• Compulsory briefing session: 20 July 2026 at 11:00 via Microsoft Teams link.
• Failure to attend the compulsory briefing session results in disqualification.
• Bid submission deadline: 31 July 2026 at 12:00.
• Bid validity period: 120 days from date of publication.

• Compulsory briefing session: 20 July 2026 at 11:00 via Microsoft Teams.
• Link: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/77454dba-0a1e-4436-a4ae-1f04b096002f@e2546b9d-33f9-4279-b6ed-e809f62fb336.
• Failure to attend results in disqualification.

• Main contact for bid enquiries: Patrick Makgata, email [email protected].
• All communication must be in writing only with the listed Supply Chain Management contacts.
• Communication outside this platform or with other SEDFA staff leads to disqualification.
• Submission address: SEDFA Head Office, The Fields, Office Block A, 1066 Burnett Street, Hatfield, Pretoria.
• Fraud hotline: 0800 000 663 (anonymous reporting).
• Complaints email: [email protected].

• Submit bids in a sealed envelope marked with: ATTENTION: SEDFA SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT, Bid Description, Bid Number, and Name of Bidder.
• Bid documents must be initialled on every page.
• Submit one (1) ORIGINAL hard copy and one (1) electronic PDF copy on a memory stick or flash drive.
• Bid proposal must be written in English, including certificates.
• Deposit the bid proposal into the Tender Box at SEDFA Head Office by the closing date and time.
• Bidders bear all expenses for preparation and submission.
• Late bids will not be considered.
• Setting counter conditions or amending bid conditions will render the bid invalid.
• SEDFA reserves the right to require a formal presentation; bidders bear all associated expenses.
• All communication must be in writing only with the listed Supply Chain Management contacts; communication with other SEDFA officials after closing is prohibited and leads to disqualification.
• Bidders must comply with FICA/KYC requirements and may be subject to security/credit vetting.
• Any material changes in bidder control/composition after submission require prior written approval from SEDFA.

2.1. Bids must be submitted in a sealed envelope and marked as follows: ATTENTION: SEDFA SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

• Evaluation uses a five-stage process: Stage 1 (Administrative Compliance), Stage 2 (Mandatory Requirements), Stage 3 (Functionality Criteria), Stage 4 (Price and Preference).
• Stage 1: Compliance with RFB requirements, including completion of SBD forms, CSD registration, valid Tax Compliance Status (TCS PIN), B-BBEE certificate/sworn affidavit, and CIPC documents.
• Stage 2: Mandatory technical and operational requirements as per Annexure B.
• Stage 3: Functionality evaluation out of 100 points; minimum threshold of 70 points required to proceed.
• Stage 4: 80/20 preference point system applies: 80 points for price, 20 points for Specific Goals.
• Price points calculated using formula: Ps = 80
• (1 - (Pt - Pmin) / Pmin), where Pt is bidder's price, Pmin is lowest acceptable price.
• Specific Goals points awarded for enterprise size, B-BBEE status, black women ownership, youth employment, and location (rural, township, city).
• Tie-breaking: highest Specific Goals points wins; if still tied, drawing of lots.
• SEDFA reserves the right to negotiate with the preferred bidder.

• Scope: Supply, implementation, support, and maintenance of managed SDWAN and Internet services for 71 SEDFA sites over a five-year period.
• Deliverables: Nationwide SDWAN infrastructure for branch interconnectivity, dedicated Internet connectivity, secure data transmission, and business continuity with failover.
• Technical requirements: Must meet specified uptime (99.9% for Head Office, 99.0% for regional/branch offices), latency (<40 ms wired, <60 ms wireless), packet loss (<1% wired, <2% wireless), and MTTR (≤2 hours Head Office, ≤4 hours regional/branch).
• Solution must support three Classes of Service (voice, video, data), provide read-only SNMP access, and include 24/7 NOC monitoring.
• The successful bidder must collaborate with current providers for smooth transition; delays attributable to bidder incur costs for continued services.
• Detailed site requirements include Hatfield Office (1 Gbps Internet), Centurion Office (1 Gbps), 9 Provincial Offices (50 Mbps primary, 25 Mbps failover), and 60 Branches (varying bandwidths).

• SEDFA requires a software-defined approach to overcome current network limitations: limited agility/scalability, complex management/high costs, inconsistent security.
• Solution must include proactive network management and monitoring capabilities, with 24/7/365 NOC services scoring higher in evaluation.
• Project implementation plan and timeline must demonstrate excellent understanding of SEDFA SDWAN project goals.
• Support and maintenance services, and training/knowledge transfer plans, are evaluated for fit with SEDFA objectives.

• Company experience: Minimum 10-year track record in providing WAN, MPLS, SDWAN, APN, 5G, and Internet services; evidence of 3 successful similar SDWAN projects in past 5 years.
• Team leader: Minimum 5 years industry experience with proof of leading 3 similar projects; valid project management certification (e.g., PMP, PRINCE2) required.
• Technical team: Healthy mix of skills with valid SDWAN certifications (e.g., VMware, Cisco), relevant technical certifications (e.g., CCNA, CCNP), and industry experience in telecommunications, Internet services, network architecture.
• Each technical team member must have at least 5 years solid track record designing, implementing, maintaining SDWAN solutions; at least one member certified in network security with >5 years experience securing corporate WANs.

• Bidders must complete and sign pricing proposals; failure leads to disqualification.
• Only bidders scoring ≥70/100 on functionality proceed to price evaluation.
• 80/20 preference point system applies: 80 points for price, 20 points for Specific Goals.
• Price points calculated relative to lowest acceptable tender.

• Bidders must complete and sign pricing proposals; failure to submit leads to disqualification.
• Only bidders scoring at least 70/100 on functionality proceed to price evaluation.
• 80/20 preference point system applies: 80 points for price, calculated relative to the lowest acceptable tender.
• No upfront payments required; any solicitation for payment is fraudulent and must be reported.

• Mandatory documents: CSD registration proof, valid Tax Compliance Status (TCS PIN) from SARS, B-BBEE certificate or sworn affidavit (stamped by Commissioner of Oath), CIPC registration documents with director/shareholder IDs.
• Bidders must not be listed on National Treasury List of Restricted Suppliers, have directors on Register of Defaulters, or be deregistered on CIPC/CSD.
• Staff must be South African citizens; SEDFA reserves right to validate citizenship.
• Compliance with FICA: submit KYC documents (certified IDs, incorporation certificates, director lists).
• Mandatory technical compliance: valid ICASA ISP license (or partnership), ISPA membership, certified SDWAN partner status, ISO 27001/2, ITIL, COBIT standards, and minimum 3 reference letters for similar SDWAN projects in past 5 years.

• B-BBEE certificate or sworn affidavit required; sworn affidavit must be stamped by Commissioner of Oath and indicate ownership percentages and specific goals.
• Specific Goals points allocated for: enterprise size (micro, small, medium, large); B-BBEE status level (L1 to L8); black women owned (≥30%); youth employment; location (rural, township, city).
• Verification methods: CSD for enterprise size; BBBEE certificate/affidavit for ownership; CIPC/CSD for youth; utility bill, lease agreement, title deed, municipal letter for location.

• SEDFA not liable for any damages, losses, theft, or injury to bidder staff on site.
• Fire risk management and emergency evacuations required upon final works completion.
• Building must be declared gun-free.
• Full compliance certification must be supplied upon final works completion.

• Contract duration: Five-year period for managed SDWAN and Internet services.
• Key outcomes: Secure, highly available SDWAN across all sites; improved network performance, reliability, availability; enhanced security with centralized policy; simplified operations; scalable architecture; efficient cloud access; consistent support.
• Post-award conditions: Services rendered as per Scope of Work; monthly statements of payments required; SEDFA not liable for damages, losses, theft, or injury on site; procurement managed only by SEDFA Supply Chain; fire risk management and gun-free building compliance required.
• Staff requirements: Staff must be in good health, adequately trained, replacement available with SEDFA approval, dressed appropriately, and South African citizens.
• Resource requirements: Successful bidder must provide necessary work tools.
• Service Level Agreement: Required post-appointment with performance measurement.
• Supplier due diligence: SEDFA reserves right to conduct due diligence, including site visits, security/credit vetting.
• Material changes in bidder control/composition require prior written SEDFA approval.

2.6. COUNTER CONDITIONS Bidder’s attention is drawn to the fact that amendments to any of the bid conditions or setting of counter conditions by the bidder shall render the bid invalid.

• Mandatory requirements include: 3 contactable reference letters for SDWAN/Internet services in past 5 years; valid ICASA ISP license; detailed network diagram with 99.9% uptime SLA; detailed project plan completed within 4 months; support for three Classes of Service (voice, video, data); read-only SNMP access; monthly uptime 99.9% (Head Office) and 99.0% (regional/branch); latency <40 ms wired, <60 ms wireless; packet loss <1% wired, <2% wireless; MTTR ≤2 hours (Head Office), ≤4 hours (regional/branch); no dependency on open routing protocols; 24/7 call centre support; NOC with national footprint; scalability provision; compliance with ICASA, ISPA, SDWAN partner certifications, ISO 27001/2, ITIL, COBIT.

Pt−Pmin

Ps= 80(1− )

Pmin

Where

Ps = Points scored for price of tender under consideration

Pt = Price of tender under consideration

Pmin = Price of lowest acceptable tender

The points scored by a bidder in respect of Specific Goals will be added to the

points scored for price.

Only bidders who have completed and signed the declaration part of the

Specific Goal form and who have submitted the relevant supporting

documents will be allocated points.

The points scored will be rounded off to the nearest 2 decimals.

Criteria for breaking deadlock in scoring

a) If two or more tenderers score an equal total number of points, the contract

will be awarded to the tenderer that scored the highest points for Specific

Goals.

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b) If two or more tenderers score equal total points in all respects, the award

will be decided by the drawing of lots.

A contract may, on reasonable and justifiable grounds, be awarded to a tender

that did not score the highest number of points.

Sedfa reserves the right to enter into negotiations with the preferred bidder.

Sedfa reserves the right to provide policy relating to the handling of

information (Protection of Personal Information Act).

Annexure e

Scope of work / terms of reference

The purpose of this RFP is to appoint a qualified and experienced service provider to

supply, implement, support, and maintain managed SDWAN and Internet services

over a five-year period. The objective is to deliver a network solution that meets

SEDFA’s requirements for performance, high availability, security, and scalability

across all sites.