RFI: high-performance ion chromatography (hpic) platform & services – western cape tender

• Request issued: 20 October 2026
• Closing date and time: 10 November 2026 at 11:00 (SAST)
• Compulsory briefing or site visit: none stated
• Clarification deadline: none stated

Enquiries and submission

• Department: Supply Chain Management, South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC)
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.samrc.ac.za
• Named contact, telephone number and street address: not stated

Submission channel

• Email: [email protected] (Supply Chain Management, SAMRC)
• Closing: 10 November 2026 at 11:00 SAST
• No physical delivery address, portal, or number of copies is specified.

Response must contain

• Main response: provider information, solution overview, analytical and application capability, IT/data/security/integration detail, implementation and qualification approach, support and lifecycle information, market assessment, references and supporting evidence.
• Part A (Service Provider Information): legal name, platform proposed, capacity (manufacturer, authorised distributor, service provider, system integrator or other), country of registration, company registration number, South African presence, primary contact, position, telephone, email, website.
• Part B (Service Provider confirmation): signed by an authorised representative, confirming the information is accurate, the signatory may bind the provider, the response is not a bid, participation confers no advantage, SAMRC may seek clarification, the provider bears all response costs, and confidential material is flagged with reasons.
• Appendix A (Functional Requirements Matrix): one completed matrix per platform or materially different configuration.
• Appendix B (Commercial Response Schedule): indicative costs and total cost of ownership.
• Supporting documentation where available: datasheets, brochures, application notes, published literature, validation and qualification records, certifications, regulatory and data-integrity documentation, cybersecurity documentation, references.

Disqualification

• No mandatory disqualification rules are set; participation is voluntary and the exercise is non-binding.

• Main response: provider information, solution overview, analytical and application capability, IT/data/security/integration information, implementation and qualification approach, support and lifecycle information, market assessment, references and supporting evidence.
• Part A (Service Provider Information): organisation details, platform proposed, provider capacity, registration details, South African presence and contact details; manufacturer authorisation evidence and local supply, support and maintenance arrangements where applicable.
• Part B (Service Provider confirmation): signed confirmation by an authorised representative covering accuracy, authority to sign, non-binding nature, no advantage, clarification requests, response costs and confidentiality.
• Appendix A (Functional Requirements Matrix): completed for each platform or materially different configuration, marking each requirement Supported (Yes/Partial/No/N/A) and Availability (Standard, Optional, Third Party, Customised, Planned, Not Available), with costs, limitations and dependencies noted.
• Appendix A application evidence: application, sample or matrix, platform and configuration, evidence type, date, supporting reference and limitations.
• Appendix B (Commercial Response Schedule): indicative costs, mandatory versus optional split, once-off and recurring costs, 3-year and 5-year TCO, and commercial assumptions.
• Supporting documentation where available: technical datasheets, brochures, application notes, published literature, validation and qualification documentation, certifications, regulatory and data-integrity documentation, cybersecurity documentation and references.

Nature of the exercise

• Responses are not scored as bids or proposals and no preference point system applies.
• No minimum qualifying score, functionality threshold or price weighting is set.
• The information will be used to refine requirements, gauge market capacity and competition, and select a procurement method.

What SAMRC will assess in the information

• Technology availability and market maturity.
• Technical, functional, application, integration and data-management capability.
• Implementation, qualification, training, support, maintenance and lifecycle arrangements.
• Indicative acquisition, implementation, operating and lifecycle costs.
• Credible alternative platforms, configurations or technology combinations.
• Market risks, supplier dependency, interoperability and emerging technologies.

Evidence expectations

• Material application claims should be supported by evidence.
• Providers must separate their own solution information, independently documented market information, and their own opinion.
• Claims about competing platforms should be backed by verifiable evidence.

Purpose

• Market information on commercially available high-performance ion chromatography (HPIC) platforms and associated services for polysaccharide and polysaccharide-conjugate vaccine work: analytical development, characterisation, process development, stability studies, quality-control testing and data supporting regulatory submissions.

Platform information required per platform or materially different configuration

• Manufacturer, model, current version, date of information, commercial availability, lifecycle status, upgrade cycle and anticipated end-of-life.
• System architecture, available configurations and deployment model.
• Maximum rated operating pressure, typical operating range and the pressure capability of the specific configuration, stated separately.
• Continuous operation at approximately 5,000 psi (mandatory); approximately 6,000 psi where available (preferred).
• High-pH eluent compatibility, HPAE, PAD, RFIC, conductivity and other detection.
• Analytical, microbore and capillary configurations; single- and dual-channel operation.
• Detector and column temperature control; autosampling; refrigerated autosampler.
• Eluent generation and suppression/regeneration.
• IC-MS, HRMS and MS/MS compatibility, with supported interfaces and MS configurations.
• Chromatography and data-acquisition software, data management, export, portability and archival.
• FAT/SAT and IQ/OQ support; GMP and ISO 17025 suitability evidence.
• Technical, application and regulatory documentation; polysaccharide, glycoconjugate and vaccine application experience.

Applications to be addressed in Appendix A

• Monosaccharide composition, oligosaccharide profiling and mapping, degree of polymerisation, free-saccharide quantitation, sialic acid analysis, glycoconjugate characterisation, impurity analysis, complex vaccine matrices, high-resolution carbohydrate separation and quantitative carbohydrate analysis.
• Method development, validation support and transfer; stability studies; QC testing; analytical and process development; regulated laboratory use.
• Each capability must be classified as commercially available, standard/included, optional, third party, customised or professional services, planned, not available, or not supported.

Regulatory support

• Data integrity, audit trails, electronic records and signatures, qualification documentation, application and validation support.
• The supplier is not responsible for regulatory approval or submission of a vaccine.

Infrastructure, security and integration

• Architecture, operating systems and software dependencies, databases and application servers, cloud/hosted/hybrid components, hosting location and data residency, storage, performance, availability, scalability, backup and restore, disaster recovery, business continuity, and dependencies on SAMRC or third-party infrastructure.
• Encryption, authentication and authorisation, role-based access, audit logging, protection against unauthorised alteration or deletion, SSO, Microsoft Entra ID/Active Directory, MFA, patching, vulnerability management, software and firmware updates, incident detection, secure remote support, retention, archival and secure deletion, plus relevant cybersecurity and data-integrity certifications.
• Integrations with mass spectrometry (HRMS, MS/MS), chromatography data systems, LIMS, laboratory workflow and execution systems, ELN, identity management, networked laboratory infrastructure, enterprise storage and backup, reporting and BI tools, qualification and calibration systems and other instruments, each identified as standard, configurable, optional, third party or custom, with all licence, subscription, interface and recurring costs disclosed.

Implementation, qualification and training

• Governance, roles, methodology, site readiness, infrastructure assessment, design and configuration, installation and commissioning, integration testing, data or metadata migration, method transfer, IQ/OQ/PQ, training, knowledge transfer, change management, go-live, handover, stabilisation, duration, resources, dependencies, assumptions and risks.

Support, maintenance and lifecycle

• Service desk and channels, support hours, service levels, response and resolution targets, escalation, local and regional support, preventive and corrective maintenance, remote monitoring, release management, upgrades, patching, spare parts, consumables, warranty, training, documentation, service reporting, and exit and transition arrangements.
• Supplier dependencies, proprietary consumables, mandatory service contracts, licence and subscription dependencies and single-source components must be disclosed.

Market assessment

• Commercially available platforms and configurations; whether one platform can meet the combined requirement; credible alternatives compatible with strong NaOH eluents, high-pH chromatography, alkaline PAD and corrosion-resistant flow paths; unsupported or partially supported requirements; differentiators; market maturity and supplier concentration; vendor lock-in and interoperability; cost drivers; emerging technologies; single-source versus multi-vendor risk and controls.

• Implementation approach to describe: project governance, roles and responsibilities, implementation methodology, site readiness, infrastructure assessment, system design and configuration, installation and commissioning, interface and integration testing, data or metadata migration, method transfer, application support, qualification and validation support, IQ/OQ/PQ, training, knowledge transfer, change management, go-live and operational handover, stabilisation, implementation duration, supplier and customer resources, dependencies, assumptions and implementation risks.
• Market assessment to provide: relevant commercially available platforms and configurations; whether a single platform can meet the combined requirement; credible alternatives compatible with strong NaOH eluents, high-pH chromatography, alkaline PAD and corrosion-resistant flow paths; requirements unsupported or only partly supported; technical, application, operational, lifecycle and commercial differentiators; market maturity and supplier concentration; vendor dependency and interoperability; major cost drivers; emerging technologies; risks of single-source versus multi-vendor strategies and possible controls.
• The assessment must not presuppose the suitability of any manufacturer, platform or supplier, and conclusions should be supported by current commercial information, documented technical evidence, demonstrated application capability, lifecycle information, support arrangements and indicative total cost.

• Market intelligence to provide, with evidence: commercially available HPIC technologies and suppliers; market maturity and adoption; pharmaceutical, biotechnology and vaccine-industry practice; analytical approaches for carbohydrate composition, oligosaccharide profiling, degree-of-polymerisation analysis, free-saccharide analysis, sialic acid analysis and glycoconjugate analysis; HPAE-PAD, RFIC, IC-MS and IC-MS/MS.
• Standards and regulatory expectations to reference: ISO 17025:2017 with SANAS accreditation, and pharmaceutical GMP.
• Also required: documented applications involving polysaccharides, glycoconjugates or vaccines; technical advantages and limitations; local and regional support availability; infrastructure and operational risks; cybersecurity and data-integrity risks; vendor dependency and technology lock-in; interoperability; single-source versus multi-vendor approaches; automation and throughput opportunities; emerging technologies and alternative analytical approaches; significant acquisition, implementation, operating and lifecycle cost drivers.
• Providers must distinguish their own solution information, independently documented market information, and their own assessment or opinion; claims about competing platforms should be supported by verifiable evidence.

• Regulatory support means capability and documentation for regulated laboratory use and analytical evidence: GMP and ISO 17025 suitability evidence.
• Elements to describe: data integrity, audit trails, electronic records, electronic signatures, qualification documentation, and application and validation support.
• The supplier is not responsible for regulatory approval or submission of a vaccine.

• Appendix B must be completed with indicative pricing for the proposed solution, separating mandatory from optional components.
• Cost lines: base HPIC system; required modules, accessories and detection systems; autosampler, columns and suppressors; software, licences and subscriptions; installation and commissioning; integration and migration; qualification (IQ/OQ/PQ); training and application support; maintenance and service contracts; consumables; hosting and cloud services; third-party products and services; shipping, insurance, duties and taxes; other costs; total estimated cost.
• Each line must show once-off cost, annual recurring cost, 3-year TCO and 5-year TCO, with Year 1 included in the TCO assumptions.
• Where a cost does not apply, mark N/A; where a cost sits inside another line, name that line to avoid double counting.
• Commercial assumptions to state: currency, price validity period, VAT included or excluded, shipping and insurance included/excluded/separate, import duties and customs, other taxes or charges, annual price escalation, mandatory annual maintenance or service, mandatory licences or subscriptions, estimated annual consumables cost and usage, and any other assumptions, exclusions or dependencies.
• The basis of the 3-year and 5-year TCO must be explained, covering recurring licences, maintenance, consumables and escalation; significant optional costs or dependencies needed to reach the stated capability must be disclosed.

Pricing format

• Appendix B (Commercial Response Schedule) must be completed with indicative pricing, split between mandatory and optional items.
• Prices are for market analysis only and do not constitute a quotation or offer.

Cost elements to price

• Base HPIC system; modules, accessories and detection systems (HPAE-PAD, RFIC, conductivity, dual-channel); analytical, microbore and capillary configurations; autosampler, columns and suppressors; software, licences and subscriptions; installation and commissioning; integration and migration; qualification (IQ/OQ/PQ); training and application support; maintenance and service contracts; consumables; hosting and cloud services; third-party products and services; shipping, insurance, duties and taxes; other costs.

Totals required

• Once-off cost, annual recurring cost, 3-year TCO and 5-year TCO, with Year 1 included in the TCO assumptions.
• Total estimated cost per schedule.

Assumptions to state

• Currency, price validity period, VAT included or excluded, shipping and insurance included/excluded/separate, import duties and customs, other taxes or levies, annual price escalation, licence and maintenance escalation, mandatory annual maintenance, mandatory subscriptions, annual consumables cost and usage, and any other exclusions or dependencies.
• The basis of the 3-year and 5-year TCO must be explained.

Not applicable

• No bid security, performance guarantee, retention or payment terms are stated.

Eligibility

• Open to manufacturers, authorised distributors, service providers, system integrators and other relevant market participants.
• Manufacturer authorisation evidence should be provided where applicable, with arrangements for local supply, technical support and maintenance.
• South African presence and company registration number must be stated (registration number if applicable).

Confirmations required (Part B)

• Information is accurate to the provider's knowledge.
• The signatory is authorised to submit on the provider's behalf.
• The response is not a bid or proposal and will not lead to a contract.
• Participation confers no advantage in future procurement.
• SAMRC may request clarification.
• The provider bears all response costs.
• Confidential information is identified with reasons.

Not stated

• No CSD registration, tax compliance status, B-BBEE level, CIDB grading or professional-body registration is required for this RFI.

• Infrastructure to describe: system architecture, operating systems and software dependencies, databases and application servers, cloud/hosted/hybrid components, hosting location and data residency, storage, performance and availability, scalability, backup and restoration, disaster recovery, business continuity, and dependencies on SAMRC or third-party infrastructure.
• Security and data integrity to describe: encryption, authentication and authorisation, role-based access control, audit logging, electronic records and signatures, protection against unauthorised alteration or deletion, SSO, Microsoft Entra ID/Active Directory, MFA, security patching, vulnerability management, software and firmware updates, incident detection and notification, secure remote support, data retention and archival, secure deletion, and relevant cybersecurity, quality, regulatory and data-integrity standards or certifications.
• Integration to identify as standard, configurable, optional, third party or custom: mass spectrometry including HRMS and MS/MS, chromatography data systems, LIMS, laboratory workflow and execution systems, ELN, institutional identity management, networked laboratory infrastructure, enterprise storage and backup, reporting and BI tools, instrument qualification and calibration systems, and other instruments.
• All additional licences, subscriptions, proprietary interfaces, custom development and recurring integration costs must be identified.

• Support and maintenance information required: service desk and support channels, support hours, service levels, response and resolution targets, escalation arrangements, local and regional support, application support, preventive and corrective maintenance, remote monitoring, release management, software and firmware upgrades, security patching, spare parts availability, consumables availability, warranty, training, technical documentation, service reporting, and exit, transition and continuity arrangements.
• Material dependencies to identify: supplier dependencies, proprietary consumables, mandatory service contracts, licence or subscription dependencies, single-source components, and any other factor affecting long-term operation.

• No contract arises from this RFI; responses are not bids and create no obligation on SAMRC.
• The signatory must confirm the submission is accurate, that they are authorised to bind the provider, that the response is not a bid, that participation gives no advantage in later procurement, that SAMRC may seek clarification, that the provider carries all response costs, and that confidential material is identified with reasons.
• Support and lifecycle information required: service desk and channels, support hours, service levels, response and resolution targets, escalation, local and regional support, application support, preventive and corrective maintenance, remote monitoring, release management, software and firmware upgrades, security patching, spare parts and consumables availability, warranty, training, documentation, service reporting, and exit, transition and continuity arrangements.
• Material dependencies to disclose: supplier dependencies, proprietary consumables, mandatory service contracts, licence or subscription dependencies, single-source components and any other factor affecting long-term operation.

• The RFI is for market and price analysis only and commits SAMRC to nothing.
• Responses are not evaluated as bids or proposals, do not form the basis of a contract, and give no advantage in any future procurement.
• SAMRC may use the information to refine requirements, assess market capacity and competition, and choose a procurement method.
• Participation is voluntary and the provider bears all costs of responding.

Enquiries

• Department: Supply Chain Management, South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC)
• Email: [email protected]

Closing

• 10 November 2026 at 11:00 (SAST)