IT support, maintenance, internet and website services for ehlanzeni district municipality (3 years)

The purpose of the bid is to source support to manage the existing IT network and related services end-to-end without disruption to EDM's service delivery mandate. EDM is located at 8 van Niekerk Street, Mbombela, 1200, with approximately 200 end users at head office and 14 remote sites. The tender is categorised into three major areas: Category A (network support, maintenance, and management including equipment and IT security), Category B (provision of Internet services), and Category C (website hosting, development, maintenance, and support).

• Closing date: Friday, 25 September 2026 at 12:00.
• Compulsory briefing session: Wednesday, 02 September 2026 at 10:00.
• Venue: Ehlanzeni District Municipality Office Complex, DMC, 8 Van Niekerk Street, Sonheuwel Central, Mbombela, 1201.
• Tender documents available for download from Wednesday, 26 August 2026.

• A compulsory briefing session will be held on Wednesday, 02 September 2026 at 10:00.
• Venue: Ehlanzeni District Municipality Office Complex, DMC, 8 Van Niekerk Street, Sonheuwel Central, Mbombela, 1201.
• Further information regarding downloading and uploading of documents will be explained at the briefing.

Tenders must be submitted electronically in PDF format only via the Document Sharing and Collaboration Platform (NEPTUNE) at http://edmservices.ehlanzeni.gov.za.

• Closing date: Friday, 25 September 2026 at 12:00.
• Tenders received by telegram, fax, or post will not be considered. Late tenders will not be accepted.
• The completed tender document must be submitted as issued and signed. All certified copies must not be older than three months.
• Returnable forms (each must be completed and signed):
• MBD 1 (Invitation to Tender): captures bidder and contact details, signed as the offer cover page.
• Declaration of Interest (SBD 4 equivalent): discloses whether any director or shareholder is employed by the state or connected to the procuring institution.
• Preference Points Claim Form (SBD 6.1 equivalent): claims B-BBEE points under the 80/20 system.
• Declaration certificate for local production and content for designated sectors (SBD 6.2 equivalent).
• Declaration of Tenderer's Past Supply Chain Management Practices (SBD 8 equivalent).
• Certificate of Independent Bid Determination (SBD 9 equivalent): certifies no collusion or price disclosure.
• Authority to sign a tender (Board Resolution): authorises the named signatory to bind the bidder.
• Certificate of authority for joint ventures (if applicable).
• Additional mandatory documents: full CSD report (not older than 3 months), valid SARS PIN, certified CIPC registration, certified IDs of all directors, verifiable municipal account or lease (not older than 3 months), COIDA registration letter and letter of good standing, audited/reviewed financial statements for past 3 years, ICASA ECNS and ECS license, and a signed joint venture agreement (if applicable).
• Disqualification risks: any unsigned or omitted returnable form, submission after closing time, forgery of documents (reported to SAPS, restriction up to 10 years).

Tender documents can be viewed and downloaded at no cost on the Document Sharing and Collaboration Platform or Portal (NEPTUNE): http://edmservices.ehlanzeni.gov.za and National Treasury Portal from Wednesday, 26 August 2026.

Evaluation follows a two-stage process:

1. Responsiveness: based on mandatory requirements and functionality. Bidders must score a minimum of 70 out of 100 points on functionality to proceed.
2. Price and specified goals: evaluated under the 80/20 preference point system.

• 80 points for price.
• 20 points for specified goals (preference points) allocated as follows:

• 100% black-owned enterprise: 3 points (source: CSD report).

• More than 30% woman shareholding: 2 points.

• More than 30% youth shareholding: 2 points.

• More than 30% people living with disability shareholding: 2 points (source: medical certificate or CSD).

• More than 30% military veteran shareholding: 2 points (source: CSD report).

• EME located within Ehlanzeni District Municipality area: 2 points (source: CSD report; physical address must match proof of residence).

• Sub-contract minimum 30% of contract value to EMEs in the ward/local community: 2 points (source: commitment letter).

• Corporate Social Investment (CSI) or Social Labour Plan proposition: 3 points (source: CSI or Social Labour Plan).

• B-BBEE level 1 contribution: 2 points (source: SANAS accredited certificate, sworn affidavit for EME/QSE, or CIPC certificate).

• Total preference points to claim: 20.
• EMEs are Exempted Micro Enterprises with annual turnover of R10 million or less.
• The municipality is not bound to accept the lowest or any tender.

The tender covers three categories of IT support and maintenance services for Ehlanzeni District Municipality (EDM) for three years:

• Category A: Network support, maintenance and management including equipment and IT security.
• Category B: Provision of Internet services.
• Category C: Website hosting, development, maintenance and support.

Key service requirements include:

• End-to-end management of existing IT network and related services without disruption.
• EDM has approximately 200 end users at head office (8 van Niekerk Street, Mbombela) and 14 remote sites with about 50 employees, plus a disaster recovery site.
• Services must include LAN, WAN, SD-WAN, wireless, internet connectivity, cloud (Microsoft 365, Azure), remote connectivity (VPN, ZTNA), network security, endpoint security, email and collaboration security, cloud security, SOC services, vulnerability management, backup and disaster recovery, infrastructure monitoring, asset management, service desk, patch management, IT governance and compliance (POPIA, ISO 27001 alignment), business continuity, change management, reporting, project implementation, training, and vendor management.
• Category B: Primary and backup internet connectivity (fibre primary, wireless backup), minimum 1Gbps combined bandwidth, 99.9% availability, 1:1 contention ratio, 16 static public IPs, DNS services.
• Category C: Secure enterprise-grade web hosting (preferably SA data centre), 99.9% uptime, SSL certificates, WAF, DDoS protection, daily/weekly/monthly backups with 3-month retention, website redesign and development using a CMS, multi-language support, accessibility, integration with GIS, payment gateways, and document repositories.
• All equipment procured must include a minimum 3-year maintenance and support agreement. Equipment must not be older than 3-6 months from release.
• Delivery timelines: 1 week if stock available, 4-6 weeks if not. Penalty of up to 10% of order amount per week for late delivery.

• The successful bidder shall provide comprehensive network support, maintenance, monitoring, management, and optimisation services for EDM's ICT network infrastructure.
• Services include installation, configuration, upgrading, testing, commissioning, operational, project, and strategic management, 24x7x365 monitoring, governance, documentation, and reporting.
• All modifications must follow EDM's approved Change Management processes, including impact assessments, implementation plans, testing procedures, and rollback plans.
• For internet services: automatic failover and load-balancing mechanisms must be configured and tested regularly.
• For website: migration must be performed without data loss, broken links, or loss of functionality; migration testing must be done before commissioning.

• Bidders must demonstrate proven experience hosting and managing websites for government or public sector organisations.
• Experience with secure enterprise website development and hosting is required.
• Key personnel qualifications (scored under functionality):
• Category A (12 points): Network Engineer (Bachelor's/B-Tech/Advanced Diploma in ICT, ITIL 4 Foundation, Network+ with 5+ years experience), Microsoft Cloud Engineer (Bachelor's/B-Tech/Advanced Diploma, Az700, Sophos certification, 5+ years), IT Security Specialist (Bachelor's/B-Tech/Advanced Diploma in Cybersecurity, CISSP/CISM/CompTIA Security+/CEH/OSCP/GIAC, 5+ years), Network Cable Technician (Meganet Certified Installer, 3+ years), Fibre/Wireless Infrastructure Technician (fibre optic installation certification, OTDR testing, Cambium certification, 3+ years).
• Category B (4 points): Network Engineer (Bachelor's/B-Tech/Advanced Diploma in IT/Computer Science/Engineering, CCNP/JNCIP/PCNSE, 5+ years).
• Category C (12 points): WordPress Developer (WordPress Developer certification, PHP, JavaScript, HTML5, CSS3, 5+ years), WordPress Hosting/DevOps Engineer (Bachelor's/B-Tech/Advanced Diploma, Azure/AWS certifications, 5+ years), Web Designer/Graphic Designer (Diploma/Degree in IT or Web Development, HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, .NET, PHP, Node.js, Java, Python, UX Design, Adobe Certified Professional, 5+ years).
• Bidders must submit CVs and certified copies of academic qualifications for key personnel.
• Company experience: submit appointment letters and reference letters from three previous clients of similar size (scored under functionality).

• The successful bidder must provide proactive network monitoring, management, and NOC services.
• Regular network health assessments, configuration reviews, security assessments, performance analysis, and capacity planning are required.
• Monthly operational, performance, capacity, security, incident, and SLA compliance reports must be submitted.
• For internet services: minimum 99.9% availability, packet loss not more than 0.5%, jitter not more than 10 ms, latency not more than 20 ms to ISP core.
• For website hosting: minimum 99.9% uptime guarantee.
• Backup restoration testing must be performed regularly with reports confirming successful recovery.
• All audit findings, penetration testing findings, and vulnerability assessment findings must be remediated within 7 calendar days.

• Pricing must be submitted as a clear cost breakdown in the form of a quotation for year 1, year 2, and year 3, including charges for related consumables.
• The total offer including VAT must be transferred to MBD 1.
• All prices must include disbursements and VAT, stated in ZAR, and are firm.
• The contract is rates-based; the total tender price is for evaluation only.
• Costs for fibre installation, civil works, trenching, ducting, mast installation, and cabling infrastructure must be included in the pricing schedule.
• For website hosting, monthly uptime, performance, Google Analytics, and security reports are required.

• Pricing must be in South African Rand (ZAR) and firm (fixed) for the validity period.
• All prices must include disbursements and VAT. VAT must be shown as a lump sum on MBD 1.
• The contract is rates-based; the total tender price is for evaluation only and will not appear in the appointment letter.
• Bidders must attach a clear cost breakdown as a quotation for year 1, year 2, and year 3, including charges for related consumables. The total offer including VAT must be transferred to MBD 1.
• All items specified must be quoted; failure to do so renders the tender non-responsive.
• The municipality reserves the right to negotiate prices on items in the pricing schedule.
• Any discounts received from distributors must be passed on to EDM. Violation may result in termination or a 50% penalty on the invoiced amount.
• No specific bond or guarantee percentage is stated.

• Central Supplier Database (CSD) registration is mandatory. Submit a full CSD report not older than 3 months.
• Valid SARS PIN certificate (Tax Compliance Status) must be attached.
• Certified copy of company registration documents from CIPC.
• Certified copies of ID documents of all directors.
• Verifiable municipal account or lease agreement (not older than 3 months) for the tenderer and directors.
• Valid COIDA registration letter and letter of good standing from the Department of Employment and Labour.
• Audited or reviewed and signed annual financial statements for the past 3 years (or since incorporation if less than 3 years).
• Certified copies of ICASA ECNS and ECS license issued in the company's name.
• Joint ventures or consortia must submit a signed agreement.
• B-BBEE: Preference points are available for B-BBEE level 1 (2 points). Submit a valid SANAS accredited B-BBEE certificate, or a sworn affidavit for EME/QSE, or a CIPC certificate.
• No tender will be considered from persons in the service of the state.
• The offer must be valid for at least 90 days from the closing date.

• Contract duration: three years from date of appointment, subject to annual performance review.
• The municipality may cancel the contract summarily if the successful tenderer fails to execute the service; the tenderer is liable for any additional expense from calling for fresh tenders.
• Neither party may cede or assign the contract without written permission from the municipality.
• Failure to deliver within stipulated timeframes may lead to cancellation of the purchase order and the next service provider being considered.
• All equipment, software, and licences procured under this contract remain the sole property of EDM. Licences must be registered in EDM's name.
• The municipality reserves the right to appoint for the whole or part of the tender or not to appoint at all.
• The contract is subject to the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act, Preferential Procurement Regulations 2017, General Conditions of Contract (GCC), and any special conditions.

• Ehlanzeni District Municipality reserves the right to appoint for the whole or part of the tender or not to appoint at all.
• The municipality may negotiate prices on items in the pricing schedule.
• The contract is subject to the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act, Preferential Procurement Regulations 2017, General Conditions of Contract, and any special conditions.
• The successful tenderer must fill in and sign a written contract form.
• All equipment, software, and licences procured under this contract remain the sole property of EDM.

• Only service providers registered on the Central Supplier Database (CSD) will be considered; submit a full CSD report not older than 3 months.
• The offer must be firm, VAT and tax inclusive, and valid for at least 90 days from closing date.
• No tender will be considered from persons in the service of the state.
• Valid SARS PIN certificate must be attached.
• Certified CIPC registration documents and IDs of all directors must be submitted.
• Verifiable municipal account or lease agreement (not older than 3 months) for the tenderer and directors.
• Valid COIDA registration letter and letter of good standing.
• Audited/reviewed financial statements for the past 3 years.
• Certified ICASA ECNS and ECS license.
• Joint ventures must submit a signed agreement.
• All certified copies must not be older than 3 months.
• The tender document must be fully completed and signed as issued.

The tender is evaluated under the 80/20 preference point system: 80 points for price and 20 points for specified goals (preference points). Bidders must first pass a responsiveness check based on mandatory requirements and functionality, scoring a minimum of 70 out of 100 points on functionality to proceed to price and preference evaluation.