Request for Proposals (RFP)

Request for Proposals (RFP) Issue Date: 09/16/2015 Deadline for Registration on Afghanbids.com: 09/20/2015 Closing Date for Proposals: 09/29/2015 Closing Time: 16:00 Kabul Time Discussion End Date: 09/22/2015 Project Title: Double-Entry Accounting - Hirat Bid Reference Number: ABADE058/KAB I. Disclaimer: The information contained in this Request for proposals (RFP) (hereinafter referred to as RFP) document is provided to the Offeror(s), by International Executive Service Corps/ Assistance in Building Afghanistan by Developing Enterprises (hereinafter referred to as IESC/ABADE ). The purpose of this RFP document is to provide Offeror(s) with information to assist them in the preparation of their proposals for the services which IESC/ABADE seeks to source. This RFP document does not claim to contain all the information each Offeror may require. Each Offeror should conduct its own assessment and should check the accuracy, reliability and completeness of the information in this RFP document, and where necessary obtain independent advice from appropriate sources. IESC/ABADE may, at its own discretion, but without being under any obligation to do so, update, amend or supplement the information in this RFP document. Contract(s) resulting from this RFP document will be a Fixed Price Purchase Order. II. Background: ABADE s experience from working with a large number of Afghan SMEs has demonstrated that these businesses utilize rudimentary accounting practices; often recording transactions in notebooks. In order that these SMEs are in a position to utilize loans and grants from donor organizations, and access bank and microfinance institution funding, it is critical to upgrade accounting practices. Following the basic principles and practice of double-entry bookkeeping, will enable SMEs to create end of period reports, and generate cash-flow, income and balance sheet statements, that can be audited for fiscal and operational purposes, if required. A number of SME s have been identified as lacking basic accounting skills and knowledge required to grow their business. ABADE therefore aims to plug this knowledge gap through basic practical training. III. Objectives: The objective of the training is to provide an understanding of the concept and use of double-entry bookkeeping. Double-entry bookkeeping is an accounting method to balance a business' books. For every journal entry credit (recorded under the company's equity side), there is an equal journal entry debit (recorded under the company's assets side). All credit and debit entries are categorized

using a Chart of Accounts The double-entry accounting method is used by most businesses throughout the world. However, some businesses that have strictly cash transactions may use the single entry bookkeeping method instead. But as businesses continue to grow double-entry accounting needs to be institutionalized in order to capture more sophisticated transactions, and their effects on the business balance sheet understood. It should be noted that the double-entry method can be very confusing at first since most of the SMEs are currently using the single entry method. The course will cover the basics of double-entry bookkeeping and how it contrasts with single-entry bookkeeping. The participants will become familiar in the knowledge of double-entry journal entries and be able to identify how journal entries affect the Income Statement, Statement of Cash-Flow (Profit & Loss), and Balance Sheet. A draft curriculum is to be provided by the Offeror. IV. Statement of Work: The activity will be conducted for a minimum of 30 participants in Hirat that will be selected by ABADE. It is anticipated that training participants will comprise 20 active ABADE PPA partners and 10 Non-PPA partners in Hirat. The participants are anticipated to be business owners, Finance Managers, Accountants, or those with a responsibility within their business for accounting activities. The courses must comprise a minimum of 40 hours of class work over a maximum period of five days or more in Hirat. This class work will include a final examination to be developed and delivered by the Offeror. The training should be very practical and enable participants to engage in practical bookkeeping exercises for their own businesses. The course syllabus will be approved by ABADE in advance and, once approved, provided to participants on the first day of the training. The Offeror should clearly state what is expected of participants at the beginning of the training. Homework should be given to participants to cover each day s curriculum. This homework should then be graded and corrected; returned to the participants and mistakes reviewed during class. This will allow participants to learn from their mistakes. The Offeror will be responsible for providing all materials necessary for the training, including, but not limited to, hand-outs, note books, pens, flip charts, marker pens, projector, laptop, etc. The implementer is also responsible for providing convenient and suitable venues for the training and for providing necessary refreshments/meals. If training is more than four hours per day, then lunches should be included in the budget. The Offeror will be responsible for contacting participants in advance of the training to inform them of location, timing and other issues. Certificates should be provided to those participants that have Max% attendance and successfully pass a comprehensive final examination. Offerors will propose necessary staffing for delivery. Offerors are advised to utilize Afghan trainers. V. Project Deliverables: 1. Course Syllabus to be approved by ABADE prior to commencement of training. 2. Completion report due within one week of training completion together with signed daily attendance sheets and pictures taken during the course. The completion report will provide an overview of the training difficulties encountered and details of participation recommendations for further training outcome of the examinations and a summary of feedback from participants (conducted through evaluations forms distributed at the end of the training).

VI. Project Timeframe: 11/05/2015-12/05/2015 VII. Instructions to Offerors. A. Proposals submission: Offerors who wish to submit a proposal should register on www.afghanbids.com and add the project on their watch list. Proposals must be uploaded on www.afghanbids.com before the closing date. Offers received after the closing date will not be considered. Technical and Cost proposals must be submitted in one PDF file with a blank page separating the two sections. If you have difficulty registering, please email admin@afghanbids.com immediately, or call AfghanBids help desk at +93 (0) 799-832-125. AfghanBids is not part of ABADE and the technical person answering this number can only help you with registration problems or with problems uploading files. This is an IT person, and they do not know anything about the RFPs/Procurements on the site. Please do not call them to ask questions about the bid. B. Closing Date and use of AfghanBids: The closing date for registration does not apply to Offerors who have already successfully registered on AfghanBids and have a username and password. For new users, please keep in mind it may take two to three business days to register on www.afghanbids.com and have your account verified. Until verification is complete, you will not be able to upload a proposal. If you do not follow the steps to register online by the deadline for registration given on the RFP s front page, you may not have a verified account before the closing date. Offerors who do not upload their proposals before 16:00 on or before the closing date will not be able to submit their proposals after the bid closes. Also keep in mind that on slower internet connection, large proposal files may take a long time to upload. Package your proposal properly to reduce the file size (save as a PDF file). Give yourself plenty of time to upload your file. C. Clarification and Amendment of RFP Documents: Offerors may request clarifications on the RFP document on the discussion board on www.afghanbids.com not later 16:00, Kabul time on the Discussion End Date. IESC/ABADE will answer questions posted by Offerors before the deadline, and will provide answers to all Offerors simultaneously on the discussion board. No questions will be answered over the phone or in person. D. Cover Page and Markings: The cover page for your offer should be on your company letterhead and MUST contain the following information: 1. Project or Title: (from the front page of this RFP document) 2. Bid Reference Number: (from the front page of this RFP document) 3. Company Name: 4. Company Address: 5. Name of Company s authorized representative: 6. Telephone No, Cellular Phone #, Email address: 7. Total Proposed Price: 8. Duration of Validity of proposal: 9. Payment terms: 10. Acceptance of Tax Withholding Statement and TIN 11. DUNS # 12. Signature, date and time

E. Eligibility Requirements: Firms and NGOs operating in Afghanistan must have a valid Afghan business license or registration to be eligible for awards. Firms and NGOs operating outside of Afghanistan will need to obtain a DUNS number prior to receiving any award. VIII.Basis for Award: IESC/ABADE anticipates that award will be based on best-value principles. Accordingly, award will be made to the technically acceptable Offerors whose proposals provide the greatest overall value to IESC/ABADE, price and other factors considered, and whose proposals conform to all solicitation requirements. To determine best-value proposals will be evaluated on the criteria below. The relative importance of each individual criterion is indicated by the number of points assigned, totalling 100 points. Offerors should note that these criteria serve to: (a) identify the significant factors which Offerors should address in their proposals, and (b) set the standard against which all proposals will be evaluated. IX. Technical Proposal: PLEASE READ CAREFULLY, THE FOLLOWING ARE INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING PROPOSALS. Proposals must be organized into sections corresponding to the sections presented in A. Technical Evaluation Criteria, and numbered accordingly. Please stay in the page limits given below. Only include the requested information and avoid submitting extra content. Any pages exceeding the page limitation for each section of the proposal will not be evaluated. Proposals shall be written in English with each page numbered consecutively. Cover pages, dividers, tables of contents and the following attachments are not subject to the page limit: Resumes/Curriculum Vitae (CVs) Draft Work Plan table or figure Past Performance Summary Table (up to two pages) Samples of previous products similar to those required for this RFP No other attachments will be considered. Any page in the Technical Proposal which contains a table, chart, graph, etc., is counted as a page within the page limitation. A. Technical Evaluation Criteria Proposals will be evaluated according to the following criteria. Points will also reflect the overall presentation of the proposal, which should be clear, complete, well organized, and well written. Most importantly, proposals should address all the requirements listed in this RFP. [1] Technical and management approach: 4 page limit; total points 50 Offerors will describe how they will structure and implement the activity and how they intend to achieve the specific objectives of developing the media products described in the tasks and activities. - 10 points - provides a clear understanding of the subject matter, addresses the objectives identified in the Statement of Work, and presents a clear and logical approach - 10 points - is able to provide suitable, accessible and convenient training facilities

- 10 points - demonstrates that Offeror has training experience relevant to the objective outlined in the Statement of Work (highlighting any prior experience working with ABADE) - 20 points - describes how the course will be structured and implemented and provides a clear and concise draft course schedule. The Offeror should provide sample course materials for similar training programs conducted within the past three years (not included in the page limit). This section will be marked on the extent to which the technical approach is clear, logical, well-conceived, and technically sound, reflects appreciation for the likely problems to be encountered, and directly addresses the objectives identified in the Statement of Work. [2] Personnel Experience and Capacities: 3 page limit (not including resumes); possible points 40 The technical proposal shall include an overall staffing plan for the program which demonstrates how the bidder will staff the project and roles and responsibilities of the proposed personal. The Offeror should present in detail the roles and responsibilities of all staff proposed. In the staffing plan, the bidder shall demonstrate its technical staffing expertise and staff capacity to undertake the project. For all Key Personnel proposed in the staffing plan, the bidder will submit an updated resume that details the individual s qualifications and experience. Resumes may not exceed four pages in length and shall be in chronological order starting with most recent experience. Each resume shall be accompanied by a SIGNED letter of commitment from each individual indicating his/her availability to serve in the stated position. This section will be scored on: - 10 Points - Qualifications of Trainer(s) relevant to the Statement of Work - 20 Points - Training Experience of Trainer(s) relevant to the Statement of Work - 10 Points - Qualifications and Experience of Other Personnel relevant to managing similar training programs This section will be marked on the extent to which the staffing plan incorporates personnel, including key personnel, that have the ability to effectively achieve program objectives. [3] Offeror s past performance and references: 2 page limit (not including samples of previous work); possible points 10 The proposal must provide a detailed account of the Offeror s record in implementing similar activities to those outlined in the tasks and activities. This part should include sufficient information regarding any major sub-contracted projects, and elements demonstrating the Offeror s performance for the above the tasks and activities. - 10 Points - Past experience in delivering similar training In addition, the Offeror s past performance should be summarized in table form listing relevant contracts performed within the last five years that are similar in size, scope and objectives to the activity that is the subject of this RFP. Project Title Location Client Contact Services value Start End

& Brief Description of Services rendered Province- District namephoneemail US$ Date Date This section will be marked on the extent to which the Offeror has previously successfully implemented similar programs and how lessons learned from previous programs could be applied to this activity. Scores will also reflect the Offerors ability to deliver projects on time. A. Cost Proposal Evaluation: The Offeror shall submit a Cost Proposal, which is separate from the Technical Proposal. In the final PDF proposal copy, please make sure you separate the technical and cost proposals by one blank page, and that you do NOT include any cost information in the technical portion. Cost proposals should contain a detailed budget that includes at a minimum: a) Salaries for all personnel, position title, number of work days proposed by individual, daily rate, total; b) Other direct costs ( communication transportation, stationary cost); c) Total contract amount Offerors should present cost proposal that is in a similar format to the sample provided below, with notes attached to explain how costs were developed or estimated for each proposed line item. Budget Sample*

*International vendors outside of Afghanistan can submit cost proposals in USD **Note to bidders: You may not propose a fee or profit that is a fixed percentage of total costs. Cost plus percentage of cost type contracts are not permitted. A fixed completion fee of a set amount is acceptable, and may be split into payments across deliverables if desired. However, this must be a fixed cost item and not a percentage of costs. Marks for the Cost criteria will be evaluated separately and will consider factors including cost effectiveness, cost control and cost realism. While ABADE believes in cost savings, budgets should be realistic and value for the services should be clearly demonstrated. A proposal with the lowest estimated cost will not necessarily win the bid. I. Special Provisions: 1) Government Withholding Tax for Afghan Based Companies Pursuant to Article 72 in the Afghanistan Tax Law effective March 21, 2009, IESC/ABADE is required to withhold "contractor" taxes from the gross amounts payable to all Afghan for-profit subcontractors/vendors. In accordance with this requirement, IESC/ABADE shall withhold two percent (2%) tax from all gross invoices to Afghan subcontractors/vendors under this Agreement with active AISA or Ministry of Commerce license. For subcontractors/vendors without an active AISA or Ministry of Commerce license, IESC/ABADE shall withhold seven percent (7%) "Contractor" taxes per current Afghanistan Tax Law.

Before the signing of this Agreement, the subcontractor/vendor will provide a copy of the organization's legal registration document (AISA or Ministry Registration) and TIN (Tax Identification Number). Amounts deducted from the invoices will be forwarded to the Ministry of Finance (MOF) Tax Division credited to the firm's TIN. Records of payments to the MOF shall be maintained on file with IESC/ABADE. 2) Source and Nationality The subcontractor may supply any goods or services manufactured in or shipped from the Geographic Code. 935 (Local Procurement is therefore approved). The vendor may not supply any goods or services manufactured in or shipped from the following countries: Cuba, Iran, Laos, Libya, North Korea, or Syria. 3) Child Labor IESC/ABADE neither engages in nor condones unlawful employment, or exploitation of children in the workplace. Consistent with Afghan labor law, the minimum for full-time employment with under this Award is 15 years of age. The minimum age for employment of individuals performing hazardous work under this Award is18 years of age. Hazardous work is defined as: Work underground, under water, at dangerous heights or confined spaces; Work with dangerous machinery, equipment and tools, or which involves the manual handling or transport of heavy loads; Work in unhealthy environments which may, for example expose a worker to hazardous substances, agents or processes, or to temperatures, noise levels, or vibrations damaging to their health; Work under particularly difficult conditions such as work for long hours or during the night or work where the worker is unreasonably confined to the premises of the employer. The subcontractor hereby certifies to abide by Afghan Labor Laws and avoid unlawful employment, or exploitation of children in the workplace. 4) Vetting Procedure On December 05, 2012 USAID/Afghanistan notified that Recipients/Subcontractors receiving USAID funding must be vetted for any subcontracts valued over $25,000. This notice is effective January 1, 2013. Any Offeror receiving an award from ABADE must submit vetting documentation and receive an eligibility notice before ABADE can issue a final contract or purchase order. The vetting is not done by ABADE but by the Vetting Support Unit of USAID, and may take several weeks. IESC/ABADE will assist awardees with the procedure once a winning proposal is selected. In addition to vetting, ABADE may carry out reference checks and due diligence on any information provided by Offeror. Providing false information on personnel qualifications and experience or in past performance references will result in the Offeror being disqualified from future bidding. 5) CONFLICT OF INTEREST DECLARATION FOR THE ABADE SUBCONTRACTOR The following steps outline ABADE s Subcontracts selection process and should be understood by all Offerors to ensure the transparency of awards and avoid conflict of interest. 1. All Request for Proposals (RFPs) are announced on Afghanbids.com 2. Once the proposals are received, they are scored by an evaluation committee which consists of technical professionals. 3. Cost proposals are evaluated for reasonableness, accuracy, and completeness. 4. The best value proposal is selected based on a combination of the technical score and the cost. 5. No activity can be started until vetting and other formalities are completed and both ABADE and

the awardee have signed a formal contract. 6. No one from ABADE can terminate the contract, stop, or delay payment without cause. For example, if gross misconduct is discovered in the implementation process, ABADE has the right to suspend the subcontract in question until an official investigation of the facts is complete. 7. At no time is it appropriate or legal for subcontractors or beneficiaries to offer any ABADE staff member commissions, kickbacks, or gifts of any kind. If an ABADE employee is found taking commissions, kickbacks, gifts or engaging in fraud of any kind their employment contract with ABADE will be immediately terminated and their actions will be reported to USAID s Office of the Inspector General (OIG). 8. ABADE s policy against fraud exists throughout the life of the subcontract and beyond. Even if the subcontract is closed, if any party is found guilty of fraud ABADE will make a full report to the OIG which may choose to investigate and to prosecute guilty parties to the fullest extent of the law. 9. To report cases of suspected fraud please contact: Hotline@abade.org, or please call this phone number: 0093-797957309. Do not use this number for asking questions about the RFP. The hotline number is only for reporting fraud, abuse, and conflict of inte rest. The person answering this phone does not have information about bids, and cannot give any instructions or answer any questions about ongoing procurements.