Fasset Bridging Programmes Tender Briefing Session Minutes

20 October 2015

Johannesburg

·  Tania Lee started the session at 10h00 and provided an overview of the Fasset strategy.

·  Tania began the compulsory session at 10h15 and the attendance register was closed at 10h30.

·  Tania provided the general guidelines to tendering with Fasset as per the accompanying presentation. The following questions were raised.

/ Question / Answer /
1 / The pre-compliance checklist includes the BEE certificate as a requirement, but there is no section in the bid document for submission of such. Is it compulsory? / The omission of the section divider is an oversight on Fasset’s part. Please ensure that the certificate is included in the submission. The BEE certificate is not compulsory but must be submitted if bidders wish to claim the preference points associated with it.
2 / Please confirm that Fasset accepts a sworn affidavit from 100% Black Owned enterprises if measured under the new Codes of Good Practice. / Confirmed.
Compliance option 3
If measured under the new Codes of Good Practice, as published on 11 October 2013 in the Government Gazette, EME’s and QSE’s can submit a sworn affidavit, obtained on an annual basis, confirming the following:
·  For an EME:
o  Annual Total Revenue of R10 million or less; and
o  Level of black ownership.
·  For a QSE:
o  Annual Total Revenue of between R10 million and R50 million; and
Level of black ownership.
3 / The recruitment and selection strategy evaluation criteria makes reference to psychometric assessment as a requirement. Is this compulsory? / The recruitment and selection strategy must be aligned to the target learner group, and must make sense in the context of the bid and its objectives. There might be recruitment and selection criteria and requirements more suited to the particular bid. Bidders must explain their strategy and motivate the inclusion of instruments, methods and criteria.
4 / Fasset funds Black African learners only; may learners from other races attend the programme? / Learners from other race groups may be included in the programme, but Fasset will not be able to fund such learners or include them in reporting.
5 / May a private provider make a submission if the objectives of the bid will be met? / All submissions must originate from either a public university, public university of technology, or a professional body. Private providers may partner with such an entity for the purposes of a bid.
6 / Must a bidder submit proof of compliance with vendor defaults as per National Treasury requirements? / A bidder may include a statement to this effect, but Fasset will conduct the necessary checks as required.
7 / May a bid be in excess of the budget available? / It is proposed that a bidder include various costing options for larger and smaller groups of learners, and to indicate which items constitute optional value-adds. Motivation for inclusion of value-adds must be clearly stipulated for consideration.
8 / Is there a standard programme agreement which learners are expected to sign? / Fasset expects a provider to draft its own agreement, but can make examples available if required. There is also a standard clause which will be made available to successful bidders for the management of personal information on behalf of Fasset.
9 / Must a learner ID be certified? / This is not a formal requirement. Fasset has been made aware of cases where learners obtain copies of ID documents and qualifications in an effort to gain access to opportunities. It is suggested that providers at least view the original ID document as part of a verification process.
10 / The pricing schedule refers to Fasset policy; can this be accessed? / Bidders will be informed of the standard Fasset requirements in terms of travel and accommodation as required.
11 / To clarify:
We will be running the CFA programme as a non-pivotal programme.
This professional designation will infer instant employability beyond question for final year students obtaining their degree, unemployed graduates and those already on learnerships.
However, if we want to also target normally employed junior employees wishing to further their career with this designation, is this something that FASSSET would support ?
A question not previously asked: if the lead organisation, the professional body acting as the lead, does not have any established BEE status, does that merely disadvantage or actually disqualify us from the final adjudication process? / Please propose the “employed junior employees wishing to further their career” as a separate option.
You are correct: “not having any established BEE status”, will merely disadvantage the organisation in that they will not be able to claim the 10 points in this regard.
12 / My question: Will these students (that we proposing for) fall under the first or the third bullet as per your bid document (please see extract below);
CON0743/Y16 Page12:
For all bidders: PIVOTAL PROGRAMMES
·  For undergraduate students: Programmes may lead to progression from one academic year to the next e.g. 1st to 2nd year, and/or from 2nd to 3rd year and/or from 3rd to 4th year; OR result in the completion of an Academic or Professional Body qualification. The underpinning criterion is that learners are registered or enrolled on a qualification pegged at NQF 6-8. (Programmes may address any one part or multiple parts of the academic progression route where a blockage(s) is identified). The proposed programme(s) must show a significant increase in throughput rates as benchmarked nationally or against similar candidates in previous years.
OR
·  For completion of a professional body qualification and placement where appropriate: The proposed programme(s) must show a significant increase in throughput rates as benchmarked nationally or against similar candidates in previous years.
OR
For Professional Body or University final year students: Completion of a qualification and placement of 70% of the candidates (see definition of placement in the glossary). / It will be a combination of the 1st and 3rd bullet since your objectives are:
To increase the throughput rates of 3rd year students who may elect to end their studies at that point to seek employment; or continue to do an honours year.
In both instances, the provider will be responsible for the placement, either into employment or to facilitate and ensure the learner has the opportunity to enroll for the CTA.
Perhaps you should also consider what financial assistance if any will be given to the learners electing to do a CTA.
13 / For the Non-pivotal programmes, p12 states that “a minimum of 70% of the candidates must be placed into the workplace in fulltime employment”:
1.  Do we need commitment letters for 70% of the candidates at the submission of the tender? Or can it still be 30% commitment letters as per previous tenders?
Where on FASSET’s website can I find the comment letter regarding the changing landscapes of the Seta’s? We would like to comment thereon. / We only require commitment letters for 30% at the time of submission.
Please find the document attached.

TL elaborated on the Board’s overall strategy and informed bidders of the approximate amount available for the funding window, ie R26m.

NB: Fasset will only fund South African learners as defined by DHET: Only Black African learners who are South African citizens, by birth or became a South African citizen before 27 April 1994, with a valid South African identity document may apply or be put forward for the programme.

·  Tania closed the session at 12h00