Request for proposals from suitably qualified service providers to conduct an audit of signage requirements across the eleven (11) thematic routes of the city of johannesburg

The Johannesburg Tourism Company (JTC), a destination management organisation of the City of Johannesburg, is undertaking a comprehensive audit of signage requirements across eleven thematic routes. The routes cover major tourism nodes and precincts, including Soweto, Sophiatown and other sites, and are designed to foster spatial integration and stimulate local tourism economies. The audit will primarily assess the physical state of existing signs and identify locations for new installations. The expected output is a comprehensive Signage Audit Report including a map with cadastral attributes, identifying signs to be replaced and locations for new installations, with details on land location (erf numbers), GPS coordinates, street boundary lines, sign condition, structural integrity, and regulatory and legislative compliance.

Closing date: 17 September 2026, closing time 10h00. Briefing meeting: 11 September 2026, 10h30-12h30, non-compulsory, held online. Bidders must request the meeting link from [email protected].

Procurement enquiries: [email protected]. Technical enquiries: [email protected]. Submission address: Sandton Library Offices, Nelson Mandela Square, West Street, Sandton, for the attention of the Accounting Officer, Johannesburg Tourism Company.

Quotations must be deposited in the bid box at Sandton Library Offices, Nelson Mandela Square, West Street, Sandton, in a sealed envelope bearing the quotation description, reference number, closing time and due date, for the attention of the Accounting Officer, Johannesburg Tourism Company. No emailed quotes will be accepted. Late submissions will not be received. Quotations must be completed in black ink. All parts of the pricing schedule must be quoted; omission of any part results in disqualification. Price corrections must be crossed out in ink and initialled; correction fluid (Tipp-Ex) is not permitted and may invalidate the quotation. Returnable documents: quotation on company letterhead; valid certified B-BBEE certificate or affidavit; valid tax clearance certificate; CSD registration number on the front page in clear handwriting; completed RFQ including municipal bidding documents (MBDs); municipal account not in arrears for more than 90 days for the company and all directors, or lease agreement, or affidavit if neither leasing nor owning property; certification of documents must be within three months.

Evaluation is in three phases. Phase one: compliance with RFQ requirements, including submission of all mandatory returnable documents and full completion of the RFQ. Phase two: functionality, scored out of 100 points. Bidders scoring less than 65 points are non-responsive. Functionality criteria: (1) Methodology and approach (50 points) – detailed and comprehensive plan covering condition assessment, compliance gap analysis, GPS/GIS mapping integration, stakeholder engagement, outputs and a clear project timeline (Gantt chart) scores 50; standard methodology scores 40; adequate but missing detail scores 30; poor or generic scores 0. (2) Reference letters (30 points) – signed reference letters on clients' letterhead for signage audits, tourism infrastructure assessments or asset management projects; five or more projects score 30, four score 25, three score 20, one to two score 0. (3) Key personnel and expertise (20 points) – CVs and proof of professional registration must be attached; failure to attach proof of professional registration results in zero points for this criterion. Project Manager: degree in Tourism, Town Planning or Engineering with 10+ years' relevant experience (20 points). GIS Specialist: diploma in GIS with 10+ years' experience in spatial asset mapping (15 points). Data Specialist: diploma in IT with 3-5 years in spatial data collection, analysis or coordinate mapping (10 points). No CV or professional registration attached scores 0. Phase three: price and preferential goals, using the 80/20 preference point system. Maximum 80 points for price and 20 points for preferential goals. Preferential goals: business owned 51%+ by Black people (3 points), by women (3 points), by Black youth (2 points), by Black people with disabilities (2 points), enterprise located within the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality (5 points), SMME (EME or QSE) (5 points). Disqualification criteria: failure to complete the pricing schedule in full; failure to attach a letter confirming errors or alterations in the price schedule.

The service provider will conduct an audit of signage requirements across eleven thematic routes of the City of Johannesburg. The routes are: 1. Mining Heritage Route, 2. Newtown Route (Arts and Culture), 3. Human Rights Route, 4. Sophiatown Route (Forced Removals), 5. Vilakazi Street Route (Political Resistance), 6. Soweto Culture, 7. Liberation Heritage Route, 8. Museums and Arts (City Treasures), 9. Sports Tourism Route, 10. Jozi Musical Journey (Performing Arts and Music), 11. Eco tourism Experience. The audit must assess the physical state of existing signs, structural integrity of supporting infrastructure (posts, poles), identify obscured, vandalised, outdated signs and incorrect arrows, identify new signage requirements, and create a digital dataset (GIS/Excel) with GPS coordinates and photographs for every site. Deliverables: (1) Inventory and asset mapping – locate and log every existing tourism wayfinding and directional sign, record GPS coordinates, dimensions, materials and photo evidence. (2) Compliance and standards review – assess alignment with South African Road Traffic Signs Manual (SARTSM) and applicable municipal bylaws, and accessibility compliance (font sizes, contrast, height placements). (3) Gap analysis – evaluate physical conditions (weathering, vandalism, structural integrity), generate a map showing locations for new signs, flag signs encroaching on private property. (4) Spatial data intersection and GIS layering – overlay audited signs onto the official municipal cadastral map, attribute each sign to an Erf Number, Parcel ID or Farm Number, identify legal owner of land. (5) Audit reporting – comprehensive report including repair and new installation register, signage prioritisation matrix, cost estimates, implementation plan with compliance requirements. Contract period is 6 months from date of appointment and issuance of purchase order.

The proposed methodology must cover condition assessment, compliance gap analysis, GPS/GIS mapping integration, stakeholder engagement, outputs and a clear project timeline (Gantt chart). The audit report must include a repair and new installation register, signage prioritisation matrix, cost estimates, and an implementation plan with compliance requirements in terms of the South African Road Traffic Signs Manual and City of Johannesburg bylaws.

Bidders must submit signed reference letters on clients' letterhead for signage audits, tourism infrastructure assessments or asset management projects. Key personnel requirements: Project Manager – degree in Tourism, Town Planning or Engineering with 10+ years' relevant experience; GIS Specialist – diploma in GIS with 10+ years' experience in spatial asset mapping; Data Specialist – diploma in Information Technology with 3-5 years in spatial data collection, data analysis or coordinate mapping. Proof of professional registration must be attached; failure to do so results in zero points for the key personnel criterion.

The pricing schedule is for firm prices, inclusive of VAT. Items to be priced: 1. Inventory and Asset Mapping, 2. Compliance and Standards Review, 3. Gap Analysis, 4. Spatial Data Intersection and GIS Layering, 5. Audit Report. All items must be quoted; omission of any part results in disqualification. Prices must be quoted in South African Rand, inclusive of VAT. No price increases or adjustments will be considered. Offers must remain valid for 30 days from the closing date. If subcontracting more than 25% of the work, the bidder must indicate the subcontractor's name, percentage, and attach the subcontractor's B-BBEE certificate.

Prices must be quoted in South African Rand, inclusive of VAT. Only firm prices will be accepted; non-firm prices (including those subject to exchange rate variations) will not be considered. No price increases or adjustments will be considered. No upfront payments will be made; the successful bidder must have sufficient cash flow to project manage the work. Payment will be made upon submission of invoices for completed projects. Offers must remain valid for 30 days from the closing date. Pricing schedule items: 1. Inventory and Asset Mapping, 2. Compliance and Standards Review, 3. Gap Analysis, 4. Spatial Data Intersection and GIS Layering, 5. Audit Report. All items must be quoted. If subcontracting more than 25% of the work, the bidder must indicate the subcontractor's name, percentage, and attach the subcontractor's B-BBEE certificate.

Bidders must be registered on the Central Supplier Database (CSD). A valid tax clearance certificate from SARS is required. B-BBEE status level certificate (original or certified, not older than 3 months) or sworn affidavit must be submitted to claim preference points. Municipal account not in arrears for more than 90 days for the company and all directors, or lease agreement, or affidavit if neither leasing nor owning property. Directors and principal members must not be in the service of the state. The bidder or its directors must not appear on the National Treasury's database of Restricted Suppliers. Conditions of award: compliant tax status in terms of CSD; municipal accounts not in arrears for more than 90 days; directors not in service of the state; not on restricted suppliers database; successful bidder must enter into a service level agreement with JTC. Returnable forms: MBD 4 (Declaration of Interest) – discloses any connection to persons in service of the state; MBD 6.1 (Preference Points Claim) – claims preference points for specific goals; MBD 8 (Declaration of Bidder's Past Supply Chain Management Practices) – declares any past abuse, fraud, or contract failures; MBD 9 (Certificate of Independent Bid Determination) – certifies no collusive bidding.

The contract period is 6 months from the date of appointment and issuance of the purchase order. No advance payments will be made; payment will be made upon submission of invoices for completed projects. The successful bidder must have sufficient cash flow to project manage the work. Copyright in any document produced, and patent rights or ownership in any plant, machinery, thing, system or process designed by the consultant during the consultancy service, vest in the Johannesburg Tourism Company. The quotation shall be awarded at the sole and absolute discretion of JTC; JTC is not obliged to award the quotation to any bidder and may retract the quotation at any time. JTC reserves the right to cancel and re-issue the request for quotation. All purchases will be made through an official purchase order; no goods or services must be delivered before an official purchase order has been forwarded to and accepted by the successful bidder. The successful bidder will be required to enter into a service level agreement with JTC.