DAFM Annual Accounts Certification Tender

Tender description

The is the Contract Award Notice for: The EU requires that certain Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) payments can only be disbursed by accredited paying agencies, and that the Annual Accounts of such agencies will only be cleared by the EU Commission provided they are accompanied by an attestation provided by a body (Certification Body) operationally independent of the paying agency. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is the accredited paying agency for the disbursement of CAP payments in Ireland. In this request for tender the DAFM invites proposals from suitable bodies to act as Certification Body to certify the Department’s Annual Accounts of the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) and European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and operations for the EU financial year ending 15 October 2013. Any contract(s) that may result from this public procurement competition will be issued for a term of one year. The Contracting Authority reserves the right to extend the Term for a period or periods of up to ONE YEAR with a maximum of TWO such extension or extensions on the same terms and conditions, subject to the Contracting Authority’s obligations at law. The EAGF covers direct payments to farmers and market supports, while rural development measures are covered by the EAFRD. Certification of the EAFRD Account will also include certain operations administered by the Department of the Environment, Community, and Local Government (DECLG). The anticipated commencement of certification of the Annual Accounts for EU financial year ending 15 October 2013 is 1 May 2013. The Annual Accounts, together with the certificate and report of the Certification Body, must be transmitted to the EU Commission by 1 February 2014.