Tender Summary

Objectives

The primary objective is to procure laboratory-grade 12-well cell culture plates with lids for routine cell culture operations. The tender seeks to establish a supply agreement through a transparent, competitive process governed by South African public procurement legislation. Contract award will utilize an 80/20 weighted evaluation model, allocating 80% of scoring points to price competitiveness and 20% to socio-economic development preferences.

Scope

The contract encompasses the supply of:

• Product: 12-well suspension culture plates with lids
• Quantity: 6 boxes, containing 100 units per box (600 units total)
• Intended Use: Suspension cell culture workflows in research and diagnostic laboratories

Technical Requirements

• Material Composition: Flat, clear polystyrene construction
• Well Configuration: 12 wells per plate
• Design Features: Integrated lids; optimized for suspension culture applications
• Performance Standards: Must meet standard laboratory-grade specifications for optical clarity, dimensional accuracy, and compatibility with cell culture media, reagents, and standard laboratory equipment

Skills and Experience Requirements

• Proven Supply History: Bidders must submit evidence of supplying the requested item or a functionally equivalent product within the preceding 48 months. A minimum of one invoice, delivery note, or reference letter is required.
• Mandatory Compliance Forms: Completed, signed, and submitted SBD4 Bidder’s Disclosure form and SBD6.1 Preference Points Claim Form are compulsory. Failure to submit these results in immediate disqualification.
• Regulatory Adherence: Bidders must accept the Government General Conditions of Contract (July 2010) and comply with the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act (Act 5 of 2000).
• Socio-Economic Credentials: Valid Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) certificates or equivalent documentation are required to substantiate claims for preference points under designated ownership categories.

Unusual or Complicated Terms Explained

• 80/20 Preference Point System: A statutory South African public procurement scoring framework. Eighty percent of the evaluation weight is assigned to the lowest compliant bid price, while twenty percent is reserved for specific socio-economic goals. Points are awarded based on verified ownership demographics: at least 51% black ownership, at least 30% women ownership, and documented disability inclusion.
• SBD4 Declaration: A standardized anti-corruption and conflict-of-interest disclosure mandated by South African supply chain regulations. Bidders must certify whether they, their directors, shareholders, or partners are currently employed by the state, hold financial interests in competing enterprises, or have participated in collusive bidding arrangements.
• Suspension Culture Plates: Specialized laboratory consumables engineered for growing cells that remain suspended in liquid media rather than adhering to surfaces. The flat-bottomed, optically clear polystyrene design ensures uniform cell distribution, minimizes edge effects, facilitates easy harvesting, and supports high-resolution microscopy and automated liquid handling.