Objectives

The primary objective is to secure a reliable supply of certified, medical-grade N95 particulate filter respirators to safeguard healthcare workers and patients against airborne infectious diseases, particularly pulmonary tuberculosis, within a public hospital environment.

Scope

This is a once-off procurement covering the supply and delivery of 100 cases of N95 masks to the General Justice Gizenga Mpanza Hospital in KwaZulu-Natal. The scope encompasses end-to-end logistics, strict adherence to prescribed medical specifications, submission of physical samples for validation by shortlisted bidders, and compliance with provincial health supply chain management regulations.

Technical Requirements

• Must comply with SANS 1866:2004 Type 2 standards and hold a valid NIOSH approval certificate, with the product listed on the official NIOSH registry.
• Four-layer non-woven construction manufactured via a wet lay process, ultrasonically bonded to an 8mm depth without glue or stitching.
• All materials must be latex-free, glass-free, biocompatible, and tested for skin irritation.
• Design must ensure a secure, blow-by-free fit with dual latex-free synthetic elastomeric bands (5mm nominal width).
• Includes a malleable aluminium nose clamp (3mm width) and a polyurethane foam strip (35mm width, 1mm thickness).
• Masks must accommodate regular and small facial structures and remain functional when worn under full face shields.
• Mandatory labelling includes manufacturer name, NIOSH logo/certification number, N95 classification, and model/part number.
• Performance thresholds: Bacterial Filtration Efficiency (BFE) >95% at 0.3 microns, Particle Filtration Efficiency (PFE) >95% at 0.1 microns, and fluid resistance up to 160mm Hg.
• Supplied goods must be new, unused, and possess a minimum shelf-life validity of six months upon delivery.
• Physical samples will be requested from the top three scoring bidders for final compliance verification.

Skills & Capacity Requirements

The tender does not specify individual personnel qualifications but mandates demonstrable organisational capacity. Bidders must provide documented proof of previous successful deliveries of comparable medical products to public or private health facilities. Financial viability must be substantiated via recent bank statements or sworn affidavits confirming solvency and absence of insolvency, receivership, or business suspension proceedings. Full compliance with Central Supplier Database (CSD) registration, SARS tax clearance, and CIPC documentation is compulsory.

Explanation of Unusual or Complicated Terms

• Blow-by free: Indicates zero air leakage around the mask perimeter during inhalation or exhalation, ensuring all breathed air is forced through the filter medium rather than bypassing it.
• Wet lay process: A specialised textile manufacturing technique where fibres are suspended in water and deposited onto a moving mesh to form a highly uniform, dense fabric layer, optimising filtration density and structural consistency.
• 80/20 Preference Point System: A South African public procurement scoring framework allocating 80 points for competitive pricing and 20 points for socio-economic transformation goals (in this case, 100% Black African ownership).
• NIOSH Certification: A stringent US occupational safety standard administered by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, validating respiratory protection efficacy, filtration performance, and rigorous manufacturing quality controls.
• BFE/PFE: Acronyms for Bacterial Filtration Efficiency and Particle Filtration Efficiency, representing the percentage of biological pathogens and airborne particulates successfully blocked by the mask material at critical micrometre thresholds.