merrion street

Over 400 participants today attended an information and speed meeting event in Dublin for suppliers in the construction sector to learn how to become part of the supply chain for the €200m Central and East Quads PPP development project at DIT’s new education campus in Grangegorman, Dublin 7. This ‘Meet the Buyers’ event also gave participants access to representatives from the three shortlisted building consortia to promote their offer in a series of short 5 minute ‘pitch meetings’, and the opportunity to network with other suppliers with the aim of partnering and maximising the business potential from this major construction and development project.

The event was officially opened by Ged Nash TD, Minister for Business & Employment and was hosted by the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) and Grangegorman Development Agency (GDA) in partnership with Enterprise Ireland. This is the fourth such event promoting supply chain opportunities organised by the NDFA and Enterprise Ireland, and will be followed by further information and networking events as other projects are rolled out later this year as part of the Government’s PPP Stimulus Package.

Speaking at the event Minister Nash said: “This event provides a real opportunity for small businesses in the construction sector to gain access to key decision makers and construction consortia who are bidding for this flagship project. The high number attending shows the keen interest in this type of initiative. It is encouraging to see the recent Purchasing Managers Index which shows that activity and employment in the construction sector rose for the 11th month in a row showing a strong growth in housing and commercial sectors”.

The Minister continued, “The Government’s Action Plan for Jobs includes a strong focus on maximising procurement opportunities and highlights various actions to assist companies capitalise on the significant business opportunities afforded by public sector expenditure. It is well documented that one of the key issues for suppliers is gaining access to buyers and decision makers. This event today is an example of concrete actions we are taking to demystify the world of public procurement and stimulate increased business for potential suppliers”.

The Grangegorman re-development is a flagship Government project and its reach can be felt far beyond the Dublin 7 area. This phase of DIT’s new campus at Grangegorman will accommodate approximately 11,000 students and staff when completed and occupied in September 2017. Construction has already commenced on the broader campus with work scheduled to begin on the Central and East quads development in 2015. The overall strategic regeneration project at Grangegorman will deliver in the region of 4,500 construction jobs and a further 1,000 when complete.

The NDFA is responsible for delivering €650m of Public Private Partnership projects as part of the €2.5b Infrastructure Stimulus Programme announced by the Irish Government in July 2012. Through the Grangegorman re-development project, the Government is investing approximately €300 million into the Irish economy over this period up to September 2017. There will be further investment when further areas of the campus development come to market. The next DIT phase will include the West Quad (Business) and the new library. Other projects coming online within the re-development are the HSE primary care centre, the new Dublin 7 Educate Together primary school and the Community Nursing unit.

Brian Murphy, Chief Executive of the NDFA, welcoming the opportunity to work in collaboration with Enterprise Ireland, said: ‘Events like these are helping to engage SMEs into the supply chain for major public sector construction projects and I am encouraged to see so many of them attend today. By facilitating introductions between the shortlisted consortia and possible suppliers these Meet-the-Buyer events are of huge benefit to both parties. SMEs gain direct access to buyers and decision makers while buyers meet suppliers face-to-face and find out about their capabilities. The resulting business relationships also have a wider application beyond the project concerned’.

Chief Executive Officer of the Grangegorman Development Agency, Mr. Michael Hand, said that he was delighted to see such attendance at this important event and such interest in this significant aspect of the Grangegorman re-development. He said: ‘In delivering the regeneration of Grangegorman the Agency aims to maximise opportunities for local and national businesses. It is fantastic to see all of the companies here today looking to be part of it. I can assure them that apart from the Central and East Quad contract there will be other opportunities coming down the line and we look forward to their continued interest in this flagship national strategic project’.

Julie Sinnamon, CEO Enterprise Ireland said: ‘The DIT Grangegorman project will offer opportunities for companies across all sectors but in particular, those involved in the construction sector. This is a priority sector for Enterprise Ireland because of its job creation potential. There are close to 100,000 people employed in the sector in Ireland, and Enterprise Ireland’s ambition is to drive further growth and job creation. Today’s event is about supporting Irish companies to win lucrative contracts in Ireland, and to use the experience gained in the delivery of world-class building infrastructure in Ireland as a platform for growth in international markets’.

For more information on the DIT Grangegorman Campus

http://www.ndfa.ie/TenderCompetitions/DITCampusGrangegorman.htm

Grangegorman Development Agency

http://ggda.ie/

ENDS

For Further Information please contact:

Eileen Banks, Press Officer, Enterprise Ireland, T: 01-7272805, M: 087-2445814, eileen.banks@enterprise-ireland.com

NDFA

David Clerkin (087 830 1779) at Gordon MRM ntma@gordonmrm.ie

Grangegorman Development Agency

Ronan Doyle, Communications Officer, Tel: 01 8676082, ronan.doyle@ggda.ie

Notes to the Editor

PPP Consortia – Central and East Quads, DIT Grangegorman campus

The three Public Private Partnership (PPP) consortia that have been shortlisted to progress to the next stage of the delivery of the Central and East Quads at DIT’s new Grangegorman campus are BAM PPP; Eriugena Group and Kajima Infrared. BAM PPP includes Ireland based BAM Building Ltd and BAM FM Ireland Ltd. Eriugena Group includes Spanish contractor FCC Construcción SA and Dublin based John Sisk & Son along with facility management service providers Mitie and Noonan Services. Kajima Infrared consists of UK based Brookfield Multiplex Construction Europe and HSG Zander Ireland Facilities Services.

Public Private Partnerships (PPPs)

PPPs allow the burden of State investments be borne upfront initially by the private sector. Utilising PPP opportunities allows the private sector to address the State’s infrastructural needs, with the State sector paying for this investment over an extended period of time, usually 25 years. Delivery of educational infrastructure through PPPs usually results in delivery costs, maintenance and operational costs all being borne upfront by the private sector. The public sector repays the private sector’s investment in the form of annual unitary charges encompassing maintenance elements / operational elements and building element. In this way and particularly at a time when there are strains on the public purse, the costs to the public sector are distributed over a prolonged period whilst at the same time proactively addressing public needs with appropriate risk transfer to the private sector and therefore assisting economic activities.

About National Development Finance Agency: www.ndfa.ie

The National Development Finance Agency has full responsibility for the procurement and delivery of Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects in sectors other than transport and the local authorities. In its procurement role, the NDFA is responsible for all aspects of delivering the procurement of projects and hands them over to the sponsoring body after construction is complete and the asset is operational.

The NDFA is also the statutory financial advisor to State authorities in respect of all public investment projects with a capital value over €20 million. In its financial advisory role, the NDFA advises State Authorities on the optimal financing of priority public investment projects by applying commercial standards in evaluating financial risks and costs. The NDFA’s overriding objective is to maximise value for money for the Exchequer.

About Enterprise Ireland: www.enterprise-ireland.com

Enterprise Ireland is the Irish Government agency charged with developing and promoting Irish enterprise. Enterprise Ireland partners with entrepreneurs, Irish businesses, and the research and investment communities to develop Ireland’s international trade, innovation, leadership and competitiveness. The ultimate objective is increased exports, employment and prosperity in Ireland.

About Grangegorman Development Agency http://ggda.ie

The Grangegorman Development Agency (GDA) is a statutory agency established in 2006 by the Irish Government under the Grangegorman Development Agency Act 2005 to develop the former St. Brendan’s Hospital grounds in Dublin City Centre. The GDA aims to create a vibrant new city quarter with a diverse mix of uses, in a way that is sensitive to the context of the Grangegorman site, its surrounding neighbourhoods and the existing community. The challenge is to plan for and implement a complex, multi-phased development that provides:

· A high quality area with physical linkages to Smithfield, Phibsborough, Prussia Street and the City Centre

· New health care facilities for the Health Services Executive (HSE)

· A new urban campus for Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), bringing together all students and staff into one location

· New arts, cultural, recreational and public spaces to serve the community and the city

· A primary school, public library and children’s play spaces

· Complementary mixed-use development

Grangegorman Development – Briefing Notes

This project delivers:

· A construction project with substantial employment and spin off benefits

o 2,000 construction jobs from now until 2017 on this current phase of the project

o A further 1,000 full time jobs created on completion

o A “Local Labour” charter has been put in place, committing contractors to recruiting up to 20% of all new employees through the Area Network Skills Register.

· A central piece of national economic infrastructure – supporting knowledge society, research and development, intellectual capital creation, upskilling of the labour force and enterprise innovation.

· One of the first major new mental health assets to come about as part of the Department of Health and Children’s multi-annual programme of capital investment with “A Vision for Change”.

o Phoenix Care Centre sets a new standard for care of mentally ill patients

· Develops a new urban quarter for Dublin City

o Maintains this key city centre site in public ownership

o Contributes significantly to regeneration of Dublin’s north inner city, including areas such as Smithfield, Cabra and Phibsborough

o Knits areas of the city together in a coherent way

o Integrates with and supports transport initiatives including Luas Cross-City.

o Delivers vital primary care and other health services to the area

· Major consolidation of higher education sector-

o DIT accounts for almost 10% of the total higher education sector in Ireland

o All DIT activities, currently on 39 citywide locations, will be brought together at Grangegorman

o First 1,000 DIT students will arrive on campus in September 2014

Core aspects of the Grangegorman Project

· HSE: Relocation of residents and staff of St. Brendan’s hospital from antiquated accommodation into purpose built 54 bed facility on the site. Building is complete and patients and staff have moved in.

Construction of the new primary care centre and community nursing facilities.

· DIT: Consolidation of all DIT activities, 22,000 students and 2,000 staff – at a single location, including education facilities, research, technology transfer, sports, cultural activities, science park and student accommodation.

· Providing a major public recreational and amenity resource for north inner city. Apart from health facilities, this includes public library, primary school, playgrounds and park and, access to sports facilities.