The Donegal Famine Heritage Centre CLG (trading as 'The Workhouse') seeks to appoint a suitably qualified service provider to deliver the final design, production, and fit-out of a modern museum exhibition at The Workhouse, Dunfanaghy, Co. Donegal. Project Context and Funding The Workhouse, Dunfanaghy has been awarded grant funding by Failte Ireland through the Coast-to-Coast Capital Investment Scheme. This project is a cornerstone of the organisation's strategy, which aims to quintuple visitor numbers and revenue by transforming the site into a premier, year round, all weather destination on the Wild Atlantic Way. Core Deliverables: The Service Provider will be responsible for the end-to-end delivery of the exhibition, including: Final Interpretive and Spatial Design: Utilising the provided Draft Interpretive Plan and Content Framework to develop a high-quality, universally accessible visitor journey across an envisaged five distinct zones. This includes proposing a creative repositioned layout for internal partition walls to optimise visitor flow, maximising physical wall space, and the design, off-site fabrication, and installation of a detailed, historically accurate physical scale model of the original Workhouse building and grounds to serve as a central interpretive anchor. Content and Language Management: Collaborating closely with the Workhouse Working Group to edit and finalise all exhibition scripts. Deliverables include fully bilingual (English and Irish/Gaeilge) printed and digital displays to ensure strict compliance with the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021, alongside a professionally recorded four-language self-guided audio tour delivered via both proprietary devices and web-hosted smartphone frameworks. Technological Integration: Procuring, programming, installing, and commissioning all multimedia and audio-visual (AV) elements. This includes immersive digital media treatments and a dedicated, high-capacity Digital Archive Explorer interactive kiosk. Physical Fit-Out, Enabling Works and Heating Upgrades: Managing the complete site preparation, including the safe demolition and lawful disposal off-site of legacy exhibition fixtures. Physical works include constructing agreed internal partition walls, executing all necessary first/second-fix electrical, and decorative trades, and installing a centralised ambient climate monitoring display (in reception area). The Service Provider must also supply and commission an active, humidity control solution (with a total prohibition on external stone wall penetrations) and supply and commission a modern, energy-efficient heating upgrade compliant with Regulation (EU) 2024/1103 for the exhibition space. Please note that all works, installations, and commissioning under this contract must be fully completed, validated, and handed over to the Contracting Authority by no later than 30th March 2027.
Deadline
The time limit for receipt of tenders was 2026-07-17.
The procurement was published on 2026-06-16.
Contract notice (2026-06-16) Object Scope of the procurement
Title: Exhibition Design, Manufacture and Fit-Out Services for Donegal Famine Heritage Centre CLG (trading as The Workhouse), Dunfanaghy, Co. Donegal
Short description:
The Donegal Famine Heritage Centre CLG (trading as 'The Workhouse') seeks to appoint a suitably qualified service provider to deliver the final design, production, and fit-out of a modern museum exhibition at The Workhouse, Dunfanaghy, Co. Donegal. Project Context and Funding The Workhouse, Dunfanaghy has been awarded grant funding by Failte Ireland through the Coast-to-Coast Capital Investment Scheme. This project is a cornerstone of the organisation's strategy, which aims to quintuple visitor numbers and revenue by transforming the site into a premier, year round, all weather destination on the Wild Atlantic Way. Core Deliverables: The Service Provider will be responsible for the end-to-end delivery of the exhibition, including: Final Interpretive and Spatial Design: Utilising the provided Draft Interpretive Plan and Content Framework to develop a high-quality, universally accessible visitor journey across an envisaged five distinct zones. This includes proposing a creative repositioned layout for internal partition walls to optimise visitor flow, maximising physical wall space, and the design, off-site fabrication, and installation of a detailed, historically accurate physical scale model of the original Workhouse building and grounds to serve as a central interpretive anchor. Content and Language Management: Collaborating closely with the Workhouse Working Group to edit and finalise all exhibition scripts. Deliverables include fully bilingual (English and Irish/Gaeilge) printed and digital displays to ensure strict compliance with the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021, alongside a professionally recorded four-language self-guided audio tour delivered via both proprietary devices and web-hosted smartphone frameworks. Technological Integration: Procuring, programming, installing, and commissioning all multimedia and audio-visual (AV) elements. This includes immersive digital media treatments and a dedicated, high-capacity Digital Archive Explorer interactive kiosk. Physical Fit-Out, Enabling Works and Heating Upgrades: Managing the complete site preparation, including the safe demolition and lawful disposal off-site of legacy exhibition fixtures. Physical works include constructing agreed internal partition walls, executing all necessary first/second-fix electrical, and decorative trades, and installing a centralised ambient climate monitoring display (in reception area). The Service Provider must also supply and commission an active, humidity control solution (with a total prohibition on external stone wall penetrations) and supply and commission a modern, energy-efficient heating upgrade compliant with Regulation (EU) 2024/1103 for the exhibition space. Please note that all works, installations, and commissioning under this contract must be fully completed, validated, and handed over to the Contracting Authority by no later than 30th March 2027.
The Donegal Famine Heritage Centre CLG (trading as 'The Workhouse') seeks to appoint a suitably qualified service provider to deliver the final design, production, and fit-out of a modern museum exhibition at The Workhouse, Dunfanaghy, Co. Donegal. Project Context and Funding The Workhouse, Dunfanaghy has been awarded grant funding by Failte Ireland through the Coast-to-Coast Capital Investment Scheme. This project is a cornerstone of the organisation's strategy, which aims to quintuple visitor numbers and revenue by transforming the site into a premier, year round, all weather destination on the Wild Atlantic Way. Core Deliverables: The Service Provider will be responsible for the end-to-end delivery of the exhibition, including: Final Interpretive and Spatial Design: Utilising the provided Draft Interpretive Plan and Content Framework to develop a high-quality, universally accessible visitor journey across an envisaged five distinct zones. This includes proposing a creative repositioned layout for internal partition walls to optimise visitor flow, maximising physical wall space, and the design, off-site fabrication, and installation of a detailed, historically accurate physical scale model of the original Workhouse building and grounds to serve as a central interpretive anchor. Content and Language Management: Collaborating closely with the Workhouse Working Group to edit and finalise all exhibition scripts. Deliverables include fully bilingual (English and Irish/Gaeilge) printed and digital displays to ensure strict compliance with the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021, alongside a professionally recorded four-language self-guided audio tour delivered via both proprietary devices and web-hosted smartphone frameworks. Technological Integration: Procuring, programming, installing, and commissioning all multimedia and audio-visual (AV) elements. This includes immersive digital media treatments and a dedicated, high-capacity Digital Archive Explorer interactive kiosk. Physical Fit-Out, Enabling Works and Heating Upgrades: Managing the complete site preparation, including the safe demolition and lawful disposal off-site of legacy exhibition fixtures. Physical works include constructing agreed internal partition walls, executing all necessary first/second-fix electrical, and decorative trades, and installing a centralised ambient climate monitoring display (in reception area). The Service Provider must also supply and commission an active, humidity control solution (with a total prohibition on external stone wall penetrations) and supply and commission a modern, energy-efficient heating upgrade compliant with Regulation (EU) 2024/1103 for the exhibition space. Please note that all works, installations, and commissioning under this contract must be fully completed, validated, and handed over to the Contracting Authority by no later than 30th March 2027.
Type of contract: Services
Products/services: Museum-exhibition services๐ฆ
Estimated value excluding VAT: 290 000 EUR ๐ฐ
Description
Internal identifier: 0
Additional products/services:
Postal address: The Workhouse
1-6 Church Meadows
Figart
Dunfanaghy
Co. Donegal
Ireland
F92 NX47
Postcode: F92 NX47
Town: Dunfanaghy
Country: Ireland ๐ฎ๐ช
Place of performance: Border
๐๏ธ
Duration: 12 months Title
Lot Identification Number: LOT-0001
Procedure Type of procedure
Open procedure โ
Legal basis: Directive 2014/24/EU
Administrative information
Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate: 2026-07-17 16:00:00 ๐
Conditions for opening of tenders: 2026-07-17 16:30:00 ๐
Conditions for opening of tenders (place): https://www.etenders.gov.ie/epps/cft/prepareViewCfTWS.do?resourceId=8417100
Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted: English ๐ฃ๏ธ
Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender: 90 days Tendering terms
Tenderers may submit more than one tender
Opening date: 2026-07-17 16:30:00 ๐
Place: https://www.etenders.gov.ie/epps/cft/prepareViewCfTWS.do?resourceId=8417100
Electronic invoicing: Allowed
Electronic payment will be used โ
Deadline for requesting additional information: 2026-07-06 16:00:00 ๐
Complementary information Review body
Name: The High Court of Ireland
National registration number: The High Court of Ireland
Department: The High Court of Ireland
Postal address: Four Courts, Inns Quay, Dublin 7
Postal code: D07 WDX8
Postal town: Dublin
Region: Dublin
๐๏ธ
Country: Ireland ๐ฎ๐ช
E-mail: highcourtcentraloffice@courts.ie๐ง
Phone: +353 1 8886000๐ Service from which information about the review procedure may be obtained Same as: Review body Information about electronic workflows
Electronic invoicing will be accepted
Source: OJS 2026/S 115-414143 (2026-06-16)
Contract notice (2026-07-15) Object Scope of the procurement
Estimated value excluding VAT: 290 000 EUR ๐ฐ
Procedure Administrative information
Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate: 2026-07-20 16:00:00 ๐
Conditions for opening of tenders: 2026-07-20 16:30:00 ๐
Tendering terms
Opening date: 2026-07-20 16:30:00 ๐
Changes Other additional information
The deadline for the submission of tenders has been extended to Monday 20th July 2026 at 16:00.
Main reason for change: Information updated
Information about modifications
Version of the previous notice to be changed: 17cfaf24-0716-45e0-a156-d1f9c032fce6-01
Source: OJS 2026/S 135-490705 (2026-07-15)
Contract notice (2026-07-16) Object Scope of the procurement
Estimated value excluding VAT: 290 000 EUR ๐ฐ
Changes Other additional information
Two Addendums have been published in relation to this Request for Tender.
On 30th June 2026, Addendum No. 1 and a revised Request for Tender document (Request for Tender for Exhibition Design, Manufacture and Fit-Out Services for Donegal Famine Heritage Centre CLG Operating as โThe Workhouseโ, Rev 2.pdf) was uploaded to the tender workspace.
This addendum (No. 1) outlines important clarifications, simplifications, and updates regarding the Mechanical and Electrical (M and E) scope of works and specific exhibition fit-out requirements. Specifically the addendum removed the requirement for an active humidity control system and clarified the number of heating units that needed to be upgraded (four legacy storage heaters needed to be replaced). The Display Case Specification has also been updated. The requirement has been updated from "conservation-grade" to "high-quality" display cases to reflect the nature of the exhibition assets.
On 10th July 2026, Addendum No. 2 and a revised Request for Tender document (Rev 3), was published to the eTenders workspace. The addendum No. 2 critical technical clarifications and aligns the Request for Tender (now updated to Rev 3) with the project's key deliverables. The principal modifications and clarifications are as follows:
Correction of "Artefacts" Terminology: The term "artefacts" has been formally replaced with "legacy models and exhibition items". The addendum clarifies that specialist, museum-grade conservation handling is not required, and the Contracting Authority will provide secure on-site storage during the renovation works.
Digital Archive Explorer Clarifications: The technical specifications for the interactive kiosk have been updated to mandate a hybrid approach. Pre-digitised core historical assets must be stored and hosted locally on the kiosk for fast access. Additionally, the system must feature a secure, restricted external web browser ("Kiosk Mode") to allow locked-down access to specific external databases, such as the Donegal County Archives and the National Archives.
Alignment of RFT Sections (Rev 3): The 'Key Outputs', 'Project Delivery Phases', and 'Award Criteria' sections have been comprehensively updated to explicitly define the required technical and design deliverables for immersive media. This includes formalising the requirements for short films, animations, projection mapping, creative set design, and the dedicated temporary exhibition space. Tenderers are instructed that all submissions and pricing schedules must be based strictly on these clarified requirements and the newly uploaded Rev 3 Request for Tender document.
Two Addendums have been published in relation to this Request for Tender.
On 30th June 2026, Addendum No. 1 and a revised Request for Tender document (Request for Tender for Exhibition Design, Manufacture and Fit-Out Services for Donegal Famine Heritage Centre CLG Operating as โThe Workhouseโ, Rev 2.pdf) was uploaded to the tender workspace.
This addendum (No. 1) outlines important clarifications, simplifications, and updates regarding the Mechanical and Electrical (M and E) scope of works and specific exhibition fit-out requirements. Specifically the addendum removed the requirement for an active humidity control system and clarified the number of heating units that needed to be upgraded (four legacy storage heaters needed to be replaced). The Display Case Specification has also been updated. The requirement has been updated from "conservation-grade" to "high-quality" display cases to reflect the nature of the exhibition assets.
On 10th July 2026, Addendum No. 2 and a revised Request for Tender document (Rev 3), was published to the eTenders workspace. The addendum No. 2 critical technical clarifications and aligns the Request for Tender (now updated to Rev 3) with the project's key deliverables. The principal modifications and clarifications are as follows:
Correction of "Artefacts" Terminology: The term "artefacts" has been formally replaced with "legacy models and exhibition items". The addendum clarifies that specialist, museum-grade conservation handling is not required, and the Contracting Authority will provide secure on-site storage during the renovation works.
Digital Archive Explorer Clarifications: The technical specifications for the interactive kiosk have been updated to mandate a hybrid approach. Pre-digitised core historical assets must be stored and hosted locally on the kiosk for fast access. Additionally, the system must feature a secure, restricted external web browser ("Kiosk Mode") to allow locked-down access to specific external databases, such as the Donegal County Archives and the National Archives.
Alignment of RFT Sections (Rev 3): The 'Key Outputs', 'Project Delivery Phases', and 'Award Criteria' sections have been comprehensively updated to explicitly define the required technical and design deliverables for immersive media. This includes formalising the requirements for short films, animations, projection mapping, creative set design, and the dedicated temporary exhibition space. Tenderers are instructed that all submissions and pricing schedules must be based strictly on these clarified requirements and the newly uploaded Rev 3 Request for Tender document.
Main reason for change: Information updated
Information about modifications
Version of the previous notice to be changed: 8f3d266a-27ea-4a70-8b5f-11d85c6311de-02
Source: OJS 2026/S 136-494749 (2026-07-16)