Sonderend river water resources study for irrigation agriculture development – professional service provider appointment

Closing date: 07 December 2026 at 11:00

Compulsory briefing: None

Bidding procedure enquiries:

• Contact: Ms D Prinsloo / Ms T Stemele
• Telephone: 021 808 5442 / 5021
• Email: [email protected]
• Email: [email protected]

Technical enquiries:

• Contact: Mr P Keuck
• Telephone: 021 808 5340
• Email: [email protected]

General enquiries (as per tender record):

• Contact: Mr M November
• Telephone: 021 808 5156
• Email: [email protected]

Submission address:

Department of Agriculture, Security Gate, Muldersvlei Road, Elsenburg, 7607

Postal address:

Private Bag X1, Elsenburg, 7607

Submission method: deposit in the bid box at the Department of Agriculture, Security Gate, Muldersvlei Road, Elsenburg, 7607 (GPS: 33.845259 S, 18.834722 E), or post to Private Bag X1, Elsenburg, 7607.

Closing time: 11:00 on 07 December 2026. Late bids will not be considered.

Bids must be submitted on the official forms, fully completed and signed in black ink. Re-typed or altered copies are not accepted.

Bids must be prepared as three separate sealed documents, clearly labelled:

• Bid Document A: Technical Proposal
• Bid Document B: Curriculum Vitae (CVs) of the Proposed Project Team
• Bid Document C: Financial Proposal

Returnable forms (all must be completed, signed and submitted):

• WCBD 1 (Invitation to Bid): bidder and supplier details, signed as the offer cover page.
• WCBD 3.3 (Pricing Schedule – Firm, Professional Services): firm prices, valid for 120 days.
• WCBD 4 (Declaration of Interests, Past SCM Practices and Independent Bid Determination): discloses interests, past performance, and certifies independent bid determination; must be signed before a commissioner of oaths.
• WCBD 6.1 (Preference Points Claim): claims B-BBEE preference points; must be accompanied by a valid B-BBEE certificate or sworn affidavit.
• Proof of authority to sign (e.g. company resolution).
• CSD registration number and tax compliance PIN or certificate.

Disqualification risks:

• Late submission, regardless of reason.
• Missing, unsigned, or incomplete returnable forms.
• Bids not on official forms or altered copies.
• Bids from persons in the service of the state, or entities with directors/members in the service of the state.

Preference point system: 80/20 (price 80 points, B-BBEE 20 points) for requirements up to R50 million; 90/10 (price 90 points, B-BBEE 10 points) for requirements above R50 million. The applicable system for this bid is not explicitly stated.

B-BBEE points are awarded per the WCG interim strategy table (e.g. Level 1 = 20 points under 80/20, Level 2 = 18, etc.).

Bidders who do not submit proof of B-BBEE status are not disqualified but score 0 for B-BBEE.

The bidder with the highest total points is awarded the contract. In the event of a tie, the bidder with the highest B-BBEE points wins; if still tied, the award is decided by drawing lots.

Bids are evaluated only if all required documents were received at the evaluation phase; missing documents render the bid non-compliant and it is passed over.

The Western Cape Department of Agriculture requires a Professional Service Provider to conduct a Water Resources Study for Irrigation Agriculture Development in the Sonderend River catchment (secondary catchment H60), Overberg District Municipality, Western Cape.

Study area: from immediately downstream of Theewaterskloof Dam to the confluence of the Sonderend River with the Breede River. The Zonderend Water User Association (ZWUA) distributes water to agricultural users, the Overberg Water Board, and the towns of Genadendal, Greyton and Caledon.

Purpose: assess and model the availability of additional water resources and evaluate potential water resource development options at pre-feasibility level to support viable irrigation agriculture development.

Key tasks:

• Comprehensive literature review and desktop assessment.
• Situational assessment of the study area (demographics, socio-economics, water resources, agriculture, climate, ecology).
• Water use reconciliation: quantify water supply resources (releases from Theewaterskloof Dam, surface inflows, groundwater abstraction) and water demands (agricultural, domestic, industrial, ecological reserve, environmental flows).
• Assess opportunities for operation optimisation of the existing water conveyance system (an open-channel system of approximately 130 km with numerous pumping stations).
• Hydrological modelling and water yield analyses.
• Identify and evaluate alternative water resource development options.
• Environmental and ecological assessments.
• Agricultural economic evaluations.
• Socio-economic assessments.
• Pre-feasibility assessments of two preferred development options.
• Independent specialist peer review of the study.
• Project management, administrative and secretarial support throughout.

The study must be robust and defensible, suitable for informing investment, regulatory and licensing decisions (irrigation scheme planning, agricultural development planning, funding approvals, water use licence applications, environmental authorisation processes, long-term water resource management).

A multidisciplinary project team of appropriately qualified and experienced professionals is required.

Background: Previous studies (MBB Consulting Engineers 1980s; D.J. Hagen 2021) suggested additional irrigation water could be made available through storage infrastructure. Agrifusion (representing 26 commercial farmers) proposed the Kwartel River Dam (15 million m³ storage) to irrigate up to 1,800 hectares. These findings must be reassessed considering changes in water use, climate change, and new legislative/regulatory frameworks (National Water Act, Ecological Water Requirements, Water Allocation Reform, NEMA, etc.).

The Professional Service Provider must be suitably qualified and experienced.

A multidisciplinary project team comprising appropriately qualified and experienced professionals is required.

The study must be subjected to an independent peer review undertaken by suitably qualified and experienced professional(s).

No specific years of experience or number of reference projects are stated in the document.

Pricing must be submitted on WCBD 3.3 (Pricing Schedule – Firm, Professional Services).

Prices must be in RSA currency and include all applicable taxes.

The offer must be valid for 120 days from the closing date.

The schedule requires:

• Total price for the project.
• Hourly and daily rates for each person involved in the project.
• Period required for commencement after acceptance of bid.
• Estimated man-days for completion.

Certified invoices must be rendered in terms of the rates.

Pricing format: WCBD 3.3 – Pricing Schedule (Firm) for Professional Services. Prices must be in RSA currency and include all applicable taxes.

Offer validity: 120 days from the closing date.

The pricing schedule requires:

• Total price for the project.
• Hourly and daily rates for each person involved in the project.
• Period required for commencement after acceptance of bid.
• Estimated man-days for completion.

Certified invoices must be rendered in terms of the rates.

No bid security, bonds, guarantees, retention, or payment terms are stated in the document.

CSD registration: mandatory. The Western Cape Government contracts only with businesses registered on the Central Supplier Database (CSD).

Tax compliance: submit the SARS-issued unique personal identification number (PIN) or a printed tax compliance status (TCS) certificate. Where consortia, joint ventures or sub-contractors are involved, each party must submit a separate TCS certificate and CSD number.

B-BBEE: a valid B-BBEE status level verification certificate issued by a SANAS-accredited agency, or a sworn affidavit (for EMEs and QSEs), must be submitted with the completed WCBD 6.1 to claim preference points.

• EME (revenue ≤ R10 million): submit a sworn affidavit confirming annual turnover and level of black ownership, or a CIPC affidavit.
• QSE (revenue R10–R50 million) that is 50% or less black owned: must be verified on the QSE scorecard and submit a SANAS-issued certificate.
• QSE that is 51% or more black owned: submit a sworn affidavit confirming turnover and black ownership, declaring empowering status, or a CIPC affidavit.
• Large enterprise (revenue > R50 million): submit a valid SANAS-issued B-BBEE certificate.
• Trusts, consortia or joint ventures: submit a consolidated B-BBEE certificate for each tender.

State employees: no bids will be considered from persons in the service of the state, companies with directors who are persons in the service of the state, or close corporations with members who are persons in the service of the state.

Restricted suppliers: bidders and their principals must not be listed on the National Treasury's Register for Tender Defaulters or Database of Restricted Suppliers.

Foreign suppliers: must answer the questionnaire in WCBD 1; if not resident, no branch, no permanent establishment, no source of income, and not liable for taxation in RSA, then no SARS TCS PIN is required.

Proof of authority to sign (e.g. company resolution) must be submitted.

The study must include environmental and ecological assessments, including:

• Overview of ecological considerations: ecologically sensitive areas, wetlands, rivers, aquatic ecosystems, environmental water requirements, water resource quality objectives, conservation areas, biodiversity.
• Assessment of environmental flow requirements and statutory environmental water obligations.
• Evaluation of environmental authorisation processes and compliance with the National Environmental Management Act.
• The study must ensure environmental stewardship and socio-economic sustainability.
• The findings will inform environmental authorisation processes and long-term water resource management strategies.

The successful bidder will be required to fill in and sign a written Contract Form (WCBD 7).

The bid is subject to the General Conditions of Contract (GCC) and any applicable special conditions.

The Western Cape Government has a zero-tolerance policy towards fraud, theft and corruption; incidents will be investigated and prosecuted.

Bidders must not be listed on the National Treasury's Register for Tender Defaulters or Database of Restricted Suppliers.

Bids that are suspicious of collusive bidding will be reported to the Competition Commission and may lead to restriction from doing business with the public sector for up to 10 years.

The department reserves the right to disregard a bid if the bidder or its directors have abused the supply chain management system, committed fraud, or failed to perform on a previous contract.

No specific contract duration, termination, or penalty clauses are stated in the document.

Evaluation is based on the 80/20 or 90/10 preference point system (price and B-BBEE).

The bidder with the highest total points is awarded the contract.

In the event of a tie, the bidder with the highest B-BBEE points wins; if still tied, the award is decided by drawing lots.

Bids are evaluated only if all required documents were received at the evaluation phase; missing documents render the bid non-compliant and it is passed over.

No minimum qualifying score is stated.