Appointment of a service provider to render employee wellness services for a period of 24 months

Closing date: 27 August 2026 at 12h00. Cut-off for clarification queries: 21 August 2026 at 16h00. No briefing session or site visit is stated.

Administrative enquiries: Ms Maxine Mothotse, email [email protected], telephone 083 275 5227. Technical enquiries: Ms Doris Shavhani, email [email protected], telephone 076 521 8800. Queries must be in writing (letter, fax or email); telephonic requests are not considered. Quote the bid reference number in all correspondence. Submission address: Limpopo Economic Development Agency, Enterprise Development House, 1 Main Street, Lebowakgomo, 0739.

Bids must be deposited in the tender box at LEDA Head Office, Enterprise Development House, 1 Main Street, Lebowakgomo, by 27 August 2026 at 12h00. Late bids will not be accepted and may be returned unopened. Bids must be sealed and clearly marked with the bid number and title. The bid document must be compiled in the order and page numbering sequence provided, initialled on each page, and signed with black ink where required. All documents must be filled in black ink; no typing is allowed. Bids submitted in pencil or erasable ink are automatically disqualified. Returnable forms: SBD 1 (Invitation to Bid), SBD 4 (Declaration of Interest), SBD 6.1 (Preference Points Claim Form), and the completed Pricing Schedule (SBD 3.3). Also required: Company Profile, CVs with proof of qualifications for all personnel, a project plan, reference letters with appointment letters/contracts/purchase orders, certified academic qualifications not older than three months, and proof of registration with SACSSP and HPCSA. Bidders not registered on the Central Supplier Database (CSD) must register before submission. The successful bidder must sign a Service Level Agreement (SLA).

Proposal responses: The format of the bid proposals to be submitted shall comprise cover letter and the following documents: 11.1. Returnable bid document with all the required documents fully completed and signed; 11.2. Company Profile, which details company information such as ownership, management structure, principal business activities, experience, previous projects and contactable references. 11.3. Reference letters AND confirmation of appointment as a service provider or Purchase Orders. 11.4. Comprehensive project plan on how the bidder will render the service and what systems they have to execute/rollout the project, not proposals. 11.5. Certified Academic Qualifications not older than three months and CVs of team leader and team members and CVs of partners/sub-contractors must also be submitted, where applicable. 11.6. Detailed description of the company's technical capability and capacity to successfully provide the performance management system and complete the project timeously.

Evaluation is in three phases. Phase 1 (Pre-qualification): Bidders must submit all mandatory documents fully completed and signed. Non-submission of SBD 1, SBD 4, or the pricing schedule results in disqualification; non-submission of SBD 6.1 results in zero points for specific goals. Phase 2 (Technical/Functionality, 100 points): Bidders must score at least 80 points to proceed. Functionality criteria: Company Experience and Capability (35 points) — EAPASA registration and relevant experience (up to 20 points) and reference projects (up to 15 points). Capacity to Deliver Services (30 points) — team leader experience (5), team composition and member experience (10), professional registration (10), academic qualifications (5). Project Approach and Methodology (35 points) — implementation plan (10), methodology (15), project management and reporting framework (10). Phase 3 (Price and Specific Goals, 80+20=100 points): Price is scored using the formula Ps = 80(1 - (Pt - Pmin)/Pmin). Specific goals (20 points) are allocated for black ownership (5), women equity (3), youth equity (2), disability (2), promotion of small businesses (3), enterprises located within Limpopo (3), and military veterans (2). Deadlock-breaking: highest specific goals points, then drawing of lots, then highest functionality points.

LEDA has 280 employees and seeks a full Employee Wellness Programme (EWP) for employees and their immediate family members (spouse, children, and financial dependants) for 24 months. Services cover 250 employees across regions: Capricorn 190, Mopani 26, Sekhukhune 4, Vhembe 20, Waterberg 10. Required services: Tele-counselling — 24-hour toll-free multilingual call centre staffed by qualified, registered counsellors; calls recorded; pocket-size card with toll-free number. Life management — legal advice (family law, contracts, property, consumer rights), financial advice (debt management, budgeting, financial planning), family care (eldercare, childcare, parenting). Face-to-face counselling — up to six hourly sessions per individual issue per annum, plus two additional sessions at the discretion of the therapist and Organisational Development Manager; client-counsellor compatibility service; covers personal and work-related problems. Critical Incident and Stress Debriefing (CISD) — on and off-site trauma debriefing within 24-hour response time by trained specialists. Health Risk Screening — blood alcohol level, blood pressure, body mass index, body fat, C-reactive protein, random cholesterol and glucose, voluntary counselling and testing for HIV, tuberculosis; performed per region quarterly with recommendations. Monitoring and evaluation tool — assess employee risk profiles, effectiveness of services, return on investment. Administration — monthly, quarterly and annual reports on usage, demographics, problem trends, case outcomes, referral types, and cases referred outside the EWP; monthly meetings. Marketing — bi-annual awareness campaigns and quarterly distribution of wellness articles, leaflets, posters, newsletters. Training — EAP orientation sessions for employees.

Bidders must submit a comprehensive project plan detailing how they will render the service and the systems they will use to execute/rollout the project. The methodology must cover counselling services, trauma debriefing, critical incident management, wellness awareness, management consultations, referrals, and reporting. A detailed implementation plan with activities, deliverables, milestones, reporting requirements, and timelines is required. The project management approach must include a governance structure, account management arrangements, reporting framework, escalation procedures, and quality assurance measures.

Bidders must demonstrate company experience and capability: EAPASA registration with 1-5+ years of experience in Employee Wellness/EAP services (scored up to 20 points), and reference projects with signed reference letters supported by appointment letters, contracts, or purchase orders (up to 15 points). The team must include a multidisciplinary team: Team Leader/Programme Manager, Psychologist/Counsellor, Social Worker, Financial Wellness Practitioner, Legal Advisor, and Occupational Health Practitioner/Professional Nurse. Team leader must have at least 5 years of Employee Wellness/EAP experience (8+ years for full points). All team members must have at least 3 years of relevant experience. Professionals must be registered with HPCSA, SACSSP, SANC, LPC, FPI or equivalent. The team leader must possess a Master's Degree in Psychology, Industrial Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Counselling Psychology, or Psychiatry. CVs with proof of qualifications and professional registrations must be submitted for all proposed personnel, including partners/sub-contractors.

Quality requirements are embedded in the service specifications: all calls must be recorded for quality and future reference; counsellors must be qualified, accredited and registered; face-to-face counselling must be provided by qualified and registered psychologists and social workers; critical incident services must be delivered within 24 hours; health risk screening must be performed quarterly per region; and a monitoring and evaluation tool must assess risk profiles, service effectiveness, and return on investment. The project management framework must include quality assurance measures.

Pricing must be quoted in South African currency and inclusive of VAT. The price must be fixed for the duration of the contract. Bidders must provide a ceiling price based on total estimated time for completion, including all expenses. The pricing schedule (SBD 3.3) requires: personnel hourly and daily rates, phases with cost per phase and man-days, travel expenses (actual costs recoverable with proof), and other expenses such as accommodation. Certified invoices must be rendered for actual costs. Bidders must state whether rates are firm for the full contract period; if not, provide the basis for adjustments (e.g. CPI). The offer must be valid for 90 days from the date of submission.

Pricing must be quoted in South African currency and inclusive of VAT. The price must be fixed for the duration of the contract. Bidders must indicate a ceiling price based on total estimated time for completion, including all expenses. Provide a detailed cost breakdown: personnel hourly and daily rates, phases with cost per phase and man-days, travel expenses (actual costs recoverable with proof), and other expenses such as accommodation. Certified invoices must be rendered for actual costs. The offer must be valid for 90 days from the date of submission. Bidders must state whether rates are firm for the full contract period; if not, provide the basis for adjustments (e.g. CPI).

Bidders must be registered on the Central Supplier Database (CSD) before submission. Tax compliance: submit a SARS Tax Compliance Status (TCS) PIN or printed TCS certificate; each party in a consortium/JV/subcontracting must submit separate TCS/CSD numbers. Bidders must not be persons in the service of the state, nor have directors/members who are. Mandatory registrations: proof of registration for all affiliates with the South African Council for Social Service Professions (SACSSP) and the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). The team leader and professionals must be registered with applicable bodies (HPCSA, SACSSP, SANC, LPC, FPI or equivalent). Bidders must be registered with EAPASA (Employee Assistance Professionals Association of South Africa) to score points for experience. Returnable forms: SBD 1 (Invitation to Bid), SBD 4 (Declaration of Interest), SBD 6.1 (Preference Points Claim Form), and the completed Pricing Schedule (SBD 3.3).

The bid must remain valid for 90 days from the date of submission. The General Conditions of Contract (GCC) apply and may not be amended; any Special Conditions of Contract (SCC) supplement the GCC and prevail in case of conflict. The successful bidder must sign a Service Level Agreement (SLA). LEDA may cancel or withdraw the bid if circumstances change, funds are unavailable, no acceptable bids are received, fair market price negotiation fails, or there is a material irregularity. LEDA may conduct supplier due diligence, including surprise site visits, before award or during the contract. Bidders must not use, copy, or disclose confidential information from the bid document without written permission.

Bids must be in line with the detailed specification; failure to comply results in disqualification. Bids completed in pencil or erasable ink are automatically disqualified. LEDA may cancel or withdraw the bid if circumstances change, funds are unavailable, no acceptable bids are received, fair market price negotiation fails, or there is a material irregularity. Preferential consideration is given to legal entities; for sub-contracting or joint ventures, LEDA enters into a single contract with the principal bidder. LEDA may call oral interviews with short-listed bidders and conduct supplier due diligence, including surprise site visits. Bidders must be registered on the CSD before submission. The successful bidder must sign a Service Level Agreement (SLA). Bids must be deposited in the tender box at LEDA Head Office, Enterprise Development House, 1 Main Street, Lebowakgomo, by 27 August 2026 at 12h00. Late bids will not be accepted. Bids must be sealed and marked with the bid number and title. The bid document contains confidential information; no part may be used, copied, disclosed, or conveyed without prior written permission of LEDA. References to LEDA must not be made in any literature or promotional material without express written consent.

Mandatory submission requirements: Company Profile detailing ownership, management structure, principal business activities, experience, previous projects, and contactable references. CVs with relevant working experience and proof of qualifications for all personnel assigned to the service, including partners/sub-contractors. A project plan on how the service will be rendered and the systems to execute/rollout the project (not proposals). Proof of registration for all affiliates with SACSSP and HPCSA. Mandatory functional requirements: 24-hour multilingual call centre for counselling; telephonic legal and financial assistance; face-to-face counselling with up to six sessions per issue per annum plus two additional sessions; critical incident and stress debriefing within 24 hours; health risk screening quarterly per region; monitoring and evaluation tool; monthly, quarterly and annual reports; monthly meetings; marketing bi-annually and quarterly distribution of materials; EAP orientation training for employees.

Queries must be in writing (letter, fax or email); telephonic requests are not considered. Cut-off for queries: 21 August 2026 at 16h00. Quote the bid reference number in all correspondence. Administrative enquiries: Ms Maxine Mothotse, email [email protected], telephone 083 275 5227. Technical enquiries: Ms Doris Shavhani, email [email protected], telephone 076 521 8800. Submission address: Limpopo Economic Development Agency, Enterprise Development House, 1 Main Street, Lebowakgomo, 0739.