Tender specifications

2.Context

The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) was established by Commission Decision 1999/352/CEE, ECSE, Euratom of 28 April 1999.² OLAF is operationally independent but is nevertheless part of the European Commission and as such is bound by the administrative and legal provisions governing the EU institutions.

OLAF’s mission is threefold:

1. 
   to protect the financial interests of the European Union by combating fraud, corruption and any other illegal activities;
   
2. 
   to protect the reputation of the European institutions by investigating serious misconduct by members and staff that could result in disciplinary and/or judicial proceedings;
   
3. 
   to support the European Commission in the development and implementation of fraud prevention and detection policies.
   

OLAF carries out its mission by conducting, in full independence, internal and external investigations. It also organises close and regular cooperation between the competent authorities of the Member States, in order to coordinate their activities for the protection of the EU’s financial interests and the fight against fraud. OLAF supplies Member States with the necessary support and multidisciplinary technical know-how to help them in their fight against economic and financial crime. It strives to contribute to the design of a European strategy for the fight against fraud and illegal activities and takes the necessary initiatives to strengthen the relevant legislation.

OLAF’s activities are carried out with integrity, impartiality and professionalism, respect at all times the rights and freedoms of individuals and are fully consistent with the law.
In 2011, OLAF received 1 046 information items, three quarters of which from private sources. At the end of 2011, OLAF had 463 ongoing investigations and had closed 208 cases. As a result, € 691 million were recovered for the EU budget.³
While the number of investigations has remained fairly stable over past years, OLAF has recently experienced an increase in complex investigations. These investigations often target criminal organisations that exploit the technological progress in information technology and communication. In order to fight them successfully, there is a need to raise the level of competence of law enforcement officials in the area of digital forensics across the European Union. More often than in the past, such investigations depend on competent forensic examiners who have mastered the methods and tools of the trade in order to acquire, from a vast variety of digital media, relevant data that could hold up in court as evidence.
The European Union and the Member States have set themselves the objective of countering fraud and any other illegal activities affecting the Union’s financial interests. All available means must be deployed to attain that objective, while maintaining the current distribution and balance of responsibilities between national and Union levels.
One of the means of attaining that objective is the establishment of the Hercule II programme by Decision 878/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council. The Hercule II programme promotes activities for the protection of the financial interests of the European Union by focusing in particular on the following specific objectives:⁴

1. 
   enhancing transnational and multidisciplinary cooperation between Member State authorities, the Commission and OLAF;
   
2. 
   building networks throughout the Member States, acceding countries and candidate countries — in accordance with a memorandum of understanding — to facilitate the exchange of information, experience and best practices, while respecting the distinct traditions of each Member State;
   
3. 
   providing technical and operational support for the law enforcement authorities of the Member States in their fight against illegal cross-border activities, emphasising support for customs authorities;
   
4. 
   without undermining operational effectiveness, striking a geographical balance by including, if possible, all Member States, acceding countries and candidate countries — in accordance with a memorandum of understanding — in the activities financed under the programme;
   
5. 
   multiplying and intensifying measures in the areas identified as the most sensitive, particularly in the field of cigarette smuggling and counterfeiting.
   

The Hercule II Programme has three main sectors of activities:⁵

1. 
   technical assistance for national authorities;
   
2. 
   training, seminars and conferences;
   
3. 
   IT support.
   

The subject of this call for tender concerns sector of activities b): training, seminars and conferences.

Further information about OLAF and the Hercule II Programme can be found under: http://ec.europa.eu/anti_fraud/index_en.htm

3.Duration of the contract

The framework contract will be concluded for a period of 1 year (12 months) from the date on which it enters into force. It may be renewed up to three times for a period of 12 months, but only before expiry of the contract and with the express written agreement of the parties. Renewal does not imply the modification or deferment of existing obligations.

4.Request for services

Each service to be provided under the framework contract will be covered by a specific contract⁶ signed by the European Commission (OLAF) and the contractor. The specific contract will specify which training courses and specific services are needed for each training event to be organised by the contractor. For this purpose, a request will be prepared by the Commission (OLAF) and sent to the contractor. The contractor will send its reply in the form of an official offer based on the financial proposal enclosed with the contract. The contractor will work closely with the OLAF units in charge of the coordination of the training events.