Supply of cardboard home visit ballot boxes for electoral commission (iec) special voting

1.4. A briefing session is scheduled for:

Date – 11 June 2026

Time – 11:00

Venue – 1303 Heuwel Avenue, Election House, Riverside Park, Centurion

• For all bid enquiries: Use the VotaQuotes platform exclusively (www.votaquotes.elections.org.za). No telephone, email, or other communication will be accepted or responded to.
• For delivery of goods: Contact the specific warehouse and contact person for each province as listed in Section 18 of the document. Key contacts include:
• Eastern Cape: Busi Mlola / Kamo Modibe at 043 736 4004/4025/4058.
• Free State: Edward Macala at 051 447 3543.
• Gauteng: Kabelo Khabane at 011 496 1725/1784.
• KwaZulu-Natal: Mongezi Khumalo / Bongani Bukhosini / Bongani Thusi at 031 579 4829/4206/5404.
• Mpumalanga: Thuli Mbethe / Lucky Leyane at 013 754 0200.
• Northern Cape: Sarah Ubisi / Awie Seekoei at 053 838 5000/5029.
• Limpopo: Tendani Maselele / Dan Magalatshetshe at 015 292 0152/0149.
• North West: Bogosi Judi / Thato Mdali at 018 381 4054/391 0800.
• Western Cape: Philip Verlaat / Vukile Ndyalivani at 021 951 3350/3357/5734.
• National Warehouse (Centurion): Robert Niemack at 012 622 5492.
• For submission of samples and written proposals: Deliver to Supply Chain Management (SCM) at the address above.

• Submit your bid online via the Electoral Commission’s eProcurement system (https://votaquotes.elections.org.za). You must be registered and approved on this system to place a bid.
• The closing date and time for online bids are as stipulated on the eProcurement system. Do not miss this deadline.
• You must also submit a physical written proposal and a sample of the ballot box by the same closing date and time.
• Deliver the written proposal and sample directly to: Supply Chain Management (SCM), Election House, Riverside Office Park, 1303 Heuwel Avenue, Centurion, Pretoria.
• Clearly mark your sample with your bidder name and the tender/auction number. Unmarked samples may not be linked to your bid.
• Failure to submit the online bid, written proposal, and sample on time will result in disqualification. No late submissions are accepted.
• Bidders are strongly advised to print and review the full bid document to ensure compliance.

11. Evaluation of samples and written proposal

Before a contract is awarded, the bidder (potential services provider) will be required to prove conformance of the goods offered to the stated specification.

Bidders are required to submit a written proposal and a sample for evaluation purposes.

11.1. The Electoral Commission reserves the right to inspect samples or examples of the materials offered to establish conformance before awarding a contract.

11.2. For bid evaluation purposes, all bidders who have submitted a bid for this tender will be required to submit a sample for inspection and testing by the Electoral Commission. Note that reminders will not be sent out by the Electoral Commission, and it remains the responsibility of bidders to submit their samples.

11.3. The sample must conform to the bid specifications as in sections 2, 3 and 4 above, i.e., of full size and of correct dimensions and colour.

11.4. The sample must be contained in a protective plastic wrapping, to be used for full scale production.

11.5. The sample should carry printing to demonstrate the bidder’s printing capability but need not be as stipulated in Section 4. The sample must be made of the specified materials and components for use in full-scale manufacture.

11.6. Bids must be placed online not later than the closing date and time as stipulated on the Electoral Commission’s eProcurement system.

11.7. Written proposals and samples must be submitted not later than the closing date and time as stipulated on the Electoral Commission’s eProcurement system.

11.8. Failure to submit a sample and the required written proposal within the specified period will result in the disqualification of a bid.

11.9. No late written proposals or samples will be considered.

11.10. The samples and written proposal must be delivered directly to:

Supply Chain Management (SCM)

Election House ; Riverside Office Park

1303 Heuwel Avenue ;

Centurion, Pretoria

11.11. Samples must be clearly marked with the name of the bidder and the tender number to avoid loss or confusion. In cases where more than one sample is included in a box, all auction numbers that may be applicable must be listed. The Electoral Commission takes no responsibility for unmarked samples that cannot be linked to a specific bid.

11.12. The samples will be stringently tested for quality compliance to specifications and will not be returned to service providers at any point.

11.13. A qualifying bidder(s) shall be subjected to a comprehensive due diligence audit process as determined by the Electoral Commission before a contract is awarded.

Scope: Supply and delivery of 120,000 individual cardboard home visit ballot boxes (24,000 packs of 5).

Key Specifications:

• Material: Corrugated 'B' fluted single wall cardboard (140 liner/112 flute or similar), nominal grammage 450gsm, white-faced recyclable fluted cardboard.
• Form: Supplied flat (collapsed). Assembly must not require tools or additional materials like tape.
• Construction: Robust, must carry an internal load of 3kg without distorting, tearing, or collapsing.
• Dimensions (assembled): 24cm (length) x 24cm (width) x 31cm (height), with a permissible 1cm tolerance.
• Slot: Rectangular slot (18cm x 2cm) in the top face for depositing envelopes.
• Sealing: Must incorporate a closing mechanism for the deposit slot, sealable using not more than two (2) 8mm wide polypropylene locking seals (seals procured separately by IEC).
• Printing: Exterior panels finished in white, printed with IEC logos and lettering in specified blues (Pantone 2965u, 300u, 30% of 2707u). Assembly instructions/diagrams printed directly on the box back. A label block on the front.
• Packaging: Boxes supplied in packs of 5, in protective plastic wrapping. Packs stacked on 1000mm x 1200mm four-way entry single-sided pallets, strapped and plastic-wrapped. Max pallet height 1500mm, max weight 500kg. Pallets must be labelled with contents, quantities, weight, and service provider details. Packaging materials become IEC property after delivery.
• Delivery: To IEC warehouses nationwide by 05 October 2026, during working hours (08:30-16:00, Mon-Fri). Partial or late delivery not accepted without prior agreement.
• Quality: IEC reserves right to inspect your premises. You warrant goods conform to specifications at delivery.

• Bidders should be established operators in the relevant industry and/or have direct control over product design and production process. Confirm this in your written proposal.
• Subcontracting is not preferred but may be considered at IEC's discretion if you have the necessary capacity, capability, and proven experience to execute projects of this magnitude. Any subcontracting arrangement must be a formal written contract.

• The IEC reserves the right to conduct inspections at your premises before delivery to verify quality and adherence to specifications.
• You have primary responsibility to ensure quantity and quality comply with specifications.
• Samples are stringently tested for quality compliance and are not returned.
• A comprehensive due diligence audit will be conducted at the recommended service provider's premises before contract award, covering manufacturing site, equipment, and machinery.
• The IEC will reject deliveries not conforming to specifications, including damaged units.

7. Costing and bidding

7.1. Bidders must take care to estimate and calculate their costs and prices correctly before placing a bid on the Electoral Commission’s eProcurement system.

7.2. Erroneous low bids cannot be removed or adjusted upwards. Common errors include the entering of a unit price instead of a total price in the case of a batch requirement or accidentally omitting zeros (for example R50 instead of R5,000).

7.3. All bid prices must include VAT.

7.4. The bid amount as it appears on the eProcurement auction on the date and time of auction closure will be valid as stipulated for purposes of awarding of a contract and payment for delivery of the required goods and services.

7.5. Amounts/total cost must include all variables involved in the production of the items.

7.6. Amounts on the auction and/or official purchase order will be considered as the final and total cost and thus cannot be changed/amended at any given time by the service provider during and after the service has been rendered.

7.7. Bids must be placed for the correct unit of measure, that is, per box.

NOTE: It is important to note that the cost of packaging and delivery must be included in the bid price.

• Bid Price: Must be placed per box (unit of measure). The bid amount includes VAT, all production variables, packaging, and delivery costs to specified warehouses.
• Pricing Errors: Erroneous low bids cannot be removed or adjusted upwards. Common errors include entering unit price instead of total price or omitting zeros.
• Final Cost: The bid amount on the eProcurement auction at closure is the final and total cost. It cannot be changed by the service provider at any time.
• Payment Terms: No payment before successful delivery. Payment requires an original invoice and copies of signed delivery notes. Payment processed within 30 days of receipt of valid tax invoice and delivery notes, subject to IEC satisfaction with performance.

Mandatory compliance checks (Stage 1 evaluation):

• You must be registered on the National Treasury Central Supplier Database (CSD). No bid accepted without CSD registration.
• You must be tax compliant. Non-compliance leads to disqualification.
• You must not be an employee of the state (with exceptions as per PAMA).
• You must certify via SBD4 that your conduct does not transgress the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act or the Competition Act.
• You must not be listed on the Register of Tender Defaulters or the list of restricted suppliers.
• B-BBEE: Preference points are awarded in Stage 3 adjudication based on your B-BBEE status level. Submit required supporting documents or receive zero points.

16. Recycling

16.1. The cardboard home visit ballot boxes are intended to be recycled after use where possible.

16.2. To encourage recycling, the universal recycling symbol must be printed on the items.

16.3. Printed size of the symbol must be 30mm x 30mm with a permissible tolerance of 2mm in either dimension.

• Intellectual Property: The final agreed design, product, and associated IP for the ballot box become the exclusive property of the Electoral Commission for election purposes.
• Liability: You are liable if your bid submission infringes on any third-party rights.
• Contract Duration: 'Once-off' supply, with possibility of future orders from the appointed provider.
• Service Level Agreement (SLA): The successful bidder must enter into an SLA fixing performance criteria on quantity, quality, specifications, and delivery date.
• Penalties: If you fail to meet agreed delivery schedules, the IEC may appoint an alternative provider at your cost. Normal penalties on the purchase order also apply.
• Changes: You cannot amend ordered items after sample approval and receipt of the official purchase order without prior written approval from the IEC at no additional cost.

6. Delivery location and date

6.1. Delivery of goods to the selected Electoral Commission warehouses must be completed not later than 05 October 2026.

6.2. Delivery to the Electoral Commission warehouses should take place during working hours (08:30-16:00) Monday to Friday.

6.3. The required point of delivery is the Electoral Commission warehouses as per Section 18.

6.4. The service provider must notify the appropriate Electoral Commission contact person of the delivery schedule and intended times of delivery, as per Section 18.

6.5. Partial delivery will not be accepted unless prior agreement and approval by the Electoral Commission.

6.6. Late delivery will not be accepted.

6.7. Prices must include delivery of the specified quantities to the specified sites as per Section 18.

1.3. Bidders must be registered and approved on Electoral Commission’s eProcurement system (https://votaquotes.elections.org.za) to place a bid online.

17. All enquiries to be addressed to:

All enquiries regarding this bid must be submitted exclusively through the VotaQuotes platform. This requirement supports the principles of fairness, openness, and transparency in the procurement process.

All questions and the official responses will be published on the public VotaQuotes website (www.votaquotes.elections.org.za) where the bid is advertised.

Bidders are responsible for regularly monitoring the platform for any updates, clarifications, or additional information published during the bidding period.

No telephone, email, or other forms of communication regarding bid enquiries will be accepted or responded to.

An enquiry cutoff date applies to all bids. The final date and time for submitting enquiries is published on the VotaQuotes platform under the specific bid listing.