Tender Summary: Water Meters

Objectives

The primary objective of this tender is to procure and deliver compliant water metering equipment to the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. The municipality aims to establish a reliable supply chain for municipal infrastructure maintenance through a transparent, competitive informal bidding process that adheres to national procurement legislation and promotes equitable economic participation.

Scope

The scope covers the supply and delivery of a single lot of water meters to the municipality. The successful supplier will be responsible for sourcing, manufacturing or procuring, and delivering the specified equipment in strict accordance with municipal standards. All tender responses, including pricing schedules and mandatory compliance documentation, must be submitted electronically via the official Informal Tender Portal by the closing deadline. Contract award is conditional upon successful registration on the municipality’s supplier database and acceptance of the standard General Conditions of Tender and Conditions of Purchase.

Technical Requirements

• Product Specification: 40mm flange Woltman Class "C" inferential type water meters.
• Compliance & Documentation: Equipment must fully conform to the detailed technical specifications referenced in the tender package. All minimum required documentation must be uploaded electronically alongside the bid.
• Submission Protocol: Electronic submission only. Fax and physical deliveries of bids are strictly prohibited.
• Pricing Validity: All quoted prices must remain binding for a minimum of thirty (30) days from the tender submission date.

Skills Requirements

This tender does not specify formal professional qualifications or dedicated personnel requirements. However, bidders must demonstrate operational and logistical competence to source, supply, and deliver the specified water meters within agreed municipal timeframes. Suppliers must possess the administrative capacity to navigate the electronic procurement portal, compile accurate pricing schedules, and maintain compliance with municipal regulatory frameworks. Pre-qualification requires active registration on the Nelson Mandela Bay Supplier Database.

Explanation of Unusual or Complicated Terms

• Woltman Class "C" Inferential Type: A mechanical water meter that measures flow using a horizontally mounted, multi-jet impeller (the Woltman principle). Class "C" indicates compliance with OIML R49 international standards for accuracy and durability, typically optimized for residential and light commercial applications. "Inferential" means the flow measurement is mechanically translated to a dial counter via gears or magnets, without direct electrical contact between the rotating components and the display mechanism.
• 80/20 System: A South African preferential procurement scoring model mandated by the Preferential Procurement Regulations of 2022. Eighty percent (80%) of evaluation points are allocated to price competitiveness, while twenty percent (20%) are awarded based on historical demographic transformation criteria, primarily assessing Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) status and other previously disadvantaged group designations.
• Informal Tender Portal: The municipality’s centralized e-procurement platform for bid submission, tracking, and evaluation. It standardizes the procurement workflow, ensures auditability, and replaces traditional paper-based or faxed submission methods.