Invitation to tender

Date of publication Simap: 08.09.2017

1. Contracting authority

1.1 Official name and address of the contracting authority

Contracting authority/Authority of assignment: SIFEM AG (Swiss Investment Fund for Emerging Markets)
Procurement authority/Organizer: SIFEM AG (Swiss Investment Fund for Emerging Markets), c/o Obviam DFI AG, Bubenbergplatz 11,  3011  Bern,  Switzerland,  E-mail:  beschaffung.wto@bbl.admin.ch

1.2 Offers should be sent to the following address

Bundesamt für Bauten und Logistik (BBL)
Dienst öffentliche Ausschreibungen (DöA),  attn Project (17146) SIFEM External Auditor, Fellerstrasse 21,  3003  Bern,  Switzerland,  Fax:  +41 58 463 26 98,  E-mail:  beschaffung.wto@bbl.admin.ch

1.3 Desired deadline for questions in written form

22.09.2017

Remarks: If questions arise when drawing up the offer, they can be entered in English in anonymously in the Question Forum at www.simap.ch until the given closing date. Questions which are submitted late can not be answered. All Potential Suppliers will be informed by e-mail as soon as the answers are published on www.simap.ch.

1.4 Deadline for submitting offers

Date: 03.11.2017, Specific deadlines and formal requirements:  Specific deadlines and formal requirements: Concerning the submission of tenders: address see paragraph 1.2.
a)
Delivery of bids to the reception desk FOBL (by the bidder or by courier)
Bids must be delivered by the submission date specified above at the latest, during lodge opening hours (8.00am - 12 noon and 1pm - 4pm), in return for which a FOBL confirmation of receipt will be issued.
b)
Delivery of bids by post
The postmark or barcode receipt issued by a Swiss post office or an officially recognised foreign post office will be definitive when ascertaining whether the deadline has been met (company franking is not classed as a postmark).
c)
Delivery of bids to a Swiss diplomatic mission or consular post abroad
Foreign bidders may submit their bids by the aforementioned date at the latest, during the opening hours of a Swiss diplomatic mission or consular post in their country, in return for a confirmation of receipt. They must fax the diplomatic or consular receipt to the procurement agency no later than the submission date (see section 1.2 for fax number).
Bidders must in all cases be able to prove that their bids were submitted on time.
Any bids submitted after the deadline will not be considered. They will be returned to the bidder.

1.5 Date of the opening of bids:

09.11.2017, Remarks:  The opening of the bids and the opening protocol are not public

1.6 Type of contracting authority

Decentralized federal administration - public-legal organizations of the federation and other supporting organisations assuming federal tasks

1.7 Type of procedure

Open procedure

1.8 Type of order

Order for services

1.9 Scope of international treaties

Yes

2. Objects of procurement

2.1 Service category CPC:

[9] Book-keeping and auditing

2.2 Project title of the acquisition

(17146) SIFEM External Auditor

2.3 Reference / project no.

(17146)

2.4 Division into lots?

No

2.5 Common Procurement Vocabulary

CPV:	79200000 - Accounting, auditing and fiscal services

2.6 Subject and scope of the contract

SIFEM, which is a public limited company incorporated under Swiss law and 100% owned by the Swiss Confederation is required to have its annual accounts reviewed by a licensed auditor within the framework of an ordinary audit procedure (SCO SR 220, Art. 727-728). In addition, SIFEM is required to produce annual audited accounts according to the IFRS accounting standards. and Obligations has been adjusted to take these features into account.
The main tasks to be performed annually are:
- Prepare an audit plan
- Conduct audit of the investment valuation process for the SIFEM portfolio
- Conduct audit of SIFEM’s Internal Control Systems
- Conduct final audit for SIFEM (IFRS and SCO financial statements) and produce corresponding audit reports
- Participate in selected SIFEM’s Audit Committees meetings and, when needed, in SIFEM’s General Assembly

For the details of each category please refer to the Request for proposal.

2.7 Location where service is to be delivered

Bern

2.8 Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system

84 months after contract was signed

This contract is subject to renewal: No

2.9 Options

Yes

Description of options: Term according to section 2.8 split up into basic contract and renewal option. Service period of 5 years (1 June 2018 – 31 May 2023) with renewal option of 2 years (up to 31 May 2025).

2.10 Award criteria

AC1 Price of services  Weighting 5000 points 
AC2 Team and Organization  Weighting 4500 points 
AC3 Quality of offer presentation  Weighting 500 points 
Comments:  The detailed award criteria can be found in appendix 8 an 9 to the tender documentation.

2.11 Will variants be accepted?

No

2.12 Are partial offers permitted?

No

2.13 Implementation date

Remarks: Beginning: 3 quarter 2018. Ends: 2 quarter 2023 (period of basic services, without renewal option)

3. Conditions

3.1 General conditions of participation

None

3.2 Deposits/guarantees

None

3.3 Conditions of payment

Payment will follow within 30 days after receipt of the invoice in CHF net, including VAT, assuming the invoice is correct, if not otherwise agreed in the contract.
Pricing and payment conditions have to be included in the draft of the contract with calculation details as mentioned in section 5.2 (request for proposal).

3.4 Costs to be included

All prices have to be given net in Swiss Francs (CHF) and are to be declared exclusive of VAT, in accordance with the conditions applicable to the pricing model, as described in section 5.2 (request of proposal) . The price exclusive of VAT has to include all cost components and in particular:
- Social security contributions
- Costs for billing
- Secretarial expenses including copying tasks
- Accessory charges
- All further expenses, including travelling and accommodation services

3.5 Consortium of bidders

Not permitted

3.6 Subcontractor

Subcontractors are permitted. If the bidder involves subcontractors for contract performance, the bidder will assume overall responsibility. He must list all subcontractors with their assigned roles.

3.7 Eligibility criteria

based on the criteria given below:
All companies with sufficient economic capacity, which meet the following criteria and proof of suitability acc. to paragraph 3.8, are invited to submit a tender in CHF.

3.8 Evidence required

based on the evidence given below:
The verification of competences must be submitted absolutely complete and without restriction or modification in writing. If not complete, the tender offer will not be evaluated.

SC1: Experience
The bidder has already acted as auditor for private equity/debt instrument fund of funds according to IFRS standards. The bidder provides proof of experience for at least one reference which did not end earlier than 5 years ago.

SC2: The bidder holds the requisite permits and meets all the legal and regulatory requirements to act as auditor licensed either by the Federal Audit Oversight Authority under Article 9a Paragraph 1 of the Auditor Oversight Act of 16 December 2005 (SR 221.302).

SC3: The bidder follows the ISA standards as well as SAS standards and has the ability to audit financial statements according to IFRS and SCO (SR 220).

SC4: Human resources
- The bidder has the necessary human resources in order to meet the required tasks described in section 3.3.1 within the deadlines set in section 3.6.
- The bidder is able to assign experienced professionals to the audit mandate and find suitable replacements in case of staff rotation.
- The bidder is ready to collaborate with external SIFEM service providers (Obviam, the Custodian and Administrator, the Accountant and the external treasurers).

SC5: Ability and willingness of the bidder to commit to deliver services over a period of 5 years and a possible extension of 2 more years.

SC6: Acceptance of the General Terms and Conditions for Service Contracts (GTC) of the Swiss confederation (see Annex 1).

SC7: The bidder has sufficient economic/financial capacity to fulfil the contract.

SC8: Compliance with procedural principles
a) Compliance with procedural principles: the bidder confirms that he himself as well as any subcontractors, comply with the procedural principles according to self-declaration sheet (see Annex 5).
b) additional evidence of equal pay for men and women: providers with more than 50 employees and their direct subcontractors with more than 50 employees, in addition to the self-declaration sheet, each have to demonstrate how its remuneration practice was reviewed.

3.9 Conditions for obtaining the tendering documentation

Costs: none

3.10 Languages

Languages for offers: English

3.11 Validity of offers

280 days after deadline for receipt of offers

3.12 Supplying source of the tendering documentation

at www.simap.ch
Documents of the invitation to tender are available from: 08.09.2017
Languages of documents: English
Further information for obtaining the tendering documentation: The documentation on the public call to tender for the project mentioned can be downloaded from the platform www.simap.ch under: Running procedures, Confederation, Invitations to tender. In order to do so, you first have to register in the above-mentioned project. You will then be able to log in and use the password received by e-mail to download the desired documentation.

For confidentiality reasons, Enclosure A of the present request for proposal is not publicly available (cf. section 9.2 request of proposal).
Companies willing to submit an offer must timely deliver the following documents:
• Duly signed confidentiality agreement – NDA Annex (3)
• A certified copy of the current commercial register (not older than 3 months) or a similar official confirmation. The original copy must be submitted as proof of suitability along with the offer.
Both documents have to be sent by the bidder and with the annotation “WTO project (17146) SIFEM External Auditor – confidential documents” to the contact address given (1.2).
The confidential components will be released to the bidder via e-mail upon receipt of the verification.
It is in the sole responsibility of the bidder to request these additional documents in time for the preparation of their offers. NDAs submitted to the procurement authority less three business days before the submission deadline will not be considered.

4. Other information

4.1 Conditions for tenderers from Non-Member States of the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement

None

4.2 Terms of business

Terms of business Business will be conducted in accordance with the Swiss Confederation's General Business Terms and Conditions (GTC) for Service Contracts. (Edition: September 2016, State: September 2016). The “General Terms and Conditions for Service Contracts” can also be downloaded in the official languages of the Swiss Confederation and in English from https://www.beschaffung.admin.ch/bpl/de/home/auftraege-bund/agb.html

4.3 On-site visit

The right to negotiations is reserved. The procurement authority does not enter into any negotiations on price. Bidders receive the chance of adjusting their prices only if a special situation arises such as clarifying or refining requirements and the purchasing authority allows such an adjustment as an exception in the course of an invitation to possible negotiations

4.4 Essential requirements

The client will only award public contracts for work and services to be undertaken within Switzerland to suppliers who guarantee both to observe the provisions relating to health and safety at work and working conditions for their employees and to treat male and female employees equally as regards rates of pay.
If the service is provided abroad, the supplier must ensure adherence to at least the core conventions of the International Labour Organisation as specified in PPO Annex 2a.
A signed copy of the Swiss Federal Procurement Commission's self-declaration sheet "Supplier's self-declaration concerning the adherence to minimum social standards" (see Annex 5) should be enclosed with the bid.

4.6 Additional information

The contracting authority reserves the right not to give an award according to board decision.

The contracting authority reserves the right to fully or partially use the options defined in this tender (renewal options).

4.7 Official organ of publication

www.simap.ch

4.8 Procedures for appeal

Pursuant to Art. 30 of the Federal Act on Public Procurement, an appeal against this publication may be filed within 20 days since notification in writing in an official language of Switzerland to the Federal Administrative Court, Postfach, 9023 St.Gallen. The appeal petition must be submitted in duplicate and must contain the application, the grounds of appeal with details of the evidence and the signature of the appellant or his agent; a copy of the present publication and documents cited as evidence must be attached, provided they are in the appellant’s possession.