Appointment of a service provider to provide library and information services database subscription, in the provision of digital access to e-books, scholarly journal articles and provision of ieee xplore for a period of five (5) years

{"closingDate":"18 September 2026","closingTime":"11h00"}

SCM contact: Ms Ursula Mosibi (Demand Management) — email: [email protected] (also referenced as [email protected] in the tender), with a copy to [email protected]. Queries must be submitted in writing before the closing date, quoting the tender reference number.

Bids must be submitted via the e-Tender system; hard copies are not accepted. The submission must include the completed and signed Invitation to Bid (SBD 1), the SBD 3.3 Pricing Schedule, and a valid SARS Tax Compliance Status PIN. Bidders must complete and sign all mandatory forms, including the Certificate of Independent Bid Determination (SBD 9) and declare any conflicts of interest or collusive practices. Bids must remain valid for 120 days from submission close.

Bid submission structure: Parcel A – Administrative and Mandatory (Volume 1A excluding SBD 3.3 and 6.1, Phase 1 and 2 documents); Parcel B – Functionality (Phase 3 requirements); Parcel C – Price and Preference Points (SBD 3.3, SBD 6.1, CSD Report, CIPC Documents, Shareholder Certificates, ID copies of shareholders, B-BBEE Certificate or Sworn Affidavit). Submissions via e-Tender system or hard copy (one original, one copy, one PDF on USB) to ATNS Eastgate Office Park, Block C, South Boulevard Road, Bruma, 2298.

Evaluation follows a two-stage process. Bidders must pass stages before the next stage. Stage: Mandatory compliance (administrative and technical) and Mandatory evaluation. The 80/20 preference point system is used (for bids up to R50 million). The evaluation is split 80 points price and 20 points specific goals. Specific goals include: 51% Black Owned (10 points) with required evidence: CSD registration report, CIPC documents, shareholder certificates, ID copies of shareholders, and B-BBEE certificate or sworn affidavit for EMEs/QSEs. Note text mentions 51% Black Owned, 30% Black Woman Owned (10,00) and 30% Black Youth Owned (10,00) in the tender. Bidders must pass Stage 1 Mandatory, and Stages 2 and 3 as detailed in the tender documents. Stage 4 requires a live demonstration of the proposed platform covering capabilities such as search, research assistance, citation/export tools, multilingual functionalityaine I attribute, four mandatory demonstration stages: (search, research assistance, citation/export, multilingual), AI-assisted research tools, collaboration tools, media monitoring tools, and translation tools.

The database must provide comprehensive coverage across multiple categories including: 1) multi-disciplinary academic journals and e-books; 2) standards and technical specifications (e.g., IEEE, ISO, ITU); and 3) engineering databases (e.g., IEEE Xplore, Scopus, Web of Science). The platform must support full-text searching, metadata search, and downloadable PDF/HTML content where rights allow. It must offer exportable citations in standard formats (Harvard, APA, IEEE, etc.) and integration with reference management tools.

Technical requirements for the platform: cloud-hosted, web-based, 24/7 availability with 72-hour maintenance notice; POPIA-compliant hosting; browser and device compatibility (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari; desktop, laptop, tablet, mobile); authentication via IP, proxy, VPN, or SSO (SAML 2.0/OpenID Connect) with Microsoft Entra ID integration; remote access; user management by ATNS administrators; integrated discovery platform with simultaneous searching; IEEE Xplore integration; advanced search (keyword, phrase, Boolean, proximity, fielded, faceted); filtering; search alerts; downloadable/printable/citeable content; citation export in multiple formats; COUNTER-compliant usage statistics; integration via OpenURL, Z39.50, SUSHI; APIs; usage analytics dashboard; quarterly reports; training and onboarding; 24/7 technical support with named account manager; critical incident response within 1 hour, resolution within 24 hours; 99.5% uptime; content updates; data protection and ISO/IEC 27001 compliance; data breach notification within 24 hours; copyright and licensing warranties; IP retention by ATNS; full-text access to e-books, journals, standards; historical archives; federated searching; personalised alerts; saved searches; citation export; accessibility features; content sourced from publishers or authorised aggregators; AI-generated content clearly labelled; content coverage across aviation, engineering, standards, safety, business, human capital, research, and emerging technology resources.

[a] Failure to provide these documents will result in

automatic disqualification

[b] The document must be on the official letterhead

of the client organization (referee) The bidder must provide a minimum of

[c] The service must have been completed within

three (3) contactable reference letters in

the past 5 years

the provision of Database Subscription for6.1 Company Experience [d] Each document must be signed by an

31.1. Any budget amount that may be indicated in this document shall be deemed to be a

guide only and Bidders are expected to submit a costing that is fair and reasonable.

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Digital Access To E-Books, Scholarly Journal Articles - Volume 1A: General instructions and administrative requirements

31.2. All costs related to this assignment are to be allowed for in the pricing schedule and

in the formats prescribed and must be returned as part of the submission. Bids

submitted without a price or with an incomplete price, will be deemed to be non-

responsive.

31.3. A pricing schedule with one of the specified elements (fees and reimbursable costs)

omitted from the costing, may be considered non-responsive.

32. Registration On the CSD

32.1. In this part, bidders must submit proof of their registration, or proof that they have

applied for registration on the Central Supplier Database. Bids submitted without the

required proof, will be deemed to be non-responsive.

33. Registration Certificates and Accreditation with OEMS Or Professional Bodies

33.1. Registration with professional bodies. Bids submitted without proof will be deemed to

be non-responsive.

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Section d: standard bidding documents

34. SBD1: Invitation to Bid - PART A

You Are Hereby Invited to Bid for Requirements of the Air Traffic and Navigation Services SOC Limited (ATNS)

BID NUMBER: ATNS/RFP04/07/2026/27/IKM_DIGITAL CLOSING 18 September 2026 CLOSING 11h00

Access date: time: cat

Appointment of a Service Provider to provide Digital Access to National and International Newspapers and

DESCRIPTION Magazines, including Searchable Archives and Real-Time News Services, for a period of five (5) years

Bidding procedure enquiries may be directed to technical enquiries may be directed to:

CONTACT PERSON Pulane Kakumbi/ Ursula Mosibi CONTACT PERSON

Telephone number 011 607 1325 telephone number

Facsimile number facsimile number

E-MAIL ADDRESS [email protected] /[email protected] E-MAIL ADDRESS

Supplier information

Name of bidder

Postal address

Street address

Telephone number code number

Cell phone number

Facsimile number code number

E-mail address

VAT registration

Number

Supplier tax compliance system pin: central

Compliance status supplier

Or

Database

No: MAAA

B-bbee status level tick applicable box] b-bbee status level [tick applicable

Verification sworn affidavit box]

(ANSP), ATNS operates on a “user-pays” principle, relying on revenues and debt funding

to cover operational and capital expenses.

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Digital Access To E-Books, Scholarly Journal Articles - Volume 1A: General instructions and administrative requirements

Ps = Points scored for price of tender under consideration

Pt = Price of tender under consideration

Pmin = Price of lowest acceptable tender

9.3.1. The tendered amounts shall be evaluated based on the pricing information provided

by bidder in the applicable Standard Bidding Document (SBD) for this bid:

SBD 3.3 PRICING SCHEDULE (Professional Full completed and signed Standard Bidding

Services) Document (SBD 3.3) and any other Price

related document as requested in this bid.

9.4. Preference points will be based on the Specific Goal as per below:

30.1. Bidders must complete, sign and return the full “Invitation to Bid” document.

30.2. Bids submitted without a completed and signed Invitation to Bid will be deemed to be

non-responsive.

31. Pricing Schedule

31.1. Any budget amount that may be indicated in this document shall be deemed to be a

guide only and Bidders are expected to submit a costing that is fair and reasonable.

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31.2. All costs related to this assignment are to be allowed for in the pricing schedule and

in the formats prescribed and must be returned as part of the submission. Bids

submitted without a price or with an incomplete price, will be deemed to be non-

responsive.

31.3. A pricing schedule with one of the specified elements (fees and reimbursable costs)

omitted from the costing, may be considered non-responsive.

Pricing must be submitted using the prescribed SBD 3.3 Pricing Schedule, including all costs related to the service. Any bid submitted without a price or with an incomplete pricing schedule will be deemed non-responsive. The pricing schedule must include all elements as specified; omission may lead to disqualification. No bonds or guarantees are specified.

Bidders must hold a valid SARS Tax Compliance PIN, be registered on the Central Supplier Database (CSD), and complete and return all SBD forms, including the SBD 3.3 Pricing Schedule.

Preference points for specific goals: 51% Black Owned suppliers (10 points) and 30% Black Woman Owned suppliers (10 points). Evidence required: CSD Registration Report, CIPC documents, Shareholder Certificates, ID copies of shareholders, B-BBEE Certificate or Sworn Affidavit (for EMEs/QSEs). Bidders must claim points in SBD 6.1.

acknowledged that the information provided shall only be used for the preparation of a response to this

document. The information furnished will not be used for any other purpose than stated and that the

information will not directly or indirectly, by agent, employee or representative, be disclosed either in whole

or in part, to any other third party without the express written consent by the Company or its representative.

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Reference number atns/rfp04/07/2026/27/ikm_digital access

Safety and Customer Centricity: Prioritising customer needs and ensuring that

safety is non-negotiable

Accountability: Holding ourselves and others accountable for our actions

Agility: Ensuring that we are flexible and adaptable to change

Diversity: Embracing inclusion, equality and social differences

Integrity: Following a moral and incorruptible corporate code

ATNS is a State-Owned Company (SOC), established in 1993 under the ATNS Company

Act (Act ) to provide air traffic services aligned with ICAO standards and South

2.1. The purpose of this bid is to appoint a suitably qualified and experienced service

provider to deliver a five-year Library and Information Services database subscription

for ATNS. The solution must provide a comprehensive, reliable, and user-friendly

platform offering digital access to e-books, scholarly journal articles, technical

publications, conference proceedings, international standards, and IEEE Xplore

content through a single integrated discovery and search interface

2.2. The subscription is intended to support ATNS's operational, engineering, technology,

safety, training, research, and corporate functions by providing access to authoritative

and current information resources. By enabling evidence-based decision-making,

regulatory compliance, professional development, innovation, and organisational

learning, the platform will strengthen ATNS's knowledge management capability and

help ensure alignment with international aviation and industry best practices.

3. Technical Requirements

3.1. Platform and Hosting

3.1.1. The service must be delivered through a cloud-hosted, web-based platform accessible

over the public internet.

3.1.2. The platform must be available on a 24/7 basis with planned maintenance windows

communicated to ATNS at least 72 hours in advance.

3.1.3. Hosting arrangements must comply with the Protection of Personal Information Act,

2013 (POPIA) and any cross-border data transfer requirements where personal

information is involved.

3.1.4. The bidder must disclose the hosting jurisdiction(s), the underlying cloud provider(s),

and the data residency arrangements applicable to ATNS data

3.2. Browser and Device Compatibility

3.2.1. The platform must be fully compatible with current and prior major versions of Google

including Zotero, Mendeley and EndNote.

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3.7. Integration and Interoperability

3.7.1. The platform must expose institutional-level usage statistics in COUNTER-compliant

format where applicable, or in an equivalent industry-standard format suitable for

collection assessment.

3.7.2. The platform should support integration with discovery layers, library management

systems and learning management systems through OpenURL, Z39.50, SUSHI or

equivalent protocols where relevant to the category.

3.7.3. The bidder must disclose any application programming interfaces available to ATNS

for the integration of search, alerts and metadata into internal portals, intranet pages

and SharePoint sites.

3.8. Usage Statistics, Analytics and Reporting

3.8.1. The platform must provide ATNS administrators with access to usage statistics

covering at minimum the number of sessions, searches, full-text downloads, and

unique users.

3.8.2. Reports must be available on a self-service basis through an administrator dashboard,

with the ability to export to common formats including Microsoft Excel and PDF.

3.8.3. The bidder must commit to providing a quarterly usage report to ATNS, with

commentary on trends, anomalies and recommended actions.

3.9. Training, Onboarding and User Support Materials

3.9.1. The bidder must provide an onboarding programme for ATNS Library staff covering

platform administration, user management, troubleshooting, and reporting.

3.9.2. The bidder must provide user training for end users at no additional cost, including

initial training at contract commencement, refresher training annually, and on-demand

training on request.

3.9.3. Training may be delivered through any combination of in-person sessions, live

webinars, recorded sessions and self-paced modules.

3.9.4. User support materials, including platform guides, video tutorials and frequently asked

questions, must be made available in English.

3.10. Technical Support and Service Levels

3.10.1. The bidder must provide 24/7 online technical support through a recognised support

channel, or clearly defined business-hours support with documented escalation paths.

3.10.2. A named local support partner or dedicated account manager must be assigned to

scholarly, professional and technical information resources. Bidders must disclose the

title-level coverage, publisher participation, backfile availability, and any embargo

periods or access restrictions applicable to the proposed service:

3.16.1. Aviation, Air Traffic Management and Aerospace Resources

[a] Scholarly journals covering air traffic management, air navigation services,

aviation operations, flight procedures and aviation safety.

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[b] Publications covering airport operations, aeronautical information

management, airspace design and air traffic flow management.

[c] Aerospace and aviation industry journals, magazines and professional

publications.

[d] Publications produced by international aviation organisations, regulatory

authorities and industry bodies, where commercially available.

3.16.2. Engineering and Technical Resources

[a] Journals, conference proceedings and technical publications covering

communications, navigation and surveillance (CNS) systems.

[b] Electrical, electronic, telecommunications and systems engineering

resources.

[c] Publications covering automation, robotics, systems integration and

operational technology.

[d] Resources supporting infrastructure management, asset management,

maintenance engineering and reliability engineering

3.16.3. Standards and Technical Specifications

[a] Internationally recognised engineering, technology and information

systems standards.

[b] Standards and specifications relevant to communications, cybersecurity,

software development, systems engineering and infrastructure

management.

[c] Technical papers and conference publications supporting technology

acquisition, implementation and compliance activities.

[d] Historical and current standards collections, where available.

3.16.4. Safety, Risk and Human Factors Resources

[a] Journals covering aviation safety, safety management systems and

accident prevention.

[b] Publications relating to risk management, quality assurance and

operational resilience.

[c] Human factors, ergonomics and organisational safety resources.

[d] Research supporting safety investigations and continuous improvement

initiatives.

.

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3.16.5. Business, Strategy and Management Resources

[a] Business management, leadership and strategic planning publications.

[b] Finance, economics and organisational performance journals.

[c] Project management, governance and organisational development

resources.

[d] Publications supporting decision-making in state-owned entities and

regulated environments.

3.16.6. Human Capital, Learning and Development Resources

[a] Human resource management, talent management and organisational

behaviour journals.

[b] Leadership development, coaching and employee wellness resources.

[c] Learning, training and instructional design publications.

[d] Resources supporting continuous professional development and

workplace learning

3.16.7. Research and Academic Resources

[a] Multi-disciplinary scholarly journals covering science, technology,

engineering, business and social sciences.

[b] Academic e-books supporting postgraduate study, research projects and

professional development.

[c] Peer-reviewed publications suitable for dissertations, research

assignments and evidence-based decision-making.

[d] Extensive historical archives and citation databases supporting literature

reviews and long-term research activities.

3.16.8. Emerging Technology and Innovation Resources

[a] Publications covering artificial intelligence, advanced air mobility,

unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and digital aviation technologies.

[b] Research relating to innovation management, future transportation

systems and smart infrastructure.

[c] Industry and academic resources supporting research, innovation and

technology foresight activities.

[d] Conference proceedings and technical papers covering emerging trends

and developments.

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5.1. All Clarifications Before Bid Closure

5.1.1. All queries should be directed to:

Specialist: Demand Management

Ursula Mosibi: [email protected] (cc: [email protected])

5.1.2. Insert the reference number and description of tender on the subject line

5.1.3. All written queries and requests for clarification regarding this bid must be submitted

using the Form of Questionnaire (Appendix A) by latest 04 September 2026 at

17h00 CAT.

5.1.4. All written queries and requests will be responded to by 11 September 2026

5.2. Clarifications After Bid Closure

5.2.1. All queries should be directed to:

Specialist: Acquisition Management

Pulane Kakumbi: [email protected] (cc: [email protected] )

5.3. Insert the reference number and description of tender on the subject line

22.1. As soon as it becomes known to the contractor that he/she will not be able to deliver

the services within the delivery period and/or against the quoted price and/or as

specified, ATNS must be given immediate written notice to this effect. ATNS reserves

the right to implement remedies as provided for in the GCC.

economic, social, and environmental sustainability.

13.1. Whilst ATNS have taken every reasonable step to ensure the accuracy of this brief,

the Company accepts no liability in relation to the accuracy of any representations

made. Bidders should accept that their tender response is on the basis and reliance

of its own judgment and information. ATNS reserves the right to vary the scope and

terms as described in this document. If any variation does take place tenderer will be

advised as soon as possible in writing.

13.2. The successful tenderer will be engaged subject to acceptance of a contract

containing the standard Terms and Conditions as given. The contract contains

standard clauses including a retention clause for non-satisfactory completion, breach

of contract and confidentiality clauses and a requirement for the tenderer to have

adequate professional indemnity insurance. All Tenderers must bear in mind that if

circumstances dictate, ATNS reserves its right to withdraw from any commitments

that will be entered into within this statement of work.

13.3. All designs and documentation submitted by the tenderer will be treated as

confidential.

13.4. ATNS reserves the right to reject, withdraw or cancel any or all Proposals/Tenders,

to undertake discussions with one or more Tenderers and to accept that tender or

modified tender which in its sole judgment, will be most advantageous to the

Company, price and other evaluation factors having been considered.

14. Cancellation of Procurement Process

14.1. This procurement process can be postponed or cancelled at any stage at the sole

discretion of ATNS provided that such cancellation or postponement takes place prior

to entering a contract with a specific service provider to which the bid relates.

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15. Bid Submission Conditions, Instruction and Evaluation Process/Criteria

15.1. The Bid submission conditions and instructions as well as the evaluation

process/criteria have been noted. Non-compliance to any of these will result in a bid

being rejected.

16. Negotiation and Contracting

16.1. ATNS have the right to enter negotiation with one or more Bidders regarding any

terms and conditions, including price(s), of a proposed contract.

16.2. Under no circumstances will negotiation with any Bidders, including preferred

Bidders, constitute an award or promise/ undertaking to award the contract.

16.3. ATNS shall not be obliged to accept the lowest or any bid, offer or proposal.

16.4. A contract will only be deemed to be concluded when reduced to writing in a formal

contract and Service Level Agreement (if applicable) signed by the designated

responsible person of both parties.

16.5. ATNS also reserves the right to enter one contract with a Bidder for all required

functions or into more than one contract with different Bidders for different functions.

17. Reasons for Rejection

17.1. ATNS shall reject a proposal for the award of a contract if the recommended Bidder

has committed a proven corrupt or fraudulent act in competing for the particular

contract.

17.2. ATNS may disregard the bid of any bidder if that bidder, or any of its directors:

17.2.1. Have abused the SCM system of the ATNS.

17.2.2. Have committed proven fraud or any other improper conduct in relation to such

system.

17.2.3. Have failed to perform on any previous contract and the proof exists.

17.2.4. Such actions shall be communicated to the National Treasury.

18. General Conditions of Contract

18.1. The General Conditions of Contract must be accepted.

19. Additional Information Requirements

19.1. During evaluation of the bids, additional information may be requested in writing from

Bidders. Replies to such request must be submitted, within 7 working days or as

otherwise indicated. Failure to comply, may lead to your bid being disregarded.

19.2. No additional information will be accepted from any individual Bidder without such

information having been requested.

20. Confidentiality

20.1. The bid and all information in connection therewith shall be held in strict confidence

by Bidders and usage of such information shall be limited to the preparation of the

bid. Bidders shall undertake to limit the number of copies of this document.

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21. Intellectual Property, Inventions and Copyright

21.1. Copyright of all documentation relating to this contract belongs to the client. The

successful Bidder may not disclose any information, documentation, or products to

other clients without the written approval of the accounting authority or the delegate.

21.2. This paragraph shall survive termination of this contract.

22. Non-Compliance with Delivery Terms

22.1. As soon as it becomes known to the contractor that he/she will not be able to deliver

the services within the delivery period and/or against the quoted price and/or as

specified, ATNS must be given immediate written notice to this effect. ATNS reserves

the right to implement remedies as provided for in the GCC.

23. Warrants

23.1. The bidder warrants that it can conclude this Agreement to the satisfaction of ATNS.

24. Parties not affected by waiver or breaches

24.1. The waiver (whether express or implied) by any Party of any breach of the terms or

conditions of this contract by the other Party shall not prejudice any remedy of the

waiving party in respect of any continuing or other breach of the terms and conditions

hereof.

24.2. No favour, delay, relaxation or indulgence on the part of any Party in exercising any

power or right conferred on such Party in terms of this contract shall operate as a

waiver of such power or right nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such power

or right under this agreement.

25. Retention

25.1. On termination of this agreement, the bidder shall, on demand hand over all

documentation provided as part of the project and all deliverables, etc., without the

right of retention, to ATNS.

25.2. No agreement to amend or vary a contract or order or the conditions, stipulations or

provisions thereof shall be valid and of any force and effect unless such agreement

to amend or vary is entered into in writing and signed by the contracting parties. Any

waiver of the requirement that the agreement to amend or vary shall be in writing,

shall also be in writing.

26. Central Supplier Database

26.1. It is a requirement that all suppliers/ services providers to ATNS shall be registered

on the National Treasury Central Supplier Database (CSD).

26.2. Bidders are therefore required to register as a supplier on the CSD before submitting

a bid. The CSD website can be accessed on the following link:

http://ocpo.treasury.gov.za/Pages/default.aspx

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26.3. Bidders are therefore required to submit proof of their registration on the CSD, or if

not yet registered, provide proof of their application to be registered, with their bid.

26.4. No bid will be awarded, and a contract concluded with a bidder who is not registered

on the CSD.

27. Format of Bids

27.1. Bidders must complete all the necessary bid documents and undertakings required

in this bid document. Bidders are advised that their proposal should be concise,

written in plain English and simply presented.

27.2. If applicable, Bidders are to set out their proposal in the format prescribed hereunder.

This means that the proposal must be structured in the parts noted below.

Information not submitted in the relevant part, may not be considered for evaluation

purposes.

28. SARS Tax Clearance Certificate(S)

28.1. Bidder must ensure compliance with their tax obligations.

28.2. Bidders are required to submit their unique personal identification number (PIN)

issued by SARS to enable the organ of state to view the taxpayer’s profile and tax

status.

28.3. Application for tax compliance status (TCS) or PIN may also be made via e-filing. To

use this provision, taxpayers will need to register with SARS as e-filers through the

website www.sars.gov.za

28.4. Bidders may also submit a printed TCS together with the bid.

28.5. In bids where consortia/ joint ventures/ sub-contractors are involved; each party must

submit a separate proof of TCS/ PIN/ CSD number.

28.6. Where no TCS is available, but the bidder is registered on the Central Supplier

Database (CSD), a CSD number must be provided.

28.7. Bids submitted without any one of the above, will be deemed to be non-responsive.

29. Declaration of Interest

29.1. Each party to the bid must complete and return the “Declaration of Interest”.

29.2. Bids submitted without a complete and signed Declaration of Interest will be deemed

to be non-responsive.

30. Invitation to Bid

30.1. Bidders must complete, sign and return the full “Invitation to Bid” document.

30.2. Bids submitted without a completed and signed Invitation to Bid will be deemed to be

non-responsive.

Bidders declaration and structure clarification form ................ 5

Important notice ............................................................................................... 7

Section a: introduction and scope of work .......................................... 8

1. Introduction ............................................................................................................... 8

2. Purpose of the bid ................................................................................................... 10

3. Technical Requirements ......................................................................................... 10

4. Validity Period ......................................................................................................... 17

5. Correspondence during the Bid and Clarifications Before Closure. ................... 17

6. Bid Submission Structure....................................................................................... 17

7. Procedures for Submitting Bids ............................................................................. 18

Section b: bid evaluation process ........................................................... 19

8. Stage 1: Administrative Requirements .................................................................. 19

9. Stage 2: Mandatory requirements .......................................................................... 19

10. Stage 3: Functionality ............................................................................................. 20

11. Stage 4: Demonstration ......................................................................................... 22

12. Stage 5: Price and Preference Points for Specific Goals .................................... 23

13. Verification of Specific Goals ................................................................................. 24

14. ATNS Specific Goals ............................................................................................... 24

Section c: tender conditions and instructions to bid .................... 25

12. Disclaimer ................................................................................................................ 25

13. Contract Terms ........................................................................................................ 25

14. Cancellation of Procurement Process ................................................................... 25

15. Bid Submission Conditions, Instruction and Evaluation Process/Criteria .......... 26

16. Negotiation and Contracting .................................................................................. 26

17. Reasons for Rejection ............................................................................................. 26

18. General Conditions of Contract.............................................................................. 26

19. Additional Information Requirements .................................................................... 26

20. Confidentiality ......................................................................................................... 26

21. Intellectual Property, Inventions and Copyright ................................................... 27

22. Non-Compliance with Delivery Terms.................................................................... 27

23. Warrants ................................................................................................................... 27

24. Parties not affected by waiver or breaches ........................................................... 27

25. Retention.................................................................................................................. 27

26. Central Supplier Database ...................................................................................... 27

27. Format of Bids ......................................................................................................... 28

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28. SARS Tax Clearance Certificate(S) ........................................................................ 28

29. Declaration of Interest ............................................................................................. 28

30. Invitation to Bid ....................................................................................................... 28

31. Pricing Schedule ..................................................................................................... 28

32. Registration On the CSD ......................................................................................... 29

33. Registration Certificates and Accreditation with OEMS Or Professional Bodies 29

34. SBD1: Invitation to Bid - PART A ........................................................................... 30

35. SBD 3.1: Pricing Schedule ...................................................................................... 32

36. Protection of Personal Information (POPIA) Consent .......................................... 37

37. SBD 4: Bidder’s Disclosure .................................................................................... 40

38. SBD 6.1: Preference Points Claim Form in Terms of The Preferential

Procurement Regulations 2022 ..................................................................................... 43

39. General Conditions of Contract.............................................................................. 48

40. Appendix a-form questionnaire .................................................................. 63

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Navigation Services Company Limited (ATNS) and no representation or warranty, express or

implied, is made as to the accuracy, completeness, or thoroughness of the content of this

Request for Proposal (RFP).

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3.10.3. Critical incidents must be acknowledged within one hour and resolved or mitigated

within 24 hours, with progress communicated to ATNS at agreed intervals.

3.10.4. The bidder must commit to a minimum platform uptime of 99.5 percent measured on a

calendar-month basis, excluding pre-notified maintenance windows

3.11. Content Updates

3.11.1. The platform must reflect updates to underlying content.

3.11.2. The bidder must notify ATNS of any planned changes to content scope, publisher

arrangements or platform features that materially affect the service.

3.12. Data Protection, Information Security and POPIA

3.12.1. The bidder must comply with POPIA, the General Data Protection Regulation where

applicable, and ATNS information security standards.

3.12.2. The bidder must maintain an information security management system aligned to

ISO/IEC 27001 or an equivalent recognised standard and must provide evidence of

certification or independent assurance.

3.12.3. The bidder must notify ATNS within 24 hours of becoming aware of any data breach,

security incident or unauthorised access affecting ATNS data or users.

3.12.4. Personal information of ATNS users must be processed only for the purposes of

providing the service and must not be disclosed to third parties without ATNS written

consent.

3.13. Copyright, Licensing and Intellectual Property

3.13.1. The bidder warrants that it holds all necessary rights, licences and authorisations to

provide the contracted content to ATNS for institutional use.

3.13.2. Licence terms must permit institutional multi-user access, fair-dealing copying for

research and private study, and downloading and printing within reasonable limits.

3.13.3. Where Open Access content is included, this must be clearly identified.

3.13.4. ATNS shall retain all intellectual property in its own data, queries, search histories,

custom collections and annotations created within the platform

3.14. Functional Requirement

3.14.1. Full-text access to subscribed e-books, scholarly journals, professional publications,

technical papers and standards, subject to applicable licence terms.

3.14.2. Access to both current content and historical archives, including backfile coverage

where commercially available.

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3.14.3. Advanced search functionality across all content types, incorporating Boolean

operators (AND, OR, NOT), wildcat and truncation searching, keyword, subject,

author, publication title, abstract, DOI, ISBN, ISSN and full-text searching.

3.14.4. Federated searching across journals, e-books, conference proceedings, technical

standards and other subscribed resources through a single user interface.

3.14.5. Personalised alerts for keywords, subjects, authors, publications, citations and newly

published content, delivered by email and/or through the platform.

3.14.6. Saved searches, reading lists, bookmarks, folders and content management

functionality to support ongoing research activities.

3.14.7. Article-level and chapter-level downloading, printing and sharing within the terms of

the institutional licence.

3.14.8. Citation generation and export functionality compatible with common reference

management tools and citation styles.

3.14.9. Abstract and metadata visibility for all indexed content, including materials not

available in full text.

3.14.10. Full-text PDF and/or HTML viewing options, including high-quality rendering of

figures, tables, diagrams and technical illustrations.

3.14.11. Usage statistics and administrative reporting detailing resource utilisation, user

activity and collection performance.

3.14.12. Accessibility features compliant with recognised accessibility standards to support

users with diverse needs.

3.15. Editorial Integrity and Source Authority

3.15.1. All content delivered through the platform must be sourced directly from the originating

publisher, or from authorised aggregators. Where the platform offers AI-generated

summaries or thematic groupings, these must be clearly labelled as derivative and the

link to the original article must be preserved.

3.16. Content Coverage

6.1. The bid must be submitted in three (3) parcels either via through online e-

Submission (e-Tender) system or manual/physical submission

6.1.1. Parcel A – Administrative and Mandatory (Phase 1 and 2 Evaluation)

• Volume 1A: General instructions and administrative requirements (Excluding

SBD 3.3 and 6.1)

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• Phase 1: Administrative requirements
• Phase 2: Mandatory requirements

6.1.2. Parcel B – Functionality (Phase 3 Evaluation)

• Phase 3: Functionality requirements

6.1.3. Parcel C – Price and Preference Points for Specific Goals (Phase 4

Evaluation)

• SBD 3.3 - Pricing Schedule – (Professional Services)
• SBD 6.1 - Preference Points Claim Form
• Central Supplier Database (CSD) Report
• Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) Documents
• Shareholder Certificates
• ID copies of shareholders
• Valid B‐BBEE Certificate or Sworn Affidavit (for EMEs/QSEs)

12.1. The Bidder shall bear all costs incurred in connection with the preparation and

submission of their Bid Response and for finalisation of the contract and the

attachments thereof. ATNS will in no case be responsible for payment to the Bidder

for these costs.

12.2. The Company reserves the right to reject any or all Bids, to undertake discussions

with one or more Bidders, and to accept that Bid or modified Bid which in its sole

judgment, will be most advantageous to the Company, price and other evaluation

factors having been considered.

13. Contract Terms

13.1. Whilst ATNS have taken every reasonable step to ensure the accuracy of this brief,

the Company accepts no liability in relation to the accuracy of any representations

made. Bidders should accept that their tender response is on the basis and reliance

of its own judgment and information. ATNS reserves the right to vary the scope and

terms as described in this document. If any variation does take place tenderer will be

advised as soon as possible in writing.

13.2. The successful tenderer will be engaged subject to acceptance of a contract

containing the standard Terms and Conditions as given. The contract contains

standard clauses including a retention clause for non-satisfactory completion, breach

of contract and confidentiality clauses and a requirement for the tenderer to have

adequate professional indemnity insurance. All Tenderers must bear in mind that if

circumstances dictate, ATNS reserves its right to withdraw from any commitments

that will be entered into within this statement of work.

13.3. All designs and documentation submitted by the tenderer will be treated as

confidential.

13.4. ATNS reserves the right to reject, withdraw or cancel any or all Proposals/Tenders,

to undertake discussions with one or more Tenderers and to accept that tender or

modified tender which in its sole judgment, will be most advantageous to the

21.1. Copyright of all documentation relating to this contract belongs to the client. The

successful Bidder may not disclose any information, documentation, or products to

other clients without the written approval of the accounting authority or the delegate.

21.2. This paragraph shall survive termination of this contract.

24.1. The waiver (whether express or implied) by any Party of any breach of the terms or

conditions of this contract by the other Party shall not prejudice any remedy of the

waiving party in respect of any continuing or other breach of the terms and conditions

hereof.

24.2. No favour, delay, relaxation or indulgence on the part of any Party in exercising any

power or right conferred on such Party in terms of this contract shall operate as a

waiver of such power or right nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such power

or right under this agreement.

25.1. On termination of this agreement, the bidder shall, on demand hand over all

documentation provided as part of the project and all deliverables, etc., without the

right of retention, to ATNS.

25.2. No agreement to amend or vary a contract or order or the conditions, stipulations or

provisions thereof shall be valid and of any force and effect unless such agreement

to amend or vary is entered into in writing and signed by the contracting parties. Any

waiver of the requirement that the agreement to amend or vary shall be in writing,

shall also be in writing.

Validity period: Proposals must remain valid for 120 days from submission. Bidders may request extension with reasons; ATNS reserves right to approve or decline. Cancellation: ATNS may postpone or cancel the procurement process at any stage prior to contract conclusion. Negotiation: ATNS may negotiate with one or more bidders; not obliged to accept lowest bid; contract only concluded when signed by both parties. Rejection: ATNS may reject bids if bidder or directors have abused SCM system, committed fraud, or failed to perform on previous contracts. Additional information may be requested during evaluation; replies within 7 working days. Confidentiality: bid information must be held in strict confidence. CSD registration is mandatory; proof of registration or application must be submitted. SARS Tax Clearance: valid PIN required; each JV/consortium member must submit separate proof. Declaration of Interest must be completed and signed. Registration with professional bodies required.

Mandatory requirements: (1) Company Experience: minimum of three contactable reference letters in the provision of Database Subscription for Digital Access to E-Books, Scholarly Journal Articles and IEEE Xplore, completed within the past 5 years, on official letterhead, signed by authorised representative, with contact details; letters of appointment or contracts not accepted. (2) Remote Access Authentication Capability: proposal document specifying authentication mechanisms (IP, proxy, VPN, or SSO). (3) User Licensing Model: document specifying unlimited simultaneous user access or concurrent user model with limitations disclosed. (4) Browser and Device Compatibility: technical specifications confirming compatibility with current versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, and desktop/mobile form factors.

1. Evidence provided for all 5 requirements =

50.00 Points

2. Evidence provided for 4 requirements = 40.00

Points

3. Evidence provided for 3 requirements = 30.00

Points

4. Evidence provided for 2 requirements = 20.00

Points

5. Evidence provided for 1 requirement = 10.00

Points

6. No evidence provided = 0.00 Points

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Documentary Evidence Required /

No. Functionality Criteria Evaluation & Scoring Guidelines (Objective) Points

Notes/Conditions

The bidder must illustrate collection analytics The bidder must submit

Requirement elements

1. Administrator dashboard. [a] Technical Specification indicating
2. Usage analytics. breakdown of reporting and
3. Report export functionality. administrative capabilities
4. Collection performance reporting.

Reporting and Scoring:

7(b) Administrative 1) Evidence provided for all 4 requirements = 25,00

Capabilities 25.00 Points

2. Evidence provided for 3 requirements = 19.00

Points

3. Evidence provided for 2 requirement = 13.00

Points

4. Evidence provided for 1 requirement = 6.00

Points

5. No evidence provided = 0.00 Points

The bidder must illustrate alerts and notifications The bidder must submit:

capabilities

[a] Product brochures.

Requirement elements

[b] Platform screenshots.

1. Saved search alerts.
2. Subject-area monitoring and notifications. [c] Illustrative “How to Guides”
3. Multiple notification channels (email and In-

App)

Alerts and Notification

7(c) 25,00

Management

1. Evidence provided for all 3 requirements =

25.00 Points

2. Evidence provided for 2 requirements = 17.00

Points

3. Evidence provided for 1 requirement = 8.00

Points

4. No evidence provided = 0.00 Points

7.1. The minimum qualifying threshold for functionality is 70 points out of 100.

Any bidder scoring less than 70 points will not be considered for further evaluation.

7.2. Bidders are required to address and respond to all evaluation criteria as outlined.

Failure to adequately respond to any criterion may result in disqualification.

7.3. In addition, any bidder that scores zero or fails to meet the minimum requirement in any one

or more of the individual evaluation criteria will not be evaluated further, irrespective of the

total score achieved.

7.4. Bids that do not cover all required elements of the evaluation criteria will be deemed non-

responsive and will not be considered.

7.5. For purposes of fair comparison and to ensure a meaningful and objective evaluation,

bidders must provide:

7.5.1. Detailed, clear, and relevant information

7.5.2. Sufficient supporting documentation

7.5.3. Explicit evidence demonstrating compliance with each criterion

7.6. The evaluation will be based strictly on the information submitted.

No assumptions will be made, and unsubstantiated or implied compliance will not be

considered.

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8. Stage 4: Demonstration

No. Functionality Criteria Evaluation & Scoring Guidelines (Objective) Points

1 Search Capability The bidder must demonstrate advanced content discovery, search, navigation and information 10

management capabilities.

1. Advanced search functionality (Boolean, phrase, proximity and field searching) = 10 points
2. Advanced filtering and faceted navigation. =10 points

2 Research Assistance The bidder must demonstrate enhanced analytics and insights on resource usage. 10

Capabilities

[a] Research assistance capabilities demonstrated = 10.00 Points

[b] Functionality not demonstrated = 0.00 Points

3 Citation and Export Tools. The bidder must demonstrate the provision of built-in citation generation in standard formats. 10

[a] Citation generation in standard formats demonstrated = 10.00 Points

[b] Functionality not demonstrated = 0.00 Points

4 Content Download The bidder must demonstrate downloading, offline reading and sharing capabilities. 10

[a] Content download, offline reading and sharing capabilities demonstrated = 10.00 Points

[b] Functionality not demonstrated = 0.00 Points

5 Content management The bidder must demonstrate saved searches, folders and annotation capabilities. 10

features.

[a] Saved searches, folders and annotation capabilities demonstrated = 10.00 Points

[b] Functionality not demonstrated = 0.00 Points

6 Multilingual Support The bidder must demonstrate translation functionality. 10

[a] Multilingual translation functionality demonstrated = 10.00 Points

[b] Functionality not demonstrated = 0.00 Points

7 Artificial Intelligence The bidder must demonstrate AI-assisted summaries and content organisation tools. 10

[a] AI-assisted summaries and content organisation tools demonstrated = 10.00 Points

[b] Functionality not demonstrated = 0.00 Points

8 Collaboration The bidder must demonstrate annotation and collaboration capabilities. 10

[a] Annotation and collaboration capabilities demonstrated = 10.00 Points

[b] Functionality not demonstrated = 0.00 Points

9 Media Intelligence The bidder must demonstrate additional media-monitoring, intelligence and research tools. 10

[a] Media-monitoring, intelligence and research tools demonstrated = 10.00 Points

[b] Functionality not demonstrated = 0.00 Points

8.1. Only bidders who successfully meet or exceed the prescribed functionality

threshold will be shortlisted and invited to participate in the mandatory

demonstration phase evaluation. Participation in the demonstration phase is

therefore strictly limited to compliant bidders who have passed the functionality

evaluation.

8.2. This phase forms an integral component of the overall functionality assessment

and serves to validate, through practical demonstration, the bidder’s ability to

meet the specified requirements.

8.3. Bidder must obtain 70% of this evaluation phase to proceed to the next

evaluation phase.

8.4. Any submission that fails to comprehensively address all stipulated functionality

requirements will be deemed non-responsive and will be excluded from further

evaluation, including this demonstration phase.

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8.5. The information provided will be used both for the initial functionality

assessment and as a basis for validation during the demonstration phase.

8.6. The bidder’s demonstration must be structured according to the ten (10)

demonstration requirements, where each requirement can be evaluated

separately and be numbered accordingly.

8.7. Failure to adequately substantiate claims or to successfully demonstrate the

required capabilities during the demonstration phase will result in the bidder

being disqualified from further consideration.

9. Stage 5: Price and Preference Points for Specific Goals

9.1. The bid will be evaluated using the 80/20 point system.

Criteria Means of Verification Points

Price Proposed Bid Price 80,00

Preference Points Specific Goals 20,00

Total Points 100,00

9.2. The 80/20 price/preference points system will be applied to the evaluation of

responsive tenders up to and including a Rand value of R50’000’000 (all applicable taxes

included), whereby the order(s) will be placed with the tenderer(s) scoring the highest total

number of adjudication points.

9.3. The formulae to be utilised in calculating points scored for price are as follows:

Pt−Pmin

Ps= 80(1− )Pmin

Pmin

Where

Ps = Points scored for price of tender under consideration

Pt = Price of tender under consideration

Pmin = Price of lowest acceptable tender

9.3.1. The tendered amounts shall be evaluated based on the pricing information provided

by bidder in the applicable Standard Bidding Document (SBD) for this bid:

Definition Required Evidence for evaluationRequired Document

SBD 3.3 PRICING SCHEDULE (Professional Full completed and signed Standard Bidding

Services) Document (SBD 3.3) and any other Price

related document as requested in this bid.

9.4. Preference points will be based on the Specific Goal as per below:

Definition Required Evidence Number ofThe specific goals allocated

pointsin terms of this bid

allocated

(80/20 system)

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51% Black Owned suppliers An entity with at least 51% black [a] Central Supplier Database 10,00

(Section 2(1)(d)(i) of the ownership, which confers both (CSD) Registration Report

PPPFA) voting rights and economic [b] Companies and Intellectual

interest to black people Property Commission

(CIPC) document

Documents

[c] Shareholder Certificates

[d] ID copies of shareholders

[e] B-BBEE Certificate or Sworn

Affidavit (for EMEs/QSEs)

30% Black Woman Owned An entity with at least 30% black [a] Central Supplier Database 10,00

Suppliers. (Section 2(1)(d)(i) woman ownership, which confers (CSD) Registration Report

of the PPPFA) both voting rights and economic [b] Companies and Intellectual

interest to black people Property Commission

(CIPC) document

Documents

[c] Shareholder Certificates

[d] ID copies of shareholders

[e] B-BBEE Certificate or Sworn

Affidavit (for EMEs/QSEs)

9.4.1. The Bidder must indicate how they claim points for specific for each preference point

system in the provided SBD 6.1.

10. Verification of Specific Goals

10.1. Bidders must submit:

10.1.1. CSD Report

10.1.2. CIPC documents

10.1.3. Shareholder certificates

10.1.4. ID copies of shareholders.

10.1.5. B-BBEE certificate or sworn affidavit

11. ATNS Specific Goals

11.1. ATNS evaluates bids based on Preferential Procurement Regulations, 2022.

Suppliers are required to claim points for specific goals in SBD 6.1.

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Section c: tender conditions and instructions to bid

12. Disclaimer

12.1. The Bidder shall bear all costs incurred in connection with the preparation and

submission of their Bid Response and for finalisation of the contract and the

attachments thereof. ATNS will in no case be responsible for payment to the Bidder

for these costs.

12.2. The Company reserves the right to reject any or all Bids, to undertake discussions

with one or more Bidders, and to accept that Bid or modified Bid which in its sole

judgment, will be most advantageous to the Company, price and other evaluation

factors having been considered.