Tender Summary: RFQ BS 802

Objectives

The primary objective is to establish a reliable, secondary internet connectivity solution that functions as an automatic failover for the entity's primary fibre connection. The initiative aims to guarantee continuous network availability, eliminate single points of failure, and ensure uninterrupted digital operations for the organisation.

Scope

The successful bidder will deliver a fully managed 100Mbps dedicated microwave link service over a 12-month contract period. Responsibilities encompass end-to-end project execution, including site assessment, procurement and installation of all necessary Customer Premises Equipment (CPE), seamless integration with the client's existing FortiGate 80F firewall, and ongoing technical maintenance. The complete solution must be commissioned, tested, and fully operational within 30 days of purchase order issuance.

Technical Requirements

• Bandwidth & Contention: 100Mbps symmetric throughput with a strict 1:1 contention ratio.
• Network Resilience: Mandatory physical route diversity, requiring a completely independent entry point and distinct pathway from the primary fibre infrastructure.
• Integration & Handoff: Clean termination at the existing FortiGate 80F firewall with clearly specified Ethernet interface/handover details.
• Traffic Management: Completely uncapped and unthrottled access across all ports and protocols, with absolute prohibition on port blocking, packet filtering, or traffic shaping.
• Service Level Agreement (SLA): Minimum 99.9% annual uptime, maximum 4-hour Mean Time to Repair (MTTR) for hardware or link failures, backed by 24/7/365 Network Operations Center (NOC) monitoring and ticketing.
• Equipment: Supplier must supply, install, configure, and maintain all outdoor microwave antennas, ODU/IDU units, and power injectors.
• Commercial & Documentation: Fixed monthly pricing with transparent breakdown of non-recurring and recurring charges. Bidders must submit routing diagrams or layout plans proving physical independence from existing routes.

Skills and Experience Requirements

• Registration on the Central Supplier Database (CSD) and relevant municipal supplier portals.
• Valid tax compliance status verified through official government channels.
• Current accreditation (valid within 12 months) as an authorised reseller of microwave link products and services.
• Proven track record delivering equivalent microwave link solutions, substantiated by client reference letters from the past three years.
• Technical competency to integrate third-party microwave handoffs with enterprise-grade firewall appliances.
• Ability to comply with standard public sector bidding documentation, including declarations of interest, supply chain management practices, and independent bid determination certificates.
• Financial capacity to provide required performance guarantees or deposits upon contract award.

Key Terms and Definitions

• 1:1 Contention Ratio: A dedicated bandwidth model where the full allocated capacity is reserved exclusively for the client, with no overselling, sharing, or congestion management applied to other users.
• Route Diversity: A redundancy engineering strategy requiring physically separate cable routes and building entry points to prevent simultaneous outages caused by excavation damage, flooding, or structural incidents.
• ODU/IDU: Abbreviations for Outdoor Unit and Indoor Unit, referring to the paired radio transceivers and baseband processors used in point-to-point microwave communication systems.
• NRC/MRC: Non-Recurring Charges cover one-time setup, installation, and activation fees, while Monthly Recurring Charges represent the fixed ongoing service fee for the contract term.
• 80/20 Preference Point System: A South African public procurement evaluation framework allocating 80 points to competitive pricing and 20 points to socio-economic transformation goals, such as designated group ownership percentages and local economic development targets.