Design and manufacture of mirror steered system electronics for the csir gloss project

Closing date and time: 09 October 2026 at 16:30 (South African standard time).

Last date for submission of enquiries/clarifications: 21 September 2026 at 16:30.

No briefing session or site visit is stated.

All enquiries must be submitted in writing to [email protected], using the RFP number and description as the subject reference.

Contact with CSIR personnel involved in this tender is not permitted during the RFP process, except as required through existing service arrangements or as requested by the CSIR.

No telephone numbers or named contacts are provided.

Submission channel — proposals must be submitted electronically to [email protected]. No other submission method is accepted. Late proposals are not considered.

Email format — submissions must be split into two separate emails, clearly subject-referenced with the RFP number and description:

• Part 1: Technical Proposal (RFP number on each file/folder)
• Part 2: Pricing Proposal and Specific Goals claim documentation (RFP number on each file/folder)

File handling — cloud solutions (WeTransfer, Google Drive, Dropbox) are not accepted. If the total submission exceeds 25MB, send multiple emails. File names must be short and simple.

Signing — proposals must be signed by a person or persons duly authorised.

Disqualification risks:

• Late submission or submission to an incorrect address/email.
• Amending or qualifying any RFP condition (counter conditions).
• Missing mandatory returnable documents listed in Annexure E.
• Pricing or specific goals information appearing in the technical proposal.
• Failure to comply with any term or condition in the document.

Returnable forms (all must be completed and signed):

• Annexure A – SBD 1 (Invitation to Bid) — bidder details and offer.
• Annexure E – Proposal Form and List of Returnable Documents — includes authority to negotiate and offer acceptance.
• Annexure F – Certificate of Acquaintance with RFP.
• Annexure G – Preference Points Award Form.
• Annexure H – SBD 4 (Declaration of Interest) — discloses any connection to state employees.
• Annexure I – RFP Declaration and Breach of Law Form.
• Annexure J – Mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement.
• Completed Pricing Schedule (Annexure D) on official letterhead.
• CSD registration report (RSA suppliers only).
• Proof of authority (e.g. company resolution) for the signatory.

Three-phase evaluation:

Phase 1 – Elimination: bidders failing any of the following are eliminated:

• Late submission.
• Submission to incorrect location/email (only [email protected] accepted).
• Listed on National Treasury's restricted suppliers database.
• Listed on the Register of Tender Defaulters.
• Missing mandatory returnable documents (Annexure E).

Phase 2 – Technical/Functional evaluation (out of 100 points):

• System engineering experience: 10
• Design and development of electronic systems: 40
• Manufacturing, assembly and integration capability: 30
• Testing capabilities and infrastructure (environmental testing – vibration, thermal cycling, thermal shock, EMI/EMC tolerance; standards conformance and QA testing): 15
• Reference letters with positive feedback: 5

Minimum thresholds: 50% on each individual criterion and 70% overall. Bidders failing these are eliminated from Phase 3.

Phase 3 – Price and Preference Points (out of 100):

• 80 points for Price
• 20 points for Preference Points (per Annexure G)

Objective criteria: the CSIR may award to a bidder that did not score the highest total points, in accordance with Section 2(1)(f) of the PPPFA, provided the bidder's directors, shareholders or officers are not formally charged with fraudulent or illegal conduct that could harm the CSIR's reputation.

Scope — design, development, assembly, integration and supply of printed circuit boards (PCBs), associated electronic components, wiring, modules and subassemblies forming the complete electronic system for the GLOSS Mirror Steered System project.

System functions:

• Distribute external power to internal electronics.
• Regulate external power and distribute to internal components.
• Control mirror motors in azimuth and elevation.
• Control the camera rotation motor in azimuth.
• Read motor positions from encoders.
• Provide a serial communication interface for external control and monitoring.
• Provide a debug/programming interface for embedded processors/microcontrollers.
• Allow ±90 degrees rotation in azimuth on camera and mirror motors, and ±45 degrees in elevation on the mirror motor, without tangling wires.

Platform context — the Mirror Steered System is an experimental platform; the first version will track Mach 1 targets at a radius of 100m from the sensor, configured with a visual camera. Future development will enable long-range, high-speed tracking and Infrared Electronic Warfare (IREW) countermeasure capabilities.

CSIR will provide:

• Design of the housing.
• Design of the internal mechanics.
• Selection and procurement of the visual camera and lens.

Deliverables from the winning bidder:

• Project plan with statement of work (SOW), timelines, fortnightly progress meetings and design reviews.
• System engineering documentation pack (design specification, family trees, bill of materials, standard conformance test reports and CoCs).
• Manufactured and tested electronic systems on PCBs, in accordance with IPC class 2 standard.
• Design and manufacturing datapack.
• Assembly jigs (if used) and their manufacturing datapack.
• Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) with test reports for functionality.
• Applicable test equipment setup and datapack/datasheet.

Design reviews (with formal sign-off before milestone invoices and proceeding to next phase):

• System Requirements Review (SRR)
• Preliminary Design Review (PDR)
• Critical Design Review (CDR)
• Assembly, Integration and Test (AIT) completion
• Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) and evaluation completion

The CSIR may influence milestone structuring.

The RFP structure comprises Section A (General RFP Terms and Conditions) and Section B (Evaluation Methodology/Process). Bidders must submit a detailed technical proposal including a technical scope of work and a project schedule (Gantt chart) with timelines. The CSIR may influence milestone structuring. Design reviews must be conducted after each milestone with formal sign-off before proceeding.

Technical proposal must include:

• Company profile.
• Team member CVs/resumes.
• Company organogram.
• Detailed technical proposal with technical scope of work and project schedule (Gantt chart).

Evaluation criteria weight experience in system engineering, design and development of electronic systems, manufacturing assembly and integration, testing capabilities, and reference letters. Bidders must demonstrate completed projects with evidence (e.g. pictures, test reports, reference letters).

Quality requirements:

• Manufactured PCBs must conform to IPC class 2 standard.
• Deliverables include standard conformance test reports and Certificates of Conformance (CoCs).
• A Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) with test reports for functionality is required.
• Design reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, AIT, FAT) must be conducted after each milestone, with formal sign-off before milestone invoices are issued.
• Testing capabilities and infrastructure are evaluated, including experience with environmental testing (vibration, thermal cycling, thermal shock, EMI/EMC tolerance) and QA testing.
• Bidders must provide reports, test certificates or test results as evidence of testing experience.

Pricing must be submitted in South African Rand, including all applicable taxes. Bidders must complete Annexure D (Pricing Schedule – Professional Services) on official company letterhead. The schedule requires:

• A ceiling price based on total estimated time for all phases, including all expenses and taxes.
• Hourly and daily rates for personnel involved.
• Cost per phase and man-days per phase.
• Travel expenses (rate/km, total km, class of air travel) — only actual costs recoverable, with proof.
• Other expenses (accommodation, telephone, reproduction) — actual costs with proof.
• Period required for commencement after acceptance.
• Estimated man-days for completion.
• Whether rates are firm for the full contract period; if not, the basis for adjustment (e.g. CPI).

Prices subject to escalation or exchange rate fluctuations must be clearly indicated with currency and rate of exchange. Pricing must strictly follow the Pricing Schedule.

Pricing must be in South African Rand, including all applicable taxes, less all unconditional discounts.

Pricing must be submitted strictly in accordance with Annexure D (Pricing Schedule – Professional Services).

Bidders must indicate a ceiling price based on the total estimated time for completion of all phases, including all expenses and taxes.

Rates — bidders must provide hourly and daily rates for persons involved in the project. Certified invoices must be rendered in terms of these rates.

Phases — bidders must provide cost per phase and man-days per phase.

Expenses — travel and other expenses (e.g. accommodation) are recoverable at actual cost only, with proof accompanying certified invoices.

Escalation — prices subject to escalation or exchange rate fluctuations must be clearly indicated, with the currency and rate of exchange used.

Payment — according to CSIR Payment Terms and Conditions. Invoices must quote the CSIR purchase order number; invoices without it will be returned.

Rates firmness — bidders must state whether rates are firm for the full contract period; if not, provide the basis for adjustment (e.g. CPI).

No bonds, guarantees or insurance requirements are stated.

CSD registration — mandatory for RSA suppliers. Bidders must be registered on the Central Supplier Database (www.csd.gov.za) and provide their CSD registration number. Foreign suppliers with no local registered entity are exempt.

Tax compliance — bidders must be tax compliant. Provide a SARS Tax Compliance Status (TCS) PIN or CSD number. If a recommended bidder is not tax compliant, they have 7 working days to submit proof from SARS of compliance or an arrangement to meet outstanding obligations, failing which the bid is rejected.

B-BBEE — preference points claimed via Annexure G (Preference Points Award Form). Joint ventures must submit a consolidated B-BBEE scorecard.

Joint ventures — must submit:

• Signed joint venture agreement indicating lead partner and split of work.
• Consolidated B-BBEE certificate.
• Tax Compliance Status (TCS) or CSD report for each partner.
• Proof of ownership/shareholder certificates.
• Company registration certificates.

Fronting — any fronting indicators will be investigated; the bidder must prove fronting does not exist within 14 days of notification, failing which the bid/contract may be invalidated and the bidder restricted from public sector business for up to 10 years.

Tender defaulters — bidders on the National Treasury Register of Tender Defaulters or List of Restricted Suppliers are disqualified.

State employment — bids from persons in the service of the state, or companies with directors who are, are not considered.

No CIDB grading or local content percentage is stated.

Indemnity — if a bidder breaches the bid conditions and the CSIR incurs costs or damages (including investigations, procedural impairment, repetition of the bid process, or enforcement of IP or confidentiality obligations), the bidder indemnifies the CSIR.

Precedence — this document prevails over any information provided during any briefing session, unless written information expressly amends it.

Tax compliance — no award to a non-tax-compliant bidder. If a recommended bidder is not compliant, they have 7 working days to provide proof from SARS. The CSIR may withdraw an award or cancel a contract if the bidder was not tax compliant at award or does not remain compliant during the contract term.

Tender defaulters — no award to bidders on the Register of Tender Defaulters or List of Restricted Suppliers. The CSIR may withdraw an award if the bidder is blacklisted by another government institution.

Governing law — South African law governs; bidders submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of South African courts.

Confidentiality — bidders must not disclose any information relating to the bid or their tender. The bid documents remain proprietary to the CSIR and must be returned on request. Written approval is required before releasing any information about the potential work or the bid process.

Availability of funds — the CSIR may terminate or suspend the agreement if funds are no longer available; the successful bidder is entitled to payment for services delivered up to the date of cancellation or suspension.

Personal information — both parties consent to processing personal information under the POPI Act. Bidders must comply with POPI and CSIR's data protection governance. The CSIR may audit compliance.

Disclaimer — the RFP is not an offer; submission does not create a contract. Bidders are deemed to have accepted all terms and conditions. The CSIR makes no representations or warranties regarding the RFP.

The CSIR reserves the right to:

• Extend the closing date.
• Correct mistakes in the bid documents before closing.
• Verify any information in the bidder's submission.
• Request documentary proof.
• Carry out site inspections, product evaluations or explanatory meetings.
• Award to a bidder that did not score the highest total points, in accordance with Section 2(1)(f) of the PPPFA.
• Request audited financial statements for due diligence.
• Award the RFP as a whole or in part, or to multiple bidders.
• Cancel or terminate the tender process at any stage.
• Post-tender negotiate on any elements of the bid.
• Not award to a bidder associated with a security breach or whose directors are formally charged with fraudulent or illegal conduct.

Bidders must not engage in collusive tendering, seek unlawful assistance from government employees, offer inducements, or pay contingent fees. Past fraud or forgery convictions disqualify a bidder. Misrepresentation in the tender may lead to service termination and claims by the CSIR. Bidders bear all preparation costs and participate at their own risk. The CSIR is not liable for any costs or damages incurred by bidders.

The evaluation follows a three-phase process. Phase 1 eliminates bidders who submit late, to the wrong address, are on the National Treasury restricted suppliers list or tender defaulters register, or who fail to submit mandatory returnable documents. Phase 2 evaluates technical criteria out of 100 points: system engineering experience (10), design and development of electronic systems (40), manufacturing assembly and integration capability (30), testing capabilities and infrastructure (15), and reference letters (5). Bidders must achieve at least 50% on each individual criterion and 70% overall to proceed. Phase 3 evaluates price (80 points) and preference points (20 points) per Annexure G. The CSIR may award to a bidder that did not score the highest total points under Section 2(1)(f) of the PPPFA, provided the bidder's directors, shareholders or officers are not formally charged with fraudulent or illegal conduct.