M-files licence renewal, upgrade and support subscription for 12 months — council for medical schemes

Bidding procedure enquiries

• Contact: Khensani Sithole
• Email: [email protected]

Technical enquiries

• Contact: Henry Eybers
• Email: [email protected]

Submission

• Method: email
• Submission email: [email protected]

Invoices

• Email: [email protected]

CMS address

Block A, Eco Glades 2 Office Park

420 Witch-Hazel Avenue

Eco Park

Centurion, 0157

Submission method: email

Submission email: [email protected]

Closing: 30 October 2026 at 23:59

Late submissions are not accepted.

Bids must be submitted on the official forms provided and may not be retyped.

Documents sent through cloud transfer services (WeTransfer, Google Drive, Dropbox) will not be considered.

Returnable documents

• SBD 1 (Invitation to Bid): bidder and contact details, signed as the offer cover page; the CSD number must be entered here.
• SBD 4 (Declaration of Interest): discloses whether any director, shareholder or member is employed by the state or connected to anyone at CMS.
• SBD 6.1 (Preference Points Claim): required to claim specific goals points; an unsigned or missing form means no preference points are awarded.
• SARS tax compliance PIN or printed TCS certificate.
• National Treasury Central Supplier Database (CSD) report.
• Valid B-BBEE certificate or sworn affidavit (EMEs and QSEs).
• Valid M-Files reseller certificate or official M-Files authorisation letter.
• Proof of authority to sign, such as a company resolution.
• The successful bidder must complete and sign the SBD 7 contract form.

Disqualification risks

• Any of SBD 1, SBD 4 or SBD 6.1 left unsigned or omitted.
• Missing M-Files reseller certificate or authorisation letter.
• Bids received after the closing time.
• Bids submitted as cloud storage links.

Documents required for administration and evaluation

• SARS PIN document.
• National Treasury Central Supplier Database (CSD) report.
• Valid BEE certificate or sworn affidavit (EMEs and QSEs).
• Completed and signed SBD 1, SBD 4 and SBD 6.1; failure to complete and sign these may lead to automatic disqualification, and bidders who do not submit the RFQ document including these forms will not be considered.

Submission

• All proposals and quotations must be submitted to the address and instructions in SBD 1, by the closing date and time of 30 October 2026 at 23:59.
• Late submissions are not accepted.
• Bidders must register on the Central Supplier Database and include the CSD number on SBD 1 for verification.
• Documents submitted through cloud solutions such as WeTransfer, Google Drive or Dropbox will not be considered.
• Bid response documents must be delivered to [email protected].

Two-phase evaluation.

Phase 1 — Mandatory criteria

• Assesses bidder eligibility and previous experience in delivering the service.
• Bidders who fail Phase 1 do not proceed to Phase 2.
• Mandatory proof: valid M-Files reseller certificate or official M-Files authorisation letter. Missing documentation renders the bid non-responsive.

Phase 2 — Price and Specific Goals (80/20 preference point system)

• Price: 80 points, based on a detailed budget breakdown.
• Specific Goals: 20 points.
• Total: 100 points.

Specific Goals points

• Historically Disadvantaged Individuals: 80%–100% black-owned 5 points; 50%–79.99% 4 points; 20%–49.99% 3 points; 1%–19.99% 1 point; below 1% 0 points.
• Size of the company: EME 3 points; QSE 2 points; Generic Enterprise 1 point.
• Black woman-owned enterprise: 75%–100% 5 points; 51%–74.99% 3 points; 1%–50.99% 1 point; below 1% 0 points.
• Ownership by people with disabilities: 75%–100% 3 points; 51%–74.99% 2 points; 1%–50.99% 1 point; below 1% 0 points.
• Ownership by youth (under 35 years): 75%–100% 4 points; 51%–74.99% 3 points; 20%–50.99% 2 points; 1%–19.99% 1 point; below 1% 0 points.

Conditions

• Only bidders who complete and sign SBD 6.1 are considered for preference points.
• CMS may require a bidder to substantiate any preference claim before or after adjudication.
• No minimum qualifying score is stated.

Scope

• Renewal of M-Files licences, upgrade and support subscription for twelve (12) months for the Council for Medical Schemes.

Quantities

• M-Files Named License Renewal: 41
• M-Files Concurrent License Renewal: 8

Requirements

• Bidders must be authorised M-Files resellers, evidenced by a valid reseller certificate or an official M-Files authorisation letter.
• The successful bidder works under the supervision of a CMS representative and must follow the CMS Code of Conduct and organisational guidelines.

Phase 1 of the evaluation assesses bidders' eligibility and previous experience in providing the service; bidders who fail this phase are excluded from Phase 2.

Standards

• Supplied goods must conform to the standards stated in the bid specifications.
• Pre-bidding testing is at the bidder's cost.

Inspection and testing

• Where inspection is a bid condition, the bidder's premises must be open at reasonable hours to CMS or its representative.
• If inspections are introduced during the contract without being specified, CMS arranges and pays for them.
• Inspection, test and analysis costs are borne by CMS where supplies conform, and by the supplier where they do not.
• Non-compliant supplies or services may be rejected; rejected supplies are held, removed and replaced at the supplier's cost and risk, and CMS may buy replacements at the supplier's expense.
• These provisions do not limit CMS's right to cancel for breach.

Confidentiality of contract information

• The supplier may not disclose the contract, specifications or information supplied by CMS without prior written consent, except to staff who need it to perform the contract.
• Documents supplied by CMS remain CMS property and must be returned on completion if requested.
• The supplier must allow CMS to inspect and audit records relating to performance.

Payment terms

• CMS pays in full within thirty (30) days of receiving an original tax invoice, against substantiated claims for work completed to its satisfaction.
• Payment is released only for completed milestones or deliverables, per the project implementation plan agreed at project inception.
• Invoices must be emailed to [email protected] and must always quote the Purchase Order number.
• No goods or services may be delivered without an official Purchase Order from the CMS Supply Chain Management Unit or its representative.

Bid validity

• The RFQ/RFP validity period is ninety (90) days; any extension request is communicated to bidders who responded.

Registration and tax

• Bidders must register on the Central Supplier Database (CSD) and enter the CSD number on SBD 1.
• A SARS tax compliance PIN or printed TCS certificate must be submitted.
• Consortia, joint ventures and subcontractors must each submit a separate TCS certificate, PIN or CSD number.
• CMS will not award to a non-compliant taxpayer; a recommended bidder has seven (7) working days to provide written SARS proof of compliance, or proof of arrangements to settle outstanding tax obligations.

B-bbee

• A valid B-BBEE certificate or sworn affidavit (EMEs and QSEs) must be submitted to qualify for preference points.
• Company-size points are allocated regardless of whether points are claimed on SBD 6.1, but the certificate or affidavit must still be submitted.

Mandatory authorisation

• Valid M-Files reseller certificate or official M-Files authorisation letter.

Documents for specific goals claims

• Certified South African ID copies of directors, owners or shareholders for HDI points.
• B-BBEE certificate or sworn affidavit, certified ID copies and CIPC document for black woman-owned and youth-owned claims.
• Medical certificate or letter from an accredited health professional for ownership by people with disabilities.
• Completed and signed SBD 6.1.

Disqualification

• Bidders, or their directors, members or shareholders, in the service of the state.
• Bidders listed on National Treasury's database of restricted bidders or tender defaulters.
• Conviction for fraud, corruption, collusion or a related offence in the past five (5) years, or false information submitted in any procurement process.
• Failure to submit or sign SBD 1, SBD 4 or SBD 6.1.

Specific Goals points (20 points in total)

• Historically Disadvantaged Individuals: 80%–100% black-owned 5 points; 50%–79.99% 4 points; 20%–49.99% 3 points; 1%–19.99% 1 point; below 1% 0 points.
• Size of the company: EME 3 points; QSE 2 points; Generic Enterprise 1 point.
• Black woman-owned enterprise: 75%–100% 5 points; 51%–74.99% 3 points; 1%–50.99% 1 point; below 1% 0 points.
• Ownership by people with disabilities: 75%–100% 3 points; 51%–74.99% 2 points; 1%–50.99% 1 point; below 1% 0 points.
• Ownership by youth (under 35 years): 75%–100% 4 points; 51%–74.99% 3 points; 20%–50.99% 2 points; 1%–19.99% 1 point; below 1% 0 points.

Evidence required

• Certified South African ID copies of directors, owners or shareholders for HDI points.
• Valid B-BBEE certificate or sworn affidavit for company-size points; these points are allocated regardless of whether points are claimed on SBD 6.1, but the certificate or affidavit must still be submitted.
• Medical certificate or letter from an accredited health professional for ownership by people with disabilities.
• B-BBEE certificate or sworn affidavit, certified ID copies and CIPC document for black woman-owned and youth-owned claims.
• Completed and signed SBD 6.1.

Consequence

• Failure to submit the required proof, or to complete and sign SBD 6.1, means the specific goals preference points are treated as not claimed.
• A B-BBEE status level verification certificate or sworn affidavit (EMEs and QSEs) must be submitted to qualify for B-BBEE preference points.

Contract period: twelve (12) months.

Bid validity: ninety (90) days from closing; extension requests are communicated to bidders who responded.

Governing terms: the General Conditions of Contract apply, supplemented by any Special Conditions of Contract, which prevail where they conflict.

CMS rights

• May extend the closing date under exceptional circumstances.
• Is not committed to proceed with any proposal by running the adjudication process.
• May decline to enter into any relationship and will not correspond on submissions.
• May declare the process closed and proceed on a different basis, or appoint no one.
• May change the RFQ document, with changes communicated to bidders who responded.
• May validate all claims made in a proposal.
• May cancel an award where the recommended supplier engaged in corrupt, fraudulent or collusive practices.
• May withdraw an award or cancel a contract where the bidder was not tax compliant at award, submitted a fraudulent Tax Clearance Certificate, or fails CSD verification.
• Will not carry bidder costs, including briefing sessions and site visits.

Rejection grounds

• Conviction of the bidder or its directors, members, shareholders or related parties for fraud, corruption, collusion or a related offence within the past five (5) years.
• False or misleading information submitted in any procurement process.
• Listing on National Treasury's database of restricted bidders or tender defaulters (sections 28 and 29 of the Preferential Procurement Regulations).
• Past conduct posing a significant reputational or operational risk, even where technical and price criteria are met.
• Integrity concerns, in which case CMS may cancel the process without liability.

Payment

• Full payment within thirty (30) days of an original tax invoice for substantiated claims.
• Payment only for completed milestones or deliverables per the project implementation plan agreed at inception.
• Invoices to [email protected], quoting the Purchase Order number; no delivery without an official CMS Purchase Order.

Confidentiality: information relating to submissions is treated in strict confidence.

CMS may extend the closing date under exceptional circumstances; proposals and subsequent information received are not returned.

The adjudication process does not commit CMS to proceed with any proposal.

Signing the RFQ/RFP document confirms the bidder has read, understands and accepts its terms and conditions.

The successful bidder works under the supervision of a CMS representative and must follow the CMS Code of Conduct and organisational guidelines.

CMS may decline to enter into any relationship and will not correspond on submissions; if it accepts no proposal it may close the process, proceed on a different basis, or appoint no one.

CMS does not carry bidder costs, including briefing sessions and site visits.

CMS may validate all claims made in a proposal.

CMS may change the RFQ document, with changes communicated to bidders who responded.

The RFQ/RFP validity period is ninety (90) days; extension requests are communicated to bidders who responded.

Information relating to submissions is treated in strict confidence.

Mandatory

• Valid M-Files reseller certificate or official M-Files authorisation letter. Missing documentation renders the bid non-responsive and excludes it from the Price and Specific Goals evaluation.

Tax compliance

• CMS will not award to a non-compliant taxpayer.
• A recommended but non-compliant bidder is notified in writing and must provide SARS proof of compliance, or proof of arrangements to meet outstanding tax obligations, within seven (7) working days; failing that, the bid is rejected.

Two-phase evaluation.

Phase 1 — Mandatory criteria

• Assesses bidder eligibility and previous experience in providing the service.
• Bidders who fail this phase do not proceed to Phase 2.

Phase 2 — Price and Specific Goals

• Evaluated under the prevailing CMS Supply Chain Management policy using the 80/20 preference point system in terms of the PPPFA Regulations.
• Price: 80 points (detailed budget breakdown).
• Specific Goals: 20 points.
• Total: 100 points.

Specific Goals points

• Historically Disadvantaged Individuals: 80%–100% black-owned 5 points; 50%–79.99% 4 points; 20%–49.99% 3 points; 1%–19.99% 1 point; below 1% 0 points.
• Size of the company: EME 3 points; QSE 2 points; Generic Enterprise 1 point.
• Black woman-owned enterprise: 75%–100% 5 points; 51%–74.99% 3 points; 1%–50.99% 1 point; below 1% 0 points.
• Ownership by people with disabilities: 75%–100% 3 points; 51%–74.99% 2 points; 1%–50.99% 1 point; below 1% 0 points.
• Ownership by youth (under 35 years): 75%–100% 4 points; 51%–74.99% 3 points; 20%–50.99% 2 points; 1%–19.99% 1 point; below 1% 0 points.

Conditions

• Only bidders who complete and sign SBD 6.1 are considered for preference points.
• CMS may require substantiation of preference claims before or after adjudication.