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1             Introduction

Iarnród Éireann is a subsidiary company of Córas Iompair Éireann which is the publicly owned transport company of Ireland.  Its role is to provide rail transport and Harbour Management services within the State of Ireland. The company is wholly owned by the Irish Government.

 

In recent years Iarnród Éireann has modernised its service offering by renewing fixed infrastructure, upgrading station facilities, replacing and increasing its rolling stock fleet and enhancing customer services.  This has contributed to an accelerated growth in passenger demand and a deepened recognition of the importance of rail as a core element of Ireland’s solution to its transport challenges.

1.1               Background to Requirement

Advisory Services to the Board of Iarnród Éireann and its Senior Management Team in the following areas;

·        Corporate Governance;

·        Safety;

·        Rail Operations;

·        Port Operations ;

·        Project Management;

·        Civil Engineering;

·        Mechanical Engineering;

·         Signalling, Electrical and Telecommunications;

·        Commercial;

·        Finance;

·        IT;

·        Human Resources and Industrial Relations.

1.2               Duration 

This is a qualification system with a duration of 36 months.

 

2                 The Procurement Process

This section of the document provides detailed information on the pre-qualification process, i.e. the procedures that will be followed and the conditions and criteria that will be applied in deciding which of the Applicants responding to this Notice will be invited to join the Qualification System for the provision of Advisory Services from which Applicants will be invited to participate in the procedure leading to the award of a Contract.  

2.1                    Overview

The procurement process leading to the execution of a contract will comprise two main stages: pre-qualification stage and award stage.  The pre-qualification process, conditions and criteria are set out in detail in the following sections.   

 

This Pre- Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) outlines the process by which Applicants will be assessed for inclusion to the qualification system from which appointments may be made in respect of assignments which may arise from time to time.  

 

All Applicants wishing to be considered for the appointment to the qualification system must complete this questionnaire in its entirety enclosing all necessary supporting documentation.

 

Failure to complete the questionnaire in full and provide the specified information and documentation may leave IE with insufficient information to assess submissions and applicants may be eliminated.  The questionnaire must be completed as laid out and must not be altered in any way. Appendices and supporting documentation should be attached to the back of the questionnaire and should be clearly labelled.  Supporting documentation must be concise and relevant to the question asked or information sought. 

The award stage will be conducted using one of the following options:

Option 1:

Once applicant(s) have been appointed to the Qualification System and have become Candidates, IE may, where it deems appropriate and in its sole discretion, conduct an evaluation of the information provided during this process; the Candidate’s CV and daily rate. The evaluation will be carried out against the notified award criteria and an award made to the most economically advantageous Candidate.

 

Option 2:

Once applicant(s) have been appointed to the Qualification System and have become Candidates, IE may, where it deems appropriate and in its sole discretion seek further competition through a Request for Quotation or Formal Tender process with the approved Candidates.

A Contract with IE will only arise once a Qualification System member has been appointed to a particular assignment. The appointment of Qualification System members to assignments will be at the absolute discretion of IE. If this option is progressed appropriate Award Criteria will be advised in any RFQ or ITN supplied to candidates.

 

The appointment of a successful applicant in respect of any award under this Qualification System will be on the basis of a letter of engagement which will specify the scope of the award and the terms under which the engagement will be undertaken.