Objectives

The primary objective of this tender is to secure a reliable supply of certified surgical sutures to the Hlengisizwe Community Health Centre under the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health. The procurement aims to ensure uninterrupted availability of compliant medical consumables to support routine clinical procedures and patient care.

Scope

The scope encompasses the supply and delivery of 84 boxes of blue monofilament nylon non-absorbable conventional cutting sutures. Each box contains 12 units with a 90 mm length and a 3/8 circle needle configuration. The requirement specifies delivery to the designated health centre facility, with all transportation and handling costs included in the quoted price. The quotation validity period is 90 days, and no extended contract term is indicated, suggesting a single-delivery transaction.

Technical Requirements

• Product Specifications: Blue monofilament nylon, non-absorbable, conventional cutting needle, size 3, 90 mm length, 3/8 circle curvature.
• Quality & Compliance: Goods must be new, unused, and free from design, material, or workmanship defects. Bidders must explicitly confirm conformity to applicable SANS/SABS standards.
• Shelf Life: All delivered products must retain a minimum of six months' validity upon receipt. Expired or substandard expiry dates will result in rejection.
• Packaging & Delivery: Items require robust packaging to prevent damage or deterioration during transit. Delivery must occur at the prescribed location within the timeframe stated by the bidder.
• Warranty: A twelve-month warranty applies from delivery and acceptance, or eighteen months from shipment, whichever expires first. Defective items must be replaced or repaired at the supplier's cost.
• Pricing: Only firm, fixed prices are acceptable for the 90-day validity window. Prices must include VAT where the bidder is a registered vendor.

Skills Requirements

No specialized technical or professional qualifications are explicitly mandated. Bidders are expected to demonstrate the following operational and administrative capabilities:

• Ability to source, properly store, and deliver regulated medical consumables within agreed delivery periods.
• Full compliance with statutory procurement prerequisites, including active Central Suppliers Database (CSD) registration, valid SARS tax clearance, and accurate completion of all mandatory returnable forms.
• Capacity to submit valid B-BBEE status documentation (verification certificate or sworn affidavit) to qualify for preference points.
• Familiarity with public sector supply chain governance, including anti-collusion compliance, proper documentation handling, and adherence to strict administrative evaluation stages.

Notes on Unusual or Complicated Terms

• Surgical Suture Terminology: "Monofilament" refers to a single-strand construction that reduces tissue drag and lowers infection risk. "Non-absorbable" indicates the material will not biodegrade in the body and must be manually removed after healing. "Conventional cutting" describes a triangular needle edge engineered to penetrate dense tissues like skin efficiently.
• Preferential Procurement Framework: The evaluation applies a 90/10 or 80/20 price-to-preference ratio. Twenty preference points are exclusively reserved for enterprises at least 51% black-owned, aligning with national economic transformation mandates.
• Three-Stage Evaluation Process: Quotations undergo mandatory administrative compliance, specification adherence, and price/preference scoring. Failure at any stage renders the bid non-responsive and immediately disqualified.
• Cover-Quoting Prohibition: Submitting multiple bids under different company names for the same item is classified as fraudulent collusive practice and results in automatic disqualification and potential sector-wide restrictions.