This Tender Has Expired

Lepelle Northern Water (LNW) is a state-owned water utility in Limpopo. This tender appoints an independent service provider for Project Management and Quality Assurance (QA) for LNW’s SAP S/4HANA Private Cloud Edition implementation. The project is in the Realise phase (Explore not fully signed off) and requires strengthening of governance and QA to ensure successful delivery. The service provider will focus on planning, controlling, monitoring, and driving the remaining scope, ensuring high-quality standards for the SAP S/4HANA implementation. The project has progressed significantly, but an independent provider is needed to oversee completion.

Closing date: 03 July 2026 at 11:00. Compulsory briefing session: 22 June 2026 at 10:00, venue: 01 Landros Mare Street, Lepelle House, Polokwane. Advert date: 05 June 2026. Tender validity: 150 days (5 months). Contract period: 12 months.

SCM/Technical Enquiries: Happiness Baloyi (015 295 1800, [email protected]) or Tshepho Motau (015 295 1800, [email protected]). Submission address: Bid box at 01 Landros Mare Street, Polokwane. General enquiries: Lepelle Northern Water, 01 Landros Mare Street, Polokwane, 0700; Tel: 015 295 1800; Fax: 015 295 1931; Email: [email protected].

Submit bids by 03 July 2026 at 11:00 to the bid box at 01 Landros Mare Street, Polokwane. Late bids will not be accepted. Use official forms (SBD1, SBD6.1, etc.) without re-typing. Bids must include: completed SBD forms, valid Tax Compliance Status (TCS) PIN or CSD number, company registration (CIPC), valid B-BBEE certificate, and all mandatory documents. No bids from state employees or entities with state-employed directors/members. Joint Ventures must submit a JV Agreement with lead partner and percentage splits. All documents must be in black ink, untampered. Attendance at the compulsory briefing session on 22 June 2026 at 10:00 (venue: 01 Landros Mare Street, Lepelle House, Polokwane) and signing the attendance register is mandatory. Failure to attend or sign will disqualify the bid.

Evaluation follows a 4-stage process: Stage 1 (Administrative Compliance): Submit completed SBD1, SBD6.1, valid SARS Tax PIN, CIPC registration, and valid B-BBEE certificate. Stage 2 (Mandatory Requirements): JV bidders must submit a JV Agreement; complete SBD4 and SBD3.1; provide CSD registration proof (all partners for JVs); submit proof of municipal rates/taxes or lease agreement; provide certified ID copies of directors (not older than 6 months); attend compulsory briefing. Stage 3 (Functionality - Technical Evaluation): Minimum 70 points required to proceed. Criteria: Company Experience (20 pts: 1 ref=0, 2 refs=5, 3 refs=10, 4+ refs=20); Key Personnel Expertise (30 pts: CVs for FICO, MM, SuccessFactors, Payroll, PM, PS, SD, SSAM consultants with min NQF Level 6; team avg experience: 3-5 yrs=10, 6-7 yrs=20, 8-9 yrs=30, 9+ yrs=40); Project Manager Expertise (30 pts: min 5 yrs ICT/ERP, PM certification, NQF Level 6; scoring: no submission=0, 5 yrs=10, 6-9 yrs=20, 9+ yrs=30); Implementation Methodology (20 pts: 0 elements=0, 1=5, 2=8, 3=12, 4=15, 5=20). Stage 4 (80/20 Preferential Points): Price (80 pts) + Specific Goals (20 pts: SMME=5, 100% Black Women Ownership=5, 100% Black Ownership=5, Black Youth Ownership=5). Financial offers scored using formula: Ps = 80(1 - (Pt-Pmin)/Pmin). Highest total points win.

Scope: Independent Project Management and Quality Assurance for LNW’s SAP S/4HANA implementation (Private Cloud Edition). Modules in scope: S/4HANA Private Cloud ERP, SuccessFactors (HR), S/4HANA Payroll, Project Systems (PS), Plant Maintenance (PM), Service and Asset Management (SSAM), Materials Management (MM), Sales and Distribution (SD), Finance and Control (FICO), Accounts Payable/Receivable, Asset Accounting, General Ledger, Bank and Cash Management, SAP Analytics Cloud, SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP), Data Migration, System Integrations. Activities: Project planning/scheduling, governance/reporting, stakeholder/communication management, performance monitoring, scope/change management, risk/issue management, vendor monitoring, resource coordination, budget/schedule tracking, documentation management, QA oversight, escalation management, cutover/go-live coordination, post-implementation stabilization, benefits realization. Deliverables: BPD/FDD Review Reports, Technical/Architecture Assurance Reports, Testing/Defect Management Reports, Data Migration Assurance Reports, Security/Compliance Reports, Change Management Reports, Phase Gate Reviews, Go-Live Readiness Report, Monthly Project Health Reports, Final PQA Report. Project Manager must dedicate 3 days/week on-site (hybrid model possible). QA activities conducted during phase transitions. Service provider must work with LNW and implementation partner, deploy equivalent resources if original staff leave, and familiarize quickly with the project. Delays due to dependencies on LNW/implementation partner will not be invoiced; extensions may be granted without cost adjustments.

Service provider must submit a detailed project implementation plan and methodology, including: Activities, Milestones, Resources, Costs, Timeframes. The methodology must align with SAP Activate phases (Explore, Realise, Deploy, Run) and ensure compliance with SAP best practices, LNW policies, and government regulations for Schedule 3B entities. Phase gate reviews will be conducted formally, with go/no-go recommendations provided. The plan must cover the 12-month contract period; failure to provide a substantiated plan may result in forfeiting points.

Key personnel must have expertise in SAP S/4HANA Quality Assurance, including relevant certifications and project experience. Minimum requirements: CVs for all required consultants (FICO, MM, SuccessFactors, Payroll, PM, PS, SD, SSAM) with NQF Level 6 or higher in IT or relevant SAP modules. Team average experience scoring: 3-5 years=10 pts, 6-7 years=20 pts, 8-9 years=30 pts, 9+ years=40 pts. Project Manager must have: at least 5 years’ ICT/ERP experience, recognised PM certification (PRINCE2, PMP, AgilePM, SAP Activate, or equivalent), ICT Diploma at NQF Level 6 or higher. Scoring: no submission=0 pts, 5 years=10 pts, 6-9 years=20 pts, 9+ years=30 pts. Certificates of attendance are not considered. Use the provided CV template for each consultant.

Quality Assurance (QA) activities will be conducted during transitions between project phases (Explore, Realise, Deploy, Run). The service provider must ensure high-quality standards for SAP S/4HANA implementation, including: review of Business Process Designs (BPDs) and Functional Design Documents (FDDs) for alignment with business requirements, SAP best practices, and LNW policies; technical design/architecture assurance (scalability, performance, reliability, integration); data migration assurance (strategy, cleansing, transformation, reconciliation); testing assurance (strategies, plans, scripts, coverage, execution logs); defect management oversight (logs, tracking, resolution); independent testing validation; security/controls/compliance assurance (access controls, Segregation of Duties, governance/audit compliance); change management/user readiness; integration/interface assurance; cutover/go-live readiness; post-go-live support/benefits realization. Deliverables include review reports, assessment reports, and a Final Project Quality Assurance (PQA) Report.

Submit a firm pricing schedule for the 12-month contract. Include: Item Number, Description (Explore, Realise, Deploy, Run Activities), Hourly Rate, Unit of Measure, Total Hours, Amount. Pricing must cover all chargeable items (deliverables, disbursements, travel, etc.). No additional payments outside the fixed price will be considered. Offer must remain valid for 150 days from the closing date. Non-firm prices (e.g., subject to exchange rate variations) will not be accepted.

Submit firm prices only (non-firm prices rejected). Pricing must include all chargeable items (deliverables, disbursements, travel, etc.). No additional payments outside the fixed price. Pricing schedule: Item Number, Description (Explore, Realise, Deploy, Run Activities), Hourly Rate, Unit of Measure, Total Hours, Amount. Subtotal, VAT, and Total must be specified. Offer valid for 150 days from closing date. Payment terms: No payment until final approval of detailed reports by end user. 80/20 Preferential Points System applies (Price=80 pts, Specific Goals=20 pts).

Mandatory: Valid Tax Compliance Status (TCS) PIN or CSD number (foreign bidders complete additional tax questionnaires). Valid Tax Clearance Certificate (original, not certified copies) required for all bidders, including consortia/JVs (each party submits separately). CSD registration proof required (verified online). B-BBEE Certificate or sworn affidavit. Company registration documents (CIPC). Proof of municipal rates/taxes (not older than 3 months) or lease agreement/tribal authority letter. Certified ID copies of directors (not older than 6 months). Completed SBD1, SBD4, SBD3.1, SBD6.1. No bids from state employees or entities with state-employed directors/members. JV bidders must submit JV Agreement with lead partner and percentage splits. All documents must be completed in full, in black ink, untampered. Attendance at compulsory briefing session required.

Full adherence to the Occupational Health and Safety Act and other applicable Acts is required during the contract. Service provider must ensure compliance with all health and safety regulations while performing duties on-site or remotely.

Contract duration: 12 months. Full adherence to contract terms and applicable Acts (e.g., Occupational Health and Safety Act) required. Submission of detailed reports per service rendered is mandatory; no payment will be made until final approval by the end user. Delays due to dependencies on LNW or the implementation partner will not be invoiced. Extensions may be granted for lost time at no additional cost, provided they remain within the contract period. Service provider must work primarily from LNW’s Polokwane office (hybrid model possible).