Southern Africa Development Community Secretariat – Procurement and Grants Policy d) where, under low value, i.e. transactions under 2.000 USD according to SADC Secretariat financial rules. Article 26. Selection of Individual Consultants (1) Individual Consultants are employed on assignments where: a. teams of experts are not required, b. no additional outside (home office) professional support is required, and c. when the experience and professional qualifications of the individual are the main requirement. (2) The Procuring Entity shall not misuse this method of selection for an assignment normally carried out through an employment contract. Similarly, the method shall not be used for artificially splitting a consulting service assignment. (3) The use of this procurement method is not limited by the estimated value of the contract. However, the duration of the contract awarded through this method shall not exceed two (2) years and no Individual Consultant shall be awarded more than two (2) successive individual consultant contracts for the same consulting services. (4) There shall be no qualification criteria used under this procurement method. (5) The award criteria applicable to Individual Consultants shall be based on the highest score by the evaluated Individual Consultant who has submitted a financial offer within the available budget. Only natural persons/individuals are eligible to submit application under this procurement method. Article 27. Procurement procedure under Multiple Framework Contracts (1) Procurement under the Multiple Framework Contract is a simplified competitive procurement procedure to be used for the acquisition of simple - or routine services, standardized or “off the shelf” goods and simple or low value works contracts, required by the Procuring Entity on a recurrent basis. (2) A Multiple Framework Contract is an agreement between the Contracting Authority and several contractors, with the purpose to establish the terms governing specific contracts which may be awarded during a given period. The terms and conditions of the contract are mainly related to the duration, subject, price, implementation rules, quantities, delivery time, scope of services and payment rules. (3) The Multiple Framework Contract takes the form of separate contracts with a number of economic operators but concluded in identical terms, specifically: the same general conditions, terms of delivery, type of services, goods or works to be delivered possibly the maximum cumulative contract value. (4) In a rapidly changing market economy, the duration of such contracts shall not exceed two four (2) calendar years. 23