Objectives

The Independent Development Trust aims to renew its enterprise cybersecurity licensing agreement. The primary objective is to procure a valid, authorized one-year subscription to the Kaspersky Next Optimum security platform, ensuring continuous protection of organizational digital infrastructure through advanced endpoint threat detection and managed response capabilities.

Scope

The procurement covers the supply, activation, and ongoing support of a Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Business advanced software license. The solution must accommodate between 250 and 999 device nodes under a single annual agreement. The scope encompasses license delivery, immediate activation, and the provision of a structured service level agreement guaranteeing twenty hours per month of round-the-clock technical assistance throughout the contract term. Bidders must operate as authorized resellers with verified partnership status directly from Kaspersky.

Technical Requirements

• Valid Kaspersky Next Optimum / Endpoint Security for Business advanced license edition.
• Inclusion of both Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) and Managed Detection and Response (MDR) modules.
• Node coverage supporting either 250–499 or 500–999 endpoints.
• One-year licensing term with seamless renewal processing.
• Service Level Agreement mandating twenty hours monthly of 24/7 technical support.
• Mandatory submission of current Gold or Platinum partnership certification from Kaspersky, accompanied by official verification documentation.
• Full compliance with standard public procurement disclosure, anti-collusion, and preference-point claim frameworks.

Skills Requirements

While individual technical certifications are not explicitly mandated, the successful bidder must demonstrate authorized vendor status with Kaspersky at the Gold or Platinum tier. Suppliers must possess proven expertise in enterprise cybersecurity licensing, endpoint security deployment, and SLA-driven technical support delivery. Additionally, bidders must exhibit strong administrative and compliance capabilities to accurately complete mandatory disclosure declarations, correctly calculate preference point claims under national procurement regulations, and maintain transparent corporate governance reporting.

Key Terms & Definitions

EDR + MDR: Endpoint Detection and Response combined with Managed Detection and Response. EDR refers to software that continuously monitors, logs, and analyzes endpoint activity to detect and block malicious behavior. MDR adds an outsourced, expert-led operational layer that actively manages security workflows, investigates alerts, and executes incident response on behalf of the client.

80/20 or 90/10 Preference Point System: A South African public procurement scoring methodology. Up to 80 or 90 points are allocated for price competitiveness, while 20 or 10 points are reserved for socio-economic transformation goals (e.g., ownership by women, youth, persons with disabilities, or black males). The lowest acceptable tender determines which scoring matrix applies.

SBD Forms: Standard Bid Document forms required by South African state entities. They capture bidder disclosures regarding conflicts of interest, company structure, shareholding, and compliance with anti-collusion and anti-corruption legislation, alongside formal claims for transformation preference points.