Spectra logic cache storage upgrade & support – SABC henley studios tender (national)

Closing date and time: 20 November 2026 at 12:00.

RFQ issue date: 11 November 2026.

Briefing session: not applicable.

Queries must be submitted at least three days before the closing date.

Queries:

• Contact: Porcia Ntozini
• Email: [email protected]

Submissions:

• Email: [email protected]

Service and delivery address:

SABC Auckland Park

Henley Road, Auckland Park

Johannesburg, 2092

Submission method: email to [email protected] on or before 20 November 2026 at 12:00.

PDF format must be protected from modifications, deletions or additions.

Financial/pricing information must be in a separate attachment from the technical/functional response.

Email subject line must be prominently marked with the RFQ number and the bidder's name.

Bids received after the closing date and time are considered late and will not be accepted.

The SABC is not responsible for transmission failures, delays, incomplete bids, file size issues, illegibility, or security of bid data.

If using WeTransfer or Google Dropbox, links must remain valid for at least 30 days after submission.

Mandatory documents at closing:

• Valid OEM letter confirming authorisation to distribute, support or sell in South Africa.

Required documents:

• Proof of CSD registration.
• Proof of valid TV licence statement for the company and all active directors and shareholders.
• Valid tax clearance certificate or SARS PIN.
• Original or certified copy of a valid B-BBEE certificate from a SANAS accredited verification agency.
• Certified copy of company registration document showing company name, registration number, date of registration and active directors or members.
• Certified copy of shareholders' certificates.
• Certified copy of ID documents of directors or members.

Returnable forms (complete and submit):

• Annexure A – Declaration of Interest: discloses any connection with SABC personnel.
• Annexure B – SBD 6.1 Preference Points Claim: claims specific goal points.
• Annexure C – Consortium, JV and Sub-contracting Regulations: declares any sub-contracting arrangements.
• Annexure D – Previous/Current Projects: lists past and ongoing client projects.
• Annexure E – SBD 4 Bidder's Disclosure: declares employment by the state, relationships, and related enterprises.
• Annexure F – Pricing Schedule: priced bill of quantities.

Stage 1 – Mandatory compliance: submission of the OEM authorisation letter. Non-submission leads to automatic disqualification.

Stage 2 – Functionality/technical evaluation (scored out of 50):

• Minimum threshold: 37 out of 50. Bidders below this are declared non-responsive.
• Track record and capacity of the bidder (2–5 points): signed reference letters on business letterhead with full contact details. 3–4 letters = 2 points; 4 or more = 5 points; none = 0 points.
• Supply, delivery of storage and switches (5–10 points): delivery lead time after purchase order – 4–8 weeks = 10 points; 8–12 weeks = 5 points; more than 12 weeks = 0 points.
• Quality assurance (5–10 points): minimum 12-month warranty on hardware and software (5 points) plus guarantee of quality work and corrective action for poor workmanship (5 points).
• Project plan including GANTT chart and method statement (15–15 points): full system design and integration = 5 points; installation period = 2 points; integration and configuration = 2 points; commissioning = 2 points; testing and handover = 2 points; training = 2 points.
• Training (10–10 points): training manuals, installation guide, configuration and SOP updates for the systems administration team.

Stage 3 – Price and specific goals:

• 80/20 preference point system: maximum 80 points for price (lowest acceptable price gets full 80). Up to 20 points for specific goals.
• Specific goals scoring: EME/SME 51% owned by Black people = 10 points; 51% owned by Black people = 5 points; 51% owned by Black women = 3 points; Black youth ownership = 2 points. Bidders not meeting a goal score zero for that goal but are not disqualified.

Highest total points wins. Ties are resolved by drawing of lots.

Prices are compared after adjustment for non-firm price factors.

Supply of Spectra Logic cache storage and network switches for the existing LTO archive environment at SABC Auckland Park.

Scope includes:

• Supply of compatible storage for the Spectra Logic library and Kumulate managing software.
• Supply of 2 Cisco 25Gb fiber switches, each with minimum 24 SFP28 ports, Layer 2/3 switching, redundant power, VLANs, QoS and high availability.
• Installation of cache storage within the existing archive environment.
• Configuration to meet performance and throughput requirements.
• Integration with the existing Spectra Logic archive system and LTO infrastructure (Telestream and Spectra Logic).
• Alignment with current ingest, archive and retrieval workflows from Dalet Galaxy MAM.
• Performance optimisation for increased HD content volumes.
• Delivery of all components to site: storage, fiber switches, fiber cables, SFPs, power cables, brush panels and PDUs.
• Spares holding, system testing, training, commissioning and handover.

Performance requirements:

• Usable cache/storage capacity: at least 264 TB, with modular JBOD expansion.
• Sustained write speeds to LTO: at least 80–100 MB/s per stream (current pain point is 10–40 MB/s).
• Performance: at least 500K IOPS, 5 GB/s read, 4.5 GB/s write.
• Protocols supported: NFS, SMB, S3 object storage.
• Configurable cache policies (staged writing, throttling, retention windows).
• Redundant components (controllers, PSUs, fans), fault-tolerant storage (RAID/N+M), hot-swappable drives, checksum support (MD5/SHA-256).
• Compatibility with Kumulate middleware and SpectraLogic robotics; proven integration.
• MAM integration via open APIs/SDKs (REST, SOAP).
• Role-based administration, audit logging, alerting at ≥80% cache utilisation, real-time dashboards, SNMP/syslog.
• Roadmap for capacity and controller expansion, firmware upgradability, 5–7-year lifecycle with extendable support.
• OEM support contract for 5–7 years with next-business-day replacement or 4-hour onsite response.
• Sustained 10Gb/25Gb fiber connectivity between Kumulate servers, storage and Dalet Galaxy.
• All power components to be provided, with 6-way or 12-way IEC power strips recommended. All power cables, connectors and PDUs must be clearly and permanently labelled.

Contract duration: five years.

Bid validity: 90 days from bid closing.

Location: SABC Auckland Park.

Track record: bidders must submit signed reference letters on client letterhead, with referee contact details (name, email, phone, position). 3–4 letters = 2 points; 4 or more = 5 points; none = 0 points.

Annexure D: list previous completed and current projects, including project description, client contact, period, value and completion date.

No specific key personnel qualifications are stated beyond training requirements.

Warranty: minimum 12-month inclusive warranty on hardware and software.

End-to-end data verification: checksum support (e.g., MD5/SHA-256) during ingest and write-to-tape.

Quality assurance: bidder must guarantee quality work and propose corrective action for poor workmanship during and after project completion.

Performance testing and commissioning required.

Documentation and SOP updates required for the systems administration team.

Pricing must be submitted on Annexure F, with unit and total prices excluding VAT for each line item, then VAT (15%) and total including VAT.

Line items: 1) Enterprise cache storage system (min 264TB usable, NFS/SMB/S3, 500K IOPS, 5GB/s read, 4.5GB/s write) – qty 1; 2) Storage expansion shelves/JBOD – 1; 3) Cisco 25Gb fiber switch 24-port SFP28 – 2; 4) 25Gb SFP28 transceivers – 48; 5) Fiber patch cables and connectivity accessories – 48; 6) Brush panels and rack accessories – 1 lot; 7) PDUs and power distribution – 2; 8) Power cables, connectors and labelling – 1 lot; 9) Installation and rack integration – 1 lot; 10) Spectra Logic & Kumulate integration – 1 lot; 11) Dalet Galaxy API/workflow integration – 1 lot; 12) Performance testing and commissioning – 1 lot; 13) Systems administrator training – 1 lot; 14) Documentation, SOP updates and handover – 1 lot; 15) 5-year OEM hardware and software support – 1 lot; 16) Spare parts holding – 1 lot.

Pricing: detailed cost breakdown covering all direct and indirect costs; pricing schedule (Annexure F) with separate unit and total prices for each line item, excluding VAT; VAT (15%) and total including VAT.

Payment terms: SABC pays 60 days after service delivery and invoicing.

No bid security, bond, guarantee or insurance requirement is stated.

The SABC may assess financial stability and may not award to a bidder failing that assessment.

Mandatory eligibility:

• CSD registration (no contract awarded without it).
• Valid tax clearance or SARS PIN.
• Valid TV licence statement for the company and all active directors and shareholders.
• Sanctioned suppliers (Register for Tender Defaulters, List of Restricted Suppliers) are disqualified.
• No SABC former employees within 12 months of leaving; dismissed employees barred for 5 years; convicted individuals barred until criminal record expunged.
• No board member or board member-owned business may be awarded.
• Bidders must not canvass SABC officers between closing and award.

B-BBEE evidence:

• Valid B-BBEE certificate or affidavit, depending on entity size (EME/QSE thresholds per PPPFA).
• For JVs/consortia, a consolidated scorecard is accepted.
• If not claiming specific goals, no points are awarded but the bid is not disqualified.

Sub-contracting: only with SABC approval; cannot reduce local production/content below thresholds; may not subcontract more than 30% of the contract value to a sub-contractor with a lower B-BBEE level, unless it is a capable EME.

No specific occupational health and safety requirements are stated in the tender document.

Contract duration: five years.

Bid validity: 90 days from closing.

The SABC is not bound to accept the lowest or any bid, may negotiate with preferred bidders, may cancel the RFQ at any time, and may contact bidders for clarification during evaluation without notifying others.

No contract is formed until a formal contract or letter of award is signed by both parties.

Bidders bear all costs of preparing and submitting their bid.

SABC may reject a bid based on poor past performance, fraud, misrepresentation, or failed financial stability assessment.

SABC will not do business with former employees (12-month cooling off), dismissed employees (5-year ban), or board members or their companies (12-month cooling off after leaving board).

Bidders are prohibited from canvassing SABC officers between closing and award.

Payment: 60 days after service and invoice.

Sub-contracting allowed only with SABC approval and subject to B-BBEE conditions.

Full evaluation described in main evaluationCriteria section. Additional note: the award is based on functionality first, then price and specific goals. Bidders must achieve at least 37 out of 50 for functionality to proceed to price evaluation.