EirGrid Fibre — Optic Telecoms Concession

EirGrid plc

EirGrid owns and operates an electricity interconnector between Ireland and the United Kingdom (EWIC). In tandem with the interconnector EirGrid has 24 commercial fibre optical cables (CFOC) capable of providing commercial telecoms connectivity between the 2 jurisdictions. 14 cables have already been allocated.
EirGrid is now seeking responses from candidates to collaborate with in relation to the operation and commercialisation of the CFOC (the remaining 10 pairs) or who wish to utilise the CFOC themselves.

Deadline

The time limit for receipt of tenders was 2019-09-25. The procurement was published on 2019-09-02.

Who?

• EirGrid plc

What?

• Fibre-optic materials › Fibre-optic connections
• Optical-fibre cables › Optical telecommunication cables
• Optical-fibre cables › Optical-fibre cables for data transmission
• Optical-fibre cables › Optical-fibre cables for information transmission

Where?

• Éire/Ireland

Procurement history

Date	Document
2019-09-02	Contract notice
2021-03-29	Contract award notice

Contract notice (2019-09-02)
Object
Scope of the procurement
Title: Fibre-optic connections
Reference number: ENQEIR666
Short description:

EirGrid owns and operates an electricity interconnector between Ireland and the United Kingdom (EWIC). In tandem with the interconnector EirGrid has 24 commercial fibre optical cables (CFOC) capable of providing commercial telecoms connectivity between the 2 jurisdictions. 14 cables have already been allocated. EirGrid is now seeking responses from candidates to collaborate with in relation to the operation and commercialisation of the CFOC (the remaining 10 pairs) or who wish to utilise the CFOC themselves.

Notice metadata
Original language: English 🗣️
Document type: Contract notice
Nature of contract: Services
Regulation: European Union, with participation of GPA countries
Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)
Code: Fibre-optic connections 📦
Additional CPV: Optical-fibre cables for information transmission 📦
Place of performance
NUTS region: Éire/Ireland 🏙️

Procedure
Procedure type: Competitive procedure with negotiation
Type of bid: Submission for all lots
Award criteria
The most economic tender

Contracting authority
Identity
Country: Ireland 🇮🇪
Awarding authority type: Body governed by public law
Awarding authority name: EirGrid plc
Postal address: Block 2 — The Oval, 160 Shelbourne Road
Postal code: Dublin 4
Postal town: Ballsbridge
Contact
Internet address: http://www.eirgrid.com 🌏
E-mail: liam.maclaughlin@eirgrid.com 📧
Phone: +353 12370125 📞
URL for documents: http://irl.eu-supply.com/app/rfq/rwlentrance_s.asp?PID=152681&B=ETENDERS_SIMPLE 🌏
URL for participation: http://irl.eu-supply.com/app/rfq/rwlentrance_s.asp?PID=152681&B=ETENDERS_SIMPLE 🌏

Reference
Dates
Date dispatched: 2019-09-02 📅
Submission deadline: 2019-09-25 📅
Publication date: 2019-09-05 📅
Identifiers
Notice number: 2019/S 171-417739
OJ-S issue: 171
Additional information

This is a Services Concession Contract Directive 2015/23/EU. EirGrid will use the negotiated procedure for this contact.

Object
Scope of the procurement
Short description:

EirGrid is now seeking responses from candidates to collaborate with in relation to the operation and commercialisation of the CFOC (the remaining 10 pairs) or who wish to utilise the CFOC themselves.

Estimated total value: 30 000 000 EUR 💰
Short description:

— the contracting authority wishes to appoint a Commercial Entity (CE) to operate or market, operate and maintain up to 10 fibre pairs on the CFOC on behalf of EirGrid on a concession basis or take on all 10 pairs for their own use,

— the appointed CE will be required operate and maintain separate accounts for the activities related to the operation of the CFOC,

— the appointed CE will be required to develop a marketing strategy for the products and services that will be provided over the CFOC, if they are not going to utilise all 10 CFOC pairs themselves,

— the appointed CE, if they are not going to utilise all 10 CFOC pairs themselves, will be required to offer dark fibre and managed services as outlined in accompanying PQQ document.

Estimated value excluding VAT: 30 000 000 EUR 💰
Duration: 240 months
Additional information:

This is a Services Concession Contract Directive 2015/23/EU.

EirGrid will use the negotiated procedure for this contact.

Place of performance
Main site or place of performance: Dublin.

Legal, economic, financial and technical information
Conditions for participation
Suitability to pursue the professional activity:

Please see Information memorandum and pre-qualification questionnaire attached to this notice.

Contract execution
Contract performance conditions:

Please see information memorandum and pre-qualification questionnaire attached to this notice.

Procedure
Legal basis: 32014L0024
Minimum number of candidates: 3
Maximum number of candidates: 5
Objective criteria for choosing the limited number of candidates:

Please see information memorandum and pre-qualification questionnaire attached to this notice.

Time of receipt of tenders: 12:00
Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted: English 🗣️
Tender validity period: 12 months

Contracting authority
Identity
National registration number: N/a
Contact
Contact point: Liam Maclaughlin
Address of the buyer profile: https://irl.eu-supply.com/ctm/Company/CompanyInformation/Index/219 🌏
Documents URL: http://irl.eu-supply.com/app/rfq/rwlentrance_s.asp?PID=152681&B=ETENDERS_SIMPLE 🌏

Reference
Additional information

1) Interested parties must register their interest on the eTenders website (ww.etenders.gov.ie) in order to be included on the mailing list for clarifications. All information relating to attachments, including clarifications and changes, will be published on the Irish Government Procurement Opportunities Portal (www.etenders.gov.ie) only. Registration is free of charge. The contracting authority will not accept responsibility for information relayed (or not relayed) via third parties.

2) This is the sole call for competition for this service.

3) The contracting authority will not be responsible for any costs, charges or expenses incurred by candidates or tenderers.

4) Contract award will be subject to the approval of the competent authorities.

5) It will be a condition of award that candidates are tax compliant and are in a position to produce a valid tax clearance certificate or eTax Clearance from the Revenue Commissioners when requested.

6) If for any reason it is not possible to award the contract one or more of the tenderers invited following the conclusion of this competitive process, the contracting authority reserves the right to award the contract to the next ranked tenderer as appropriate.

7) At its absolute discretion, the contracting authority may elect to terminate this procurement process or any contract awarded.

8) Please note in relation to all documents, that where reference is made to a particular standard, make, source, process, trademark, type or patent, that this is not to be regarded as a de facto requirement. In all such cases it should be understood that such indications are to be treated strictly and solely for reference purposes only, to which the words “or equivalent” will always be appended.

9) Without prejudice to the principle of equal treatment, the contracting authority is not obliged to engage in a clarification process in respect of questionnaires with missing or incomplete information. Therefore, candidates are advised to ensure that they return fully completed questionnaires in order to avoid the risk of elimination from the competition.

Complementary information
Review body
Name: The High Court
Postal address: Four Courts
Postal town: Dublin
Postal code: 7
Country: Ireland 🇮🇪
Phone: +353 18886000 📞
Internet address: http://www.courts.ie 🌏
Information about review deadlines:

The contracting authority will not conclude this contract to which a standstill period applies in accordance with Council Directive 2014/25/EU, until after the expiry of the standstill period which commences on the day following the date of notification on concerned candidates and tenderers. The duration of the standstill period will be 14 calendar days where notifications are sent electronically or by fax and 16 calendar days where these are sent by any other means. The statutory instrument mentioned above provides that review procedures are available in the High Court to a person who has or has had an interest in obtaining the reviewable public contract and alleges that he or she has been harmed or is at risk of being harmed by an infringement of the law in relation in this contract.

Service from which information about the review procedure may be obtained
Name: Central office of the High Courts (Appeal Section)
Postal address: Ground Floor, East Wing, Inns Quay
Source: OJS 2019/S 171-417739 (2019-09-02)

Contract award notice (2021-03-29)
Object
Scope of the procurement
Title: Integrated telecommunications services
Short description:

EirGrid owns and operates an electricity interconnector between Ireland and the United Kingdom (EWIC). In tandem with the interconnector EirGrid has 24 commercial fibre optical cables (CFOC) capable of providing commercial telecoms connectivity between the two jurisdictions. 14 cables have already been allocated. EirGrid is now seeking responses from candidates to collaborate with in relation to the operation and commercialisation of the CFOC (the remaining 10 pairs) or who wish to utilise the CFOC themselves.

Notice metadata
Document type: Contract award notice
Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)
Code: Integrated telecommunications services 📦

Procedure
Type of bid: Not applicable

Contracting authority
Identity
Postal address: Block 2 - The Oval, 160 Shelbourne Road, Dublin 4

Reference
Dates
Date dispatched: 2021-03-29 📅
Publication date: 2021-04-02 📅
Identifiers
Notice number: 2021/S 065-168013
Refers to notice: 2019/S 171-417739
OJ-S issue: 65
Additional information

This is a services concession contract Directive 2015/23/EU EirGrid will use the negotiated procedure for this contact.

Object
Scope of the procurement
Short description:

• the contracting authority wishes to appoint a commercial entity (CE) to operate or market, operate and maintain up to 10 fibre pairs on the CFOC on behalf of EirGrid on a concession basis or take on all 10 pairs for their own use;

• the appointed CE will be required operate and maintain separate accounts for the activities related to the operation of the CFOC;

• the appointed CE will be required to develop a marketing strategy for the products and services that will be provided over the CFOC, if they are not going to utilise all 10 CFOC pairs themselves;

• the appointed CE, if they are not going to utilise all 10 CFOC pairs themselves, will be required to offer dark fibre and managed services as outlined in accompanying PQQ document.

Additional information: This is a services concession contract Directive 2015/23/EU

Procedure
Award criteria
Quality criterion (name): Health and safety
Quality criterion (weighting): Pass/fail
Quality criterion (name): Approach and methodology
Quality criterion (weighting): 20 %
Quality criterion (name): Quantity quality and balance of human resources
Quality criterion (weighting): 10 %
Quality criterion (name): Technical and operational requirements
Business and operational support systems
Cost criterion (name): Financial viability of proposed operator business model
Cost criterion (weighting): 5 %
Cost criterion (name): Total of revenue share, availability
Cost criterion (weighting): 35 %

Reference
Additional information

1) Interested parties must register their interest on the eTenders website ww.etenders.gov.ie) in order to be included on the mailing list for clarifications. All information relating to attachments, including clarifications and changes, will be published on the Irish Government Procurement Opportunities Portal (www.etenders.gov.ie) only. Registration is free of charge. The contracting authority will not accept responsibility for information relayed (or not relayed) via third parties;

2) This is the sole call for competition for this service;

3) The contracting authority will not be responsible for any costs, charges or expenses incurred by candidates or tenderers;

4) Contract award will be subject to the approval of the competent authorities;

7) At its absolute discretion, the contracting authority may elect to terminate this procurement process or any contract awarded;

Complementary information
Review body
Postal town: Dublin 7
Source: OJS 2021/S 065-168013 (2021-03-29)

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