Provision of internet services for 3 years – xhariep district municipality tender (free state)

Closing date: 27 November 2026 at 12:00.

Project start date: 01 January 2027.

Implementation period: 3 weeks from start.

Contract period: 3 years.

Enquiries (bidding procedure):

• Contact: Mr JOJ Tshabalala
• Role: SCM Accountant
• Telephone: (051) 011 2238

Technical information:

• Contact: Mrs TF Tshabalala
• Role: SCM Manager
• Telephone: (051) 011 2238

Submission address:

Xhariep District Municipality

20 Louw Street

Trompsburg, 9913

Postal address:

Private Bag X136

Trompsburg, 9913

Submission method: sealed envelope placed in the tender box at the reception, Xhariep District Municipality, 20 Louw Street, Trompsburg, 9913, or posted to Private Bag X136, Trompsburg, 9913, to reach before closing. No emailed or faxed bids accepted.

Closing time: 27 November 2026 at 12:00.

Returnable forms (all must be completed, signed, and submitted):

• MBD 1 (Invitation to Bid): bidder details and signed offer cover page.
• MBD 3.1 (Pricing Schedule – Firm Prices): firm prices only, valid for 90 days from closing date.
• MBD 4 (Declaration of Interest): discloses any connection to persons in service of the state.
• MBD 5 (Declaration for Procurement Above R10 Million): required as procurement exceeds R10 million; includes financial statements and disclosure of outstanding municipal debts.
• MBD 6.1 (Preference Points Claim): claims specific goals points under the 80/20 system.
• MBD 7.2 (Contract Form – Rendering of Services): signed contract undertaking.
• MBD 8 (Declaration of Bidder's Past Supply Chain Management Practices): declares any restrictions, convictions, or arrears.
• MBD 9 (Certificate of Independent Bid Determination): certifies no collusive bidding.
• Each page of the General Conditions of Contract (GCC) must be initialled.

Disqualification risks:

• Late bids, regardless of reason.
• Incomplete or unsigned bid documents.
• Use of correction fluid on any document.
• Failure to meet eligibility criteria.
• Bids from persons in service of the state.

Evaluation stages:

1. Functionality (Stage 1): scored out of 100 points. Minimum qualifying score: 70 points (70%). Bidders scoring below 70 are disqualified and do not proceed.

• Experience (30 points): minimum 3 years' experience in internet services, proven by at least 3 reference letters. Points for years (15) and number of reference letters (15).
• Lead Technician (40 points): resume showing minimum 3 years' experience and qualifications (Certificate in Internet Services, N. Diploma, Diploma, or Bachelor's in IT/IS/FIS) accredited by SAQA, ISACA, IITPSA, etc. Points for experience (20) and qualifications (20).
• Implementation Plan (30 points): comprehensive plan responding to the technical specification, timelines, and human resources.

2. Price and Specific Goals (Stage 2): 80/20 preference point system. Price: 80 points. Specific goals: 20 points.

Specific goals (20 points):

• Locality (10 points): within Xhariep District Municipality (10), within Free State but outside Xhariep (6), outside Free State (4). Proof: municipal rates not older than 3 months, lease agreement, bank letter, or rural/tribal letter.
• Black Owned (10 points): 81-100% (10), 51-80% (8), 1-50% (6), 0% (0). Proof: ID document, company registration, or share certificate.

The bid with the lowest price or highest points may not necessarily be accepted.

Scope: Provision of internet services for Xhariep District Municipality for 3 years, including supply, management, monitoring, and maintenance.

Internet connectivity:

• Minimum 50 Mbps dedicated internet connectivity.
• Uncapped data usage.
• Proxy server in Trompsburg server room with user authentication.
• Web proxy usage reports (usage statistics, websites visited, bandwidth trends).

Firewall and network security:

• Web-based firewall administration.
• Firewall deployment in Trompsburg server room.
• Intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS).
• Traffic monitoring, filtering, and management.
• Port forwarding support.

Internet distribution:

• Enterprise-grade wireless access points (APs) across municipal building.
• Site survey for optimal AP placement.
• Mesh networking capability.
• Load balancing.
• Integration with proxy server and Active Directory.
• Segregated guest Wi-Fi with limited bandwidth.
• WPA3 enterprise encryption.
• Centralized wireless controller or cloud-based management.
• Reports on connectivity patterns, bandwidth per department, device types, security incidents.
• Automated alerts for traffic spikes or intrusions.
• PoE-powered APs.

Support response times:

• P1 (Critical – total internet outage): initial response 15 minutes, resolution 2-4 hours.
• P2 (High – outage affecting a building/section): initial response 30 minutes, resolution 12 hours.
• P3 (Medium – slow/degraded): initial response 2 hours, resolution 24 hours.
• P4 (Low – general enquiries): initial response 4 hours, resolution 72 hours.

Deliverables:

• Comprehensive project schedule with milestones, cost, timeframes, delivery date, progress reports.
• Detailed pricing schedule.
• Implementation plan with milestones.

Training: XDM IT staff to be trained as administrators and first-line support.

Data ownership: All data related to full functionality remains the property of the Municipality.

POPI Act: Submission of documents constitutes consent to vetting.

Bidder experience: Minimum 3 years' experience in providing internet services, proven by at least 3 reference letters of successful project execution. Letters must indicate date of successful execution.

Lead Technician: Minimum 3 years' experience, with qualifications (Certificate in Internet Services, N. Diploma, Diploma, or Bachelor's in IT/IS/FIS) accredited by a legitimate body (e.g., SAQA, ISACA, IITPSA).

Scoring: Experience (30 points) – years (15) and reference letters (15); Lead Technician (40 points) – experience (20) and qualifications (20).

Pricing schedule (MBD 3.1) with firm prices only. Items: Internet connectivity (36 months), Firewall (36 months), Internet Distribution (36 months), Installation and setup (once-off). Total tender price for 36 months, exclusive of VAT, plus VAT at 15%. Offer valid for 90 days from closing date.

No bid security or guarantee mentioned.

Pricing format: Firm prices only (MBD 3.1). Non-firm prices, including those subject to exchange rate variations, will not be considered.

Pricing schedule items:

• Internet connectivity: monthly cost for 36 months.
• Firewall: monthly cost for 36 months.
• Internet distribution: monthly cost for 36 months.
• Installation and setup: once-off cost.

Total tender price for 36 months, exclusive of VAT, plus VAT at 15%.

Offer validity: 90 days from closing date.

Bid document cost: R550.00 non-refundable cash payment, or free from National Treasury E-tender portal.

MBD 5 (Declaration for Procurement Above R10 Million) required, indicating procurement exceeds R10 million.

No bid security, bond, or guarantee mentioned.

CSD registration: Proof of Central Supplier Database (CSD) registration must accompany the bid.

Tax compliance: Valid tax compliance status PIN (SARS TCS) or CSD number must be submitted. Tax status must remain compliant at all times.

Municipal rates and taxes: Proof of municipal rates and taxes not older than 90 days, or a lease agreement, must be attached.

Service of state: No bids from persons in service of the state.

B-BBEE: Preference points claimed via MBD 6.1 under the 80/20 system. Specific goals: locality and black ownership. No B-BBEE level certificate required for points, but proof of black ownership (ID, company registration, share certificate) and locality (rates, lease, etc.) required.

MBD 5: Declaration for procurement above R10 million, including audited financial statements for past 3 years if required by law, and disclosure of outstanding municipal debts.

MBD 8: Declaration of past SCM practices – bidder or directors must not be listed on National Treasury's Database of Restricted Suppliers, Register for Tender Defaulters, or convicted of fraud/corruption in past 5 years; must not owe municipal rates/taxes in arrears for more than 3 months; no contract terminated for failure to perform in past 5 years.

MBD 9: Certificate of Independent Bid Determination – no collusive bidding.

MBD 4: Declaration of Interest – disclose any relationship with persons in service of the state.

Contract period: 3 years.

General Conditions of Contract (GCC) apply; each page must be initialled by the bidder.

Special conditions: National Treasury may promulgate regulations on minimum business processes and functionality; the service provider must adhere at a reasonable agreed cost.

Data related to full functionality remains the property of the Municipality.

Payment terms: The purchaser undertakes to pay within 30 days after receipt of invoice (from MBD 7.2).

No termination or penalty clauses specified.

Functionality threshold: minimum 70 points out of 100 to qualify for the second stage. Evaluation stages: functionality first, then price and specific goals (80/20). Specific goals: locality and black ownership, each up to 10 points.