Research project: evaluate hearing conservation programs in south african mining

• For all bidding procedure enquiries and submission: Supply Chain Management Department.
• Email: [email protected].
• No phone numbers or physical addresses are provided in the document.
• Do not approach any other MHSC employees for information.

• Submit your bid via email to [email protected]. The maximum email attachment size is 150MB.
• Bids must be submitted by the closing date: 19 August 2026 at 11:00 AM. Late submissions will not be considered.
• You must use the official bid forms (SBD documents) provided. Do not retype them; photocopies are acceptable.
• Complete and submit the following mandatory returnable documents: SBD1 (Invitation to Bid), SBD4 (Bidder's Disclosure), SBD6.1 (Preference Claim Form), and SBD3 (Pricing Schedule).
• You must be registered on the Central Supplier Database (CSD) before submitting. Non-registered bidders will be disqualified.
• Provide your Tax Compliance Status PIN from SARS or your CSD number in SBD1. Failure to be tax compliant will disqualify your bid.
• Bids must be signed in black ink. Ensure all pages are present and no pages are duplicated.
• Do not set any counter conditions or amend bid conditions, as this will invalidate your bid.

Mandatory compliance: 1) Occupational hygienist/technologist registration with SAIOH, 2) Occupational Medical Practitioner registration with HPCSA, 3) Audiologist registration with HPCSA. Must provide valid certificates. Company must have ≥5 years applied research/consulting experience. Must provide ≥3 verifiable reference letters from previous research clients. Foreign suppliers must complete tax compliance questionnaire. Persons in service of state are disqualified.

Scope: Evaluate the effectiveness of current Hearing Conservation Programs (HCPs) in the South African Mining Industry (SAMI).

Key Deliverables:

1. Conduct a local and international literature review on HCP effectiveness, covering factors like occupational noise exposure, ototoxicity, and non-occupational noise.
2. Using DMPR data (past 10 years), determine the noise risk profile of SAMI employees and study current HCPs to identify best practices and gaps.
3. Develop a guidance document with improved HCP aspects for the SAMI.
4. Conduct a stakeholder hybrid workshop in Gauteng.

Expected Outcomes:

• Project initiation report.
• Literature review report.
• Noise risk profile report.
• Guidance document report.
• Final HCP framework.
• Stakeholder workshop report.
• Draft final report.
• Final report.

Study Sites: Minimum of 2 gold mines, 2 coal mines (1 underground, 1 surface), 2 platinum mines, 2 diamond mines, and 1 other commodity mine.

Team Requirements:

• The service provider must have at least 5 years of experience in applied research.
• Project team must include members with:

• Minimum 10 years' experience in occupational hygiene with expertise in ONIHL, workplace risk factors, and HCPs in SAMI.

• Minimum 10 years' experience in audiology with expertise in audiometric assessments and HCP effectiveness in SAMI.

• Minimum 10 years' experience as an occupational medical practitioner in SAMI.

• Your project proposal must clearly define the methodology, including design, participants, datasets, study sites, instruments, and procedures.
• The methodology must be feasible, considering participant accessibility, site access, data collection, and sample sizes.
• The proposal must address all items in the project scope and include a project schedule with timelines and costing.
• Proposals that merely copy the scope text without interpretation will score zero for methodology.

• The service provider must have at least 5 years of experience in applied research.
• The project team requires:

• An occupational hygienist with minimum 10 years' experience in SAMI, focusing on ONIHL and HCPs.
• An audiologist with minimum 10 years' experience in SAMI, skilled in audiometric assessments and HCP effectiveness.
• An occupational medical practitioner with minimum 10 years' experience in SAMI.

• Evaluation criteria award points for company experience, reference letters, team experience, and qualifications in these areas.

• The project involves evaluating hearing conservation programs, which include engineering controls, worker training, noise zone demarcation, audiometric testing, and use of hearing protection devices.
• Engineering controls are preferred for noise reduction, but hearing protection devices are often used as a supplementary measure.

• Your bid constitutes a binding offer valid for 120 days from submission. You may not modify pricing during this period.
• No services may start without an official MHSC purchase order.
• If there are discrepancies between a quote and SBD3 pricing, the SBD3 price is considered correct. Arithmetic errors cannot be corrected.
• MHSC may cancel the tender due to changed circumstances, lack of funds, no suitable bids, process irregularities, or bidder non-performance.
• Submit both technical and pricing proposals (SBD3) via email, with attachments not exceeding 150MB.

• All prices must be quoted in South African Rand (ZAR), inclusive of VAT and all other costs.
• Complete the pricing schedule (SBD 3.3) fully, listing costs for each deliverable: project initiation, literature review report, noise risk profile report, guidance document report, final HCP framework, stakeholder workshop report, draft final report, and final report.
• If using imported goods/services subject to exchange rate fluctuations, state the currency and exchange rate at bid time, and specify the portion of price subject to fluctuation.
• Submit the pricing proposal with the technical proposal, clearly labelled.
• The bid price must remain valid for 120 days from the closing date.
• Payment terms: Within 30 days of invoice receipt after completion of deliverables, per PFMA and Treasury Regulations.
• No services may be rendered before an official MHSC purchase order is issued.

Mandatory Registrations and Certificates:

• Occupational hygienist/technologist must be registered with the South African Institute for Occupational Hygiene (SAIOH). Attach valid certificate.
• Occupational Medical Practitioner must be registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). Attach valid certificate.
• Audiologist must be registered with the HPCSA. Attach valid certificate.

Tax and Supplier Database:

• You must be registered on the Central Supplier Database (CSD). Non-registration leads to disqualification.
• Provide your Tax Compliance Status PIN from SARS or your CSD number in SBD1. Tax non-compliance disqualifies the bid.

B-bbee:

• Submit a fully completed SBD6.1 (Preference Claim Form). Points claimed for specific goals must be supported by a valid B-BBEE certificate or a certified sworn affidavit.
• False information may result in disqualification.

Other Compliance:

• Submit fully completed and signed SBD1, SBD4, and SBD3.
• The successful bidder will be required to sign SBD7 (Contract Form) upon award.
• Bidders must disclose any relationships with state employees or conflicts of interest in SBD4.

• The service provider must acknowledge awareness of the Mine Health and Safety Act and OHS Act, and their duties as an employer.
• The project addresses occupational noise-induced hearing loss (ONIHL), a major occupational health concern in South African mining.
• Team must include an occupational medical practitioner with minimum 10 years' experience in SAMI, with qualifications scored (doctorate highest, MBCHB with DOH, etc.).

• The research references key literature on occupational and environmental noise exposure, hearing loss prevention, and occupational diseases.
• Sources include Chamber of Mines, CSIR, Department of Employment and Labour, DMPR, WHO, and academic studies.

• Bid documents must not be retyped; photocopies are acceptable but must be signed in black ink.
• MHSC accepts no liability for missing or duplicated pages in your submission.
• Do not amend any bid conditions or set counter conditions, as this will invalidate your bid.
• MHSC disclaims liability for any incorrect or misleading information in the tender document.
• Be aware of scammers posing as MHSC employees selling documents or offering favors.