tenders must be submitted in English.

7. Key dates & process

8. Contract terms that matter

• Term: Specified in Appendix 1, with a potential extension of up to 12 months in four tranches.
• Payment terms: Subject to and made in accordance with the Services Contract at Appendix 5. Invoices are deemed accepted if no queries are raised within 14 days.
• Key SLAs/KPIs: Not detailed in the provided extract.
• Liquidated damages or penalty regimes: Not detailed in the provided extract.
• Termination clauses: Either party may terminate with 14 days' notice if a breach continues for 30 calendar days after a written request for remedy. Either party may terminate with 14 days' notice without liability for compensation or damages.
• IP ownership: Not detailed in the provided extract.
• Sub-contracting rules: Tenderers intending to subcontract must ensure subcontractors submit a separate eESPD if the subcontract value exceeds 10% of the Services Contract value. The Prime Contractor is responsible for the entire contract regardless of subcontracting.
• Parent-company guarantee or bond requirements: Not specified for this tender.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• Lot structure: The tender is for one lot comprising 19 distinct categories. While each category results in a separate contract, the overall value is estimated at €4,000,000. This structure might favour larger entities capable of managing multiple, diverse service agreements or consortia.
• Turnover requirement: The €50,000 average annual turnover requirement is relatively low, potentially indicating an intention to encourage SME participation. However, this is averaged over three years, and the specific nature of servicing 19 categories of laboratory instruments may require specialised expertise that not all SMEs possess.
• Insurance levels: The required insurance levels, particularly €13 million for Employer's Liability and €6.5 million for Public and Product Liability, are substantial and may present a barrier for very small or newly established businesses.
• Contract length and extensions: The base contract length is specified in Appendix 1, with a significant potential for extension (up to 12 months). This suggests a need for long-term service commitment and stability from bidders.
• Data Protection: Tenderers must confirm that all Personal Data provided has been consented to by Data Subjects for processing by the Tenderer, Contracting Authority, Evaluation Team, and eTenders platform, or that a legal basis exists.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is structured as a single lot with 19 categories of service contracts for laboratory instruments. While the overall estimated value is €4,000,000, each category will result in a separate contract, the lengths and values of which are detailed in Appendix 1 and the Pricing Schedule. The relatively low average annual turnover requirement of €50,000 suggests an openness to SMEs.

• Credible bidders: SMEs with specialised expertise in servicing specific types of laboratory equipment listed in the 19 categories could bid for individual categories. Larger companies might bid for multiple categories or the entire suite of services. Consortiums are permitted and encouraged, allowing SMEs to combine capabilities or partner with larger firms to meet the insurance and experience requirements.
• Consortium/sub-contracting: Consortiums are explicitly encouraged. Sub-contracting is permitted, with specific requirements for eESPD submission if the subcontract value exceeds 10% of the contract value.
• Indicative bid-prep effort: Given the need to complete an eESPD, a detailed Pricing Schedule for potentially multiple categories, and a Tenderer's Statement, bid preparation could range from 5-15 days for a single category, potentially extending significantly for a multi-category bid or consortium proposal.
• Pwin signal: The tender does not explicitly name an incumbent. The encouragement of SMEs and consortia suggests the market is not dominated by a single provider. However, the significant insurance requirements and the need for specific technical expertise for each instrument category will favour established service providers in those niches.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT filename: [SL2026SC1 State Laboratory - RFT the Supply of Services.docx]
• eTenders CFT ID: Not specified in the provided text.
• Contact email or clarification portal: Messaging facility on www.etenders.gov.ie
• Most important attachments:
• Appendix 1: Requirements and Specifications
• Appendix 2: Pricing Schedule
• Appendix 3: Tenderer’s Statement