Understanding the Tender Process
By Werner van Rooyen, Director of HowToTender (Pty) Ltd which specializes in tender consulting and tender training.
It is imperative for all potential bidders that they familiarize themselves with the tender process in South Africa. There are procedures that need to be followed by Organs of State when they issue a tender. These procedures are governed by different Acts such as the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act (Act no 5 of 2000) and the Public Finance Management Act (Act 1 of 1999 as amended by Act 296 of 1999), to name but two.
Most of the Organs of State that issue tenders follow these procedures to the letter, but there are some Organs of State that do not follow all the procedures. The reasons for this can be many but the main reason is that not all the procedures listed in the Acts are applicable to the specific tender or bid that has been issued. It is therefore especially important that you as potential bidder ensure that:
- You attend the briefing session
- You read the whole tender document because all tenders are different
- You make sure you take note of the closing date of the tender
- You have completed all the documents in the bid document.
It must be stressed that the tender environment is incredibly competitive and if you submit incorrect tender documents or if your tender is incomplete, your tender will be viewed as non-responsive and would not be evaluated. Thus, make sure you understand exactly what is expected from you as bidder in terms of goods supplied or services rendered to an Organ of State. It is important to deliver the exact goods the Organ of State want to procure. If the Organ of State wants to procure office furniture, ensure that you supply them office furniture and not something that looks like office furniture but is not. The specifications of your product listed in your tender must be clear and precise. The Supply Chain Management must be able to make an informative decision regarding your supply. So, ensure that you understand what is required.
If you understand the tender process and you specify your supply correctly and you make sure your tender is delivered on time, then you will have a good chance that your tender will reach the evaluation process. If you make it through the evaluation process you are in business because it is then up to the Adjudication Committee to award the tender to the best candidate.
To learn more about this and many other tender conditions attend our “Become a Tender Expert” 2-Day workshops presented in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Port Elizabeth, and Cape Town. Book and pay online at https://howtotender.co.za/tender-expert-form/
Contact us at wernervr@howtotender.co.za should you require more information.
You can also purchase a Tender Manual (Handbook) on our website https://howtotender.co.za/ which is a step by step guide how to respond to a South African Tender. It includes examples of completed SBD forms.
