Request for proposals (RFP) for the provision of an integrated towfish and towing system to the csir

{"closingDate":"30 September 2026","closingTime":"16h30","briefingSession":"{"date":"30 September 2026","time":"16h30","venue":"e for","is_compulsory":false}"}

Non-Compulsory Briefing Session: Date and Time: Monday, 28 September 2026 at 12h00 – 13h00. Link: Microsoft Teams meeting. Meeting ID: 376 501 150 392 312. Passcode: dJ9Bk9n3.

{"name":"MS Team","email":"[email protected]","phone":"0115039231","department":"Please use RFP No and RFP Description as subject reference","address":"2.4 Proposals submitted must be signed by a person or persons duly authorised."}

The CSIR reserves the right to:

13.1 Extend the closing date of this RFP;

13.2 Correct any mistakes before closing date and time of the tender that may have been in

the Bid documents or occurred at any stage of the tender process;

13.3 Verify any information contained in the bidder’s submission;

13.4 Request documentary proof regarding the bidder’s submission;

13.5 Carry out site inspections, product evaluations or explanatory meetings in order to verify

the nature and quality of the product/service offered by the bidder(s) or verify any

information whether before or after the adjudication of this RFP;

13.6 Award this tender to a bidder that did not score the highest total number of points, only in

accordance with Section 2(1)(f) of the PPPFA (Act );

13.7 Request audited financial statements or other documents for the purpose of a due

diligence exercise to determine if the bidder will be able to execute the contract;

13.8 Award this RFP as a whole or in part;

13.9 Award this RFP to multiple bidders;

13.10 Cancel and/or terminate the tender process at any stage, including after the Closing Date

and/or after presentations have been made, and/or after tenders have been evaluated

and/or after the preferred bidder(s) have been notified of their status as such;

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13.11 Post tender negotiate on any elements on the bid, including but not limited to technical,

transformation, price, and contractual terms and conditions.;

13.12 Not to award a contract to a bidder who is associated with a security breach that

materially adversely affects other entities or if any directors or officers of a bidder are

formally charged of fraudulent or illegal conduct which, would harm the CSIR’s reputation

by its continued association with the bidder.

14 conflict of interest, corruption and fraud

14.1 The CSIR reserves its right to disqualify any bidder who either itself or any of whose

members (save for such members who hold a minority interest in the bidder through

shares listed on any recognised stock exchange), indirect members (being any person or

entity who indirectly holds at least a 15% interest in the bidder other than in the context of

shares listed on a recognised stock exchange), directors or members of senior

management, whether in respect of CSIR or any other government organ or entity and

whether from the Republic of South Africa or otherwise ("Government Entity")

a. engages in any collusive tendering, anti-competitive conduct, or any other similar

conduct, including but not limited to any collusion with any other bidder in respect of

the subject matter of this bid;

b. seeks any assistance, other than assistance officially provided by a Government

Entity, from any employee, advisor or other representative of a Government Entity in

order to obtain any unlawful advantage in relation to procurement or services provided

or to be provided to a Government Entity;

c. makes or offers any gift, gratuity, anything of any value or other inducement, to any

Government Entity's officers, directors, employees, advisors or other representatives

in order to obtain any unlawful advantage in relation to procurement or services

provided or to be provided to a Government Entity;

d. accepts anything of value or an inducement that would or may provide financial gain,

advantage or benefit in relation to procurement or services provided or to be provided

to a Government Entity;

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e. pays or agrees to pay to any person any fee, commission, percentage, brokerage fee,

gift or any other consideration, that is contingent upon or results from, the award of

any tender, contract, right or entitlement which is in any way related to procurement or

the rendering of any services to a Government Entity;

f. has in the past engaged in any matter referred to above; or

g. has been found guilty in a court of law on charges of fraud and/or forgery, regardless

of whether or not a prison term was imposed and despite such bidder, member or

director’s name not specifically appearing on the List of Tender Defaulters kept at

National Treasury.

15 misrepresentation during the lifecycle of the contract

15.1 The bidder should note that the terms of its Tender will be incorporated in the proposed

contract by reference and that the CSIR relies upon the bidder’s Tender as a material

representation in making an award to a successful bidder and in concluding an agreement

with the bidder.

15.2 It follows therefore that misrepresentations in a Tender may give rise to service

termination and a claim by the CSIR against the bidder notwithstanding the conclusion of

the Service Level Agreement between the CSIR and the bidder for the provision of the

Service in question. In the event of a conflict between the bidder’s proposal and the

Service Level Agreement concluded between the parties, the Service Level Agreement

will prevail.

16 preparation costs and limitation of liability

The Bidder will bear all its costs in preparing, submitting and presenting any response or

Tender to this bid and all other costs incurred by it throughout the bid process.

Furthermore, no statement in this bid will be construed as placing the CSIR, its employees

or agents under any obligation whatsoever, including in respect of costs, expenses or

losses incurred by the bidder(s) in the preparation of their response to this bid.

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A bidder participates in this bid process entirely at its own risk and cost. The CSIR shall

not be liable to compensate a bidder on any grounds whatsoever for any costs incurred or

any damages suffered as a result of the Bidder’s participation in this Bid process.

Proposal Requirements: Technical Proposal must include company profile and detailed technical proposal. Financial Proposal must include cover letter, completed Pricing Schedule (Annexure D) on official company letterhead, and CSD registration report (RSA suppliers only). Submission Instructions: All proposals submitted electronically to [email protected]. If tender submission exceeds 25MB, submit in multiple emails. Use RFP number and description as subject. Proposals must be signed by authorised person. Part 1: Technical Proposal, Part 2: Pricing Proposal and Specific Goals claim documentation. No cloud solutions (WeTransfer, Google Drive, Dropbox) accepted.

Bidders must be registered on the National Treasury Central Supplier Database (CSD) and provide their CSD registration number. Bidders must be tax compliant (submit SARS TCS PIN or CSD number). Bidders on the National Treasury Register of Tender Defaulters or List of Restricted Suppliers will be eliminated. Bidders must submit all mandatory returnable documents as listed in Annexure E. Late submissions or submissions to the incorrect email address will not be considered. Bidders must not be persons in the service of the state, nor companies with directors who are persons in the service of the state. Bidders must complete and sign the required forms: Annexure A (SBD 1), Annexure E (Proposal Form and List of Returnable Documents), Annexure F (Certificate of Acquaintance with RFP), Annexure G (Preference Point Award Form), Annexure H (SBD 4), Annexure I (RFP Declaration and Breach of Law Form), and Annexure J (Mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement). Joint ventures must submit a signed joint venture agreement, consolidated B-BBEE scorecard, tax compliance status for each partner, proof of ownership, and company registration certificates. Bidders must achieve a minimum of 70% overall on technical evaluation to proceed to price and preference evaluation.

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is one of the leading scientific

research and technology development organisations in Africa. In partnership with national

and international research and technology institutions, the CSIR undertakes directed and

multidisciplinary research and technology innovation that contributes to the improvement of

the quality of life of South Africans. The CSIR’s main site is in Pretoria while it is represented

in other provinces of South Africa through regional offices.

2 submission of proposals

2.1 All proposals are to be submitted electronically to [email protected]. No late proposals

will be accepted.

2.2 All proposals will only be considered if received by the CSIR before the closing date and

time (as indicated on the cover page). The CSIR business hours are between 08h00

and 16h30.

2.3 All proposal submissions are to be clearly subject-referenced with the RFP number and

RFP Description. Proposals must consist of two parts, each of which must be sent in two

separate emails with the following subject:

PART 1: Technical Proposal (Please indicated the RFP Number on each File/folder)

PART 2: Pricing Proposal, Specific Goals claim documentation: RFP

No.:3780/06/10/2023 (Please indicated the RFP Number on each File/folder)

2.4 Proposals submitted must be signed by a person or persons duly authorised.

2.5 Proposals submitted at incorrect location and/or address, will not be accepted for

considerations and where practicable, will be returned unopened to the Bidder(s).

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2.6 Proposals received after the closing date and time, at the address indicated in the bid

documents, will not be accepted for consideration and where practicable, will be returned

unopened to the Bidder(s).

2.7 All dates and times in this bid are South African standard time.

2.8 Any time or date in this bid is subject to change at the CSIR’s discretion. The

establishment of a time or date in this bid does not create an obligation on the part of the

CSIR to take any action or create any right in any way for any bidder to demand that any

action be taken on the date established. The bidder accepts that, if the CSIR extends the

deadline for bid submission (the Closing Date) for any reason, the requirements of this bid

otherwise apply equally to the extended deadline.

2.9 Documents submitted via cloud solutions such as: WeTransfer, Google Drive, Dropbox,

etc. will not be considered.

2.10 The naming / labelling syntax of files or documents must be short and simple.

2.11 The CSIR will award the contract to qualified bidder(s)’ whose proposal is determined to

be the most advantageous to the CSIR, taking into consideration the technical (functional)

solution, price, specific goals and objective criteria.

3 counter conditions

Bidders’ attention is drawn to the fact that amendments to any of the RFP Conditions or

setting of counter conditions by Bidders or qualifying any RFP Conditions will result in the

invalidation of such bids.

4 fronting

4.1 Government supports the spirit of broad based black economic empowerment and

recognizes that real empowerment can only be achieved through individuals and

businesses conducting themselves in accordance with the Constitution and in an honest,

fair, equitable, transparent and legally compliant manner. Against this background the

Government condemn any form of fronting.

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4.2 The Government, in ensuring that Bidders conduct themselves in an honest manner will,

as part of the RFP evaluation processes, conduct or initiate the necessary

enquiries/investigations to determine the accuracy of the representation made in bid

documents. Should any of the fronting indicators as contained in the Guidelines on

Complex Structures and Transactions and Fronting, issued by the Department of Trade

and Industry, be established during such enquiry / investigation, the onus will be on the

Bidder / contractor to prove that fronting does not exist. Failure to do so within a period of

14 days from date of notification may invalidate the bid / contract and may also result in

the restriction of the Bidder /contractor to conduct business with the public sector for a

period not exceeding ten years, in addition to any other remedies the CSIR may have

against the Bidder / contractor concerned.

5 pricing proposal

5.1 Pricing must be provided in South African Rand (including all applicable taxes less all

unconditional discounts).

5.2 Prices that are subject to escalation and exchange rate fluctuations are to be clearly

indicated, with the currency and ROE used in the quotation must be clearly indicated.

5.3 Price should include additional cost elements such as travel cost, freight, insurance until

acceptance, duty where applicable, etc.

5.4 Payment will be according to the CSIR Payment Terms and Conditions.

5.5 Please provide a detail pricing using a Pricing Schedule outlined under Annexure D.

Pricing must strictly be in accordance with the Pricing Schedule.

6 appointment of service provider

6.1 The contract will be awarded to the bidder who scores the highest total number of points

during the evaluation process, except where the law permits otherwise.

6.2 Appointment as a successful service provider shall be subject to the parties agreeing to

mutually acceptable contractual terms and conditions. In the event of the parties failing to

reach such agreement, CSIR reserves the right to appoint an alternative supplier.

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6.3 Awarding of contracts will be published on the same platform where the bid was

published, and no regret letters will be sent to unsuccessful bidders.

7 enquiries and contact with the csir

Any enquiry regarding this RFP shall be submitted in writing to CSIR to the email and

format outlined in the table on cover page of this RFP document.

Any other contact with CSIR personnel involved in this tender is not permitted during the

RFP process other than as required through existing service arrangements or as

requested by the CSIR as part of the RFP process.

8 medium of communication

All documentation submitted in response to this RFP must be in English.

9 correctness of responses

9.1 The bidder must confirm satisfaction regarding the correctness and validity of their

proposal and that all prices and rates quoted cover all the work/items specified in the

RFP. The prices and rates quoted must cover all obligations under any resulting contract.

9.2 The bidder accepts that any mistakes regarding prices and calculations will be at their

own risk.

10 verification of documents

10.1 Bidders should check the numbers of the pages to satisfy themselves that none is missing

or duplicated. No liability will be accepted by the CSIR in regard to anything arising from

the fact that pages are missing or duplicated.

10.2 Pricing schedule and specific goals credentials should be submitted with the proposal, but

as a separate document and no such information should be available in the technical

proposal.

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11 responsibility for sub-contractors and bidder’s personnel

A bidder is responsible for ensuring that its personnel (including agents, officers, directors,

employees, advisors and other representatives), its sub-contractors (if any) and personnel

of its sub-contractors comply with all terms and conditions of this bid. In the event that the

CSIR allows a bidder to make use of sub-contractors, such sub-contractors will at all times

remain the responsibility of the bidder and the CSIR will not under any circumstances be

liable for any losses or damages incurred by or caused by such sub-contractors.

12 additional terms and conditions

12.1 A bidder shall not assume that information and/or documents supplied to CSIR, at any

time prior to this request, are still available to CSIR, and shall consequently not make any

reference to such information document in its response to this request.

12.2 Copies of any affiliations, memberships and/or accreditations that support your

submission must be included in the tender.

12.3 In case of proposal/s from a joint venture, the following must be submitted together with

the proposal/s:

• A joint venture agreement signed by both parties clearly indication the lead partner,

including split of work;

• Copy of a valid certificate or consolidated B-BBEE score card;

• The Tax Compliance Status (TCS) or CSD Report of each joint venture partner;

• Proof of ownership/shareholder certificates/copies; and

• Company registration certificate/s.

12.4 An omission to disclose material information, a factual inaccuracy, and/or a

misrepresentation of fact may result in the disqualification of a tender, or cancellation of

any subsequent contract.

12.5 No goods and/or services should be delivered to the CSIR without an official CSIR

Purchase order or signed supplier agreement. The CSIR purchase order number must be

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quoted on the invoice. Invoices without CSIR purchase order numbers will be returned to

supplier.

12.6 Failure to comply with any of the terms and conditions as set out in this document will

invalidate the Proposal.

This RFP is for the provision of Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Provision of an Integrated

Towfish and Towing System to the CSIR.

The service offering must include all requirements as set out in Annexure B.

Section a: general RFP terms and conditions

Section b: evaluation methodology / process

Briefing https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/376501150392312?p=qU1qAJxQLS1

13.1 Extend the closing date of this RFP;

13.2 Correct any mistakes before closing date and time of the tender that may have been in

the Bid documents or occurred at any stage of the tender process;

13.3 Verify any information contained in the bidder’s submission;

13.4 Request documentary proof regarding the bidder’s submission;

13.5 Carry out site inspections, product evaluations or explanatory meetings in order to verify

the nature and quality of the product/service offered by the bidder(s) or verify any

information whether before or after the adjudication of this RFP;

13.6 Award this tender to a bidder that did not score the highest total number of points, only in

accordance with Section 2(1)(f) of the PPPFA (Act );

13.7 Request audited financial statements or other documents for the purpose of a due

diligence exercise to determine if the bidder will be able to execute the contract;

13.8 Award this RFP as a whole or in part;

13.9 Award this RFP to multiple bidders;

13.10 Cancel and/or terminate the tender process at any stage, including after the Closing Date

and/or after presentations have been made, and/or after tenders have been evaluated

and/or after the preferred bidder(s) have been notified of their status as such;

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contractors, sub-contractors and mandataries shall comply with the provisions of this

clause 30 (Personal Information). The CSIR shall be entitled on reasonable notice to

conduct an inspection or audit bidders compliance with the requisite POPI Act safeguards.

• Manual Buoyancy Control: Difficult to operate manually, causing deployment/retrieval

issues.

• Larger Diameter: Required for payload, which increased drag and reduced efficiency.

• Inadequate Stability at Rest: Tended to tilt on the surface but correcting itself after full

submersion of the vertical fin.

• Motion Sensitivity During Towing: Static fins are insufficient for active motion

compensation.

• Water Ingress: Tail compartment flooded during tests, damaging electronics.

The Contracting Authority (CSIR) hereby issues a Request for Proposal for the design,

manufacture, integration, and testing of a v2 Integrated Towfish and Towing System. This

procurement replaces the legacy v1 system. The Contractor shall deliver a turnkey, commercially

viable solution that resolves all identified structural, hydrodynamic, and electrical flaws of the v1

iteration while meeting the enhanced performance criteria for the research project.

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locking mechanisms.

3.1.3 Sub-system C: Power & Telemetry Link

• Power Transmission: The system shall transmit DC power from the vessel to the

towfish. The Contractor must demonstrate that power delivery remains stable under

dynamic load conditions (speed changes, depth changes) with voltage drop within 5%

of nominal.

• Bandwidth: The telemetry link must support real-time transmission of raw sonar

data, AHRS data, and system status telemetry. The latency must be minimal

(<100ms) to facilitate active stabilization control loops.

• Electrical Noise Immunity: The Contractor shall provide evidence (via simulation or

testing) that the telemetry signal is immune to electromagnetic interference (EMI)

generated by the winch motor and power converters.

3.2. Vendor Requirements & Compliance Matrix

3.2.1 Hardware Deliverables

(e.g., Titanium or Aerospace

mounting was not rigid enough for

Aluminum) with vibration

rigidity high-speed towing.

dampening isolation. The

mounting frequency response

must be >50Hz.

3.3. Quality Assurance, Testing, & Acceptance Protocols

3.3.1 Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT)

• Hyperbaric Pressure Testing: The v2 towfish hull and all sealed compartments shall

undergo hydrostatic pressure testing at 1.5x operational depth (75 meters) for a

duration of 2 hours. No permanent deformation or leakage is permitted.

• Winch Pull & Load Testing: The winch system must be tested for full-load capacity

(1.5x SWL) and smooth operation of the level-wind mechanism over 100m of

simulated payout.

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• Electrical Noise Immunity: The system shall be subjected to EMI testing where the

winch motor operates at full load. Telemetry signals must show no bit-error rate

increase or data corruption.

• Active Stabilization Simulation: A controlled environment test (tank or flow tank) to

demonstrate the active fin response to simulated turbulence, and the fail-safe

mechanism.

3.3.2 Sea Acceptance Trials (SAT)

Upon delivery, the system must undergo SAT in representative operational waters (Sea

State ≤ 3).

• Stability Benchmark: The towfish shall be towed at 2.0 m/s. Pitch and roll variance

must remain within ±2° of the setpoint.

• Data Clarity: Sonar data continuity shall be verified; no data gaps or spikes due to

motion shall be observed.

• Buoyancy Operation: The automated ballast system must demonstrate a successful

transition from negative to neutral buoyancy and vice versa within 2 minutes.

• Fail-safe Mechanism: The automated ballast system must demonstrate the ability to

resurface when submerged beyond the emergency depth limit.

• Water Tightness Verification: Post-trial inspection of all seals must confirm zero

water ingress.

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separate emails with the following subject:

PART 1: Technical Proposal (Please indicated the RFP Number on each File/folder)

PART 2: Pricing Proposal, Specific Goals claim documentation: RFP

No.:3780/06/10/2023 (Please indicated the RFP Number on each File/folder)

2.4 Proposals submitted must be signed by a person or persons duly authorised.

2.5 Proposals submitted at incorrect location and/or address, will not be accepted for

considerations and where practicable, will be returned unopened to the Bidder(s).

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9.1 The bidder must confirm satisfaction regarding the correctness and validity of their

proposal and that all prices and rates quoted cover all the work/items specified in the

The purpose of the Request for Proposal (RFP) is to obtain capability, pricing and general

information on the business of potential Contractors for the CSIR to determine the Contractors

most capable of providing the service.

• Cover Letter.
• Completed Pricing Schedule (Annexure D) on official company letterhead.
• CSD registration report (RSA suppliers only).

2. Telemetry Logging: Automated data logging capabilities for all sensors (tension,

voltage, AHRS, fin position) stored on the topside unit.

3. Sensor Integration Mapping: Firmware that calibrates and maps the AHRS data to

the sonar array frame of reference for post-processing.

4. Source Code: Complete source code for all custom firmware and control interfaces

(for technology transfer).

3.2.3 Other deliverables

Limitation Requirement A-01: The Contractor shall design an automated ballast system Manual Manual water intake (pump-driven or actuated) buoyancy valves on ballast tanks capable of precise neutral control were imprecise, hindering buoyancy adjustment (±0.5 kg difficulty deployment/retrieval. tolerance) without manual intervention. Manual valves are prohibited. SS-F-SPU-026 Rev 02 Request for Proposal CSIR RFP No.: 3780/06/10/2026 of 59 CSIR Tender Documentation v1 System Mandatory v2 Vendor Failure / Root Cause (Context) Limitation Requirement A-02: The Contractor shall optimize the The payload compartment payload bay geometry for Excessive geometry was inefficient, minimum diameter while towfish increasing hydrodynamic maintaining IP68 rating. The diameter drag and stability issues. final design must demonstrate a drag coefficient (Cd) improvement over v1. Requirement B-01: The Lack of symmetry and system must maintain a level Tendency to tilt poor center of gravity (CG) attitude (roll < 5°) when at rest management caused static submerged and stationary at instability. rest, regardless of internal payload configuration. Requirement A-03: The system must utilize active, Susceptibility Static fins could not adapt servo-actuated fins/wings to motion to turbulence, leading to with closed-loop feedback forces unstable sensor readings. control to dampen pitch, roll, and yaw motions in Sea State

Requirement A-04: The electronics and motor housing Seal failures in the tail Water ingress shall utilize dual-seal, compartment caused (Tail redundant locking catastrophic failure of compartment) mechanisms (e.g., O-ring + electronics/motor. mechanical interlock) capable of sustaining 50m depth (5 SS-F-SPU-026 Rev 02 Request for Proposal CSIR RFP No.: 3780/06/10/2026 of 59 CSIR Tender Documentation v1 System Mandatory v2 Vendor Failure / Root Cause (Context) Limitation bar) without leakage. A pressure test certificate is mandatory. Requirement C-01: The control software shall implement an active The system relied on Lack of active stabilization algorithm that passive design principles stabilization adjusts fin angles in real-time which were insufficient. based on AHRS feedback to maintain a steady heading and attitude. Requirement A-05: All sensor mounts must be constructed of high-strength, low-density alloy Sensor The sensor array mount (e.g., Titanium or Aerospace mounting was not rigid enough for Aluminum) with vibration rigidity high-speed towing. dampening isolation. The mounting frequency response must be >50Hz. 3.3. Quality Assurance, Testing, & Acceptance Protocols 3.3.1 Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) The Contractor must conduct FAT at their facility prior to shipment. Test protocols include

Hyperbaric Pressure Testing: The v2 towfish hull and all sealed compartments shall undergo hydrostatic pressure testing at 1.5x operational depth (75 meters) for a duration of 2 hours. No permanent deformation or leakage is permitted.

Winch Pull & Load Testing: The winch system must be tested for full-load capacity (1.5x SWL) and smooth operation of the level-wind mechanism over 100m of simulated payout. SS-F-SPU-026 Rev 02 Request for Proposal CSIR RFP No.: 3780/06/10/2026 of 59 CSIR Tender Documentation

Electrical Noise Immunity: The system shall be subjected to EMI testing where the winch motor operates at full load. Telemetry signals must show no bit-error rate increase or data corruption.

Active Stabilization Simulation: A controlled environment test (tank or flow tank) to demonstrate the active fin response to simulated turbulence, and the fail-safe mechanism. 3.3.2 Sea Acceptance Trials (SAT) Upon delivery, the system must undergo SAT in representative operational waters (Sea State ≤ 3).

Stability Benchmark: The towfish shall be towed at 2.0 m/s. Pitch and roll variance must remain within ±2° of the setpoint.

Data Clarity: Sonar data continuity shall be verified; no data gaps or spikes due to motion shall be observed.

Buoyancy Operation: The automated ballast system must demonstrate a successful transition from negative to neutral buoyancy and vice versa within 2 minutes.

Fail-safe Mechanism: The automated ballast system must demonstrate the ability to resurface when submerged beyond the emergency depth limit.

Water Tightness Verification: Post-trial inspection of all seals must confirm zero water ingress. SS-F-SPU-026 Rev 02 Request for Proposal CSIR RFP No.: 3780/06/10/2026 of 59

B-BBEE Details: ed to CSIR, at any

time prior to this request, are still available to CSIR, and shall consequently not make any

reference to such information document in its response to this request.

12.2 Copies of any affiliations, memberships and/or accreditations that support your

submission must be included in the tender.

12.3 In case of proposal/s from a joint venture, the following must be submitted together with

the proposal/s:

• A joint venture agreement signed by both parties clearly indication the lead partner,

including split of work;

• Copy of a valid certificate or consolidated B-BBEE score card;
• The Tax Compliance Status (TCS) or CSD Report of each joint venture partner;
• Proof of ownership/shareholder certificates/copies; and
• Company registration certificate/s.

12.4 An omission to disclose material information, a factual inaccuracy, and/or a

misrepresentation of fact may result in the disqualification of a tender, or cancellation of

any subsequent contract.

12.5 No goods and/or services should be delivered to the CSIR without an official CSIR

Purchase order or signed supplier agreement. The CSIR purchase order number must be

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quoted on the invoice. Invoices without CSIR purchase order numbers will be returned to

supplier.

12.6 Failure to comply with any of the terms and conditions as set out in this document will

invalidate the Proposal.

13 special conditions

The CSIR reserves the right to:

13.1 Extend the closing date of this RFP;

13.2 Correct any mistakes before closing date and time of the tender that may have been in

the Bid documents or occurred at any stage of the tender process;

13.3 Verify any informati

action be taken on the date established. The bidder accepts that, if the CSIR extends the

deadline for bid submission (the Closing Date) for any reason, the requirements of this bid

otherwise apply equally to the extended deadline.

2.9 Documents submitted via cloud solutions such as: WeTransfer, Google Drive, Dropbox,

etc. will not be considered.

2.10 The naming / labelling syntax of files or documents must be short and simple.

2.11 The CSIR will award the contract to qualified bidder(s)’ whose proposal is determined to

be the most advantageous to the CSIR, taking into consideration the technical (functional)

solution, price, specific goals and objective criteria.

and Industry, be established during such enquiry / investigation, the onus will be on the

6.3 Awarding of contracts will be published on the same platform where the bid was

published, and no regret letters will be sent to unsuccessful bidders.

e. pays or agrees to pay to any person any fee, commission, percentage, brokerage fee,

gift or any other consideration, that is contingent upon or results from, the award of

any tender, contract, right or entitlement which is in any way related to procurement or

the rendering of any services to a Government Entity;

f. has in the past engaged in any matter referred to above; or

g. has been found guilty in a court of law on charges of fraud and/or forgery, regardless

of whether or not a prison term was imposed and despite such bidder, member or

director’s name not specifically appearing on the List of Tender Defaulters kept at

with a successful bidder in the event that it is established that such bidder was in fact not

tax compliant at the time of the award or has submitted a fraudulent Tax Clearance

Certificate to the CSIR, or whose verification against the Central Supplier Database (CSD)

proves non-compliant. The CSIR further reserves the right to cancel a contract with a

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No tender shall be awarded to a bidder whose name (or any of its members, directors,

partners or trustees) appear on the Register of Tender Defaulters kept by National

Treasury, or who have been placed on National Treasury’s List of Restricted Suppliers.

• The directors, shareholders or officers of the bidder must not be formally charged of

fraudulent or illegal conduct which could harm the CSIR’s reputation by associating

with the bidder.

29 national treasury central supplier database (csd) registration

Respondents are required to self-register on National Treasury’s Central Supplier Database

(CSD) which has been established to centrally administer supplier information for all organs

of state and facilitate the verification of certain key supplier information. Business may not be

awarded to a Respondent who has failed to register on the CSD. Only foreign suppliers with

no local registered entity need not register on the CSD. In order to enable the CSIR to verify

information on the CSD, Respondents are required to provide the unique registration

reference number.

The CSIR has developed a towfish (underwater tow vehicle) and towing system for sonar

experiments. The towfish has 4 compartments:

• The nose compartment, the middle (payload) compartment, the aft compartment, and the

tail compartment. The nose and aft compartments were ballast tanks with manually

controlled water intake valves that we used to control the buoyancy of the towfish.

• The middle (payload) compartment is a hollow free-flooded shell that provides mounting

points for the sensor array on one side (the port side), and a dummy counterweight on the

opposite side.

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• Hull Hydrodynamics & Geometry:

o The towfish hull shall be streamlined to minimize drag and vortex shedding. The

cross-sectional diameter shall be minimized to reduce hydrodynamic lift and drag

while accommodating the payload.

o The system shall achieve neutral buoyancy with a total mass in air not exceeding

150 kg.

o The hull design must prevent the lateral instability observed in v1 during static

submersion.

• Structural Integrity & Compartmentalization:

o The towfish shall utilize a modular, detachable compartment architecture.

o Pressure Casing: The electronics and motor compartments shall be enclosed in a

watertight, pressure-resistant housing rated for 50 meters depth (IP68). The

structural joints must be double-sealed to prevent the ingress failures seen in the

v1 tail compartment.

o Payload Bay: The central payload compartment must house the sonar electronics

and processing units. It must be designed for rapid detachment for maintenance

and sensor swapping.

o Ballast & Buoyancy: The system shall employ automatic buoyancy control.

ballast system capable of compensating for buoyancy changes during depth

adjustments (target range: 0–5 meters) to facilitate deployment and retrieval. The

system shall include a fail-safe mechanism in case of failure in deep water.

• Stabilization & Control:

o Active Stabilization: The system shall not rely on static fins. The Contractor shall

integrate active control surfaces (servo-actuated fins/wings) capable of adjusting

pitch, roll, and yaw in real-time to dampen turbulence and maintain a stable

attitude.

o Sensor Orientation: The sonar array must be mounted on the port side. The

system shall allow for an adjustable depression angle of 0° to 80° relative to the

horizontal.

o Starboard-Side Balancing: The starboard side of the towfish must be equipped

with a fixed or adjustable counterweight to ensure hydrodynamic symmetry when

the second sensor array is not installed.

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vessel motion and manages the tether.

• Tether/Umbilical Specifications:

o Composition: The tether shall be a composite umbilical combining power

conductors, telemetry/data lines, and a high-strength tensile core.

o Performance: The tether must possess a low drag coefficient and minimal stretch

to prevent resonance.

o Safety: The tether must have a minimum breaking strength sufficient to sustain a

safe working load (SWL) of at least 1500 N (negotiable and subject to vendor

verification via safety factor analysis).

o Electrical Isolation: Conductors must be shielded to prevent electrical noise

interference from the winch motor and topside electronics.

• Winch & Deployment Mechanism:

o The Contractor shall design a compact winch drum system suitable for 40m of

cable.

o Level-Wind Mechanism: A mechanical or active level-wind system must be

included to ensure neat cable spooling and prevent cable jamming or abrasion.

o Tension Monitoring: The winch must be equipped with a real-time load

cell/tension sensor integrated into the control interface.

o Slip Rings: Slip rings must be specified for continuous rotation (360°) without

cable twist, capable of transmitting power and high-bandwidth telemetry signals

simultaneously.

• Launch and Recovery System (LARS) Integration:

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If a bidder breaches the conditions of this bid and, as a result of that breach, the CSIR

incurs costs or damages (including, without limitation, the cost of any investigations,

procedural impairment, repetition of all or part of the bid process and/or enforcement of

intellectual property rights or confidentiality obligations), then the bidder indemnifies and

holds the CSIR harmless from any and all such costs which the CSIR may incur and for

any damages or losses the CSIR may suffer.

18 precedence

This document will prevail over any information provided during any briefing session

whether oral or written, unless such written information provided, expressly amends this

document by reference.

19 tax compliance

No tender shall be awarded to a bidder who is not tax compliant. If a recommended bidder

is not tax complaint, the bidder will be notified in writing of their non- compliant status and

the bidder will be requested to submit written proof from SARS of their tax compliant

status or proof that they have made an arrangement to meet their outstanding tax

obligations within seven (7) working days. Should they fail to do so CSIR will reject their

bid.

The CSIR reserves the right to withdraw an award made, or cancel a contract concluded

with a successful bidder in the event that it is established that such bidder was in fact not

tax compliant at the time of the award or has submitted a fraudulent Tax Clearance

Certificate to the CSIR, or whose verification against the Central Supplier Database (CSD)

proves non-compliant. The CSIR further reserves the right to cancel a contract with a

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successful bidder in the event that such bidder does not remain tax compliant for the full

term of the contract.

20 tender defaulters and restricted suppliers

No tender shall be awarded to a bidder whose name (or any of its members, directors,

partners or trustees) appear on the Register of Tender Defaulters kept by National

Treasury, or who have been placed on National Treasury’s List of Restricted Suppliers.

The CSIR reserves the right to withdraw an award, or cancel a contract concluded with a

Bidder should it be established, at any time, that a bidder has been blacklisted with

National Treasury by another government institution.

21 governing law

South African law governs this bid and the bid response process. The bidder agrees to

submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the South African courts in any dispute of any kind

that may arise out of or in connection with the subject matter of this bid, the bid itself and

all processes associated with the bid.

22 confidentiality

Except as may be required by operation of law, by a court or by a regulatory authority

having appropriate jurisdiction, no information contained in or relating to this bid or a

bidder’s tender(s) will be disclosed by any bidder or other person not officially involved

with the CSIR’s examination and evaluation of a Tender.

No part of the bid may be distributed, reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by

any means, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise, in whole or in part except for

the purpose of preparing a Tender. This bid and any other documents supplied by the

CSIR remain proprietary to the CSIR and must be promptly returned to the CSIR upon

request together with all copies, electronic versions, excerpts or summaries thereof or

work derived there from.

Throughout this bid process and thereafter, bidder(s) must secure the CSIR’s written

approval prior to the release of any information that pertains to (i) the potential work or

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activities to which this bid relates; or (ii) the process which follows this bid. Failure to

adhere to this requirement may result in disqualification from the bid process and civil

action.

23 availability of funds

Should funds no longer be available to pay for the execution of the responsibilities of this

bid, the CSIR may terminate the Agreement at its own discretion or temporarily suspend

all or part of the services by notice to the successful bidder who shall immediately make

arrangements to stop the performance of the services and minimize further expenditure:

Provided that the successful bidder shall thereupon be entitled to payment in full for the

services delivered, up to the date of cancellation or suspension.

24 personal information

24.1 Each Party consents to the other Party holding and processing “personal information” (as

defined in the POPI Act) relating to it for legal, personnel, administrative and management

purposes (including, if applicable, any “special personal information” relating to him/her,

as defined in the POPI Act). Notwithstanding the generality of the aforesaid, each Party

hereby undertakes to comply with all relevant provisions of the POPI Act and any other

applicable data protection laws. The bidder further agrees to comply with all CSIR’s

reasonable internal governance requirements pertaining to data protection.

24.2 Each Party consents to the other Party making such information available to those who

provide products or services to such parties (such as advisers, regulatory authorities,

governmental or quasi-governmental organisations and potential purchasers of such Party

or any part of their business).

24.3 While performing any activity where a Party is handling personal information as a

“responsible party” (as defined in the POPI Act), each Party undertakes that it will process

the personal information strictly in accordance with the terms of the POPI Act, this

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Contract, and the other Party’s instructions from time to time, and take appropriate

operational measures to safeguard the data against any unauthorised access.

24.4 Each Party acknowledges that in the course of conducting business with each other, each

Party intends to maintain and process personal information about the other Party in an

internal database. By signing this Contract, each Party consents to the maintenance and

processing of such personal information.

Where relevant, the bidder shall procure that all of its personnel, agents, representatives,

contractors, sub-contractors and mandataries shall comply with the provisions of this

clause 30 (Personal Information). The CSIR shall be entitled on reasonable notice to

conduct an inspection or audit bidders compliance with the requisite POPI Act safeguards.

25 disclaimer

This RFP is a request for proposals only and not an offer document. Answers to this RFP

must not be construed as acceptance of an offer or imply the existence of a contract

between the parties. By submission of its proposal, bidders shall be deemed to have

satisfied themselves with and to have accepted all Terms & Conditions of this RFP. The

CSIR makes no representation, warranty, assurance, guarantee or endorsements to

bidder concerning the RFP, whether with regard to its accuracy, completeness or

otherwise and the CSIR shall have no liability towards the bidder or any other party in

connection therewith.

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Section b

Evaluation methodology

Section a 4

General RFP terms and conditions 4

1 introduction 4

2 submission of proposals 4

3 counter conditions 5

4 fronting 5

5 pricing proposal 6

6 appointment of service provider 6

7 enquiries and contact with the csir 7

8 medium of communication 7

9 correctness of responses 7

10 verification of documents 7

11 responsibility for sub-contractors and bidder’s personnel 8

12 additional terms and conditions 8

13 special conditions 9

14 conflict of interest, corruption and fraud 10

15 misrepresentation during the lifecycle of the contract 11

16 preparation costs and limitation of liability 11

17 indemnity 12

18 precedence 12

19 tax compliance 12

20 tender defaulters and restricted suppliers 13

21 governing law 13

22 confidentiality 13

23 availability of funds 14

24 personal information 14

25 disclaimer 15

Section b 16

Evaluation methodology 16

26 terms of reference 16

27 evaluation criteria 16

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• Annexure A – Standard Bidding Document (SBD) 1 Form
• Annexure B – Technical Specification
• Annexure C – Technical Evaluation Matrix/Rubrics
• Annexure D – Pricing Schedule
• Annexure E – Proposal Form and List of Returnable Documents
• Annexure F – Certificate of Acquaintance with RFP
• Annexure G – Preference Point Award Form
• Annexure H – Standard Bidding Document (SBD) 4 Form
• Annexure I – RFP Declaration and Breach of Law Form
• Annexure J – Mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement

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5.1 Pricing must be provided in South African Rand (including all applicable taxes less all

unconditional discounts).

5.2 Prices that are subject to escalation and exchange rate fluctuations are to be clearly

indicated, with the currency and ROE used in the quotation must be clearly indicated.

5.3 Price should include additional cost elements such as travel cost, freight, insurance until

acceptance, duty where applicable, etc.

5.4 Payment will be according to the CSIR Payment Terms and Conditions.

5.5 Please provide a detail pricing using a Pricing Schedule outlined under Annexure D.

10.1 Bidders should check the numbers of the pages to satisfy themselves that none is missing

or duplicated. No liability will be accepted by the CSIR in regard to anything arising from

the fact that pages are missing or duplicated.

10.2 Pricing schedule and specific goals credentials should be submitted with the proposal, but

as a separate document and no such information should be available in the technical

proposal.

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13.11 Post tender negotiate on any elements on the bid, including but not limited to technical,

transformation, price, and contractual terms and conditions.;

13.12 Not to award a contract to a bidder who is associated with a security breach that

materially adversely affects other entities or if any directors or officers of a bidder are

formally charged of fraudulent or illegal conduct which, would harm the CSIR’s reputation

by its continued association with the bidder.

15.1 The bidder should note that the terms of its Tender will be incorporated in the proposed

contract by reference and that the CSIR relies upon the bidder’s Tender as a material

representation in making an award to a successful bidder and in concluding an agreement

with the bidder.

15.2 It follows therefore that misrepresentations in a Tender may give rise to service

termination and a claim by the CSIR against the bidder notwithstanding the conclusion of

the Service Level Agreement between the CSIR and the bidder for the provision of the

Service in question. In the event of a conflict between the bidder’s proposal and the

incurs costs or damages (including, without limitation, the cost of any investigations,

procedural impairment, repetition of all or part of the bid process and/or enforcement of

intellectual property rights or confidentiality obligations), then the bidder indemnifies and

holds the CSIR harmless from any and all such costs which the CSIR may incur and for

any damages or losses the CSIR may suffer.

submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the South African courts in any dispute of any kind

that may arise out of or in connection with the subject matter of this bid, the bid itself and

all processes associated with the bid.

bidder concerning the RFP, whether with regard to its accuracy, completeness or

otherwise and the CSIR shall have no liability towards the bidder or any other party in

connection therewith.

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1 Hydrodynamic & Structural Approach 40

2 Winch & Tether Engineering 20

3 Gap Mitigation & Risk Management 15

4 Project Management & Costing 10

5 Delivery timescales 10

6 Warranty & Support 5

Total (%) 100

1. v2 Towfish Vehicle: Including hull, active control surfaces, ballast system, sensor

mounting rig, and all internal electronics housing.

2. Winch & Deck Unit: Including drum, motor, slip rings, tension sensor, and control

interface.

3. Tether/Umibilical: 40m of custom umbilical with termination connectors.

4. Topside Control Unit: Interface software and hardware for monitoring telemetry and

controlling buoyancy/fins.

5. Spare Parts Kit: Critical spares including seals, O-rings, fuses, and one set of

replacement fins.

3.2.2 Software/Firmware Deliverables

1. Diagnostics & Control Suite: Proprietary software for winch control, ballast

management, and real-time system health monitoring.

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National Treasury Central Supplier Database (CSD) Registration: Respondents are required to self-register on National Treasury’s Central Supplier Database. Business may not be awarded to a Respondent who has failed to register on the CSD. Foreign suppliers with no local registered entity need not register. Provide the unique registration reference number. Before negotiations, the winning bidder must be registered on CSD and provide the CSD registration number.

The CSIR has set minimum standards that a bidder needs to meet in order to be evaluated

and selected as a successful bidder. The minimum standards consist of the following:

Price and Preference

Elimination Criteria Technical Evaluation Criteria

Points Evaluation Objective Criteria

(Phase 1) (Phase 2)

(Phase 3)

Only bidders that comply with Bidder(s) are required to achieve Bidder(s) will be The CSIR reserves

ALL the criteria set on a predetermined minimum evaluated out of 100 the right to award

paragraph 27.1 on Phase 1 threshold on each of the individual points i.e. 80 points this tender to a

below will proceed to criteria, and a predetermined for Price and 20 bidder that did not

Technical/Functional minimum threshold on 100 points points for Preference score the highest

Evaluation (Phase 2). overall. Only bidder (s) who met Points. total number of

and/or exceeded the minimum points in accordance

threshold points on Phase 2 with Section (2) (1)

below will proceed to Price and (f) of the PPPFA (Act

Preference Points Evaluation. ).

(Phase 3)

27.1 Elimination Criteria (Phase 1)

Proposals will be eliminated under the following conditions:

• Bidder that submitted late bids will not be considered.
• Bidder that submitted to the incorrect location or email address will not be

considered (Only electronic submission to [email protected] would be

considered).

• Bidder that is listed on the NT database of restricted suppliers will not be

considered.

• Bidder that is registered on the NT Register of Tender Defaulters will not be

considered.

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• Bidder that did not submit mandatory returnable documents as listed on Annexure

E: Proposal Form and List of Returnable Documents (Mandatory Returnable

Documents Table).

27.2 Technical Evaluation Criteria (Phase 2)

The evaluation of the functional / technical detail of the proposal will be based on the

following criteria:

No ELEMENT WEIGHT

1 Hydrodynamic & Structural Approach 40

2 Winch & Tether Engineering 20

3 Gap Mitigation & Risk Management 15

4 Project Management & Costing 10

5 Delivery timescales 10

6 Warranty & Support 5

Total (%) 100

Proposals with functionality / technical points of less than the pre-determined minimum

overall percentage of 70% will be eliminated from further evaluation on Price and

Preference Points Evaluation.

Refer to Annexure C (Technical Evaluation Matrix/Rubrics) for the scoring

ranges/rubrics that will be used to evaluate functionality.

27.3 Price and Preference Points Evaluation (Phase 3)

Only Bidders that have met meet minimum thresholds on Technical/functional Evaluation

will be evaluated for price and preference points. Price and Preference Points will be

evaluated as per Annexure G: Preference Points Award Form.

28 objective criteria

The CSIR reserves the right to award this tender to a bidder that did not score the highest

total number of points in accordance with Section (2) (1) (f) of the PPPFA (Act )”,

under the following conditions:

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• The directors, shareholders or officers of the bidder must not be formally charged of

fraudulent or illegal conduct which could harm the CSIR’s reputation by associating

with the bidder.

29 national treasury central supplier database (csd) registration

Respondents are required to self-register on National Treasury’s Central Supplier Database

(CSD) which has been established to centrally administer supplier information for all organs

of state and facilitate the verification of certain key supplier information. Business may not be

awarded to a Respondent who has failed to register on the CSD. Only foreign suppliers with

no local registered entity need not register on the CSD. In order to enable the CSIR to verify

information on the CSD, Respondents are required to provide the unique registration

reference number.

Before any negotiations will start with the winning bidder it will be required from the winning

bidder to:

• be registered on National Treasury’s Central Supplier Database (CSD). Registrations

can be completed online at: www.csd.gov.za;

• provide the CSIR of their CSD registration number.

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Annexure A

Standard Bidding Document (SBD) 1

Part a: invitation to bid

You are hereby invited to bid for requirements of the csir

06 October CLOSING

BID NUMBER: RFP No 3780/06/10/2026 CLOSING DATE: 16:30

2026 time:

DESCRIPTION Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Provision of an Integrated Towfish and Towing System to the CSIR

Bid response documents may be deposited in the bid box situated at (street address)

The CSIR requires that all tender submissions be submitted electronically to [email protected]. Should tender file size

exceed 25MB, bidders submit tender in multiple emails. Use the tender number RFP No 3780/06/10/2026 and description

of the tender as the subject on your email.

Bidding procedure enquiries may be directed

To technical enquiries may be directed to:

CONTACT PERSON Desiree Sam CONTACT PERSON Josiah Jideani

Telephone

Number n/a telephone number n/a

Facsimile number n/a facsimile number n/a

E-MAIL ADDRESS [email protected] E-MAIL ADDRESS [email protected]

Supplier information

Name of bidder

Postal address

Street address

Telephone

Number code number

Cellphone

Number

Facsimile

Number code number

E-mail address

VAT registration

Number

Supplier tax compliance central

Compliance system pin: supplier

Or

Status database

No: MAAA

1 are you

2 are you a

THE ACCREDITED Yes No

Foreign based

Representative

Supplier for the

IN SOUTH AFRICA Yes No [IF YES, ANSWER THE

Goods /services

For the goods questionnaire

/Works offered?

/Services /works [if yes enclose proof] below]

Offered?

Questionnaire to bidding foreign suppliers

Is the entity a resident of the republic of south africa (RSA)? yes

NO

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Does the entity have a branch in the RSA? yes NO

Does the entity have a permanent establishment in the RSA? yes NO

Does the entity have any source of income in the RSA? yes NO

Is the entity liable in the RSA for any form of taxation? Yes NO

If the answer is “NO” to all of the above, then IT is not a requirement to register for a tax

Compliance status system pin code from the south african revenue service (SARS) and if

Not register as per 2.3 Below.

Part b: terms and conditions for bidding

1. Bid submission:

1.1. Bids must be delivered by the stipulated time to the correct address. Late bids will not

Be accepted for consideration.

1.2. All bids must be submitted on the official forms provided–(not to be re-typed) or in the

Manner prescribed in the bid document.

1.3. This bid is subject to the preferential procurement policy framework act, 2000 and the

Preferential procurement regulations, 2022, the general conditions of contract (gcc)

And, if applicable, any other special conditions of contract.

1.4. The successful bidder will be required to fill in and sign a written contract form

(Sbd7).

2. Tax compliance requirements

2.1 Bidders must ensure compliance with their tax obligations.

2.2 Bidders are required to submit their unique personal identification number (pin) issued by SARS to

Enable the organ of state to verify the taxpayer’s profile and tax status.

2.3 Application for tax compliance status (tcs) pin may be made via e-filing through the SARS website

Www.SARS.GOV.ZA.

2.4 Bidders may also submit a printed tcs certificate together with the bid.

2.5 In bids where consortia / joint ventures / sub-contractors are involved, each party must submit a

Separate tcs certificate / pin / csd number.

2.6 Where NO tcs pin is available but the bidder is registered on the central supplier database (csd), a

Csd number must be provided.

2.7 NO bids will be considered from persons in the service of the state, companies with directors who

Are persons in the service of the state, or close corporations with members persons in the

Service of the state.”

Nb: failure to provide / or comply with any of the above particulars may render the

Bid invalid.

Signature of bidder: ...................................................

Capacity under which this bid is signed: ...................................................

(Proof of authority must be submitted e.g. company resolution)

Date: ...................................................

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Annexure B

Technical Specification/Scope of Services for the provision of an Integrated

Towfish and Towing System to the CSIR

RFP No. 3780/06/10/2026

1. Invitation for proposal

Proposals are hereby invited for the provision of an Integrated Towfish and Towing System to the

Csir.

The purpose of the Request for Proposal (RFP) is to obtain capability, pricing and general

information on the business of potential Contractors for the CSIR to determine the Contractors

most capable of providing the service.

This RFP document details and incorporates, as far as possible, the tasks and responsibilities of

the potential bidder required by the CSIR.

This RFP does not constitute an offer to do business with the CSIR, but merely serves as an

invitation to bidder(s) to facilitate a requirements-based decision process.

Responses to this Request for Proposal (RFP) (hereinafter referred to as a Bid or a Proposal) are

requested from suitably qualified entities (hereinafter referred to as a Respondent or Bidder) for

the provision of an integrated towfish and towing system.

Project Overview & Operational Profile

The CSIR has developed a towfish (underwater tow vehicle) and towing system for sonar

experiments. The towfish has 4 compartments:

• The nose compartment, the middle (payload) compartment, the aft compartment, and the

tail compartment. The nose and aft compartments were ballast tanks with manually

controlled water intake valves that we used to control the buoyancy of the towfish.

• The middle (payload) compartment is a hollow free-flooded shell that provides mounting

points for the sensor array on one side (the port side), and a dummy counterweight on the

opposite side.

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• The tail compartment is an air-tight compartment containing electronic components and a

motor assembly used to rotate the middle compartment to a user-defined angle.

All 4 compartments were connected via a central rod that served as the spine of the towfish. The

towfish also has 3 static fins on the tail separated by about 120 degrees. A keel was added to the

bottom of the tail compartment to provide additional weight to submerge the towfish. The towfish

is about 400 mm in diameter and about 3 m long.

A weight & pulley towing system was designed to tow the fish from a towing vessel. When at rest,

the buoyancy control system (the ballast tanks) is meant to keep the towfish submerged just below

the water surface. In the weight & pulley towing system, a weight is attached to a pulley and

submerged in the water to keep the towfish level during towing. However, during tests, this towing

arrangement was considered too risky and was therefore abandoned in favour of a simple towing

with a towrope, while the towfish was fully submerged at a pre-determined depth held by two buoys.

Improvements required

The challenges, limitations and improvement of the current system include:

• Manual Buoyancy Control: Difficult to operate manually, causing deployment/retrieval

issues.

• Larger Diameter: Required for payload, which increased drag and reduced efficiency.

• Inadequate Stability at Rest: Tended to tilt on the surface but correcting itself after full

submersion of the vertical fin.

• Motion Sensitivity During Towing: Static fins are insufficient for active motion

compensation.

• Water Ingress: Tail compartment flooded during tests, damaging electronics.

The Contracting Authority (CSIR) hereby issues a Request for Proposal for the design,

manufacture, integration, and testing of a v2 Integrated Towfish and Towing System. This

procurement replaces the legacy v1 system. The Contractor shall deliver a turnkey, commercially

viable solution that resolves all identified structural, hydrodynamic, and electrical flaws of the v1

iteration while meeting the enhanced performance criteria for the research project.

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The system shall be capable of sustained operation under the following environmental and

operational constraints:

• Operational Sea State: Sea State 3 (Significant wave height 1.25–2.5 m) and below, with

no degradation in data quality.

• Depth Band: Operable from surface to a maximum depth of 50 meters. The system must

maintain structural integrity and watertightness (IP68 rated) at this depth.

• Towing Vessel: Compatible with standard commercial towing vessels capable of

maintaining a steady towing speed.

• Towing Speed: Sustained towing speeds up to 2.0 m/s (approx. 4 knots).

• Tether Length: Adjustable deployment length up to a maximum of 40 meters.

2. Proposal requirements

All proposals are to be submitted in a format specified in this enquiry However, bidders are

welcome to submit additional / alternative proposals over and above the originally specified

format.

2.1. Technical Proposal

The following must be submitted as part of the technical proposal:

a. Company profile.

b. Detailed Technical Proposal

2.2. Financial Proposal:

The following must be submitted as part of the financial proposal:

• Cover Letter.
• Completed Pricing Schedule (Annexure D) on official company letterhead.
• CSD registration report (RSA suppliers only).

3. Proposal specification

3.1. Scope of Work

3.1.1 Sub-system A: The Towfish Vehicle

The Contractor shall deliver a neutrally buoyant, hydrodynamically optimized towfish. The

design shall strictly adhere to the following:

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• Hull Hydrodynamics & Geometry:

o The towfish hull shall be streamlined to minimize drag and vortex shedding. The

cross-sectional diameter shall be minimized to reduce hydrodynamic lift and drag

while accommodating the payload.

o The system shall achieve neutral buoyancy with a total mass in air not exceeding

150 kg.

o The hull design must prevent the lateral instability observed in v1 during static

submersion.

• Structural Integrity & Compartmentalization:

o The towfish shall utilize a modular, detachable compartment architecture.

o Pressure Casing: The electronics and motor compartments shall be enclosed in a

watertight, pressure-resistant housing rated for 50 meters depth (IP68). The

structural joints must be double-sealed to prevent the ingress failures seen in the

v1 tail compartment.

o Payload Bay: The central payload compartment must house the sonar electronics

and processing units. It must be designed for rapid detachment for maintenance

and sensor swapping.

o Ballast & Buoyancy: The system shall employ automatic buoyancy control.

Manual valve operation is strictly prohibited. The system must include an active

ballast system capable of compensating for buoyancy changes during depth

adjustments (target range: 0–5 meters) to facilitate deployment and retrieval. The

system shall include a fail-safe mechanism in case of failure in deep water.

• Stabilization & Control:

o Active Stabilization: The system shall not rely on static fins. The Contractor shall

integrate active control surfaces (servo-actuated fins/wings) capable of adjusting

pitch, roll, and yaw in real-time to dampen turbulence and maintain a stable

attitude.

o Sensor Orientation: The sonar array must be mounted on the port side. The

system shall allow for an adjustable depression angle of 0° to 80° relative to the

horizontal.

o Starboard-Side Balancing: The starboard side of the towfish must be equipped

with a fixed or adjustable counterweight to ensure hydrodynamic symmetry when

the second sensor array is not installed.

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• Instrumentation:

o The system must include dedicated mounting points for an Attitude Heading

Reference System (AHRS).

o The AHRS mount shall be rigidly fixed such that the sensor frame aligns with the

towfish body frame (X: Bow, Y: Starboard, Z: Down) to allow precise kinematic

transformation of sensor data.

3.1.2 Sub-system B: The Towing & Management System

The Contractor shall provide a complete towing mechanism that isolates the towfish from

vessel motion and manages the tether.

• Tether/Umbilical Specifications:

o Composition: The tether shall be a composite umbilical combining power

conductors, telemetry/data lines, and a high-strength tensile core.

o Performance: The tether must possess a low drag coefficient and minimal stretch

to prevent resonance.

o Safety: The tether must have a minimum breaking strength sufficient to sustain a

safe working load (SWL) of at least 1500 N (negotiable and subject to vendor

verification via safety factor analysis).

o Electrical Isolation: Conductors must be shielded to prevent electrical noise

interference from the winch motor and topside electronics.

• Winch & Deployment Mechanism:

o The Contractor shall design a compact winch drum system suitable for 40m of

cable.

o Level-Wind Mechanism: A mechanical or active level-wind system must be

included to ensure neat cable spooling and prevent cable jamming or abrasion.

o Tension Monitoring: The winch must be equipped with a real-time load

cell/tension sensor integrated into the control interface.

o Slip Rings: Slip rings must be specified for continuous rotation (360°) without

cable twist, capable of transmitting power and high-bandwidth telemetry signals

simultaneously.

• Launch and Recovery System (LARS) Integration:

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o The system shall integrate with the existing vessel deck infrastructure. The

Contractor shall provide interface specifications for the mounting points and safety

locking mechanisms.

3.1.3 Sub-system C: Power & Telemetry Link

• Power Transmission: The system shall transmit DC power from the vessel to the

towfish. The Contractor must demonstrate that power delivery remains stable under

dynamic load conditions (speed changes, depth changes) with voltage drop within 5%

of nominal.

• Bandwidth: The telemetry link must support real-time transmission of raw sonar

data, AHRS data, and system status telemetry. The latency must be minimal

(<100ms) to facilitate active stabilization control loops.

• Electrical Noise Immunity: The Contractor shall provide evidence (via simulation or

testing) that the telemetry signal is immune to electromagnetic interference (EMI)

generated by the winch motor and power converters.

3.2. Vendor Requirements & Compliance Matrix

3.2.1 Hardware Deliverables

The Contractor shall deliver the following items as a fully integrated, tested system:

1. v2 Towfish Vehicle: Including hull, active control surfaces, ballast system, sensor

mounting rig, and all internal electronics housing.

2. Winch & Deck Unit: Including drum, motor, slip rings, tension sensor, and control

interface.

3. Tether/Umibilical: 40m of custom umbilical with termination connectors.

4. Topside Control Unit: Interface software and hardware for monitoring telemetry and

controlling buoyancy/fins.

5. Spare Parts Kit: Critical spares including seals, O-rings, fuses, and one set of

replacement fins.

3.2.2 Software/Firmware Deliverables

1. Diagnostics & Control Suite: Proprietary software for winch control, ballast

management, and real-time system health monitoring.

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2. Telemetry Logging: Automated data logging capabilities for all sensors (tension,

voltage, AHRS, fin position) stored on the topside unit.

3. Sensor Integration Mapping: Firmware that calibrates and maps the AHRS data to

the sonar array frame of reference for post-processing.

4. Source Code: Complete source code for all custom firmware and control interfaces

(for technology transfer).

3.2.3 Other deliverables

1. Documentation relating to the design, development, manufacture, and assembly of

the towfish and towing system, including (if applicable) but not limited to all CAD

drawing, circuit drawings step files, etc.

2. Operating manuals and standard operating procedures for the towfish and towing

system.

3.2.4 Mandatory Gap Mitigation Matrix

The following table explicitly maps every identified v1 failure or limitation to a strict,

enforceable v2 requirement. Failure to address these specific items will result in non-

compliance.

v1 System

Mandatory v2 Vendor

Failure / Root Cause (Context)