Notice Information
Notice Title
Stage 2 Appointment of an Operator for the i4C Innovation and Cleantech Centre, Ballymena, Northern Ireland
Notice Description
Mid & East Antrim Borough Council has secured funding approval for the business case for the development of a new i4C Innovation and Cleantech Centre (herein referred to as "i4C") located on the St Patrick's Regeneration Site in Ballymena, Northern Ireland. It is anticipated that the i4C will have a gross internal floor area of circa 7,000 sq. metres, with current concept proposals interpreting this to be a four-storey building comprising laboratories, workshops, Grade A office space for rent by corporate tenants and co-working office space for entrepreneurs/SMEs. It will also contain an iLAB (innovation laboratory), a staffed 'makerspace' workshop. The i4C will be sited adjacent to the new Northern Region College (NRC) education campus and in close proximity to the ECOS Business and Conferencing Hub, a Council owned and managed facility. Construction of the i4C is planned to commence in February 2026, with the Centre opening in August 2027. The Council is seeking to appoint a suitably experienced Operator to manage and operate the i4C in the medium to long term (from its planned opening in August 2027) and, in the short term, to inform the design and advise on the branding, marketing and fit-out of the i4C prior to its opening. Pre-operations phase (from late 2024 to August 2027) During the pre-operations phase (from late 2024 to August 2027), the Council requires the Operator to provide early operator involvement in the final design of the i4C (collaborating with the Council's appointed design team), build relationships with the ECOS Business and Conferencing Hub, develop an understanding of related Cleantech initiatives in Ballymena and Northern Ireland, develop the brand of the i4C, market the i4C in advance of its opening, develop an initial programme of specialist Cleantech and SME supports in advance of opening, advise on the i4C fit-out, and secure funding bids to support the i4C's activities, such as, for example, Innovate UK funding. As part of the pre-operations phase, the Operator will also develop the operational business plan for the i4C. Operating phase (from August 2027) During the operating phase (from August 2027), the Operator will be responsible for the management of the i4C and its operations, including but not limited to i4C marketing, sales, management of tenancies and workspace rentals, provision of enterprise, innovation and specialist Cleantech supports for tenants of the i4C and for SMEs across the Borough (including wider community outreach around enterprise and innovation), identifying and securing funding for activities and the provision of front office and facilities management services. Additional Optional Service - iLAB The Council intends to include the specialist iLAB operations in the i4C and the provision of an initial phase of the iLAB (prior to the opening of the i4C) in the i4C operator contract as optional additional services. The i4C operator would not be obligated to provide the specialist iLAB services, rather the inclusion of these services as additional optional services would provide the Council the ability to add the provision of the iLAB services to the i4C operator contract during the term of the i4C operator contract. Additional Optional Service - ECOS Business and Conferencing Hub The Council also intends to include services relating to the operation of the ECOS Business and Conferencing Hub as optional additional services within the i4C operator contract, to provide the Council with the flexibility to avail of any strategic efficiencies and/or economies of scale in future through closer alignment of the operations of the i4C and ECOS. The i4C Centre is a focus for social regeneration. The Economic Operator appointed will be required to address Social Value during the operation of the i4C Centre. For a complete description of this procurement please refer to the Pre-Qualification Documents.
Lot Information
Lot 1
The Council is using the competitive dialogue process pursuant to Regulation 30 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended) (PCR) which will involve the following core stages: Stage 1 - Selection Stage: a Selection Questionnaire (SQ) stage to shortlist Tenderers based on their capacity, capability, and financial standing; Stage 2 - Dialogue Stage: issue of the Invitation to Participate in Dialogue (ITPD) stage comprised of detailed dialogue for the development of solutions; Stage 3 - Final Tender Stage: Close of Dialogue and the submission and evaluation of Final Tenders, following which the winning Tenderer will be selected; Stage 4 - Contract Award Stage: Finalisation with Preferred Bidder and Award. Those Tenderers shortlisted at Stage 1 will be invited to participate in the Dialogue Stage of the process. The Council intend to invite three (3) Tenderers to participate in Stage 2 and such Tenderers will be selected on the basis of them being the three highest scoring at the SQ stage, provided they all meet all minimum standards of qualification set out in the Selection Questionnaire. The three Tenderers will, following the close of dialogue, be invited to submit final tenders. Additional information: The estimated contract value is the estimated maximum total spend by MEABC for the contract duration of 204 months (17 years) which includes the option, at the sole discretion of the Council, to extend the operating phase for a further 3 periods of 3 years
Notice Details
Publication & Lifecycle
- Open Contracting ID
- ocds-h6vhtk-0435e2
- Publication Source
- Find A Tender Service
- Latest Notice
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/014139-2024
- Current Stage
- Tender
- All Stages
- Planning, Tender
Procurement Classification
- Notice Type
- Planning Notice
- Procurement Type
- Standard
- Procurement Category
- Services
- Procurement Method
- Selective
- Procurement Method Details
- Competitive dialogue
- Tender Suitability
- Not specified
- Awardee Scale
- Not specified
Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)
- CPV Divisions
55 - Hotel, restaurant and retail trade services
73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services
79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security
-
- CPV Codes
55250000 - Letting services of short-stay furnished accommodation
73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services
79000000 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security
79340000 - Advertising and marketing services
79342000 - Marketing services
79342200 - Promotional services
79400000 - Business and management consultancy and related services
79410000 - Business and management consultancy services
79411100 - Business development consultancy services
79420000 - Management-related services
79990000 - Miscellaneous business-related services
79993000 - Building and facilities management services
79993100 - Facilities management services
79996000 - Business organisation services
79998000 - Coaching services
98340000 - Accommodation and office services
98341000 - Accommodation services
98341100 - Accommodation management services
98342000 - Work environment services
Notice Value(s)
- Tender Value
- £14,000,000 £10M-£100M
- Lots Value
- £14,000,000 £10M-£100M
- Awards Value
- Not specified
- Contracts Value
- Not specified
Notice Dates
- Publication Date
- 1 May 20242 years ago
- Submission Deadline
- 31 May 2024Expired
- Future Notice Date
- 8 Apr 2024Expired
- Award Date
- Not specified
- Contract Period
- Not specified - Not specified
- Recurrence
- Not specified
Notice Status
- Tender Status
- Active
- Lots Status
- Active
- Awards Status
- Not Specified
- Contracts Status
- Not Specified
Buyer & Supplier
Contracting Authority (Buyer)
- Main Buyer
- Mid and East Antrim Borough Council
- Contact Name
- Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
- Contact Email
- Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
- Contact Phone
- Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Buyer Location
- Locality
- BALLYMENA
- Postcode
- BT42 1AB
- Postcode Area
- Northern Ireland
- Country
- Northern Ireland
-
- Major Region (ITL 1)
- TLN Northern Ireland
- Basic Region (ITL 2)
- TLN0 Northern Ireland
- Small Region (ITL 3)
- TLN0F Mid and East Antrim
- Delivery Location
- TLN0F Mid and East Antrim
-
- Local Authority
- Mid and East Antrim
- Electoral Ward
- Ardeevin
- Westminster Constituency
- North Antrim
Further Information
Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)
The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.