What documents should an ELV tender package contain for an Irish project?

A complete ELV tender package for an Irish project must contain: layout drawings for each system (fire alarm, security, cabling, BMS) on current architectural plans; zone plans and riser diagrams; cause-and-effect matrix (signed); equipment schedules with IS EN 54 and relevant EN certification references; performance specifications for installation and commissioning; a bill of quantities (priced or unpriced); a design basis statement citing I.S. 3218:2019 and other applicable standards; and BIM model content (where the project is ISO 19650-mandated). Missing any of these — particularly the C&E matrix and IS EN 54 certification schedule — typically results in assigned certifier review rejection under BC(A)R.

Is a bill of quantities always required in an Irish ELV tender package?

For most Irish public-sector projects (OGP public works, HSE Capital Programme, Department of Education), a priced or unpriced bill of quantities is required as part of the tender documentation. For private-sector projects, the BOQ may be prepared by the quantity surveyor from the ELV design drawings and specifications, or a unpriced schedule of materials may be provided by the ELV design consultant for the contractor to price against. The procurement route determines the BOQ requirement — the ELV designer should confirm with the project quantity surveyor at brief stage.

What is a performance specification in ELV design?

A performance specification defines what the ELV system must achieve — not exactly how it must be built. It specifies: the system categories and standards that must be complied with (I.S. 3218, IS EN 54, EN 50131, etc.); the testing and commissioning requirements; the documentation to be provided by the installing contractor; the handover documentation including O&M manuals and commissioning certificates; and the performance standards the completed installation must demonstrate. The performance specification, combined with the layout drawings and equipment schedules, gives the installing contractor everything needed to price and build the system correctly.

How does a BIM-coordinated ELV tender package differ from a 2D CAD package?

A BIM-coordinated ELV tender package includes Revit model content (LOD 300) alongside or instead of 2D CAD drawings — producing coordinated, clash-checked drawings directly from the federated model rather than manually drafted layouts. The BIM package provides: clash-resolved containment routes that have been verified against structural and MEP services; automated quantity take-offs from model geometry; and a digital information asset that the contractor can use for installation coordination. For ISO 19650-mandated Irish NDP projects, BIM-coordinated ELV tender packages are the standard requirement.

What is required in an ELV tender package for Irish building control (BC(A)R)?

The ELV elements required in an Irish BC(A)R submission include: the fire alarm design package (I.S. 3218-compliant layouts, C&E matrix, IS EN 54 equipment schedule, design basis statement); access control door schedule and interface documentation with fire alarm for door release; BMS integration documentation showing AHU shutdown sequences; and CCTV design documentation where relevant to building safety. The fire alarm package is the primary ELV document in a BC(A)R submission — all other ELV systems are secondary unless specifically required by the building authority.

ELV Tender Package Ireland — What's Included & Why

The quality of an ELV tender package determines the quality of the construction outcome. A complete, well-structured ELV tender package for an Irish project — with clear drawings, a signed cause-and-effect matrix, IS EN 54-certified equipment schedules and a standards-cited performance specification — produces competitive tenders, accurate contractor pricing, and a building control submission that passes assigned certifier review first time. An incomplete package — missing the C&E matrix, using uncertified equipment references or omitting the design basis statement — produces variation claims, programme delays and BC(A)R rejections that are entirely avoidable.

What Is an ELV Tender Package?

An ELV tender package is the set of design documents issued to contractors to enable them to price and install the ELV systems in a building. It is the culmination of the ELV design process — transforming the designer's intent into the documentation that contractors, commissioning engineers and assigned certifiers use. A complete Irish ELV tender package covers all ELV systems within scope: fire alarm, PA/VA, security (CCTV, access control, intruder detection), structured cabling, BMS and AV.

Why the Tender Package Quality Determines Construction Outcome

Two types of ELV tender packages circulate on Irish building projects: those that specify what must be built and those that specify what might be built. The first type produces consistent, comparable contractor pricing and a building control submission that works. The second type produces wide pricing variance (because contractors are pricing different things), scope creep, variation orders and commissioning defects. The difference is almost always in the completeness of the documentation — particularly the cause-and-effect matrix and the equipment certification schedule.

The three most commonly missing documents in Irish ELV tender packages — in order: (1) the cause-and-effect matrix, (2) IS EN 54 certification references in the equipment schedule, and (3) the design basis statement citing I.S. 3218:2019. All three are standard ASDV deliverables on every Irish fire alarm project.

The Core Documents in an Irish ELV Tender Package

Drawings — Layouts, Schematics and Riser Diagrams

Layout drawings show each ELV device positioned on the architectural floor plan, with device references, zone assignments and containment routes indicated. They must be on current (signed-off) architectural drawings — not concept-stage plans that have been superseded by building layout changes. Schematic drawings (single-line system diagrams) show how the system is structured. Riser diagrams show cable routes between floors and the main equipment rooms. All drawings must be referenced to a consistent drawing schedule.

Performance Specification — The Design Intent Document

The performance specification defines what the ELV systems must achieve — the standards they must comply with, the performance they must demonstrate at commissioning, the documentation the contractor must provide, and the testing that must be witnessed. For fire alarm, the performance specification cites I.S. 3218:2019, IS EN 54 and any relevant sector standards (TIA-942 for data centres, HSE brief for healthcare). For structured cabling, it cites ISO/IEC 11801. The performance specification is the document that binds the contractor to a specific quality outcome — without it, the contractor is bound only by their own interpretation of what "fire alarm" means.

Equipment Schedule — Every Component Specified

The equipment schedule lists every ELV device, component and panel to be installed, with the manufacturer and model reference, the relevant IS EN 54 or EN certification reference, and the quantity. For fire alarm, every detector, call point, sounder, module and panel must carry an IS EN 54 certification reference. An equipment schedule without certification references — listing only generic descriptions — is not a specification. It is an invitation for the contractor to install the cheapest available product, which may or may not meet the required standard.

Bill of Quantities (BOQ) — Priced or Unpriced?

The BOQ lists all ELV items with quantities, enabling the contractor to price the work uniformly. For OGP public works and HSE Capital Programme projects, a measured BOQ is typically required. For private-sector projects, the procurement route determines whether the ELV designer produces a BOQ or whether the quantity surveyor measures from the drawings. Regardless, consistent pricing basis across tendering contractors is essential — without a BOQ, tender comparisons are meaningless.

Cause and Effect Matrix

As covered in our cause and effect matrix guide, the C&E matrix is the most commonly missing document and the most important. It is a mandatory standard ASDV deliverable on every Irish fire alarm project.

Standards Citations and Design Basis Statement

The design basis statement is a short document that confirms: the applicable I.S. 3218 category and the basis for its determination; the standards cited for each ELV system; and any specific derogations or alternative approaches applied. It is the document that the assigned certifier reads first when reviewing the ELV design package. If it is missing, the certifier must infer the design intent from the drawings and specifications — a process that takes longer and produces more reviewer queries.

What Makes a Tender Package Sign-Off-Ready

A tender package that will pass BC(A)R assigned certifier review in Ireland without revision must contain all of the above plus: a drawing title block citing I.S. 3218:2019 on every fire alarm drawing; a signed and dated C&E matrix; IS EN 54 certification references for every component in the equipment schedule; and a performance specification that references Irish building control requirements. Missing any of these is a common and entirely avoidable reason for assigned certifier review rejection.

BIM-Coordinated vs 2D CAD Tender Packages

For ISO 19650-mandated Irish NDP projects, the ELV tender package must include Revit model content at LOD 300 — federated, clash-detected and issued through the project CDE. This replaces or supplements the 2D CAD drawings. The BIM package provides clash-resolved containment routes, automated quantity take-offs and a digital information asset for the contractor. ASDV provides BIM support services for Ireland that cover ELV model production alongside the 2D design package.

Every ASDV ELV design includes the complete tender package — drawings, C&E matrix, IS EN 54 schedules, performance specification and design basis statement — as standard deliverables. See our ELV design consultant Ireland page for the full scope.

FAQs — ELV Tender Package Ireland

Layout drawings, riser diagrams, zone plans, cause-and-effect matrix (signed), equipment schedules with IS EN 54 certification references, performance specification, bill of quantities (per procurement route), and a design basis statement citing I.S. 3218:2019 and other applicable standards.

For OGP public works and HSE Capital Programme projects, a measured BOQ is typically required. For private-sector projects, the procurement route determines this — confirm with the project quantity surveyor at brief stage whether the ELV designer or QS measures from the drawings.

A performance specification defines what the ELV system must achieve — the standards it must comply with, the testing required at commissioning, and the documentation the contractor must provide. It binds the contractor to a specific quality outcome rather than their own interpretation of scope.

A BIM package includes Revit model content at LOD 300 — clash-detected, coordinated and issued through the project CDE. It provides clash-resolved containment routes, automated quantity take-offs and a digital asset the contractor uses for installation. Required on ISO 19650-mandated Irish NDP projects.

The fire alarm package is the primary ELV document for BC(A)R — I.S. 3218-compliant layouts, signed C&E matrix, IS EN 54 equipment schedule and design basis statement. Access control door release documentation and BMS AHU shutdown sequences are also required where relevant to the fire safety strategy.

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ASDV Design Team

ELV Design Consultants — ASDV Consultant Ireland

ASDV delivers complete ELV tender packages for Irish projects — C&E matrix, IS EN 54 schedules, performance specification and BC(A)R documentation as standard deliverables. Remote delivery from New Delhi to Dublin, Cork, Galway and nationwide.