Panel of economic development advisors for ipp office – 5-Year term

Compulsory briefing session: 4 September 2026, 09:00 Johannesburg time (Microsoft Teams) – attendance is a pre-qualifier. Deadline for written clarification requests: 11 September 2026, 16:30 Johannesburg time. Deadline to request OneDrive submission link: 11 September 2026, 16:30. Closing date: 17 September 2026. Closing time: 23:55 (Telkom time). Tender validity period: 120 calendar days from closing time.

All enquiries and clarification requests: DBSA Supply Chain Management Unit, email [email protected]. No telephonic queries will be answered. Complaints about the tender process: email [email protected]. For complaints involving DBSA staff conduct: address to the Chief Executive Officer, DBSA physical address. Bidders must nominate one dedicated contact person (name, email, phone) for submission link requests.

Submission method: electronic only via a OneDrive link provided by DBSA after a written request for clarification is sent to [email protected] (quote RFP number in subject line). Requests for the submission link must be made by 11 September 2026, 16:30 Johannesburg time. Closing date: 17 September 2026. Closing time: 23:55 (Telkom time). Late bids will not be accepted. Bids must be submitted in two separate electronic folders: Folder 1 – Pre-Qualifying Criteria and Functional Evaluation; Folder 2 – Price/Financial Proposal. All bids must be on the official forms provided (not re-typed). Faxed or emailed bids are not accepted. Bidders must nominate one dedicated contact person (name, email, phone) for link requests. Attendance at the compulsory briefing session on 4 September 2026 at 09:00 (Microsoft Teams) is a pre-qualifier; non-attendance leads to immediate disqualification. Clarification requests must be submitted in writing to [email protected] at least three working days before the closing date; requests after 11 September 2026, 16:30 may not be attended to. Tender validity period: 120 calendar days from closing time; refusal to accept validity extensions results in exclusion.

Two-stage evaluation. Stage 1 – Administrative Responsiveness (Pre-Qualifying Criteria): compulsory briefing attendance (mandatory); clarification response time compliance (48 hours for standard conditions and returnable documents, 72 hours for CSD registration, 48 hours for SARS tax pin); CSD registration; valid tax compliance status (TCS pin or CSD number). Failure on any pre-qualifier disqualifies the bid. Stage 2 – Functional Evaluation (minimum threshold 70 out of 100 points). Only bidders scoring ≥70 proceed to panel appointment. Functional criteria and weightings: Company experience – at least 2 qualifying Economic Development advisory projects (30%, scoring: 1 or less = 0%, 2 = 15%, 3 = 20%, 4 = 30%); Team capacity and experience – organogram with Team Leader (10–14 years = 10%, ≥15 years = 15%) and at least 2 team members each with ≥3 years relevant experience, supported by CVs and professional registrations (20%, scoring: 2 qualifying CVs = 5%, <2 = 0%); Proven understanding and experience in drafting procurement suite of documents for large infrastructure projects reaching commercial and financial close – minimum 1 qualifying project (20%, scoring: 0 = 0%, 1 = 5%, 2 = 10%, 3 = 15%, 4 = 20%); Practical experience in monitoring and evaluation of Economic Development requirements post-award – minimum 1 qualifying project (20%, scoring: 0 = 0%, 1 = 5%, 2 = 10%, 3 = 15%, 4 = 20%); Reference letters on client letterhead, signed, with scope description and contact details for all projects listed in Annexure A (5%, all letters = 5%, partial/none = 0%); Proven economic development expertise including knowledge and application of most recent B-BBEE and PPPFA frameworks – at least one specific reference letter (5%). Bidders must provide supporting documentation as Annexure J. No Price and Preference Points evaluation is conducted; appointment is based on meeting the functional threshold. Objective criteria may be applied: bidders with 5 active awards with outstanding value may be excluded unless outstanding value ≤10% or a project has stalled ≥6 months. Due diligence on preferred bidder includes judgements, pending litigation, performance history, reputational risk, blacklisting, vetting, PEP checks, and financial ratio analysis.

Scope: Appointment to a panel of Economic Development (ED) advisors for the IPP Office (IPPO) for a period of 5 years. Services include: conceptualising, designing and drafting Request for Qualification (RFQ) and Request for Proposals (RFP) documents; evaluating bids received; undertaking all activities associated with Commercial and Financial Close; and any other ED advisory services required by the IPPO. Focus on large infrastructure projects under the IPP Programme. Bidders must demonstrate proven capacity at company level (minimum 2 qualifying projects) and team level (Team Leader with 10–15+ years Economic Development experience relevant to procurement suite design for large infrastructure projects reaching commercial and financial close; at least 2 team members each with ≥3 years similar experience). Must show proven experience in drafting procurement suite documents for economic development aspects of large infrastructure projects that have reached commercial and financial close (minimum 1 project). Must demonstrate practical experience in monitoring and evaluation of ED targets and objectives post-award, including development, implementation and analysis of ED evaluation scorecards (minimum 1 project). Professional registrations of team members must be provided. Reference letters for all projects listed in Annexure A must be on client letterhead, signed, with detailed service description and client contact details.

Company must demonstrate proven capacity and experience in providing Economic Development advisory services: minimum 2 qualifying projects (details in Annexure A including period, responsibility, scope, team members). Team must be led by a Team Leader with 10–15 years Economic Development experience relevant to drafting procurement suite documents for large infrastructure projects reaching commercial and financial close (10–14 years = 10%, ≥15 years = 15%). At least 2 team members each with ≥3 years similar experience; CVs and professional registrations required (2 qualifying CVs = 5%, <2 = 0%). Proven understanding and experience in drafting procurement suite documents on economic development aspects for large infrastructure projects reaching commercial and financial close: minimum 1 qualifying project (scoring per project count). Practical experience in monitoring and evaluation of ED requirements post-award, including development, implementation, and analysis of ED evaluation scorecards: minimum 1 qualifying project (scoring per project count). Verifiable reference letters on client letterhead, signed, with scope description and contact details for all projects in Annexure A (all letters = 5%, partial/none = 0%). Proven economic development expertise including knowledge and application of most recent B-BBEE and PPPFA frameworks: at least one specific reference letter (5%).

DBSA makes no representations or warranties that RFP content or information communicated during the tender process is accurate, current, or complete. DBSA and its officers, employees, and advisors are not liable for inaccurate, incomplete, or non-current information. Bidders who find discrepancies, ambiguities, errors, or inconsistencies (other than minor clerical matters) must promptly notify DBSA in writing to allow corrective action. Any actual discrepancies will, if possible, be corrected and communicated to all bidders without attribution.

No specific pricing schedule, bill of quantities, or rate structure is detailed in the provided document. The tender states there will be no Price and Preference Evaluation; appointment to the panel is based on meeting the functional threshold of 70%. Bidders must notify DBSA promptly of any pricing errors discovered after submission (excluding clerical errors with no evaluation impact). DBSA reserves the right to negotiate to ensure value for money and to award scope in full or part subject to budget availability.

No detailed pricing schedule or bill of quantities is specified in the extracted text. The tender indicates there will be no Price and Preference Evaluation; appointment is based on meeting the functional threshold. Bidders must notify DBSA promptly of any pricing errors discovered after submission (excluding clerical errors with no evaluation impact). DBSA reserves the right to negotiate to ensure value for money and to award scope in full or part subject to budget availability. No bond, guarantee, or insurance requirements are stated in the provided text.

Mandatory compliance documents: Central Supplier Database (CSD) registration (CSD Summary Report required); valid Tax Compliance Status (TCS) pin issued by SARS (or CSD number if TCS not available); B-BBEE status level verification certificate (original/valid/certified copy) or sworn affidavit (EMEs ≤R10m annual revenue: certificate from independent auditor or accredited verification agency; others: original/valid certificate or certified copy/sworn affidavit per National Treasury guidelines); SBD 4 Declaration of Interest (Annexure B); SBD 6.1 B-BBEE status level certificate (Annexure C); Certified CIPC company registration documents listing all members with percentages (Annexure F); Certified latest share certificates for companies (Annexure G); Breakdown of fees and work split for consortium members if applicable (Annexure H); Supporting documents for Pre-Qualifying and Functional Evaluation Criteria (Annexure I); General Conditions of Contract (Annexure J); CSD Tax Compliance Status and Registration Requirements Report (Annexure K). For consortia/joint ventures/sub-contractors: each party must submit separate proof of TCS/pin/CSD number. Unincorporated consortia must select a lead entity and furnish its details. Authority to sign (board resolution or similar) must be attached. Failure to submit any compulsory document may result in disqualification.

Contract will be governed by the General Conditions of Contract (GCC) and any Special Conditions of Contract in Part C. Bid validity: minimum 90 days from closing time, extendable by mutual written agreement (tender document states 120 calendar days). DBSA reserves the right to accept a bid in whole or in part, to negotiate with any bidder, and to award scope in full or part subject to budget availability. No binding contract exists until a formal written contract is executed. DBSA may cease, suspend, or alter the tender process at any time. DBSA may terminate participation of any bidder. Bids must not be conditional on board approval, due diligence, regulatory approvals, third-party consents, or desire to negotiate commercial terms; such conditional bids may be disregarded. DBSA may seek clarification and enter discussions with bidders; failure to supply satisfactory clarification may lead to disqualification. DBSA may invite presentations, site visits, references, or panel interviews. Selection as successful bidder does not create a contract. DBSA is under no obligation to appoint or contract if no compliant bid is found, need ceases, or funds unavailable. Bidder warrants: no reliance on representations outside the RFP; no improper assistance from DBSA employees; acceptance of all RFP terms; timely provision of additional information. DBSA rights include: varying/extending dates, requiring additional information, negotiating, calling for new bids, rejecting late bids. Confidentiality: all RFP contents and tender process information must be kept confidential and used only for proposal development. Anti-competitive conduct, collusion, fraud, corruption, and improper assistance are grounds for immediate disqualification. Complaints must be submitted in writing to SCM ([email protected]) immediately; complaints against DBSA staff to CEO. Conflict of interest must be disclosed; failure to notify DBSA of subsequent conflicts leads to disqualification. Late bids disqualified unless caused by DBSA, access denied, or major incident; DBSA determination of lodgement time is final. Intellectual property in bids remains with bidder; DBSA gets licence to reproduce for evaluation. Bids become property of DBSA upon submission. Due diligence on preferred bidder includes financial stability ratios, efficiency, profitability, financial risk, liquidity, acid test, solvency, PEP checks, vetting, judgements, pending litigation, performance history, reputational risk, and blacklisting.

See main evaluationCriteria section for full details. Additional notes: Objective criteria may exclude bidders with 5 active awards with outstanding value unless outstanding value ≤10% or a project has stalled ≥6 months. Due diligence on preferred bidder covers financial stability (ratio analysis), efficiency, profitability, financial risk, liquidity, acid test, solvency, PEP checks, vetting, judgements, pending litigation, performance history, reputational risk, and blacklisting. DBSA reserves the right to negotiate for value for money and to award scope in full or part subject to budget.