SEDFA Tenders: What CIBA Members Can Do to Bid
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Members sent us the tender. We acted.
Members did not send us a complaint. They sent us a 56 page state tender and asked us to intervene. Our letter was on Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency (SEDFA)’s desk before the clarification window closed.
SEDFA published RFB 04-2026/2027 on 11 August. Essentially, it establishes a panel of mentors for three years to work with funded small businesses on the financial side of their businesses. The work includes bookkeeping, management accounts, financial analysis, costing systems and the compilation of annual financial statements.
It is work that CIBA members do.
It is also work for which CIBA members should be able to compete.
That is where CIBA’s role begins.
What our members spotted
Annexure B, Item 5 names the professional bodies for that work: SAICA, SAIPA, CIMA, ACCA, IIASA and CIGFARO. CIBA does not appear in the list.
Annexure B, Item 5 of RFB 04-2026/2027. Six bodies named, CIBA not among them.
For a CIBA member considering whether to bid, that creates a reasonable question.
Will a bidder whose accounting personnel hold a CIBA designation comply with the requirement?
That is the question we put to SEDFA. Stage 2 of the tender is a mandatory evaluation stage. A bidder who does not comply with the requirement does not proceed to the next stage.
Our members should know where they stand before committing time and money to a bid.
That is why the member came to CIBA.
The four evaluation stages. Stage 2 is applied before functionality is scored.
We engaged SEDFA on behalf of our members
CIBA is not a bidder in this tender and we are not acting for a particular bidder.
We engaged SEDFA because our members raised a question about the recognition of their professional designation within the tender. CIBA is recognised by SAQA under the National Qualifications Framework Act 67 of 2008. Our designations are registered on the National Learners’ Records Database. CIBA is also a recognised controlling body under section 240A of the Tax Administration Act 28 of 2011.
Our purpose in raising the matter was therefore straightforward. We wanted our members to have clarity. We also want SEDFA to have access to the widest appropriate pool of suitably qualified professionals when it appoints mentors to assist funded businesses.
That is in the interests of SEDFA, its funded businesses and our members.
Clarity matters
Item 1 of the same annexure contains a general reference to other professional bodies related to the services being procured.
That provision may assist a CIBA member. The question is whether it does so clearly enough for a member preparing a bid. Where a procurement requirement is mandatory, clarity is important. A member should be able to read the tender and understand whether their professional designation satisfies the requirement.
That is why CIBA raised the issue before the clarification deadline. We are not asking SEDFA to compromise its procurement requirements. We are asking for clarity on how those requirements apply to CIBA members.
What CIBA asked SEDFA to consider
We asked for two things.
First, that CIBA be expressly recognised in Item 5 through the appropriate procurement process.
Second, that an objective qualification criterion be considered for professional bodies and designations relevant to the services being procured.
For our members, this is important. A CIBA member should not have to rely on an assumption about whether their designation will be accepted. The member should be able to establish eligibility from the tender documentation. That is good for the member. It is also good for the procurement process.
What the opportunity is worth
This is not a theoretical discussion.
The bookkeeping support coupon is R7 000 and SEDFA funds all of it.
Once-off financial clean-up is R8 000.
Mentorship is R500 per hour, capped at ten hours per coupon.
The panel runs for three years on rotation.
Coupon values from the RFB scope of work. Rates benchmarked to Treasury and DPSA guides.
Behind those figures are actual businesses that need financial assistance.
They need someone who can get the books in order.
They need someone who can prepare management accounts.
They need someone who understands costing.
They need someone who can compile annual financial statements.
These are services our members provide.
For CIBA, the important point is that our members should know about opportunities such as this and should have clarity about the professional requirements before deciding whether to participate.
This is where CIBA advocacy matters
CIBA’s role is not to guarantee that a member will win a tender.
Our role is to make sure our members understand the professional environment in which they operate and that their interests are represented when questions arise.
When a member brings a matter to CIBA, we investigate it.
Where there is a legal or regulatory question, we put the CIBA position on record.
Where a procurement requirement affects our members, we engage with the institution responsible.
And where there is an opportunity for constructive engagement, we pursue it.
Our engagement with SEDFA is intended to do exactly that.
We want to understand SEDFA’s requirements.
We want SEDFA to understand the professional standing and capabilities of CIBA members.
And we want to build a relationship that creates opportunities for properly qualified CIBA members to contribute to the development of small businesses.
That conversation is bigger than one tender.
Your part, before Friday at 11:00
CIBA’s engagement with SEDFA does not replace your responsibility to submit a compliant bid.
If you intend to bid, do these four things.
The bid timeline. Clarification questions close on 21 August at 11:00.
Send your own clarification question.
Write to smokgabudi@sedfa.org.za before 21 August 2026 at 11:00.
Keep the question simple:
Does a bidder whose accounting personnel hold a CIBA designation comply with Annexure B, Item 5?
Keep the sent copy.
Do not withdraw yourself.
Nothing in the RFB says that a CIBA member is excluded.
CIBA is simply not named in Item 5.
Obtain the clarification before making a decision to withdraw.
Attach the proof.
Have your designation certificate, proof of membership in good standing and the CIBA recognition documentation available.
If you need the recognition documentation, ask CIBA and we will provide it.
Start on your reference letters now.
You need six or more signed and dated letters on client letterhead.
Each must identify the service provided, the contract duration and a contactable person.
Purchase orders and appointment letters are not accepted.
This requirement carries 20 points.
Do not leave it until the final weekend.
Bids close on 2 September 2026 at 11:00.
The tender requires one original and one electronic copy, sealed and delivered at Byls Bridge in Centurion.
You also need an entrance access code by email before you go.
This is what CIBA does for its members
A professional designation has value.
So does the institution standing behind it.
When a member brought this tender to us, we did not simply tell the member to seek clarification alone.
We reviewed the tender.
We considered the professional and legal position.
We engaged SEDFA before the clarification deadline.
And we are continuing the conversation.
That is CIBA advocacy.
It is about being there when our members need us.
It is about making sure our members know where they stand.
It is about opening conversations with institutions that can create opportunities for our members.
And it is about building relationships that can benefit CIBA members over the long term.
When a CIBA member sees an opportunity, we want them to know that CIBA is there to help them understand it, pursue it and, where necessary, represent their professional interests.
Join CIBA. Your designation matters. So does the institution standing behind it.
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