Tender

Stage 2 Appointment of an Operator for the i4C Innovation and Cleantech Centre, Ballymena, Northern Ireland

MID AND EAST ANTRIM BOROUGH COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Tender

01 May 2024 at 17:17

Planning

30 Jan 2024 at 18:17

Summary of the contracting process

The Mid & East Antrim Borough Council is planning the appointment of an operator for the i4C Innovation and Cleantech Centre in Ballymena, Northern Ireland. The procurement process is focused on selecting an experienced operator to manage and operate the i4C, with the construction planned to start in February 2026 and the Centre expected to open in August 2027. The tender involves a competitive dialogue process following various stages including Selection, Dialogue, Final Tender, and Contract Award, with the estimated contract value being £14 million over 204 months.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses offering services such as research and development, consultancy, marketing, and business management. Companies with expertise in innovation, cleantech, and facilities management are well-suited to compete for this contract. Mid & East Antrim Borough Council aims to drive social regeneration through this project, requiring the successful tenderer to deliver measurable social value outcomes. Businesses interested in contributing to the long-term success of the i4C Centre should engage with the Council's procurement process to explore potential collaborations and growth opportunities.

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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

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

98 - Other community, social and personal services


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 20241 years ago
Submission Deadline
31 May 2024Expired
Future Notice Date
7 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

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
Post Town
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

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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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.

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