Hosting and management of iec public website, API, and maps services with consumption-based pricing

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Submit bids online via the Votaquotes e-Procurement portal (https://votaquotes.elections.org.za). Complete and submit Appendix A (Technical Bid Response Sheet) and Appendix B (Detailed Pricing Schedule, including B1, B2, B3, B4). Provide five (5) contactable references for similar hosting services, including customer details, service descriptions, and contract values. Failure to submit mandatory documentation (e.g., pricing schedule, technical response sheet, or references) will result in disqualification. Bids must be firm for 180 days and inclusive of VAT. Online bid price takes precedence over any discrepancies in submitted documents.

Bid evaluation will follow the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act (2000) and Preferential Procurement Regulations (2022). Technical compliance is mandatory: bids must meet or exceed minimum specifications (e.g., 134 virtual servers, 100 TB RAID 5 storage, 300 Mbps bandwidth). Non-compliant bids (e.g., below minimum specs) will be disqualified. Functional criteria include: data centre location (within 100 km of Centurion), ISP registration (ISPA + ICASA ECS license), Fortinet partnership status (Advanced/Expert preferred), and 5+ years’ experience in hosting. Financial evaluation will assess total cost for consumption-based services (12-month contract, monthly billing). Appendix E outlines detailed scoring; refer to it for critical requirements.

Scope: Host IEC’s public website, API, and maps services for 12 months (consumption-based). Deliverables: 1 rack (for IEC-provided Fortinet security equipment + 1 physical server), structured cabling, redundant 10 Gbps switches (144 ports), 134 virtual servers (100 standard: 16 vCPU/64 GB RAM/500 GB SSD; 4 SQL: 32 vCPU/512 GB RAM/500 GB SSD; 30 GIS: 32 vCPU/256 GB RAM/500 GB SSD), 100 TB RAID 5 storage (scalable to 200 TB), redundant internet (10 Mbps–10 Gbps, scalable, quote on 300 Mbps). Security: IEC provides Fortigate firewalls/licenses; bidder must deploy, configure (including patching), and provide first-level support. Support: 24/7 monitoring, daily/weekly/monthly backups, remote access for IEC staff, 99.99% uptime SLA (submit example SLA). Data centre must be within 100 km of Centurion (1303 Heuwel Road). Flexibility: Adjust server/storage/bandwidth capacity up/down as needed. Additional: VLAN support (6+), Linux server compatibility, solution design (virtualization, storage, network, security).

Pricing must be consumption-based (pay only for utilized infrastructure/services). Submit total bid price online (Votaquotes) and in Appendix B1 (Detailed Pricing Schedule); prices must match. Include all costs: hardware, software licensing, configuration, hosting, support, monitoring, and maintenance for 12 months. Prices must be firm for 180 days and inclusive of VAT. For evaluation, quote on: 100 TB RAID 5 storage, 300 Mbps bandwidth, 144 switch ports, 134 virtual servers. No additional costs will be entertained post-submission. Contract allows IEC to adjust costs by excluding certain factors.

Mandatory: ISP registered with ISPA (submit certificate). ICASA Electronic Communications Service (ECS) license (submit copy). Fortinet partnership status (Advanced/Expert preferred; submit valid certificate). 5+ years’ experience in hosting (submit profile/letter). Data centre must be in South Africa and within 100 km of Centurion (written confirmation required). Subcontracting: If applicable, attach sub-contracting agreements. Security: Bidder personnel may require security clearance; NDA required. Due diligence: Site visits and document inspections may be conducted. B-BBEE compliance implied (Preferential Procurement Regulations apply).