Request for tender [rft] for the appointment of an independent multi-disciplinary service provider to develop the petroleum sector development plan for south africa.

Issue date: 12 October 2026.

Closing date: 2 November 2026 at 12:00.

Tender validity period: 120 days from closing (until 3 March 2027).

No compulsory briefing session.

Contract period: 3 months (from award).

Enquiries:

• Contact: Wellem Skhosana
• Email: [email protected]
• Role: Dedicated CEF employee for technical and procurement queries.

Submission:

• Email: [email protected]

After closing, communication only with the designated procurement contact for this RFP.

No telephone or physical address provided.

Submission method: email only.

Submission email: [email protected].

Closing time: 12:00 on 2 November 2026.

No links; no cc or blind copy of CEF SCM representatives.

Late submissions disqualified.

Returnable documents (all must be completed and signed):

• Valid SARS tax compliance status (separate for each JV/consortium party) and/or SARS Tax Verification PIN.
• Valid B-BBEE affidavit or certificate.
• CSD Summary Report or CSD supplier number.
• Part 3: Proposal Form.
• Part 4: Signing Power – Resolution of Board of Directors.
• Part 5: Certificate of Acquaintance with RFP Documents.
• Part 6: Certificate of Acquaintance with Scope of Work.
• Part 7: Breach of Law Form (declares any serious breach of law in past 5 years).
• SBD 1: Invitation to Bid (cover page with bidder details).
• SBD 4: Bidders Disclosure (declares interests/connections with state).
• SBD 6.1: Preference Points Claim Form (claims B-BBEE points under PPPFA).

Disqualification risks:

• Incomplete submission or missing returnable documents.
• Fraudulent or untrue information.
• Canvassing CEF employees between closing and award.
• Collusion with other bidders.
• Submission after closing time.
• Use of links instead of attached documents.
• Copying CEF SCM representatives on the submission.

Evaluation in three phases:

Phase 1: Mandatory Requirements – verification of qualifications for key personnel (Overall Team Lead, Technical Lead, Strategic Planning Lead). Must have specified degrees.

Phase 2: Technical Evaluation – minimum threshold of 70%. Criteria and weightings:

• Bidder's Experience: 15% (based on number of completed assignments with signed reference letters).
• Overall Project Lead: 12.5% (based on number of qualifying projects personally led).
• Methodology/Approach and Project Plan: 2.5% (comprehensiveness and integration).
• Project Organogram and Team Structure: 10% (clarity and coverage).
• Technical Lead: 10% (experience in petroleum markets, infrastructure, etc.).
• Strategic Planning Lead: 10% (experience in sector strategies, policy reform).

Phase 3: Evaluation on Price and specific goals (including preference points via SBD 6.1).

Preference points: SBD 6.1 used to claim B-BBEE points under the Preferential Procurement Regulations 2022 (80/20 or 90/10 system – not specified which applies).

Minimum qualifying score: 70% in Phase 2 technical evaluation.

Objective: Develop the Petroleum Sector Development Plan (PSDP) for South Africa.

The PSDP is a long-term integrated framework for petroleum security, downstream industrialization, infrastructure planning, market reform, and energy transition management.

Scope covers the full petroleum value chain: exploration and production, pipelines, storage, refining, distribution, imports/exports, wholesale/retail.

The work comprises five phases:

1. Baseline Assessment & Vulnerability Analysis: establish national petroleum baseline, assess infrastructure, market capability, value chain policy mapping.
2. Scenario Modelling & System Planning: develop future supply/demand pathways, assess resilience under multiple risk scenarios (e.g., high import dependency, domestic refinery recovery, energy transition, geopolitical shocks).
3. Policy & Regulatory Design (2026-2027): translate evidence into policy, regulatory, and institutional reforms (e.g., fuel pricing, strategic stockholding, licensing, industrialization, cleaner fuels, investment framework, market competition, transformation, governance).
4. Infrastructure & Investment Planning: prioritize strategic infrastructure (storage, ports, pipelines, rail, refining, transition fuels, exploration), develop masterplan and financing framework.
5. Stakeholder Consultation & Social Compacting: engage government, SOEs, industry, labour, municipalities, civil society, DFIs; produce socio-economic impact assessment, public comment integration, social compact.

Additional requirements: project management, quality assurance, risk management, knowledge transfer, and handover of all datasets and models.

The service provider must be independent, multi-disciplinary, and able to sign confidentiality undertakings.

Pricing to be submitted in the schedule of prices (Part 3 Proposal Form).

Contract period: 3 months.

Penalty clause to be negotiated for non-compliance or delayed delivery.

CEF will not reimburse any preparatory costs.

Tender validity period: 120 days.

No bid security, guarantees, or retention mentioned.

CSD registration: CSD Summary Report or CSD supplier number required.

Tax compliance: Valid SARS tax compliance status (TCS PIN or CSD number) required; separate for each JV/consortium party. Must be valid at closing and for contract duration.

B-BBEE: Valid B-BBEE affidavit or certificate required.

Professional qualifications for key personnel:

• Overall Team Lead: relevant degree in Engineering, Economics, Finance, Energy Studies, Public Policy, or Business Administration.
• Technical Lead: relevant Engineering, Energy, and Petroleum qualification.
• Strategic Planning Lead: relevant postgraduate qualification in Strategy, Economics, Public Policy, Energy Studies, or Business Administration.

Breach of Law declaration: Part 7 form must declare any serious breach of law in past 5 years (including Competition Act). May lead to exclusion.

Confidentiality: All information related to RFP and contract must be treated as confidential.

Conflict of interest: Bidders must disclose relationships and sign confidentiality undertakings.

Security screening: CEF may subject bidder to security screening by State Security Agency.

No specific CIDB, CIPC, or local content requirements mentioned.

Additional evaluation criteria from Annexure B:

Phase 1: Mandatory Requirements – verification of qualifications for key personnel.

Phase 2: Technical Evaluation – minimum threshold 70%. Criteria include:

• Bidder's Experience (15%): scored on number of completed assignments with signed reference letters.
• Overall Project Lead (12.5%): scored on number of qualifying projects personally led.
• Methodology/Approach and Project Plan (2.5%): scored on comprehensiveness and integration.
• Project Organogram and Team Structure (10%): scored on clarity and coverage.
• Technical Lead (10%): scored on experience in petroleum markets, infrastructure, etc.
• Strategic Planning Lead (10%): scored on experience in sector strategies, policy reform.

Phase 3: Evaluation on Price and specific goals, including preference points via SBD 6.1.