Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 251: To ask the Minister for Finance when the request for tender for the provision of tetra communications was issued; the number of tenders received; the selection criteria that were applied; the way the successful tenderer met those criteria; if he is satisfied that the tender process was fair and open; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3433/07]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The procurement competition for the provision of national digital radio services to the non-commercial public sector was conducted under EU Procurement Law using a Restricted Procurement Procedure. It was overseen by an InterAgency Group chaired by my Department. The initial contract notice was issued on 4 January 2006. Nine responses were received from which five were shortlisted for receipt of the full tender documentation. This documentation was issued to these five on 12 June 2006. One of the five respondents withdrew from the competition and did not submit a proposal. The remaining four respondents submitted proposals by the closing date of 22 August 2006.

Qualification criteria are used to determine if a response can be qualified for consideration. In this case, respondents were required to submit proposals that proved their ability to meet all of the detailed requirements specified in the tender documentation, and proved their ability to sufficiently fund and financially sustain the services required. The four proposals submitted were evaluated initially against these qualification criteria. Two of the responses were found to have not qualified because they did not meet all of the specified requirements. The remaining two were forwarded to an Award Evaluation process. This process is used to determine which of the qualifying proposals offers the most economically advantageous proposal. In this case, the criteria used were technical merit and suitability of the proposed service solution, financial and legal evaluation, service and support arrangements, training, and terminals. The InterAgency Group's evaluation team used these criteria to compare the two remaining proposals. The National Development Finance Agency conducted the evaluation of the financial robustness of both proposals. The proposal that scored the highest total mark following this comparison was announced as the preferred bidder. This preferred bidder must now prove, within a defined timescale, its capability to deliver the service it proposed, before a contract can be awarded. I am satisfied that the procurement exercise was conducted in full compliance with procurement law and that my Department has fulfilled all of it obligations in that regard.