Notice of a forthcoming tenders for the provision of public bus services for the town of Mullingar in 2025 under the Qualification System for the Provision of Public Bus Services in Ireland.

The National Transport Authority (“the NTA”) wishes to advise the market for public bus services operators of its intent to conduct two “call-off competitions” under its Qualification System for the provision of public bus services for the towns of Ennis and Mullingar. Information on the Qualification System is available at the following link: https://www.etenders.gov.ie/epps/dps/prepareViewCfTDPSWS.do?resourceId=1995093. To be admitted to the Qualification System, Candidates must meet certain minimum qualification criteria, including economic and financial capacity, possess a valid road transport operator’s licence, have a minimum of three consecutive years’ experience of operating public bus services under a license or under a contract (within the last five years) and a satisfactory safety management record. Candidates meeting the minimum qualification criteria are allocated to one of six contract bands arranged in increasing magnitudes of average annual turnover and average numbers of peak vehicles operated. Candidates may apply to be admitted at any time during the life of the Qualification System by completing and submitting the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) available at the above link. Candidates are not required to provide documentary evidence with their application but may be asked by the Authority at any time to provide information substantiating any declarations made in their PQQ submission. Where a Candidate is unsuccessful in being admitted to the Qualification System it is entitled to re-apply. However, Candidates should note that where an application is received on a date that falls 5 days or less before the date of publication of tender documents for a call-off competition, a Candidate (if they are successful in their application to be admitted) will not be eligible to participate in that call-off competition. The successful operator will be required to operate punctual and reliable public bus services at half hour frequencies to meet stipulated performance standards. Operator will be required to provide their own depot for the duration of each contract. Mullingar: It is intended that the operator in the Mullingar call-off competition will be provided with single deck low floor buses to operate the public bus services. The service is envisaged to commence operation during Q4 of 2025. Mobilisation periods will be provided. Further details will be available in the tender documentation that will be issued for each call-off competition. Having considered the estimated contract value and max PVR, the NTA envisage that Qualified Candidates in contract bands 2 to 6 inclusive in the Leinster region will be invited to participate in the Mullingar call-off competition. Subject to meeting the minimum qualification criteria (as set out in the Information Memorandum), Candidates must be able to demonstrate in the last five (5) years (or less where a Candidate has not been operating for less than five years) the following: a. for contract band 2 - an average annual turnover between €850,000 and €1,699,999 and experience in the operation of an average annual peak vehicle requirement between 5 and 9 vehicles; and The provisional date for publication of the tender for the Mullingar call-off competition is March 13th, 2024. Candidates wishing to apply to be allocated to the Qualification System are advised to submit their application to be admitted to the Qualification System no later than 6 days before these dates in order to be eligible to participate in the relevant call-off competition. Where the provisional publication dates above are later, the Authority will consider any applications received 6 days or more before the publication dates.