Objectives

The primary objective is to procure a reliable, high-performance business internet connection service for Emadlangeni Local Municipality. The municipality seeks a flexible, month-to-month contractual arrangement that ensures uninterrupted connectivity across multiple administrative and operational sites, supporting daily municipal functions and emergency services.

Scope

The successful bidder will supply, install, configure, test, commission, and maintain dedicated business internet connectivity across eight municipal locations, including main, community, traffic, disaster management, electrical, technical, library, and game park facilities. The service encompasses full deployment within two weeks of contract award, followed by ongoing month-to-month service delivery. Pricing must clearly separate once-off setup/installation costs from fixed monthly recurring charges, with all applicable taxes included.

Technical Requirements

• Bandwidth: Dedicated, symmetrical 150 Mbps connection providing equal download and upload capacity.
• Data Policy: Uncapped and unshaped internet traffic with zero throttling, fair-use restrictions, or performance degradation.
• Networking: Provision of one static public IP address delivered via enterprise-grade fibre-optic or wireless access technology.
• Quality of Service (QoS): Network optimisation to prioritise latency-sensitive and business-critical applications, including VoIP, video conferencing, and cloud services.
• Performance Metrics: Low contention ratio, consistently low latency with documented measurement methodologies, and a minimum 99% monthly network availability guarantee.
• Resilience: Built-in redundancy and failover mechanisms to maintain connectivity during power interruptions and load shedding.
• Support & Maintenance: Mean Time to Repair (MTTR) capped at 24 hours for high-priority faults, supported by a clearly defined escalation matrix, fault-reporting channels, and specified operating hours.

Skills and Experience Requirements

Bidders must demonstrate proven expertise in delivering and managing enterprise-grade internet connectivity solutions. Submissions require a comprehensive company profile highlighting relevant industry experience, detailed office information, and a structured implementation plan outlining deployment timelines, testing protocols, commissioning procedures, and formal handover processes. Providers must exhibit strong technical support capabilities, including rapid fault resolution, proactive network monitoring, and scalable infrastructure management. Additionally, bidders must comply with standard municipal procurement regulations, including valid tax compliance status, registration on the Central Suppliers Database (CSD) and Municipal Suppliers Database, and submission of all mandatory bidding documentation.

Key Terms and Concepts

• Month-to-Month Contract: A flexible agreement without long-term lock-in, allowing either party to terminate with standard notice periods while maintaining continuous service delivery.
• 80/20 Preference Point System: A South African procurement evaluation model allocating 80 points for competitive pricing and 20 points for designated social goals, specifically favouring enterprises owned entirely by Black South Africans.
• Service Level Agreement (SLA): A binding contractual commitment outlining guaranteed network availability, response times, support standards, and penalties for non-compliance.
• Contention Ratio: The proportion of end-users sharing a single bandwidth pool; a lower ratio ensures consistent performance and reduced congestion during peak usage.
• MTTR (Mean Time to Repair): The maximum allowable timeframe for resolving critical network disruptions, ensuring minimal operational downtime for municipal operations.