Tender specifications

TENDER SPECIFICATIONS

Invitation to tender for a framework contract for the delivery of training courses and the supply of documentation for users of the financial systems specific to the European Commission, the executive agencies, the Community agencies and the other institutions

BUDG11/PO/005

1.General context of the contract

2.Contract objectives

3.Subject and nature of the contract

3.1.Specific context

3.2.Specific objectives and nature of the work

3.2.1.Preparatory phase

3.2.2.Delivery of the courses

3.2.3.Updating of the courses and course materials

3.2.4.Design of new courses or new course materials

3.2.4.1.General principles

3.2.4.2.E-learning

3.2.5.Updating of the user documentation

3.3.Specific provisions concerning training

3.3.1.Trainers

3.3.2.Planning of the courses

3.3.3.General rules and confidentiality

3.3.4.IT environment

3.3.5.Learning structure and method

3.3.6.Languages

3.4.Specific provisions concerning documentation

3.5.Target public

3.6.Subcontracting

4.Duration and timetable

5.Place of performance

6.Volume of work

7.General provisions and provisions concerning orders, follow-up to activities, and arrangements concerning payment and penalties

7.1.General procedures

7.2.Orders

7.3.Activity reports and methods of payment

7.4.Penalties

8.Provisions concerning the tenders

8.1.Participation in the tendering procedure

8.1.1.General principles

8.1.2.Consortiums, groups of providers and subcontracting

8.2.Information and documentation available

8.3.Prices

8.4.Procedure for evaluating tenderers and tenders

8.4.1.Exclusion criteria

8.4.2.Selection criteria

8.4.3.Technical and financial evaluation of the tenders

8.4.4.Award of the tender

8.5.Submission of tenders

8.6.Applicable law and competent courts

ANNEXES

1.Draft framework contract and annexes

2.Financial offer and financial evaluation scenario

3.Description of the minimum requirements for the staff proposed by tenderers to perform the tasks covered by the contracts

3.1.Trainers

3.2.Project leader

4.Model CV

5.Declaration concerning the absence of conflicts of interest (this document must be included in the tender)

6.Information on the financial systems

7.Information on existing training

8.Check-list of documents to be provided by tenderers

1.General context of the contract

The European Institutions (the Commission, the Council, the Parliament, the Committee of the Regions, the Economic and Social Committee, the Court of Auditors, the Court of Justice, the European External Action Service, the European Ombudsman and the European Data Protection Supervisor) and the Community and Executive Agencies and equivalent bodies (around 50 in 2011, located in various EU countries), hereinafter "the contracting authorities", have responsibility for implementation of an annual budget of €142 billion, over 20% of which is managed by the institutions or agencies. To do this, and to record the accounting data properly, the Commission has developed financial information systems which are increasingly used by the other institutions and agencies. The Commission's aim is to ensure a high level of best practices in comparison with those of the European public administrations. Among other priorities, this entails introducing effective financial and management procedures based on appropriate systems and used by staff trained specifically for this task.

To this end and for information purposes, in 2004 the Directorate-General (DG) for Human Resources, as the department responsible for developing training for Commission staff, followed by DG Budget in 2008 have concluded successive framework contracts whose aims include the design and delivery of training courses for the users of the financial information systems specific to the European Commission.

The latter framework contract, which was for an initial duration of one year, was renewed until March 2012, when it will terminate.

Since 2004 and the conclusion of the aforementioned framework contracts, the Commission has used an accrual accounting system based on the current system, ABAC (Accrual-Based Accounting).

Accordingly, the specification and the new framework contract will be structured in line with this in mind.

2.Contract objectives

The objective of the new framework contract is to introduce and facilitate access to financial training for all the departments of the contracting authorities for which the training provided may be relevant.

The Commission's ongoing general objective is to maintain and develop effective management procedures supported by appropriate systems and used by staff with specific training in this field. The main aim of the training which is the subject of this invitation to tender will thus be to ensure that the staff of the contracting authorities responsible for using the systems in question has the knowledge and skills required to use them effectively.

In particular, bearing in mind the context as described in (1) above, the specific objectives of this invitation to tender (without subdivision in lots) are as follows:

• 
  To deliver the existing financial training courses by traditional means (i.e. in classrooms equipped with PCs) to staff of the contracting authorities using the financial information systems (chiefly ABAC, SAM and SAP). ABAC is the main financial information system used to manage and record financial transactions. SAM is the specific application for managing fixed assets at certain entities. SAP refers to the modules developed to meet the needs of the institutions on the basis of the SAP platform, which is the accounting system as such (SAP includes management of the accounts of the contracting authorities, which can be used to draw up the annual financial statements). The concept of delivery of courses also includes the routine updates of these courses required as a result of technical or regulatory developments.
  
• 
  To design and deliver the new financial training courses which may become necessary, in particular as a result of major developments making existing courses obsolete or inappropriate or as a result of the particular needs of specific groups. This could also apply to developments in the specific financial information systems of the agencies and other institutions.
  
• 
  To update and/or design, if necessary, the documentation relating to the areas in which the training is being given, e.g. users' manuals, step-by-step guides or other appropriate teaching tools.
  
• 
  To develop and/or introduce, if the demand exists, new training techniques such as tele-training or e-learning.