This Tender Has Expired

Closing date for bid submission: 29 January 2026 (09:00 SAST). Project rollout schedule to start on 30 June 2026 (as required in the project plan).

Email: [email protected]

• Submit ONE signed original hard‑copy bid and ONE signed electronic copy on a USB or CD (PDF protected with a code).
• Include all mandatory Standard Bidding Documents (SBD 1, SBD 3.1, SBD 4, SBD 6.1, SBD 7.2, SBD 9) fully completed.
• Provide a signed declaration that the bid is valid for 90 days.
• No upfront payment will be made by NLSA; price must be inclusive of VAT.
• Bids not meeting the mandatory SBD or CSD registration requirements will be disqualified.
• Any omission in required SBDs must be corrected within 2 working days of notification.

Technical evaluation (100 points) – minimum 70 points to pass:

1. Experience (30 points) – up to 3 contactable references with full details.

2. Team leader experience (10 points) – based on years of relevant experience.

3. Project plan (20 points) – must include onboarding approach, organogram, roles, rollout schedule (starting 30 June 2026), risk/contingency and communication plan.

4. Presentation (20 points) – demonstrate user‑facing functionality, workflows, admin functions, AI integration.

5. Minimum score: 70 points.

Pricing evaluation (80 points) – price (incl. VAT) with yearly escalation over 5 years.

Preference points (20 points) – awarded for specific B‑BEE goals (disability‑owned, youth‑owned etc.) with supporting sworn affidavit or BEE certificate.

Overall bid score = Technical (max 100) + Price (max 80) + Preference (max 20).

• Integrated Library Management System (LMS) for a 5‑year contract, capable of handling large bibliographic, user and transaction volumes.
• Secure, standards‑based RESTful API (AES‑256 data‑at‑rest, TLS 1.2+ data‑in‑transit) with authentication, authorisation, encryption and audit logging.
• AI‑powered search, multilingual chatbot with NLP, 24/7 self‑service, integration to organisational systems.
• SaaS architecture, support for Windows and macOS, multiple browsers and mobile access.
• Security features: role‑based access, MFA, data backup, disaster recovery, 99.5 % uptime.
• Compliance with NISO, MARC21, RDA, Dublin Core, COUNTER, SUSHI, BIBFRAME, Z39.50.
• Modules: discovery, cataloguing, patron services, ILL (ISO 10160/10161), acquisitions, subscriptions, legal deposit, e‑resource repository, serials, collections, analytics, reporting.
• Accessibility standards, multi‑language Unicode support, integration with external systems via open APIs.

• Price must be inclusive of VAT and presented with yearly escalation for the 5‑year period.
• No upfront payment by NLSA; payment terms to be defined in the contract.
• Bid must include a signed original and electronic copy as per submission guidelines.
• No specific performance bond or guarantee mentioned.