MINUTES OF THE COMPULSORY BRIEFING SESSION: FAS/AN/PD/BP/CON852/Y17
Time and Date: 2016 August 21 at 11:30-1:30
Venue: Lake View Hotel, Benoni
Tender
Description
Attendees from
FASSET
FASSET requires the services of one or more of the following organisations (the bid
respondent):
 South African public university/ies, as listed by the Department of Higher
Education and Training (DHET);
 South African public university/ies of technology (UoT), as listed by the DHET; or
 Professional body/ies.
The bid respondent must deliver a non-PIVOTAL training programme linked to one of
FASSET’s specified top ten scarce skills for the 2016/17 financial year or top ten scarce
skills for the 2016/17 financial year, only if a professional body designation.
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Bomkazi Mnombeli (BM)– SCM Facilitator (Operations Manager)
Natércia Faustino (NF)– Technical Facilitator (Processing & Quality Assurance
Director)
Amos Nokoane (AN) – SCM Support (Acting Projects Manager)
Langa Kambi Shamba (LKS) – SCM Support (Deloitte)
Attendees from
Perspective
Bidders
14 perspective bidders attended:
1. Opening and
Welcoming
NF openened the meeting by indicating the following:
2. Overview of
FASSET’s
revised
strategy
NF discussed the following key points related to FASSET’s revised strategy:
NF opened the meeting by indicating the following:
 This was a compulsory briefing session and bidders must ensure that they had
signed the attendance register.
 There would be a 15-minute grace period and the briefing session doors would be
locked once the grace period had expired..
 A brief overview of the agenda was provided.
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FASSET Mission
Transformation
#Lasting legacy campaign.
Driving change and transformation
New focus within the NC and WC to address demographics
Benefits of the # lasting legacy
Current Programs and discontinued programs
Overview of grants
Upon concluding NF allowed the attendees to ask specific questions related to Fasset’s
revised strategy.
3. SCM
compulsory
BM discussed the following key points related to the compulsory SCM requirements:
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MINUTES OF THE COMPULSORY BRIEFING SESSION: FAS/AN/PD/BP/CON852/Y17
Time and Date: 2016 August 21 at 11:30-1:30
Venue: Lake View Hotel, Benoni
requirements
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Completion of the attendance register by all attendants at the briefing session
was a requirement.
Completion of documentation to ensure contract information was accurate.
Submission of the documents in response to the bid, must be received before
11h00 on the closing date. BM stressed that bidders need to ensure this
happened as late bids would be rejected.
All queries need to be submitted in writing, no telephonic queries would be
addressed.
The last day for sending queries would be 5 December 2016 and responses
published on FASSET’s website within 3 working days of receipt.
Bids submitted needed to be submitted as 1 original plus 4 hard copies and one
soft copy of the pricing schedule (Excel format)
Specific pre-compliance requirements would need to be submitted with tender
submission by bidders:
o CSD Summary Report with the supplier number and the unique code;
o Special conditions of bid and contract signed;
o Bidder's own conditions;
o Signed POPI Act consent;
o Signed Declaration of Interest;
o Signed Declaration of Bidders past SCM practices signed;
o Certificate of Independent Bid Determination (SBD 9);
o Completed and signed Invitation to Bid;
o Business (Company) Registration Certificate;
o Valid original tax clearance certificate or a SARS compliance report
containing a PIN or a valid CSD Summary Report with the supplier number
and the unique code;
o VAT registration certificate;
o Income tax reference number;
o Company PAYE number;
o Company UIF number;
o Skills Development Levy registration number;
o One of the following:
 Original valid B-BBEE certificate; or
 Originally certified copy of B-BBEE certificate; or
 Certificate issued by the accounting officer or registered auditor;
 an original sworn affidavit.
o Vendor acceptable with reference to National Treasury "Restricted List";
o Vendor acceptable with reference to National Treasury "Tender
Defaulters List";
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MINUTES OF THE COMPULSORY BRIEFING SESSION: FAS/AN/PD/BP/CON852/Y17
Time and Date: 2016 August 21 at 11:30-1:30
Venue: Lake View Hotel, Benoni
4. Technical
requirements
for Tender
o Copy of certificate of company incorporation;
o HIV and Aids policy; and Employment Equity plans and policy
o Pricing Schedule
 Overview of SCM process and various committees was presented.
Upon concluding BM allowed the attendees to ask specific questions related to the SCM
requirements.
NF discussed the following key points related to technical requirements:
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Overall objective and scope
o FASSET requires the services of one or more of the following
organisations (the bid respondent):
 South African public university/ies, as listed by the Department of
Higher Education and Training (DHET);
 South African public university/ies of technology (UoT), as listed
by the DHET; or
 Professional body/ies.
o The bid respondent must deliver a non-PIVOTAL training programme
linked to one of FASSET’s specified top ten scarce skills for the 2016/17
financial year or top ten scarce skills for the 2016/17 financial year, only if
a professional body designation.
FASSET top ten scarce skills were presented and are listed below:
o Trainee accountant/auditor/article clerk
o External Auditor
o Computer Network and Systems Engineer
o Debt Collector
o Finance Manager
o Management Consultant
o Financial Investment Advisor
o Office Administrator
o Accountant (General)
o Economist
FASSET’s specified scarce skills were presented and are listed below:
o Computer network and systems engineer;
o Management consultant;
o Financial investments advisor; and
o Economist
NF discussed the pre-qualification criteria:
o The bid respondent must have a stipulated minimum B-BBEE black
ownership status of 51%; and
o Should the bid respondent not meet the requirements of the above
criterion, the bid respondent must sub-contract a minimum of 30% of the
total value of the proposed project to a black owned Exempt Micro
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MINUTES OF THE COMPULSORY BRIEFING SESSION: FAS/AN/PD/BP/CON852/Y17
Time and Date: 2016 August 21 at 11:30-1:30
Venue: Lake View Hotel, Benoni
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5. DISCUSSION
ITEMS:
TECHNICAL
QUESTIONS
Enterprise (EME).
Exclusions from pre-qualification criteria
o Public universities or universities of technology not sub-contracting /
partnering with a private provider (if applicable to the bid);
o Professional bodies not sub-contracting / partnering with a private
provider (if applicable to the bid);
o Section 21 companies not sub-contracting / partnering with a private
provider (if applicable to the bid);
Upon concluding NF allowed the attendees to ask specific questions related to this.
5.1 Can you clarify the top ten scarce skills versus the top four scarce skills?
 The top ten scarce skills have been identified by FASSET for FY 2016/17 which
include the following:
o Trainee accountant/auditor/article clerk
o External Auditor
o Computer Network and Systems Engineer
o Debt Collector
o Finance Manager
o Management Consultant
o Financial Investment Advisor
o Office Administrator
o Accountant (General)
o Economist
 Out of this list indicated above FASSET has specified the following four (4) scarce
for this tender:
o Computer network and systems engineer;
o Management consultant;
o Financial investments advisor; and
o Economist
5.2 If the proposed program finishes after March 2018, how will you deal with that?
 Due to current FASSET funding limitation all programs will need to be concluded
by March 2018 but should the extension requested be for a short period, for
example 2 months, it would be considered.
 This however would have to be discussed and agreed during the negotiations with
the successful bidder/s.
5.3 Currently some organizations have a 20% throughput don’t you think the 70%
throughput set is too high?
Throughput rate should not be confused with pass rate. FASSET wants 70% of the
learners on the intervention to successfully conclude i.e. pass the intervention.
5.4 Do foreign professional bodies fall under the non-exempt?
 Yes, foreign professional bodies will also qualify as non-exempt.
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MINUTES OF THE COMPULSORY BRIEFING SESSION: FAS/AN/PD/BP/CON852/Y17
Time and Date: 2016 August 21 at 11:30-1:30
Venue: Lake View Hotel, Benoni
5.5 Do QSE also qualify under similar to EME?
 The purpose of subcontracting to EME is because FASSET is targeting the
development of companies that have an annual turnover of R10 million or less
versus QSE that have turnovers above the R10 million. – Not sure if allowing the
QSE will deviate from the targeted development that FASSET has envisioned.
5.6 Can you clarify the difference between designation and qualification?
 Fasset defines a professional designation as a title or status conferred by a
professional body in recognition of a person’s expertise and / or right to practice
in an occupation or professional field. A professional designation is not PIVOTAL
as it does not result in a qualification registered on the NQF.
 Qualifications are registered on NQF and have credits associated with them.
 The Fasset specified scarce skills i.e. Computer network and systems engineer;
Management consultant; Financial investments advisor; and Economist relate to
the qualification specifications in this tender. Fasset’s full top ten scarce skills
relate to the designations specifications in this tender.
5.7 What is an example of designation that is not registered with NQF?
An example of this would be CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) which is not registered on
NQF but is the industry norm / standard.
5.8 If a professional body targets the Management Consultant scarce skill and to achieve
accreditation participants need to write a course that is facilitated by another
organisation, will this be acceptable?
 The professional body will to be the organisation doing the accreditation. There
should be no need to write an exam / course for accreditation.
5.9 If a bidding entity is applying to target different scarce skills do you submit more than 1
bid / tender?
 Yes, to ensure all bidders get a fair opportunity, bidders must submit separate
bids if they are targeting more than 1 scarce skill.
5.10
How do we deal with the following situation, the program we offer fits into 1 of the
designations and the learners could be CTA candidates, which normally would indicate
they fall under the Accountant scarce skill. However, we want to position them to go
into Financial Investments or Management Consulting?
 Within your submission / proposal you have to motivate why the qualification
they studied would link to the scarce skill you have identified.
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If the regulator issues the designation are they a professional body?
Yes, you can make the argument that regulator meets the definition of a
professional body.
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Does the regulator need to bid as a JV or with a sub-contractor?
Yes, they need to be the bid respondent and can partner with a sub-contractor.
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MINUTES OF THE COMPULSORY BRIEFING SESSION: FAS/AN/PD/BP/CON852/Y17
Time and Date: 2016 August 21 at 11:30-1:30
Venue: Lake View Hotel, Benoni
5.13
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Do we need to indicate the name of the subcontractor on the register?
No, sub-contractor names do not need to be indicated on the compulsory briefing
register.
5.14
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5.15
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Why was the tender cancelled previously?
The following reasons contributed to the cancellation:
o Compliance criteria that was ambiguous to the nature of services;
The requests for professional services bids, were cancelled by Fasset due
to ambiguities being highlighted with respect to the definition of the
nature of the services, the nature of the entity eligible to apply and the
mandatory requirements for compliance. These ambiguities would not
have allowed for the fair, equitable, transparent, competitive and costeffective evaluation of the tenders, which is required under section 217 of
the Constitution of South Africa, 1996.
Is the budget still the same to the previous tender that was cancelled?
Yes.
5.16
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Do we complete documentation hand written?
Yes.
5.17
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In terms of the pricing schedule what are the components of pricing?
An excel version of the pricing schedule that has been submitted to all bidders is
detailed and indicates all components required for pricing.
Please check this document on how to price.
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5.18
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6. MEETING
CLOSURE
When will the tender be adjudicated?
We envision the tender will be adjudicated in January 2017 and is applicable to
851 and 852.
Evaluation will most likely be complete during the week that the tender closes.
NF officially closed the meeting with the following final comments to attendees:
 She reminded all attendees to sign the register. She added that after consultation
with LKS, it was agreed that those present could include the names of the
professional bodies or providers with which they wanted to partner on the
register.
 Briefing session attendance certificates would be issued once the meeting had
officially closed.
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