Proactive assurance services for ESKOM psp processes (richards bay gas-to-power & ESKOM green renewables)

Eskom is seeking private sector partners in its new capital development programmes in Gas and renewables. Eskom Green will serve as a strategic and operational platform for direct participation in the renewable energy sector, initially approaching the market for a panel to develop 2 GW projects and a private sector partner for Tubatse Hydro. The 2GW projects include Lephalale Phase 1 Solar (1,150 MW), Lephalale Phase 1 BESS (300 MW), Kusile Phase 1 Solar (575 MW), Kendal Solar Phase 1 (575 MW), Kendal Phase 1 BESS (150 MW), and Kusile Phase 1 BESS (150 MW), totaling 2,900 MW. The Tubatse Pumped Storage Project is a proposed 1,500 MW / 21 GWh pumped-storage hydroelectric facility in the Steelpoort Valley, Limpopo, providing long-duration energy storage, peak power, and ancillary services. The Richards Bay Gas-to-Power Project is a proposed 3000 MW gas-to-power plant in the Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone, KwaZulu-Natal, declared a Strategic Integrated Project, aligned with Eskom's generation strategy and IRP 2025, to be procured through private sector participation with a ring-fenced SPV. Eskom plans to introduce a private sector partner early to assist in developing a bankable feasibility study and sourcing funding, with a joint development agreement to commit development expenditure proportionally to equity.

Closing date: 13 October 2026 at 10:00.

No briefing or site visit is mentioned in the scope document.

Negotiation and/or Technical Evaluation Team:

• Lana Kinley, GM: Business Development: Gas, CA(SA) CIMA (Associate), cell 0782443379.
• Vivian Ramathuba, General Manager Finance, telephone 0844948202.

No submission address or enquiry email is provided in the scope document.

Returnable documents: none specified in the scope document. The scope document does not list the forms to be submitted with the bid; refer to the full tender pack for the returnable forms.

Submission method and address: not stated in the scope document.

Closing time: 10:00 on 13 October 2026 (from the tender record).

Evaluation follows a two-stage process under the PPPFA:

• Stage 1 – Functionality (covering Tender, Commercial, SHE and Quality).
• Stage 2 – Price and B-BBEE.

Tenders above R30,000 are evaluated strictly on the 80/20 or 90/10 preference point system, depending on the contract value.

Technical evaluation criteria and weights:

• Public Procurement and PFMA Expertise (20%): demonstrated experience providing assurance, audit, compliance or governance advisory services on public sector procurements subject to PFMA, Treasury regulations and Section 217 principles.
• Major Infrastructure Transaction Experience (20%): experience providing assurance on major infrastructure, energy, PPP, PSP, IPP, concession, or project-financed transactions exceeding R1 billion.
• Proactive Assurance Methodology (20%): quality and robustness of the proposed methodology, including risk-based reviews, stage-gate assurance, reporting approach, issue escalation, independence safeguards, and governance interaction.
• Key Personnel Experience (15%): qualifications and experience of proposed team members, including project lead and assurance specialists.
• Governance and Audit Capability (15%): experience with governance reviews, delegated authority compliance, bid evaluation oversight, audit trail reviews, and committee reporting.
• Capacity and Project Resourcing (10%): ability to provide continuous support throughout the procurement process, including participation in meetings and expedited document reviews.

No minimum qualifying score is stated.

Scope of services: independent, real-time proactive assurance over the procurement processes for the Richards Bay Gas-to-Power Project and Eskom Green's renewable energy pipeline.

Assurance must cover:

• Process assurance: procurement strategy and transaction approach, RFQ documentation, evaluation criteria and methodologies, bid evaluation team appointments, conflict of interest declarations, confidentiality arrangements, governance submissions, RFP documentation, bid evaluation process, negotiation process, final recommendation and award processes.
• Governance assurance: compliance with Eskom Delegation of Authority, governance approvals, committee mandates, board and committee requirements, public procurement best practice, and approval workflows.
• Participation in project activities: attend project committee meetings, evaluation team meetings as observers, governance preparation meetings, governance body meetings where required, and clarification/bidder engagement sessions where required; review meeting records and decision registers.
• Documentation reviews: review all key procurement documentation (RFQ/RFP documents, information memoranda, evaluation templates, clarification responses, bid evaluation reports, negotiation records, governance submissions, recommendation reports, award documentation) and provide written comments before issuance or approval.
• Evaluation assurance: ensure consistent application of evaluation criteria, correct scoring methodologies, complete evaluation records, adequately supported decisions, maintained audit trails, and properly authorised deviations.
• Compliance and risk monitoring: identify and report immediately on governance, compliance, procurement risks, process deviations, documentation deficiencies, potential grounds for procurement challenge, and control weaknesses; recommend mitigating actions and track closure.

Deliverables:

• Ongoing: attendance at project meetings, written review memoranda, assurance comments on documentation and meeting minutes, issue and risk registers, ad hoc advisory notes.
• Periodic: monthly or quarterly assurance reports, status reports on findings and corrective actions, governance readiness assessments.
• Stage-gate: assurance reports prior to RFQ issue, RFQ evaluation approval for shortlisted respondents, RFP issue, final preferred bidder recommendation, board approval, and PFMA approval. Reports must confirm compliance status, key risks, matters requiring management attention and actions taken, and recommended actions.
• Final: RFQ Phase Assurance Report, RFP Phase Assurance Report, Final Procurement Assurance Report.

Background projects:

• Eskom Green 2GW pipeline (early/prefeasibility stage): Lephalale Phase 1 Solar (1,150 MW), Lephalale Phase 1 BESS (300 MW), Kusile Phase 1 Solar (575 MW), Kendal Solar Phase 1 (575 MW), Kendal Phase 1 BESS (150 MW), Kusile Phase 1 BESS (150 MW) – total 2,900 MW.
• Tubatse Pumped Storage Project: 1,500 MW / 21 GWh pumped-storage hydroelectric facility in Steelpoort Valley, Limpopo.
• Richards Bay Gas-to-Power Project: 3,000 MW gas-to-power plant in Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone, KwaZulu-Natal.

The proposed methodology must demonstrate risk-based reviews, stage-gate assurance, reporting approach, issue escalation, independence safeguards, and governance interaction. The assurance provider must embed proactive assurance throughout the procurement lifecycle, not just post-event reviews. The provider must attend project committee meetings, evaluation team meetings as observers, governance preparation meetings, and clarification/bidder engagement sessions where required.

Bidders must demonstrate experience providing assurance on major infrastructure, energy, PPP, PSP, IPP, concession, or project-financed transactions exceeding R1 billion. Key personnel must include a project lead and assurance specialists with relevant qualifications and experience. The evaluation team includes Lana Kinley (GM: Business Development: Gas, CA(SA) CIMA) and Vivian Ramathuba (General Manager Finance).

Periodic deliverables include monthly or quarterly assurance reports, status reports on findings and corrective actions, and governance readiness assessments to be submitted with requests for approval from governance bodies.

Estimated total cost: R10,000,000.00 (to be confirmed by the buyer). Travelling and subsistence expenses are not applicable.

Estimated total cost (mandate to negotiate): R10,000,000.00 – to be confirmed by the buyer.

Travelling and subsistence expenses: not applicable.

No bid security, guarantees, retention, or payment terms are stated in the scope document.

No specific compliance requirements (e.g., CSD, tax clearance, B-BBEE level, CIDB grade) are stated in the scope document.

B-BBEE is evaluated in Stage 2 (Price and B-BBEE) under the PPPFA 80/20 or 90/10 system, but no specific level or evidence is specified here.

SHE (Safety, Health and Environment) is part of the Stage 1 functionality evaluation, but no specific OHS requirements are detailed in the scope document.

No specific contractual terms are stated in the scope document. The assurance provider must attend meetings and review documentation as part of the engagement. Eskom will provide access to facilities as and when required.

Eskom, as the Employer, will provide access to facilities as and when required.

Technical evaluation criteria and weights: Public Procurement and PFMA Expertise (20%), Major Infrastructure Transaction Experience (20%), Proactive Assurance Methodology (20%), Key Personnel Experience (15%), Governance and Audit Capability (15%), Capacity and Project Resourcing (10%). Tenders above R30,000 are evaluated on the 80/20 or 90/10 principle. Evaluation follows Stage 1 – Functionality (Tender, Commercial, SHE and Quality) and Stage 2 – Price and B-BBEE.