QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Transcription

1 UESTIONS ND NSWERS RFB/2013/00040: ppointment of a Panel of suitably qualified and experienced Funeral Parlours to provide funeral services to the families of the deceased in line with the RF mass funeral procedure. Department uestion and nswer Procurement What is the meaning of the total bid price? The total bid price is the sum (VT inclusive) of all the costed items in the pricing schedule. Bidders should add all the line items to calculate the total bid price. Do bidders need to provide statistics on funerals conducted? Yes, bidders need to provide statistics in terms of the funerals they have conducted If by the closing date of the tender, my Tax Clearance Certificate is valid, but expires before the award of the bid. Is my Tax Clearance Certificate valid? Yes it is valid, but should the bidder be successful, he/she needs to furnish the RF with a valid one prior to concluding the contract. Which documents are you referring to as the original? For the bid document, the original is the document signed in original ink and containing the original or certified copies as requested (see page 5 and 6 of the bid document). Copies of the bid document are merely copies of the full original bid document. For documents to be submitted in the original bid document the requirements are set out on page 5 and 6 of the bid document. Should the copies be certified as true copies of the original?

2 uestion and nswer Copies in the original bid document must be certified where this is required see page 5 and 6 of the bid document. There is no need to certify the copy bid documents. re we going to receive some documents after the briefing session? If there is a need, communication will be done through or the RF s website: Do bidders need to submit one bid as head office? Bidders need to submit a separate bid for each province they are bidding for. Do we have to provide 3 years financial statements? Yes, see also checklist on page 5 and 6 of the bid document re the bidders allowed to attend the opening of the bid? No, after closing, the bids are opened (not publicly) and the names of the bidders and the prices are published on the RF website. Can the bidders submit in any of the RF offices? No, bids must be submitted at 420 Witch-Hazel venue, Eco-Glades 2, Centurion (at reception on the ground floor) Do you advise bidders who did not qualify? Yes, once the evaluation has been finalised, letters of award are sent to the successful bidders, and letters of regret to the unsuccessful bidders. Can the information be ed to the bidders?

3 uestion and nswer ll information is available in the bid document and the RF s website. re we having the same presentation all over the country? Yes re we supposed to submit in one box? With respect to packing bid documents, it would be preferred if original and copies could be submitted in a single package. With respect to the tender box, yes, there is a single bid box provided at the reception of 420 Witch-Hazel venue; Eco-Glades 2, Centurion, where bidders need to submit their bids, should the box be full, the RF will direct you where to place the bids. Can the closing date be extended for KZN? The closing date has been extended for all bidders to 10 February 2014 Do you want the original BBBEE certificate, and are you going to return it? Bidders may provide an original (or certified copy of the original) BBBEE certificate. RF does not return the original documents to the bidders, as the RF must keep all the documents received from the bidders, for audit purposes. What is the turnaround time for appointment after the bid closure? The RF endeavours to finalise the processes as quickly as possible and usually within 90 days, but if the process takes longer than envisaged the RF may request the bidders to consent to an extension of validity for a further period. re we going to be provided with the attendance registers of those who attended the briefing sessions?

4 uestion and nswer The attendance registers will be published on the RF s website: They are experiencing problems in getting the information required by RF? ll information requested for the purpose of this bid needs to be supplied to the RF, as it is a compliance requirement How should the bids be delivered? Bid documents should preferably be bound or placed in files and it would be preferred that original and copies could be submitted in a single package. The bids can be hand delivered or couriered to 420 Witch-Hazel venue; Eco-Glades 2, Centurion (at reception on the ground floor), but if couriered, please ensure that it reaches the reception 36 hours before the closing date (10 February 2014) How will we know the km? Bidders do not need price the distance-related costs, as these costs will be reimbursed at rates, as indicated in the pricing schedule. For the parlours that have offices nationally, should they submit one bid from its Head Office? Bidders need to submit a separate bid for each province they are bidding for. Will the site visits be conducted to those who score 70/100? No, site visits will be conducted to all the bidders which have scored a minimum of 50 out 70 for the technical/functional evaluation. What are the turnaround times for payments?

5 uestion and nswer Payments will be conducted within 30 days of receiving the correct invoice from the service provider. How many bids must bidders who have multiple branches in the province submit? The bidders must submit one bid per province, but can state the other branches in their profile, to be submitted as part of the technical/functional requirement. Can they agree on a price as an association? No, the price must be independent, meaning each bidder must provide an independent price, as each bidder also needs to confirm and sign SBD 9, that the price are independent. Where can we pick up the tender document? The bid document can be downloaded from the RF s website: Page 6 and 7 are blank? They should not be blank, as page 6 is the Checklist of documents to be submitted and page 7 is the Table of Contents for the RFB If I have a Tax Clearance Certificate which was valid for the 1 st submission (20 December 2013) and will have expired by the extended closing date (10 February 2014), will this be deemed as a disqualification? This will not disqualify the bid, but should the bidder be successful, he/she needs to furnish the RF with a valid one prior to concluding the contract. OPERTIONS If the deceased is already picked up by another funeral parlour, who bears the cost?

6 uestion and nswer The RF will endeavour to be the first to consult with the family of the deceased to avoid such instances. Will the bidders be allowed to charge more than the specified amount? Bidders will not be allowed to charge more than the specified amount. If equipment needs to be transported, how will the service provider charge? Service Provider is expected to charge per kilometre as per rates. For the preparation of the deceased: re we talking about the administration or preparation of the body itself? We are talking about the preparation of the deceased body. Is the coffin price including everything (service)? The coffin price does not include service. What if the family wants to upgrade and pay for the upgrade? The RF will pay as per the tariff. re you not catering for individual deaths? We are catering for instances where only one person dies, a request needs to be submitted to the RF. What if the family has already removed the body from the government mortuary and hears about the service later? The RF will endeavour to be the first to consult with the deceased family to avoid such situations.

7 uestion and nswer Is it illegal to inform the deceased family about the RF services No, it is not illegal. Is each region of the fund going to handle claims? Yes, claims are currently handled at various regions. Is the tender price different for each region and the services? No, the tender price is the same and also the service providers will render the same services. re mass graves going to be a consideration? No we are not going to consider mass graves. Will the families be allowed to upgrade e.g. get a casket instead The RF will pay according to the tariff. re penalties going to be levied against the service providers who are in breach of the Service Level greement? Yes penalties will be levied as per the Service Level greement. Invoices are not paid in time, can this be looked into? Yes this will be looked at, RF will endeavour to pay within thirty (30) days. Do I have to submit even though I am currently working with RF?

8 uestion and nswer Yes bidders are expected to submit as this is a new process that the RF is starting. Will RF consider increasing the number of KZN No, the number of the service providers required is ten(10) for the duration of this contract. What will you be looking for when site visits are conducted? s set out in 6. TECHNICL / FUNCTIONL CRITERI on page 74, site visits will be conducted at the premises of the shortlisted bidders to verify that their premises comply with legislation (OHS) ct regulations, and Department of Health Regulations. re you going to conduct surprise site visits? For the purposes of evaluation site visits, site visits will be scheduled with the bidders. How should we charge for the cremation fees? We expect bidders to tell us how much are they charging for cremation in the pricing schedule. Do the grave fees include the cremation fees? No, grave fees are charged per municipality and do not include cremation fees. How do we include the other fees associated with cremation in the cremation fees? This should be dealt with in the pricing schedule under cremation. Who pays for the running around?

9 uestion and nswer The RF will pay for the stipulated services. Can t you contract per region in order for work to be allocated to a service provider contracted for that region, when an accident happens within that region? The contracting for the duration of this contract will be per Province. Is it possible to add a line which deals with cremation only? This is already provided for in the pricing schedule, bidders are requested to price on both burial and cremation. What is required when you request an OHS Plan? We require the OHS plan as is the requirement for all service providers who are in the business of dealing with human remains What if there is no competence certificates issued in a specific region? This is a requirement from the Department of Health, bidders who do not submit this certificate will be disqualified. How many parlours do you require in the Eastern Cape? We require ten (10) service providers. If you happen to get two funerals parlour, are you going to work with them? The Procurement Control Committee of the RF will make a decision. Can RF consider the transportation of the family?

10 uestion and nswer For the duration of this contract the RF will pay for the transportation of the deceased only What triggered RF to do this? The mandate of the RF is to compensate victims of road accidents that happen within the borders of South frica as a result of negligent driving. In instances where a person dies and was not the cause of the accident, the RF is liable to compensate the person who incurred funeral costs. The appointment of the panel of funeral parlours will increase the footprint and accessibility and will improve service delivery. How do we measure family satisfaction? The service providers are expected to deliver according to what was agreed between the parties. How are we going to deal with a situation whereby an accident happens in Gauteng and the body must be buried in the Eastern Cape? The RF will appoint the service provider from where the burial or cremation will take place. How must we price grave fees? Grave fees are charged per municipality, there is no fixed price. In some areas grave fees are not charged at all. How are we going to deal with the family s choice? Family will be guided by the RF, coffin, chosen must be according to the stipulated tariff What happens when a family decides that they are not continuing with the services?

11 uestion and nswer The family will have to make an informed decision as discontinuation will not be allowed once a service provider has been instructed to assist with the funeral arrangements. How will we price if we do not know the number of days? Bidders are expected to price on storage per day. Who covers the wear and tear? The RF will only pay for the stipulated services. Do we engage the stakeholders before we do the work? Yes, consultation will be between the RF, the deceased family and the service provider re we going to be paid for accommodation? No, the RF will not be paying for accommodation. Will there be a standard coffin? RF will pay for coffins as per the stipulated tariff. What happens if a family chooses a cheaper coffin? RF will pay for the price charged as per the submitted invoice. Do you pay for cremation fees? Yes, bidders are expected to price on cremation.

12 uestion and nswer re we required to price on grave fees? Grave fees will be paid per invoice, various municipalities charge differently. re we going to visit each and every operation? Only those that have qualified, will the RF conduct site visits on. Must the bidder have experience in conducting mass funerals? Bidders are expected to have experience in conducting funerals. How will we deal with a person who died in South frican roads, but must be buried outside the country? Service providers are expected to repatriate deceased bodies to their countries of origin, according to the wishes of the family What falls geographically under North West? ll places demarcated as such in term of the Demarcation Board What measures does RF have in place where a person dies and the family has their own funeral parlour? The RF will attempt to assist the deceased family; however the final decision rests with the family. The family still has the right to conduct their own funeral and thereafter claim from the RF for expenses incurred. What do you mean when you say services should have been satisfactory delivered? ll that has been agreed between the RF, the deceased family and the service provider must be delivered unless there is a valid reason why a particular deliverable could not be met.

13 uestion and nswer Can they charge different rates based on the size of the engine? Kilometres will be charged as per rates. Who is responsible for the police report? The RF will assist the deceased family in obtaining the police report. Does the R coffin price include transport and storage? No, bidders are expected to price on storage, transport will be charged as per rates. If I attended a briefing session in one province, can I tender for the other provinces? Bidders are expected to attend briefing sessions in the provinces where they wish to tender. Is it possible to tender for more than one province? Yes, bidders are allowed to, but they must submit separate documents for each province If it is possible, is it a requirement to have a physical presence in that specific province at the time of tendering or could I include an expansion plan in my tender? s and when you are submitting your tender documents, you must have presence in all the provinces you are tendering for. What if the family does not want to choose a specific coffin? Family is allowed to choose any coffin as long as it does not exceed the stipulated tariff.