Provision of a Senior ICT Management Resource

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

Dublin City University (DCU) requires a single, senior ICT management resource to provide specialised expertise in managing enterprise-grade virtualization and data protection suites. The contract duration is initially 12 months, with an option for a further 12 months, and an estimated maximum spend of €160,000 excluding VAT. The resource will be responsible for key infrastructure projects, including an assessment of potential new virtualization infrastructures and a refresh of the existing Dell EMC Unity platform. DCU explicitly seeks the provision of one individual, not a team.

The scope of work encompasses the following specific technical areas and responsibilities:

• VMware Architecture & Management:

• Expertise in managing VMware vSphere (ESXi 8.x/9.x) and vCenter Server environments.

• Responsibilities include lifecycle management (patching/upgrades using vLCM), distributed switch networking, and resource management (DRS/HA).

• Outputs include executing a DCU virtualization assessment and providing architecture recommendations.

• Dell EMC Unity Storage Management:

• Comprehensive experience managing Dell Unity XT or Hybrid Flash arrays.

• Responsibilities include provisioning LUNs and VMFS Datastores, managing Storage Pools, performing firmware upgrades, and troubleshooting latency or performance bottlenecks via Unisphere.

• Outputs include leading Dell EMC Unity refresh activities: provisioning, upgrades, and troubleshooting.

• Dell RecoverPoint for VMs (RP4VMs):

• Proven experience configuring and managing Dell RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines.

• Responsibilities include creating and managing Consistency Groups, sizing Journal volumes, and executing disaster recovery drills (Failover/Failback testing).

• Outputs include planning and executing DR drills using RecoverPoint, and producing drill reports and runbooks.

• Dell Avamar Backup Administration:

• Hands-on experience with Dell Avamar for enterprise backup and deduplication.

• Responsibilities include managing backup policies, performing Guest OS and Image-level restores, and troubleshooting integration with Data Domain storage backends.

• Zabbix Monitoring Expert:

• Advanced knowledge of Zabbix for infrastructure monitoring.

• Responsibilities include maintaining Zabbix monitoring dashboards and alerts.

• Outputs include creating custom templates for VMWare hypervisors, configuring triggers and alerts for hardware/performance anomalies, and designing "single-pane-of-glass" dashboards for the operations team.

• Scripting & Automation:

• Proficiency in PowerCLI or Python.

• Responsibilities include automating routine VMWare maintenance tasks and reporting on storage consumption/snapshot bloat.

• Outputs include developing automation scripts (PowerCLI/Python) and reporting tools.

• Documentation:

• Ability to author detailed runbooks for DR execution and infrastructure topology diagrams.

• Outputs include providing monthly status reports to DCU ICT infrastructure management.

The nominated contract manager will be responsible for overall relationship management, performance reporting, and proactive discussions on service improvement and cost savings.

3. Background & buyer context

Dublin City University (DCU) is procuring this Senior ICT Management Resource as part of its ongoing commitment to maintaining and enhancing its IT infrastructure. DCU positions itself as a leading innovative European University, focused on addressing global challenges and delivering an impactful student experience. The university has over 20,000 students across five faculties and three campuses. It is research-intensive, with significant engagement in European and international research partnerships and technology transfer. DCU also emphasizes Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion. The current procurement aligns with DCU's strategic plan, aiming to transform lives and societies through its operations and services. The need for this resource is driven by upcoming critical infrastructure projects, including an assessment of new virtualization infrastructures and a planned refresh of the Dell EMC Unity platform in 2027.

4. Eligibility & selection criteria

Candidates must meet the following minimum requirements to be considered for this tender:

• Turnover requirement: Not specified for this tender.
• Insurance:
• Employers Liability: €13,000,000 for any one claim or series of claims arising out of a single occurrence and unlimited in the period of insurance.
• Public Liability: €6,500,000 limit for any one claim or series of claims arising out of a single occurrence per period of insurance.
• Professional Indemnity: €1,500,000 limit for any one claim per period of insurance.
• Cyber: €1,000,000 limit for any one claim per period of insurance.
• Certifications: Not specified for this tender.
• Past experience: Candidates must demonstrate successful delivery of services of a comparable nature and scale on at least one occasion within the last three to five years. Comprehensive information enabling comparability assessment is required.
• Personnel: Not specified for this tender, beyond the requirement for a nominated contract manager with authority and responsibility for service delivery.
• Geographic / facility constraints: Not specified for this tender.

Candidates are advised that failure to meet these minimum requirements will result in automatic disqualification.

5. Award criteria & scoring

The award criteria are not fully detailed in the provided documentation for this pre-qualification stage. However, the Qualification Questionnaire includes a weighted criterion for "Previous Contracts" with a maximum of 10,000 marks and a minimum required of 6,000 marks. This criterion assesses the candidate's ability to demonstrate successful delivery of comparable services in terms of nature and scale within the last three to five years.

The scoring system for qualitative criteria uses a baseline scale:

• 90 – 100%: Exceptional
• 80 – 89%: Excellent
• 70 – 79%: Very good
• 60 – 69%: Good
• 50 – 59%: Acceptable
• 0 – 49%: Unacceptable

Further details on award criteria and scoring for the Invitation to Tender (ITT) phase will be provided to shortlisted candidates. The overall procurement uses a Restricted Procedure, with this stage being pre-qualification.

6. Submission requirements

Candidates must complete and submit the Qualification Questionnaire (Appendix 1) electronically via the eTenders postbox facility on www.etenders.gov.ie. The submission must be a single uploaded file, clearly labelled, page numbered, and indexed where possible. PDF format is required.

Key submission components include:

• Completed Qualification Questionnaire: All sections must be completed in full, using the provided format.
• Declarations: Declaration of Bona Fides, Tax Compliance, and confirmation of insurance levels.
• Evidence of Past Experience: Comprehensive information on at least one comparable contract delivered within the last three to five years.
• SME Confirmation: Confirmation of SME status if applicable.
• Consortium/Sub-contractor Information: If applicable, clear indication and full support for reliance on other entities' competence.
• English Translation: If original documents are not in English or Irish, a certified English translation must be provided.
• Financial Information: Denominated in Euros (€), unless in certified/audited supporting documents.

Candidates are reminded that they may rely on the resources of other entities to meet suitability requirements, provided they can prove these resources will be at their disposal.

7. Key dates & process

Note: These dates are estimates and cannot be guaranteed.

8. Contract terms that matter

The contract will have an initial term of 12 months, with an option for DCU to extend for one additional period of up to 12 months, subject to satisfactory performance and DCU's requirements. The maximum contract duration will not exceed 24 months. Award of the contract is conditional upon the tenderer's acceptance of DCU's Terms and Conditions, which will be provided at the ITT stage. DCU reserves the right to award the contract to the next highest scoring tenderer if the successful tenderer cannot deliver the required services. The maximum envisaged spend is €160,000 excluding VAT, though no guaranteed expenditure is stated.

9. Risks, red flags & unusuals

• Single Resource Requirement: DCU explicitly seeks one individual, not a team. This significantly narrows the potential bidder pool to individuals or small consultancies capable of providing a senior resource with the specified niche technical skills.
• Limited Value, High Specialisation: The contract value of €160,000 over a maximum of two years is modest for a senior ICT management role, but the technical requirements (VMware, Dell EMC, RecoverPoint, Avamar, Zabbix, scripting) are highly specialised. This suggests a need for deep, hands-on expertise rather than broad management.
• Restricted Procedure: The use of a Restricted Procedure means only a limited number of top-scoring candidates (5-7) from this pre-qualification stage will be invited to tender. This increases the importance of a strong initial submission.
• Indicative Value: The stated value is "envisaged" and "strictly for indicative purposes only," with "no guaranteed expenditure." This implies the actual usage could be less than the maximum.
• Tight Timeline: The evaluation and award are scheduled for October/November 2026, with a contract commencement in November 2026, indicating a relatively fast-tracked process post-qualification.

10. SME fit assessment

This tender is structured to allow participation by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). DCU encourages SMEs to form relationships with other SMEs or larger enterprises to meet capacity requirements. The requirement for a single, highly specialised senior ICT management resource means that individual consultants or small specialist consultancies are likely to be well-suited, provided they can demonstrate the required technical expertise and meet the insurance and past experience criteria.

• Credible Bidders: Individual consultants with proven track records in the specified technologies (VMware, Dell EMC storage/backup, Zabbix, scripting) or small specialist IT consultancies are the most likely candidates. Larger firms might struggle to justify assigning a single senior resource to a contract of this value and duration, unless it's a strategic fit or a stepping stone.
• Consortium/Sub-contracting: Allowed and encouraged for SMEs to meet requirements. However, the prime contractor must be clearly nominated and responsible for all communications.
• Indicative Bid-Prep Effort: Completing the Qualification Questionnaire thoroughly, especially detailing past comparable projects and technical capabilities, could require 2-4 days of effort for a well-prepared candidate.
• Pwin Signal: The tender is open, but the highly specific technical requirements and the single-resource model suggest that candidates with demonstrable, recent experience in these exact technologies will have a strong advantage. There is no explicit mention of an incumbent.

11. Where to dig deeper

• Source RFT Filename: D3 Qualification Questionnaire Standard Contract. Senior ICT Management Resource.final.pdf
• eTenders CFT ID: Not specified in the provided text.
• Contact / Clarification Portal: Questions and Answers facility on www.etenders.gov.ie.
• Key Attachments:
• Appendix 1: The Qualification Questionnaire
• DCU's Terms and Conditions (to be provided at ITT stage)