Objectives

The primary objective of this tender is to appoint a compliant supplier for the one-off provision and delivery of a comprehensive range of medical needles to the General Justice Gizenga Mpanza Hospital in KwaZulu-Natal. The procurement seeks to ensure uninterrupted access to sterile, high-quality, and specification-compliant diagnostic and therapeutic needles across various hospital wards.

Scope

The scope encompasses the supply and delivery of multiple needle categories, including:

• Biopsy needles (2mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm)
• Prostate and Tru-Cut biopsy needles (18g, 16g)
• Hypodermic needles (18g, 25g)
• Spinal needles with introducers (21g, 22g) and pencil-point variants (26g)
• Bone marrow aspiration/biopsy needles (8g)
• Acupuncture needles (various lengths)

The contract is structured as a single delivery event with a quotation validity period of ninety days. All items must be delivered to the designated hospital facility within the timeframe declared by the bidder.

Technical Requirements

Bidders must strictly adhere to the detailed specifications provided in the tender annexures. Key technical requirements include:

• Quality & Certification: All products must carry CE certification and comply with relevant South African National Standards (SANS/SABS). Explicit compliance declarations are mandatory.
• Material & Construction: Needles must be manufactured from high-grade medical stainless steel, featuring precise gauges, ergonomic handles, and appropriate hub designs. Spinal and pencil-point needles require specific bevel angles and lateral side-holes for fluid visualization.
• Sterility & Usage: Items must be sterile, pyrogen-free, latex-free, and designed for single-use disposal where applicable.
• Packaging & Labelling: Products must be packaged according to specified unit counts. Acupuncture needles require individual peel pouches with clear labelling of sterilization methods, lot numbers, and manufacturing sites.
• Expiry & Shelf Life: All supplied goods must retain a minimum of six months shelf life upon delivery. Acupuncture needles specifically require a minimum of three years from the date of supply.
• Warranty: Suppliers warrant that goods are new, unused, and free from design or material defects for twelve months post-delivery or eighteen months post-shipment, whichever concludes first.
• Samples: Top-scoring bidders will be formally requested to submit physical samples for independent verification against set specifications.

Skills Requirements

Bidders must demonstrate robust operational, regulatory, and commercial capabilities to fulfill the contract:

• Regulatory Authorization: Valid proof of registration with the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) or relevant health council, authorizing the import, manufacture, or wholesale distribution of medical devices.
• Financial & Tax Compliance: Active Central Supplier Database (CSD) registration, valid SARS tax clearance certificate, and sworn affidavits confirming non-insolvency or bankruptcy.
• Proven Experience: Documentary evidence of previous successful deliveries to healthcare facilities, including order confirmations and signed delivery notes.
• Commercial & Contractual Capacity: Ability to provide firm pricing for the ninety-day validity period, manage logistics within declared timeframes, and absorb performance penalties calculated at the prime interest rate for delayed deliveries.
• Transformation Compliance: Understanding of the preferential procurement framework. The evaluation applies an 80/20 preference system (80 points for price, 20 points for specific social/economic goals). Full points for the specific goal are allocated to companies that are at least 100% owned by Black Africans, supported by CIPC ownership certificates.
• Integrity & Risk Management: Strict adherence to anti-collusion rules. Cover-quoting (submitting multiple quotes to artificially control or manipulate pricing) is explicitly prohibited and treated as fraud, resulting in immediate disqualification. Bidders must also ensure all submitted official forms remain unretyped and bear original signatures.