Tender Summary: PPA-164020

Objectives

The primary objective is to procure specialized consulting services to develop a comprehensive Biodiversity Offset Plan for the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) Port of Saldanha. The plan aims to identify, quantify, and strategically manage ecological impacts associated with port operations, ensuring compliance with environmental regulations while delivering measurable biodiversity conservation outcomes.

Scope of Work

The project is divided into eight structured phases, culminating in a finalized offset strategy and operational guidelines:

• Phase 1 – Initiation & Planning: Inception report, project plan, and stakeholder engagement plan.
• Phase 2 – Literature Review & Data Analysis: Comprehensive literature review and data gap analysis.
• Phase 3 – Botanical Assessment (Fieldwork): Seasonal field surveys, species inventories, and ecological sensitivity mapping.
• Phase 4 – Site Selection & Offset Calculations: Identification of offset requirements and development of a screening framework.
• Phase 5 – Stakeholder Engagement: Facilitation of workshops, collection of stakeholder inputs, and response documentation.
• Phase 6 – Feasibility Assessment: Ecological feasibility reporting and physical site validation.
• Phase 7 – Offset Plan Development: Draft offset plan creation, GIS spatial analysis, and delivery of shapefiles.
• Phase 8 – Finalisation & Reporting: Final offset plan submission and development of management guidelines.

The contract also includes budgeted allowances for travel, accommodation, and subsistence required to execute field activities.

Technical Requirements

Bidders must demonstrate organizational capacity through the following criteria:

• Company Experience: Submission of reference letters for comparable projects (vegetation surveys, critical biodiversity area assessments, offset strategies/plans, or ecological studies) completed within the last ten years. A minimum of two references is mandatory, with preference awarded to bidders providing more than four. Each letter must include key contact person details.
• Project Schedule & Approach Paper: A detailed technical submission addressing eleven core components: desktop biodiversity review, seasonal field survey methodology, reporting protocols, project dependencies, scope understanding, offset determination approach, stakeholder engagement strategy, GIS analysis standards, application of the mitigation hierarchy, offset determination methodology, and an offset implementation and monitoring framework.

Skills & Personnel Requirements

The evaluation mandates specific academic qualifications and professional experience for three key roles. CVs must clearly indicate start and end months/years for each employment entry:

• Project Manager: Minimum qualification of a Bachelor of Science Honours (NQF Level 8) or higher in a relevant discipline (e.g., Botanical, Biological, Conservation, Environmental, Ecological, or Geospatial Science). The CV must demonstrate leadership capabilities, timeline management, and deliverable tracking. Preference is given to candidates with four or more years of relevant experience.
• Environmental Assessment Practitioner (EAP): Equivalent academic qualifications (NQF Level 8 or higher) in environmental or ecological sciences. The CV must detail relevant professional experience aligned with the scope of work.
• GIS Specialist: Qualification ranging from a Diploma (NQF Level 6) to Bachelor of Science Honours (NQF Level 8) or higher in GIS, Geography, Environmental Science, Urban Planning, or Computer Science. The CV must confirm at least two years of relevant experience, with strong preference for over four years.

Explanation of Key Terms

• Biodiversity Offset Plan: A strategic document designed to compensate for unavoidable ecological degradation by funding or implementing conservation actions that yield quantifiable biodiversity gains elsewhere.
• Critical Biodiversity Area (CBA): Officially designated geographic zones essential for preserving native species, ecosystems, and ecological processes.
• Mitigation Hierarchy: A standardized environmental management sequence that prioritizes impact avoidance first, followed by minimization, rehabilitation, and finally, offsetting residual impacts.
• NQF Levels: The South African National Qualifications Framework, where Level 7 denotes a standard bachelor’s degree, Level 8 an honours degree, Level 9 a master’s degree, and Level 10 a doctorate.
• EAP: Environmental Assessment Practitioner, a registered professional responsible for ensuring legislative compliance and managing environmental impact assessment processes.