Design, layout, translation and placement of municipal advertisements in print media for 36 months

• Closing: 09 November 2026 at 10:00.
• Public bid opening: immediately after closing on 09 November 2026.
• Bid validity: one calendar month from the opening date.
• Withdrawal grace period: the first five working days after opening, by written application to the Municipal Manager.
• No briefing session or site visit is stated.

Technical enquiries

• Name: Mr Nkosinathi Ngubane
• Role: Supply Chain Manager
• Telephone: 033 212 2155
• Email: [email protected]

SCM and bid document enquiries

• Name: Mr Sandile Sithole
• Role: Supply Chain Management
• Telephone: 033 212 2155
• Fax: 033 212 4668
• Email: [email protected]

Bid submission address

Richmond Municipality

57 Shepstone Street

Richmond

3780

Bid document collection address

Budget and Treasury Office

Municipal Offices

57 Shepstone Street

Richmond

Address for service of notices (domicilium citandi et executandi)

Richmond Municipality

57 Shepstone Street

Richmond

3780

Submission method

• Sealed envelope, endorsed "Tender No. RLM_04/2026/2027 PROVISIONS OF ADVERTISEMENT IN THE PRINT MEDIA".
• Deposit in the official tender box at the reception area, Richmond Municipality, 57 Shepstone Street, Richmond.
• Tender box open Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 16:00.
• Faxed, emailed and late bids are not accepted.
• Bids are opened publicly at the closing time.

Bid document

• Collect from the Budget and Treasury Office, Municipal Offices, 57 Shepstone Street, Richmond, on payment of a non-refundable fee of R634.20.
• Complete the tender form and every priced schedule in full; partial pricing is not accepted.

Compulsory returnable documents — omission of any one renders the bid non-responsive and disqualified

• MBD 1 (Invitation to Bid): bidder identification, contact and pricing cover page, signed.
• MBD 4 (Declaration of Interest): discloses state employment or relationships with officials involved in adjudication.
• MBD 6.1 (Preference Points Claim): claims the 20 specific-goals points.
• MBD 8 (Declaration of Past Supply Chain Management Practices): discloses restricted-supplier listing, tender-defaulter listing, fraud or corruption convictions, municipal arrears and terminated contracts.
• MBD 9 (Certificate of Independent Bid Determination): certifies the price was set without collusion.
• Company profile.
• Proof of enterprise ownership (CIPC).
• Certified copies of the owner's identity document, certified within the last 6 months.
• Letter of good standing.
• Recent municipal rates account statement, lease agreement, or a sworn affidavit where the company operates in a rural area and owes no municipal levies.
• Reference letters matching the functionality criteria.
• Proof of Central Supplier Database (CSD) registration.

Other submission rules

• All data sheets in the pack must be completed; failure may render the offer invalid.
• The successful bidder signs a written contract on MBD 7.
• Bids remain open for one calendar month from the opening date; a bidder may withdraw within the first five working days by written application to the Municipal Manager, with reasons.

Two-stage evaluation.

Stage 1 — Functionality (100 points)

• Minimum qualifying score: 70 out of 100. Bidders below 70 are not evaluated further.
• Proof that the account executive is registered as a member of an association of advertising practitioners: 30 points.
• Appointment letters from clients for advertising work from 2020 to date: maximum 5 letters, 8 points each, 40 points.
• Company experience on similar assignments: 1–2 years = 10 points; 3–4 years = 20 points; 5 years or more = 30 points.
• Reference letters must be verifiable; a standard appointment and reference letter verification form is provided, covering contract name and number, scope, value, dates and a performance rating.

Stage 2 — 80/20 preference point system (100 points)

• Price: 80 points.
• Specific goals: 20 points.
• The 80/20 system applies to requirements up to R50 000 000 including all taxes.

Specific goals scoring (EME or QSE, supported by a full CSD report)

• At least 51% black owned: 5 points.
• At least 51% black owned with black women owners: 5 points.
• At least 51% black owned with black youth owners: 5 points.
• At least 51% black owned with owners resident in the jurisdiction: Richmond Municipality 5 points; the district 3 points; KwaZulu-Natal 2 points; outside KwaZulu-Natal 0 points. Proof of primary office required in addition to the CSD report.
• No proof submitted means no specific-goals points are claimed.
• The municipality may require substantiation of any preference claim before or after adjudication.

Award

• The municipality is not obliged to accept the lowest bid, may accept part of a bid, and may decide not to proceed with the award.

Scope

• Design, layout drafting and translation of all municipal advertisements, and placement in the print media titles specified by the municipality.
• Artwork, typesetting and final copy preparation for printing, approved by the municipality before publication.
• Quality must be of professional standard and consistent with the municipality's corporate image.
• Artwork material paid for by the municipality remains municipal property.

Newspaper titles for pricing

• Sunday Times
• The Natal Witness
• Ilanga
• Government Gazette

Advertising categories priced per title

• Vacancies
• Tenders
• Notices
• Gazette notices

Capacity requirements

• Tangible proof of ability to handle a high volume of requests and execute them effectively and on time.
• Detailed schedule of resources allocated to the contract, showing availability, skills and experience.
• Demonstrated understanding of the government framework and of advertising and recruitment in local government.
• Rates for setting and compiling advertisements must be clearly indicated.
• Named account executive responsible for day-to-day contact with the municipality, with details of experience in this type of advertising.
• Company profile and a client list of accounts handled, with contract values and references.

Service obligations

• Meet the municipality immediately after award to agree and document a protocol covering media, tariffs, timeframes and logistics.
• Every advertisement is subject to written municipal acceptance.
• Secure the most cost-effective media rates and submit proof of the actual media cost with each invoice.
• Where an advertisement is not published on the agreed date for reasons beyond the provider's control, an alternative date must be proposed immediately; failing that the municipality may cancel it at no cost.
• If the provider cannot perform, it must hand over all material to an alternative provider to complete the work.

Functionality scoring depends on the following evidence, which must be submitted with the bid.

Account executive

• Proof that the account executive is a registered member of an association of advertising practitioners: 30 points.
• Name, telephone, fax, cell number and email of the account executive who will deal directly with the municipality, plus a description of their experience in advertising of this nature.

Client appointment letters

• Up to five appointment letters from clients for advertising work performed from 2020 to date: 8 points each, 40 points maximum.
• Letters must be verifiable; a standard verification form records the client organisation, registration number, project and contract number, scope, contract value, start and end dates, and a performance rating across quality, technical competence, schedule adherence, contract management, communication and overall performance.

Company experience

• Years of experience on similar assignments: 1–2 years 10 points, 3–4 years 20 points, 5 years or more 30 points.

Company profile

• Job title, qualifications, skills and experience of every staff member directly involved in advertising.
• Actual accounts handled, including recruitment advertising, with a full client list, contract amounts and references.
• Tangible evidence of capacity to handle high volumes timeously, with a resource schedule showing availability, skills and experience.

• Quote in South African rand, inclusive of VAT, on the official price schedule.
• Rates are quoted per black-and-white 1x1 column advertisement, for each newspaper and each category: vacancies, tenders, notices and gazette notices.
• Newspapers: Sunday Times, The Natal Witness, Ilanga, Government Gazette.
• A total bid price is required for year 1, year 2 and year 3, plus a total bid price for the three years.
• Year 1 prices remain firm from the date of award for a full year.
• Escalation for years 2 and 3 must be expressed as a percentage and must be in line with the Consumer Price Index.
• Rates for setting and compiling advertisements must be shown separately and clearly.
• Invoicing is on the tendered rates, with proof of the actual media cost attached; the municipality pays only the media rates actually levied.

Pricing

• All prices in South African rand and inclusive of VAT.
• Price schedule is built on black-and-white 1x1 column rates per newspaper, per category (vacancies, tenders, notices, gazette), for each of the three contract years.
• Year 1 prices are firm from the date of award for a full year.
• Escalation for years 2 and 3 must be stated as a percentage and must align with the Consumer Price Index.
• A total bid price for the three years must be entered.

Payment

• The municipality pays only the actual rates levied by the media for each advertisement.
• Invoices are raised on the tendered rates, with a copy of the actual media cost attached.
• No payment is made for an advertisement not placed on the stated date or not matching the accepted specification; the provider must publish an erratum at its own cost.

Costs to the bidder

• Non-refundable bid document fee of R634.20.
• No bid security, performance guarantee or retention is stated.

Eligibility

• Registration on the National Treasury Central Supplier Database (CSD) is mandatory; only CSD-registered bidders are eligible.
• A SARS tax compliance status PIN, or a CSD number where no TCS is available, must be supplied. Consortium, joint venture and subcontractor parties must each submit a separate TCS, PIN or CSD number.
• No bid is accepted from a person in the service of the state.

Compulsory documents

• MBD 1, MBD 4, MBD 6.1, MBD 8 and MBD 9, each completed and signed.
• CIPC proof of enterprise ownership and certified owner identity documents (certified within 6 months).
• Letter of good standing.
• Recent municipal rates account, lease agreement, or rural-area affidavit confirming no municipal levies are owed.
• Company profile, client list and reference letters supporting the functionality claims.
• Proof of CSD registration.
• Any document missing in its entirety makes the bid non-responsive and disqualified.

Disqualification risks

• Late, faxed or emailed bids.
• Omission or non-completion of any compulsory returnable document or data sheet.
• Additional, conditional or incomplete offers, irregularities in the tender form or price schedule, or obviously unbalanced prices.
• Material divergence from the official conditions or specification.
• Offering any gratuity, bonus, discount or consideration to anyone connected with the tender, or approaching municipal staff on the award during the process.
• A false declaration of interest or a false preference claim, which can also lead to restriction from public-sector business for up to 10 years and criminal referral.
• Municipal rates and taxes in arrears for more than three months.

• Duration: 36 months, commencing on a date agreed between the parties and recorded in the contract.
• Termination: the municipality may end the contract in whole or in part on one month written notice, with no liability to the contractor for loss or damages.
• Contract form: the successful bidder completes and signs MBD 7.
• Bid validity: one calendar month from the opening date.
• Withdrawal: a bidder may withdraw within five working days of opening by written application with reasons to the Municipal Manager; withdrawing later may lead the municipality to refuse that bidder's future tenders.
• Advertisement acceptance: no advertisement may be published without written municipal acceptance.
• Failed publication: no payment is due, and the provider must publish an erratum at its own cost.
• Cancellation: the municipality may cancel any advertisement not produced to specification.
• Non-performance: the provider must surrender all material to an alternative provider so the outstanding work can be completed.
• Artwork: material paid for by the municipality remains municipal property.
• Notices: the municipality's address for service is Richmond Municipality, 57 Shepstone Street, Richmond, 3780; the bidder's address for service is the street address given on the tender form.
• Conduct: no gratuities or inducements may be offered, and no approach may be made to municipal staff on the award; breach may disqualify the bid.
• The municipality is not bound to accept the lowest or any bid, may accept part of a bid, and may abandon the process.

Functionality is scored out of 100 and a bidder must reach 70 to proceed.

• Account executive registered with an advertising practitioners' association: 30 points.
• Up to five client appointment letters for advertising work from 2020 onwards: 8 points each, 40 points maximum.
• Years of company experience on similar work: 1–2 years 10 points, 3–4 years 20 points, 5 years or more 30 points.

Bidders clearing functionality are scored on the 80/20 system: 80 points for price and 20 points for specific goals. The 80/20 system applies to requirements up to R50 000 000 including all taxes.

Specific goals points are claimed on MBD 6.1 and require a full CSD report; the jurisdiction claim also requires proof of primary office. Claims not supported by proof score nothing.