To help reduce the spread of Covid-19, Cavan Burren Park, Lough Macnean Amenity Area and Shannon Pot are now all closed to the public until further notice.
We ask members of the public do not visit or try to enter these sites until further notice.
We all have our part to play in the battle against Coronavirus.
Cavan County Council invites Expressions of Interest for a Catering Kiosk at Cavan Burren Park, Blacklion
Introduction
Cavan Burren Park is a Prehistoric Park located 5 km from the village of Blacklion, in the heart of the Cuilcagh Lakelands Geopark. The Park attracts over 30,000 visitors per annum and is hugely popular among walkers, families and tourists. The focus is to provide a high-quality visitor experience for our wide range of visitors, while maintaining a healthy respect for the environment and a “leave no trace” policy. There is a busy programme of events planned for the summer months – May to August.
Cavan County Council is seeking Expressions of Interest from interested parties to provide high quality refreshments services from a Catering Kiosk that is proposed to be located in the visitor’s car park.
Applicants should be able to provide the kiosk, food and beverages on a regular basis through the summer months. It is intended this kiosk will support the local economy and the environment in a variety of ways such as using local produce and suppliers wherever possible.
The opening hours of the park are from 7am to 10pm during these summer months. It is envisaged the kiosk would operate during peak season May to August - Friday, Saturday, Sunday and bank holiday Mondays between the hours of 12pm to 6pm. The Kiosk is expected to be flexible and made available for specific events. The Geopark Officer will advise of specific dates upon contract being awarded.
Information Required for the Expression of Interest
Expressions of Interest are invited for the Catering Kiosk to provide food, beverage and catering services at Cavan Burren Park from May to August 2019.
Please provide details of your proposal as follows:
a) Suggested menu ideas and how product items will be prepared, cooked, packaged and served to a high standard b) High quality work ethic to ensure customers’ needs are met, value for money, product quality and range, availability, ability to move the kiosk around easily c) Supply a copy of your Food Hygiene Certificate d) Explain how this kiosk will support local businesses and the local community e) State how the kiosk will support the local environment of Cavan Burren Park noting details of environmental management systems to include energy, waste, waste collection and disposal, recyclable materials, sourcing suppliers and transportation f) The kiosk should have the considered appearance of being in keeping with the location g) Include any other considerations, ideas or suggestions you have for daily operations
Key Guidelines:
1. Submission date for proposals is 5pm on Friday, 29th March 2019. 2. Please submit a detailed proposal including the following:
a. Relevant experience and qualification b. Approach and methodology to achieving the objectives outlined above c. Detailed, clear and innovative plan for the kiosk which will be high quality and contribute to the visitor experience
Award Criteria
The contract will be awarded on the basis of the most economically advantageous Expression of Interest in accordance with the award criteria and associated weighting set out below:
▪ Approach and proposed methodology including appearance of kiosk (25) ▪ Qualifications of key personnel to be involved on this project (20) ▪ Examples of similar projects (15) ▪ Range of services and resources (50)
Before the contract is awarded the successful applicant will be required to produce a valid and current Employers and Public Liability Insurance including Products Liability Certificate (€13m).
Contract period: The contract will be valid for a period of 4 months. The contract will commence from 1st May 2019.
Timescale for queries
Receipt of queries and responses to queries will be by email only. Query responses will be issued to all known potential applicants. Queries by email only to nmccann@cavancoco.ie
Expressions of Interest advertised to providers 7/3/2019 Receipt of queries to Cavan County Council 15/3/2019 Response to queries by Cavan County Council 20/3/2019
All Expressions of Interest must be submitted in writing and marked:
Expression of Interest for Catering Kiosk at Cavan Burren Park and addressed to:
Nuala McCann, Acting Geopark Officer, Cavan Belturbet Municipal District, Cavan Co Council, Church Street, Ballyconnell, Co. Cavan by 5pm on Friday 29th March 2019.
Expressions of Interest which are delivered late will not be considered.
A new, awe-inspiring trail of magnificent destinations awaits you right along the epic expanse of the Atlantic frontier. It winds an intriguing transnational path from Ireland and the UK, to France, Portugal and Spain over to the Atlantic Islands of Lanzarote and down to the Azores. It links 12 dramatic landscapes that host vibrant communities, rich local cultures and unforgettable visitor experiences.
Discover and protect
The European Atlantic Geotourism Route guides you through diverse territories, countries, habitats, languages and cultures. These stunning destinations are linked together by one powerful mission – to provide the highest quality visitor experiences; helping to power vibrant local economies and cultural activities and, in so doing, protecting these breathtaking and unique natural landscapes.
An ancient and contemporary story
Each destination tells a distinctive, dramatic and enthralling chapter of the story of life on the Atlantic frontier. The tale of how, from time’s dawn to present day – natural forces, landscape, people, culture and ways of life continue to interweave to give physical shape, meaning and mystery to these memorable regions. To illuminate and animate these geologically-rich and bio-diverse destinations for the curious, careful and discerning visitor.
It’s waiting for you
Today, in these wonder-filled places, rare and outstanding sustainable tourism offerings live in harmony with local farmers, craft workers, entrepreneurs, artists and artisan food producers, each strengthening the other. And now this European Atlantic Geotourism Route is yours to explore, to experience – and to never, ever forget.
International Cooperation and Development
Partnership map
The European Atlantic Geotourism Route has been created to support the development of Geotourism in a number of destinations in the European Atlantic Area. With funding provided by the EU Interreg Atlantic Area programme and support from the Global Geopark Network, nine European Geoparks along with two aspiring Geoparks and the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Portugal are working together on this transnational economic, cultural and sustainable tourism development project.
The Atlantic Geoparks Project aims to promote and disseminate the geological and cultural heritage within the Atlantic Area as a basis for an economic development. The 30 month project which begun in July 2017 and aims to forge new tourism links along a defined Atlantic route through highlighting the common interests and heritage of the destinations along the route.
The project is funded through the Atlantic Area section of the European Regional Development Fund and the aim of the project is to strengthen the integration of tourism and natural heritage, reconciling tourism development with conservation of geology,biodiversity and cultural heritage in several territories in the EU including Spain, Portugal, France, Ireland and the UK.
The innovative aspect of the Project will be to advance transnational Geotourism along the western margin of Europe using UNESCO Global Geoparks and aspiring Geoparks as best practice models for regional and local sustainable development, including the development of a European Atlantic Geoparks Route which will be submitted as a candidate for a Cultural Route of the European Council.
Through a series of work packages the project will develop management toolkits, supports for aspiring Geoparks, a geodiversity conservation charter, geotourism monitoring system, an online presence with social networking, innovative ICT tools, and a community engagement programme.
The Copper Coast UNESCO Global Geopark assumes the role of corodinating the development of training and capacity building activities within the route.
Project partners:
University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (Portugal)
Arouca Geopark (Portugal)
Azores Geopark (Portugal)
Forest Fawr Geopark (UK)
Marble Arch Geopark (Northern Ireland / Ireland)
Basque Coast Geopark (Spain)
Lanzarote Geopark (Spain)
Sustainable Municipalities Community of Cantabria Aspiring Geopark (Spain)
PNR Armorique Aspiring Geopark (France)
North Pennines AONB Geopark (UK)
Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark (Ireland)
Copper Coast Geopark (Ireland)
About the INTERREG Atlantic Area Programme
INTERREG Atlantic Area is an European funding programme that promotes transnational cooperation among 36 Atlantic regions of five European countries. With a total budget of € 185M, being €140M of European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), this programme co-finances cooperation projects in the fields of Innovation & Competitiveness, Resource Efficiency, Territorial Risks Management, Biodiversity and Natural & Cultural Assets.
The Atlantic Area covers the western part of Europe bordering the Atlantic Ocean. It comprises regions from the western part of the United Kingdom, Ireland and Portugal as well as the northern and south westernmost part of Spain and western France.
The Programme main objective is to strengthen the integrated territorial development and cooperation in the Atlantic area.
Our ancestors never cease to surprise us and neither do our neighbours! Frank White of Glenfarne discovered this beautiful Rock Art on a glacial erratic that sits predominantly near the Interpretative Centre. Thanks for the photos Jim!
We are delighted to say that we are part of a new EU Interreg project called the The European Atlantic Getourism Route. See link below. More exciting details to follow soon...watch this space!