Rendering of eyecare services to the metro health services for a three (3) year period

Closing — Friday 04 September 2026 at 11:00 AM.

Queries — must be submitted before end of business Friday 28 August 2026; responses issued before end of business Tuesday 01 September 2026.

Exchange rate — for bid pricing, use rates applicable 10 days before closing, on Friday 25 August 2026.

Validity — offers valid for 120 calendar days from closing date, expiring 02 January 2027.

Bidding procedure enquiries — Riaan Meyer, 021 834 9018, [email protected].

Technical enquiries — Rochelle Hardnick, 021 834 9017, [email protected].

CSD/e-Procurement helpdesk — [email protected].

Bidders must email Riaan Meyer when downloading the bid document from the eTenders portal, providing company name, contact person, phone number and email address.

Submission channel — hard copy deposited in the Department of Health bid box at Supply Chain Management Offices (M9 building), Karl Bremer Hospital, c/o Mike Pienaar Boulevard & Frans Conradie Avenue, Bellville. Box open Monday to Friday 07:30–16:00 excluding public holidays.

Soft copy — a completed bid document on USB must accompany the hard copy; the hard copy prevails if they differ.

Format — bids in a sealed envelope marked with bidder name and address, bid number and closing date; all documents in English, completed in black ink or electronically, signatures original handwritten in black ink.

Returnable forms — WCBD1 (Invitation to Bid) with proof of South African representative status and proof of authority to sign; WCBD3.1/3.2 (Pricing Schedule, firm and non-firm); WCBD4 (Declaration of Interests, Past SCM Practices, Independent Bid Determination); WCBD5 (National Industrial Participation); WCBD6.1 (Preference Points Claim) with B-BBEE certificate or sworn affidavit; OHS Act Section 37(2) Agreement (Annexure B).

Disqualification risks — late bids not accepted; bids by telegram, telex, fax or email not considered; failure to submit any requested information may disqualify; unauthorised alterations to bid documents not recognised; bids must be on official forms, not re-typed or redrafted; omitted or duplicated pages at bidder's risk.

Evaluation phases — Phase 1 checks strict compliance with all compulsory conditions; Phase 2 checks agreement to all conditions of contract; Phase 3 applies points for price and B-BBEE status under the 90:10 Preferential Procurement Points System.

Award — based on compliance with mandatory requirements and specifications measured through clinical acceptability, then price and preference points; the Department may award in part or whole, to a single or multiple bidders.

Samples — requested approximately 2–3 weeks after closing from bidders passing Phase 1; each item/sub-item needs a separate sample with an evaluation form; samples must be labelled with bid number, item number and bidder details; no representative samples accepted; late samples disregarded; successful bidders' samples retained for the contract period; unsuccessful bidders must collect within two weeks of award notification.

Additional evidence — on request after Phase 1: clinical evidence, equipment calibration certificates, ISO13485 certification, certificate of practice registration.

Site visits — the Department may visit bidder or subcontractor premises by prior arrangement.

Scope — provision of eye care services to the Metro Health Services across four Cape Metro substructures: Southern/Western, Klipfontein/Mitchells Plain, Tygerberg/Northern, Khayelitsha/Eastern.

Service delivery — screening, examination and refraction must take place at or in close proximity to clinics and community health centres, minimum 10 sites per substructure; supplier must secure its own space if the Department cannot provide it.

Frames — same frame range for the full 3-year contract; one-year guaranteed replacement on frame failure, replaced by the dispenser at the clinic; full set of frame samples including paediatric frames at each clinic.

Ready readers — provided at clinic level; patients may receive a new pair every 3 years; only dispensed on recording of non-contact tonometry and auto-refraction readings.

Lenses — all CR39 lenses hard coated; glass lenses only in exceptional cases at optometrist's discretion, cost borne by the service provider; Colourmatic or tinted lenses only for severe photophobia from specified pathologies, not exceeding 5% of total spectacles; exceptional scripts above +/-6.00D must be pre-calibrated or high refractive index, not exceeding 5% of total.

Contact lenses — trial lenses for soft lenses arranged by the service provider from the manufacturer; fitting sets for hard lenses per district.

Cost to patient — no additional charge for spectacles; no money received from patients by any service provider or staff; no extra services beyond provincial eye care norm; no additions or upgrades to frames or lenses.

Referrals — eye care personnel may not refer patients to any specific private optometric practice; referrals only for presbyopic patients.

Performance monitoring — monthly statistics/reports due within the first 7 days of each month; reports in MS Excel; patient records must clearly indicate service performed, date and outcome; Department owns all data and patient information.

Capacity — supplier must have operational capacity to increase tests and add service points for catch-up campaigns during the contract.

Exclusions — special refractions, custom-made prosthetic eyes, low vision aids, and high modality hard lenses for keratoconus are excluded from this bid.

Service delivery — eye care services standardised across the four substructures and integrated into the existing District Health System; services provided inside or in close proximity to Community Day Centres or District Hospitals.

Team — integrated team including Community Care Workers, Dispensing Opticians, Optometrists, Ophthalmic Nurses, Medical Officers, Family Physicians and Ophthalmologists; working with Level 2 and 3 services.

Equipment — bidder provides equipment, staff and consumables; where MHS provides equipment or infrastructure, bidder may use it with consent but must still render services with its own equipment if withdrawn.

Focus areas — burden of disease in Cape Metro: refractive errors, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and cataracts; aim to prevent blindness.

Account management — contractor appoints an Account Manager as single point of contact working with Substructure PHC Manager or District Programme Manager.

MHS integration — MHS may render some services itself, e.g., school screening; supplier may not charge for screening if required information is provided; screening by dispensing opticians and examination by optometrists may be progressively taken over by MHS within the 3-year period.

Referral processes — upgraded and standardised across the metro; personnel must conduct themselves per provincial norms of staff conduct and ethical rules.

Contract end — within 30 days of contract end, parties submit relevant documents and statistics and clear outstanding matters.

Quality compliance — random samples collected for quality compliance testing throughout the contract period.

Clinical outcomes — aim of 'best visual outcome' must prevail in all eye care service provision; implementation of equitable, effective, efficient primary eye care services in pursuit of prevention of avoidable blindness.

Performance monitoring — Primary Healthcare Manager or appointed representative monitors conformance to specifications and conditions in terms of quality and process; Key Performance Indicators agreed before contract commences.

Patient records — must clearly indicate service performed, date and outcome; indicators cannot be reported without verifiable corresponding patient record.

Reporting — monthly statistics/reports in MS Excel submitted within first 7 days of each month.

Pricing basis — estimated quantities for a 3-year period per substructure; prices in SA Rand including VAT, quoted per item per year.

Refractive error thresholds — spectacles only for patients with significant refractive error: adults <6/9 binocularly, myopia -1.00DS or more, astigmatism 1.50DC or more, hypermetropia +3.00DS or more; children lower thresholds; adjustable at optometrist's discretion.

Items — visual acuity screening with pinhole by Dispensing Optician; retinal photography including grading and referral note; examination, refraction and tonometry by Optometrist; ready-made readers (CR39 White +1.00 to +3.50D in 0.50D steps); single vision spectacles (CR39 White, high index, Colourmatic, tints); bifocal spectacles (CR39 White Flat-Top 28); soft contact lenses (supply per patient for 3 years); hard contact lenses (4 pairs per patient).

Estimated quantities (Southern/Western) — screening 56,868; retinal photography 13,713; optometrist examination 31,042; ready readers 11,695; single vision spectacles 10,029; high index 1,252; Colourmatic 36; bifocal 27,996; tints 147.

Estimated quantities (Klipfontein/Mitchells Plain) — screening 46,081; retinal photography 11,607; optometrist examination 38,207; ready readers 7,974; single vision spectacles 7,251; high index 1,360; bifocal 25,271; tints quantities not stated; soft contact lens quantities unknown.

Form details — bidders must state frame brand name, frame country of manufacture, ready-made reader brand name, confirm specification compliance, indicate deviations, and state whether prices are firm; if non-firm, complete WCBD3.1/2.

Pricing must include delivery of spectacles to the clinic within 2 weeks of examination.

Pricing format — bid prices in South African Rand including VAT, quoted per item per substructure for each of three years; prices must be the same across all substructures.

Firm vs non-firm — firm prices for the contract duration may receive preference; fluctuating price structures not considered; bidders may bid fixed prices for periods or one flat rate for three years subject to Rate of Exchange only.

Exchange rate — for imported content, use rates applicable 10 days before closing (25 August 2026); maximum imported content claimable is 85%, remaining 15% treated as profit and overheads; if the ZAR strengthens, the Department may claim the difference.

Payment — by electronic funds transfer; payment 30 days from receipt of invoice; successful bidders must provide banking details for Logis, BAS, Syspro systems.

Spectacle pricing — must include delivery to the prescribing clinic in time for dispensing exactly 2 weeks from examination date; the down-time buffer should be accommodated in pricing.

Penalties — 10% of full cost per month for spectacles not provided within 30 days; replacement of defective spectacles at service provider's cost; 5% of monthly invoice for non-submission of monthly statistics; 1% of monthly invoice for non-submission of monthly statements; R1,000 for non-attendance of pre-arranged meetings; 2% of invoice value for late invoice submission.

Invoicing — contractor must bill each facility separately and submit invoices with supporting documents to Finance at linked District Hospitals at end of each month.

CSD registration — all bidders must be registered on the Central Supplier Database at bid closing; unregistered bidders must self-register at www.csd.gov.za; tax compliance status must be verifiable on CSD, with 7 working days to confirm if non-compliant.

B-BBEE — only the B-BBEE status on WCBD6.1 applies to evaluation, not the status on WCSEB or CSD; must be substantiated by a SANAS-accredited verification certificate or sworn affidavit.

HPCSA — evidence of valid HPCSA registration for all personnel engaged in service provision is a compulsory condition.

OHS — mandatory OHS Act Section 37(2) Agreement must be completed and submitted with the bid; failure may render the bid non-responsive.

Manufacturer consent — if not the manufacturer, written evidence from suppliers/manufacturers that they have no objection and will continue supply.

Experience — bidder must be in business for at least 5 years with proof of company registration; an optometrist licensed for cycloplegic refractions must be available in each substructure, with name and HPCSA registration provided.

State employees — no bids considered from persons in the service of the state, companies with directors who are state employees, or close corporations with members who are state employees.

OHS Act Section 37(2) Agreement — mandatory, must be completed and submitted with the bid; template in Section 10 Annexure B; failure may render the bid non-responsive; applies to all procurements with on-site work or health and safety risks regardless of value.

Contract form — successful bidder must complete and sign WCBD7.1 (Contract Form for Purchase of Goods/Works/Services).

Transfer and subcontracting — no assignment, cession or transfer without prior written approval; subcontractors only as identified in WCBD6.1; bidder exclusively responsible for subcontractor compliance and payment.

Warranty — goods new, unused, current models; no defects from design, materials or workmanship; warranty valid 12 months from delivery and acceptance; bidder must repair or replace defective goods at no cost to the Department.

Department rights — may withdraw services, terminate participation, accept or reject bids, amend the process, cancel the bid, and not accept the lowest or highest points bid; may award to single or multiple bidders.

Site visits — Department may visit bidder's facility without prior notification throughout the contract term.

Deductions and penalties — 10% of full cost per month for spectacles not provided within 30 days; replacement of defective spectacles at service provider's cost; 5% of monthly invoice for non-submission of monthly statistics; 1% of monthly invoice for non-submission of monthly statements; R1,000 for non-attendance of pre-arranged meetings; 2% of invoice value for late invoice submission.

Invoicing — bill each facility separately, submit invoices with supporting documents to Finance at linked District Hospitals at end of each month; valid invoices settled within 30 days.

Volume flexibility — substructures may increase or decrease number of patients referred within reasonable timeframe; no minimum order quantities.

Service level agreement — must be signed prior to contractor's assumption of duty.

Termination — contractor must submit all relevant documentation, statistics and pending matters within 30 days of contract termination; all data and patient information owned by the Department.

Compulsory conditions — submission of all applicable documentary evidence; completion of all mandatory Western Cape Bid Documents; fully completed WCBD3.1; CSD registration at bid closing; valid HPCSA registration of all personnel; if not the manufacturer, written consent from suppliers/manufacturers; bidder in business for at least 5 years with proof of company registration; optometrist licensed for cycloplegic refractions available in each substructure.

Contact person — bidders must provide particulars of the contact person responsible for all queries, including name, designation, telephone, fax, cell phone and email.

Bidders must bid for all four substructures; the Department may allocate to one or multiple suppliers.

Phased evaluation — Phase 1 strict compliance with compulsory conditions; Phase 2 agreement to all conditions of contract; Phase 3 points for price and B-BBEE status under the 90:10 system.

Samples — requested 2–3 weeks after closing from compliant bidders; each item needs a separate sample with evaluation form; samples must be labelled with bid number, item number and bidder details; no representative samples; late samples disregarded; successful bidders' samples retained for contract period; unsuccessful bidders collect within two weeks.

Additional evidence — on request: clinical evidence, equipment calibration certificates, ISO13485 certification, certificate of practice registration.

Site visits — Department may visit bidder premises by prior arrangement.