Rates-based panel for ethics and forensic investigation services – city of cape town

Closing date: 24 November 2026 at 10:00

Clarification meeting (not compulsory, strongly recommended): 23 October 2026, 10:30–11:30, via MS Teams (link provided in tender document)

Tender advertised: 9 October 2026

Clarification requests: at least one week before closing time

Clarification meeting: 23 October 2026, 10:30–11:30, via MS Teams (link provided in tender document). Not compulsory but strongly recommended. Tenderers should be represented by a duly authorised person suitably qualified and experienced.

Clarification requests must be submitted at least one week before closing time.

Tender enquiries (technical and SCM):

• Contact: SCM Finance
• Email: [email protected]

Appeals (Section 62):

• Email: [email protected]
• Address: City Manager, c/o Manager: Legal Compliance Unit, Legal Services Department, 20th Floor, Tower Block, 12 Hertzog Boulevard, Cape Town 8001
• Postal: Private Bag X918, Cape Town, 8000

Access to information (PAIA):

• Email: [email protected]
• Address: City Manager, c/o Manager: Access to Information Unit, Legal Services Department, 20th Floor, Tower Block, 12 Hertzog Boulevard, Cape Town 8001
• Postal: Private Bag X918, Cape Town, 8000

Data protection (POPIA):

• Email: [email protected]
• Address: City Manager, c/o Information Officer, Office of the City Manager, 20th Floor, Tower Block, 12 Hertzog Boulevard, Cape Town 8001
• Postal: Private Bag X9181, Cape Town, 8000

Submission address:

Tender & Quotation Boxes Office, 2nd Floor (Concourse Level), Civic Centre, 12 Hertzog Boulevard, Cape Town

Submission method: sealed envelope deposited into Tender Box 203 at the Tender & Quotation Boxes Office, 2nd Floor (Concourse Level), Civic Centre, 12 Hertzog Boulevard, Cape Town, before closing time. Envelope must show tenderer name/address, tender number and title, tender box number, and closing date. Tenders by fax or email are rejected. Late tenders are not considered.

Returnable documents (all must be completed and signed):

• Schedule F.1: Contract Price Adjustment
• Schedule F.2: Certificate of Authority for Partnerships/Joint Ventures/Consortiums (authorises signatory and defines JV terms)
• Schedule F.3: Declaration for Procurement above R10 million
• Schedule F.4: Preference Points Claim Form (B-BBEE claims under PPPFA)
• Schedule F.5: Declaration of Interest – State Employees (MBD 4 amended)
• Schedule F.6: Conflict of Interest Declaration
• Schedule F.7: Declaration of Tenderer's Past Supply Chain Management Practices (MBD 8)
• Schedule F.8: Authorisation for the Deduction of Outstanding Amounts Owed to the CCT
• Schedule F.9: Certificate of Independent Tender Determination
• Schedule F.10: Proposed Deviations and Qualifications by Tenderer
• Schedule F.11: List of Other Documents Attached by Tenderer
• Schedule F.12: Record of Addenda to Tender Documents
• Schedule F.13: Information to Be Provided With the Tender (qualifications, experience, project details)
• Schedule F.14: Appeal Application

Disqualification risks:

• Incomplete or unsigned returnable documents.
• Material deviations or qualifications from tender requirements.
• Failure to provide all requested information in the prescribed format.
• Submission after closing time or via prohibited channels.

All returnable schedules (F.1–F.14) must be completed and signed. The entire tender document must be returned, completed in full. Joint ventures must provide the JV agreement and specify the lead partner. Tenderer must record all other attached documents in Schedule F.11. Incomplete submissions may be declared non-responsive.

Evaluation stages:

1. Responsiveness check – compliance with all tender conditions and returnable documents.
2. Functionality – minimum qualifying score of 70 out of 100. Criteria:

• Lead Commercial Forensic Practitioner experience leading multi-disciplinary teams (weight 50): <1 year = 0; 1-3 years = 10; >3-6 years = 20; >6-9 years = 30; >9-11 years = 40; >11 years = 50.
• Staff track record of commercial forensic projects in local government over past 10 years, with reference letters (weight 50): none = 0; 1-3 = 20; 4-6 = 30; 7-9 = 40; >10 = 50.
• Must demonstrate experience across at least two forensic disciplines (procurement, ethics/misconduct, digital forensics, lifestyle audits, UIFW expenditure, fraud/corruption).

3. Price and preference – 80/20 system (price 80 points, preference 20 points). Price formula: Ps = 80 x (1 – (Pt – Pmin)/Pmin). Preference points for specific goals: Enterprise and Supplier Development and Socio-Economic (6 points, scaled by % of total expenditure from <1% = 0 to >15% = 6); Skills Development OR Employee Share Scheme (6 points, scaled by % expenditure from <0.5% = 0 to >5% = 6, or by employee ownership from <1% = 0 to >15% = 6).
4. Risk analysis and possible negotiations with highest-scoring tenderers.

Award: highest total adjudication points. Panel ranked by points; work allocated by rotation.

Scope: Establishment of a rates-based panel of consultants to conduct outsourced and/or co-sourced ethics and forensic investigations and other ethics and forensic services for the City of Cape Town's Ethics and Forensic Services Department.

Services are ad hoc, per individual assignments with specific terms of reference. No minimum volume or value guaranteed.

Forensic disciplines covered:

• Procurement investigations
• Fraud and corruption investigations
• Ethics and employee misconduct investigations
• Digital forensic investigations
• Lifestyle audit investigations
• Unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful (UIFW) expenditure investigations
• Financial misconduct investigations

Ad hoc services may include digital forensic imaging and quality assurance/improvement programmes.

Mandatory staffing requirements:

• All commercial forensic practitioners who will conduct assignments must be listed in the proposal.
• Team must cover all four forensic streams, each with minimum NQF 7 qualifications:
• Legal: NQF 7 in Law
• Investigation: NQF 7 in Forensic Investigation, Law, or Accounting/Auditing
• Accounting and Auditing: NQF 7 in Accounting and/or Auditing
• Forensic-related ICT: NQF 7 in Digital Forensics, Cyber Investigations, Information Security, Information Systems, or Information Technology
• Curricula vitae of all professionals must be submitted, detailing qualifications, professional memberships, and skill sets.

Contract period: from commencement (not earlier than 1 January 2028) for up to 36 months.

Tenderers must submit all relevant information in the prescribed format to ensure optimal functionality scoring. Joint Ventures must specify Lead Partner and Lead Commercial Forensic Practitioner, and describe each party's work.

Experience requirement: service provider and/or team must have previous commercial forensic experience in the local government sector. Tender submission must include high-level descriptions of assignments, roles played, reference to the local government institution, and contactable references.

All commercial forensic practitioners must be listed in the proposal with CVs detailing qualifications, professional memberships, and skill sets.

Service provider must be staffed with suitably qualified, equipped and experienced professionals to manage, lead and conduct ethics and forensic investigations and produce forensic reports.

Must be able to manage and lead multi-disciplinary teams.

Ad hoc services may include quality assurance and improvement programmes.

Tenderer must cooperate with CCT's external service provider for due diligence review and risk assessment upon written instruction.

Pricing per Price Schedule (Section C.4). Rates-based. On accepting an assignment, tenderer must provide a detailed project plan within 7 calendar days, including price, to the City's satisfaction.

Tender fee: R200 non-refundable for hard copy; free for website download.

Pricing: rates-based, per Price Schedule (Section C.4). Price points allocated based on sum of prices/rates for a typical project.

Arithmetic errors: amounts in words govern; line item totals govern over unit rates; tenderer may be asked to revise rates.

No minimum volume or value guaranteed; work allocated as and when required.

On accepting an assignment, tenderer must provide a detailed project plan within 7 calendar days, including resources and price, to the City's satisfaction.

No bid security or performance guarantee mentioned in the extracted text.

Mandatory registrations:

• CCT Supplier Database registration (required before orders/payments can be processed)
• National Treasury Central Supplier Database (CSD) registration
• SARS tax compliance – valid Tax Compliance Status PIN must be submitted; each JV/consortium party submits separately

B-bbee:

• Preference points claimed via Schedule F.4; documentary proof required (company registration, CSD report, B-BBEE certificate, financial statements, sworn affidavits)

Eligibility:

• Not restricted under CCT SCM Policy
• Not guilty of contravening the Competition Act
• No conflict of interest (including not being an advisor/consultant to CCT, not involved with bid specification committee)
• Not insolvent, in receivership, under business rescue, or wound up

Other:

• Certificate of Authority for JV/Consortiums (Schedule F.2) and JV agreement required
• Declaration of Interest – State Employees (Schedule F.5)
• Conflict of Interest Declaration (Schedule F.6)
• Declaration of Past SCM Practices (Schedule F.7)
• Authorisation for Deduction of Outstanding Amounts (Schedule F.8)
• Certificate of Independent Tender Determination (Schedule F.9)

Preference points for specific goals require documentary proof (company registration, CSD report, B-BBEE certificate, financial statements, sworn affidavits). Tax compliance: valid Tax Compliance Status PIN required; if recommended bidder is non-compliant, they have 7 working days to provide proof of arrangements with SARS. Foreign suppliers must complete the Questionnaire to Bidding Foreign Suppliers.

Compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and regulations is required. A Section 37(2) agreement with the CCT is part of the contract, requiring the supplier to ensure all work and equipment comply with OHSA. Subcontractors must also comply and sign separate agreements.

CCT may cancel tender before award for various reasons. Tender offer validity: 120 days, extendable. Withdrawal rules apply. Standby Bidder may be nominated. CCT may revoke award for reputational risk. No work until signed Memorandum of Agreement.

Rotation methodology: work allocated by ranking; 48-hour response window; urgent matters may shorten response time. Detailed project plan required within 7 calendar days of accepting an assignment. City may deviate from rotation in best interests. No guarantee of work; no minimum volume. Contract period up to 36 months from not earlier than 1 January 2028. Two-stage system not used.

Tender must comply in all aspects with the tender document, Conditions of Tender, Specifications, pricing instructions, and Contract.

Responsive tender must establish a clear, irrevocable, and unambiguous offer, by whom and what it constitutes.

Compliance with CCT SCM Policy: completed Details of Tenderer, Certificate of Authority for JV/Consortiums, JV agreement (if applicable), Declaration of Interest – State Employees, Conflict of Interest Declaration, Declaration of Past SCM Practices, Certificate of Independent Tender Determination, Authorisation for Deduction of Outstanding Amounts.

Tenderer must not be restricted under SCM Policy, not guilty of contravening Competition Act, tax matters in order, no conflict of interest, not involved with bid specification committee.

Compulsory clarification meeting: Not Applicable. Provision of samples: Not Applicable.

Functionality minimum score: 70/100. Criteria and weights as described in main evaluation section.

Price and preference: 80/20 system. Price formula: Ps = 80 x (1 – (Pt – Pmin)/Pmin). Preference points for specific goals (up to 20 points) as per Schedule F.4.

Risk analysis of tender offer applies. Tenders must be cancelled if negotiations fail to achieve market-related price with any of the three highest scoring tenderers.