Genealogy and tourism website services

Quantity or scope

The contract period will be for 3 years subject to budget, annual performance review, and other factors. Tourism Ireland may, at its discretion, extend the contract for one further year, subject to budget, annual performance review and other factors.The contract period for lot 2 services is likely to be for one year subject to the project timescale, with the option to extend for a further period at Tourism Ireland’s discretion.

Additional information

Please refer to the Irish Public Procurement portal www.etenders.gov.ie to download the RTP documentation in support of this notice.

This is the first stage in a staged competitive dialogue process. Tourism Ireland invites requests to participate from suitably qualified service providers.

The competitive dialogue procedure:

Requests to participate:

In order to be selected for participation in the competitive dialogue, applicants must in the first instance meet the objective and non-discriminatory criteria and rules for participation set out in the instructions document attached to this notice. It is anticipated that minimum of 5 and a maximum of 8 of the highest scoring candidates will be invited to participate at the dialogue stage.

The dialogue phases:

The Dialogue will be conducted in one or more phases at the discretion of Tourism Ireland.

All the invited participants will be issued with the descriptive document which expands on the information contained in this notice and supporting documentation.

Tourism Ireland reserves the right to successively reduce the number of solutions to be discussed during the competitive dialogue phase(s) by applying the award criteria contained in the descriptive document.

Separate dialogue(s) with the invited participants are anticipated to commence on the 16.5.2011.

Under the rules of the competitive dialogue procedure all participants may be assured the solutions proposed by them or confidential information communicated by them in the course of the procedure will be held in strict confidence by the contracting authority and not revealed to any other parties, including other participants, without their express permission.

Final tender submission:

All participants not previously eliminated following the completion of the competitive dialogue stage will be invited to submit formal tenders incorporating the solutions proposed at the dialogue stage. These written tenders will then be assessed on foot of the original award criteria and rules outlined in the descriptive document in order to identify the most economically advantageous tender. Tenders may be clarified, specified and fine tuned at the request of the contracting authority. However, such clarifications or additional information may not involve changes to the basic features of the tender or the call for requests to participate, variations in which are likely to distort competition or have a discriminatory effect.

Award of contract:

The tenderer identified as having submitted the most economically advantageous tender may be asked to clarify aspects of the tender or confirm commitments contained in the tender.

Following the assessment of tenders the most economically advantageous tender will be chosen as the preferred tenderer in accordance with the rules of the competition and of the official award criteria.

Following the statutory 14 day standstill period, the preferred tenderer for the initial contract will awarded the initial contract subject to their acceptance of the Tourism Ireland’s formal terms and conditions.

Note: It is emphasised that Tourism Ireland reserves the right at its sole discretion not to award any contract following the conclusion of this competitive dialogue procedure.

Requests to participate must be submitted in hard copy and must be sent in clearly marked envelopes.

Tourism Ireland cannot accept responsibility for applications that are lost or damaged in the post.

Late applications will not be accepted. Applications by fax or by email will not be accepted.

Tourism Ireland will not be responsible for costs, charges or expenses incurred by participants, whether or not a final contract is awarded.

Tourism Ireland is subject to the provisions of the code of practice on freedom of information for North South Implementation Bodies and Tourism Ireland.

Award of this contract will be subject to approval by the Board of Tourism Ireland.

Award of this contract will be subject to selected candidate obtaining a tax clearance certificate as required by the Irish Revenue Commissioners.

The contract will be subject to Irish law.

Tourism Ireland reserves the right without advance notice (and without giving reasons unless so required by law and without liability to the applicants) to amend or otherwise change the process or to terminate the process. This notice does not represent a commitment to enter into any contract(s).

Please refer to the documentation attached to this notice for full details of services required and instructions.

(ET Ref:211432).