Panel of south african universities and tvet colleges for engineering services and facility access

Publication date: 05 October 2026

Closing date and time: 21 October 2026 at 11:00

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

SCM and bidding enquiries

• Name: Tumelo Mothupi
• Role: SCM contact
• Email: [email protected]
• Telephone: 011 268 3423

Technical enquiries

• Name: Steyn Meyer
• Role: Technical contact
• Email: [email protected]
• Telephone: 021 506 7300

Organisation address

South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO)

2 Fir Street

Black River Park (North Gate entrance)

Service delivery locations

• SARAO offices
• SARAO sites
• Remote support
• Participating university engineering facilities (as required per call-off)

Submission method: email only

Submission email: [email protected]

Closing: 21 October 2026 at 11:00

Offer validity: 60 days from closing date

Returnable forms (mandatory for quotations ≥ R2,000 VAT inclusive):

• SBD 1 (Invitation to Bid): signed cover page confirming the offer and acceptance of conditions.
• SBD 3.1 (Pricing Schedule): firm prices for all listed labour categories and facility rates; partial quotations may be disqualified.
• SBD 4 (Declaration of Interest): discloses state employment and related-party connections.
• SBD 6.1 (Preference Points Claim): claims B-BBEE points under the 80/20 system.
• Valid B-BBEE certificate or sworn affidavit (optional for points, but points are forfeited if omitted).

Disqualification risks:

• Partial quotations or failure to quote for all listed items.
• Non-firm prices or prices subject to exchange-rate variation.
• Missing mandatory SBD forms for quotations ≥ R2,000.
• Unsigned or incomplete returnable documents.
• Late submission.

Pricing format:

• Detailed rate card required on official university letterhead.
• Separate cost breakdown per labour category, facility or equipment rate.
• Indicative quantities are for evaluation only; no commitment to procure.
• Travel and subsistence excluded from comparative price evaluation; prior written approval required and reimbursed per SARAO/NRF policy.

Evaluation phases (three-stage gate):

Phase 1 — Administrative compliance

All mandatory returnable documents must be completed and submitted. Bidders failing this are not evaluated further.

Phase 2 — Functionality (eight requirements, all scored GO/NO-GO)

Bidders must achieve GO on every requirement to proceed:

1. Institutional status: proof of being a South African university/university of technology with authority to contract, plus authorisation letter from an authorised university official.
2. Panel coordinator and technical leads: named coordinator and leads per discipline, with organogram, CVs and availability confirmation for secondary RFQ/call-off management.
3. Engineering capability: demonstrated capability in at least two relevant areas (systems engineering, electronics/RF, mechanical, software/firmware, modelling, testing, integration or prototyping); submit capability statement and evidence of previous relevant projects, research engineering work, design/testing outputs or specialist advisory assignments.
4. Facility access: schedule identifying equipment, location, access conditions, safety requirements, capacity constraints and proposed rates.
5. Personnel categories: CVs or profiles for senior academic/principal investigator, senior engineer/research engineer, engineer/researcher, technician/lab technologist, postgraduate/student support; SARAO may require substitution if a proposed resource is unavailable or unsuitable.
6. Confidentiality, IP, safety and quality: signed acceptance of special conditions and short statement on internal controls for IP, confidentiality, facility access, safety and quality assurance.
7. Administrative readiness: process description confirming response times, timesheet approval, facility usage recording, invoicing and reporting arrangements; invoice only against approved purchase orders.
8. References: at least three contactable references or project summaries not older than five years demonstrating comparable engineering/R&D support, testing, design review, integration or technical advisory work.

Phase 3 — Price and B-BBEE (80/20 preference points system)

• Price: 80 points (lowest acceptable tender = 80 points, others scored proportionally).
• Specific goals (B-BBEE): 20 points.
• B-BBEE Status Level 1–3: 8 points
• B-BBEE Status Level 4–6: 6 points
• B-BBEE Status Level 7–8: 2 points
• At least 51% black-owned: 3 points
• At least 51% black female-owned: 3 points
• At least 51% black youth-owned: 1 point
• At least 51% owned by people with disabilities: 1 point
• EME or QSE: 4 points

Award rule for quotations ≥ R2,000: highest total points wins. Below R2,000: lowest acceptable quotation wins.

Scope: Establishment of a panel of South African higher education and training institutions for the provision of engineering services and access to engineering facilities on an as-and-when-required basis.

Eligible institutions: South African universities, universities of technology and TVET colleges only.

Panel mechanism: appointment does not guarantee work volume, minimum spend or exclusivity. Specific work issued via secondary RFQ/call-off to the full panel or relevant subset. Each call-off defines scope, deliverables, personnel category, facility requirement, response time, evaluation basis, budget confirmation and approval route.

Disciplines and services required:

• Systems engineering, requirements analysis, architecture support, interface definition and technical reviews
• Electronics, radio-frequency, digital signal processing, embedded systems, firmware and related engineering support
• Mechanical engineering, design, modelling, prototyping, structural/mechatronic support and manufacturing engineering inputs
• Software engineering, scientific computing, control systems, data processing, automation and integration support
• Design reviews, peer reviews, failure analysis, modelling, simulation and specialist technical advisory inputs
• Testing, measurement, verification, validation, environmental testing, calibration support and laboratory-based investigations
• Access to university engineering laboratories, workshops, equipment, test rigs, measurement instruments and specialist facilities
• Technical reports, drawings, models, test results, analysis outputs, review records and other agreed engineering deliverables
• Knowledge transfer, training, postgraduate/student support and documentation related to the specific call-off task

Personnel categories for call-offs:

• Principal investigator / senior academic / engineer / specialist advisor
• Senior research engineer / professional engineer / senior technical specialist
• Engineer / researcher / software or firmware developer
• Technician / laboratory technologist / workshop specialist
• Postgraduate / student research assistant support (where approved by SARAO)

Facility access: laboratories, workshops, equipment, test rigs, measurement instruments and specialist facilities.

Lead time: 5 to 10 working days from official order date, or as specified in the secondary RFQ/call-off.

Contract duration: initial period 12–24 months, subject to budget availability.

SARAO reserves the right to procure outside the panel where the panel cannot meet a specialised requirement, urgency requires another route, or the panel does not provide value for money.

Call-off mechanism: secondary RFQs issued to full panel or relevant subset based on discipline, facility or capability required. Each call-off defines scope, deliverables, required personnel category, facility requirement, response time, evaluation basis, budget confirmation and approval route.

Administrative readiness required: process description confirming response times, timesheet approval, facility usage recording, invoicing and reporting arrangements. Invoicing only against approved purchase orders.

SARAO may consider prior performance, conflict of interest and quality of proposed task approach when allocating work at call-off stage.

Personnel categories required for call-offs:

• Senior academic / principal investigator
• Senior engineer / research engineer
• Engineer / researcher
• Technician / lab technologist
• Postgraduate / student support (where appropriate)

Evidence required: CVs or personnel category profiles, qualifications and experience summaries. SARAO may require replacement or substitution where a proposed resource is unavailable or unsuitable.

References: at least three contactable references or project summaries not older than five years demonstrating successful delivery of comparable engineering/R&D support, testing, design review, integration or technical advisory work.

Quality and safety requirements for panel members:

• Signed acceptance of special conditions covering confidentiality, intellectual property, data/security, conflict of interest declarations, safety requirements and quality control for engineering work.
• Short statement required on internal controls for IP, confidentiality, facility access, safety and quality assurance.
• Facility schedule must identify equipment, location, access conditions, safety requirements, capacity constraints and proposed rates.
• Performance management provisions included in framework agreements and purchase orders.
• SARAO may request replacement or substitution of proposed personnel where a resource is unavailable or unsuitable.

Pricing form: SBD 3.1 (Pricing Schedule — Purchases), firm prices only.

Rate categories (indicative quantities for evaluation):

1. Principal investigator / senior academic / engineer / specialist advisor — 100 hours
2. Senior research engineer / professional engineer / senior technical specialist — 300 hours
3. Engineer / researcher / software or firmware developer — 500 hours
4. Technician / laboratory technologist / workshop specialist — 400 hours
5. Postgraduate / student research assistant — 200 hours
6. Facility, laboratory, workshop or specialist equipment access — 150 hours

Requirements:

• Detailed rate card on official university letterhead.
• Separate detailed cost breakdown per labour category, facility or equipment rate.
• VAT at 15% to be shown separately.
• No work may commence without written SARAO purchase order or written call-off approval.
• Travel and subsistence excluded from comparative evaluation; prior written approval required.

Pricing conditions:

• Firm prices only; non-firm prices or exchange-rate-linked prices rejected.
• All prices VAT-inclusive where applicable.
• Prices valid for minimum 60 days from submission.
• Appointed panel rates apply for the panel period, subject only to agreed escalation or rate adjustment approved by SARAO/NRF SCM.

Pricing schedule (SBD 3.1): indicative quantities for comparative evaluation only; no procurement commitment.

Rate categories to quote (per hour):

1. Principal investigator / senior academic / engineer / specialist advisor — 100 hours indicative
2. Senior research engineer / professional engineer / senior technical specialist — 300 hours indicative
3. Engineer / researcher / software or firmware developer — 500 hours indicative
4. Technician / laboratory technologist / workshop specialist — 400 hours indicative
5. Postgraduate / student research assistant — 200 hours indicative
6. Facility, laboratory, workshop or specialist equipment access — 150 hours indicative

Travel and subsistence: excluded from comparative price evaluation; prior written approval required; reimbursed per SARAO/NRF travel and subsistence policy. No travel or subsistence expenditure without prior approval.

Payment terms: 30 days from receipt of valid invoice, upon delivery and acceptance. No pre-payment.

Contract value: SARAO may require quantities more or less than indicated; payment based on actual quantities requested, supplied and accepted.

No bid security, bond, guarantee, retention or insurance requirements are stated in the document.

CSD registration: mandatory. No award to non-registered bidders. Register at https://secure.csd.gov.za/

Tax compliance: SARS tax compliance status system PIN or MAAA number required for quotations ≥ R2,000. Foreign suppliers not resident in South Africa, without a branch, permanent establishment, income source or tax liability in South Africa are exempt from the tax PIN requirement.

B-BBEE requirements:

• 80/20 preference point system applies.
• EME (annual total revenue ≤ R10 million): sworn affidavit confirming revenue and black ownership level may be submitted.
• QSE (annual total revenue between R10 million and R50 million): sworn affidavit confirming revenue and black ownership level, or valid B-BBEE verification certificate.
• Above R50 million: valid B-BBEE certificate required.
• Valid B-BBEE certificate or sworn affidavit must be submitted to qualify for preference points; omission means no preference points awarded.

CIDB: not applicable (N/A).

CIPC/professional registrations: not explicitly required beyond proof of institutional status and authority to contract.

Local content: not explicitly required; panel restricted to South African institutions.

Returnable compliance forms:

• SBD 1: signed invitation to bid.
• SBD 3.1: completed pricing schedule.
• SBD 4: declaration of interest (mandatory for ≥ R2,000).
• SBD 6.1: preference points claim (mandatory for ≥ R2,000).
• SBD 9: certificate of independent bid determination (implied by standard pack; not explicitly listed as mandatory in the returnable schedule but required by NRF conditions).

Safety requirements are incorporated into the special conditions of contract and framework agreements. Bidders must submit a short statement on internal controls for safety as part of functionality criterion 6. Facility schedules must include safety requirements and access conditions. Access control provisions apply to SARAO sites and university facilities used for SARAO work.

Contract form: SBD 7.2 (Contract Form — Rendering of Services) to be completed in duplicate and signed by both parties.

Governing terms: National Treasury General Conditions of Contract, accessible at http://www.sarao.ac.za/tenders/procurement-documents. Special Conditions of Contract apply where stated.

Contract duration: 12–24 months initially, subject to budget availability.

Framework agreements and purchase orders shall include provisions for: confidentiality, intellectual property management, safety, access control, substitution of personnel, reporting, timesheet approval, facility usage records, performance management and data/security requirements.

Payment: 30 days from receipt of valid invoice upon delivery and acceptance. No pre-payment.

Conflict of terms: SARAO's terms prevail over supplier terms.

SARAO reserves the right to withdraw the invitation, re-advertise, or accept any part of a quotation. No obligation to accept the lowest quotation.

See standard evaluationCriteria field for full scoring methodology. Additional notes: work allocation at call-off stage may consider quoted rates, technical fit, availability, location, required facilities, delivery timeframe, prior performance, conflict of interest, and quality of proposed task approach. SARAO reserves the right to procure outside the panel where the panel cannot meet a specialised requirement, urgency requires another lawful procurement route, or the panel does not provide value for money.