Objectives

The primary objective of this tender is to secure a reliable and compliant supplier to provide and deliver a comprehensive range of office stationery and related consumables to the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health (Central Supply Chain Management/Head Office Legal Services). The procurement aims to ensure consistent quality, timely delivery, cost-effectiveness, and strict adherence to national preferential procurement legislation.

Scope

The contract encompasses the supply and delivery of various stationery items to the designated provincial facility. The scope includes, but is not limited to:

• Writing Instruments: Black and red pens, permanent markers, highlighters.
• Paper & Note Products: Exam pads, A4 notebooks, sticky notes/adhesive pads, A4 envelopes.
• Organizational Tools: Lever arch files, slide binders, file fasteners, rubber bands, paper clips, bulldog clips, foldback clips, giant gem clips.
• Adhesives & Sealing: Pritt glue, clear packaging tape, cotton twine, staples.
• Office Accessories: Scissors, pocket/pop-up flags, laminating pouches, 8-way multiplugs with USB, 3-meter extension cords, custom date stamps, and certifying stamps.

Quantities are fixed per item. All delivery costs must be included in the quoted price, and delivery must occur within the timeframe specified upon contract award.

Technical Requirements

• All goods must be brand new, unused, and represent the most recent or current market models.
• Products must strictly conform to the detailed specification schedule provided in the tender annexures, including exact dimensions, materials, colours, and packaging formats (e.g., boxes, packs, rolls).
• Commodities must have a minimum shelf-life validity of six months from the date of delivery. Expired or second-hand items will be automatically rejected.
• Goods must comply with relevant South African National Standards (SANS/SABS) where applicable.
• Bidders may be required to submit physical samples for specification verification; all testing and sample provision costs are borne by the supplier.
• Quoted prices must be firm and remain unchanged for a 90-day validity period.
• Suppliers must be actively registered on the Central Suppliers Database (CSD) and hold a valid SARS tax clearance certificate.

Skills Requirements

No specialized technical, engineering, or professional service qualifications are mandated for this procurement. The core capability required is robust commercial supply chain management, including efficient inventory sourcing, quality control, secure packaging, logistics coordination, and reliable on-time delivery. Bidders must also possess strong administrative competence to accurately complete mandatory returnable documents, compliance declarations, and preference point claim forms without errors.

Notable Procurement & Contractual Conditions

The tender incorporates several standard but critical government procurement mechanisms that bidders must understand:

• 80/20 Preference Point System: Evaluation allocates 80 points for price and 20 points for specific socio-economic goals. Full preference points are exclusively awarded to enterprises that are 100% owned by Black African women. Unverified claims result in zero points for this category.
• Three-Stage Mandatory Evaluation: Quotations undergo sequential screening: (1) Administrative compliance, (2) Technical specification adherence, and (3) Price/preference scoring. Failure at any stage results in immediate disqualification.
• Delay Penalties & Termination: Late deliveries incur financial penalties calculated using the current prime interest rate per day of delay. Persistent non-performance may lead to contract termination, liability for excess replacement costs, and potential restriction from public sector contracts for up to ten years.
• Anti-Collusion & Cover-Quoting Prohibition: Strict database verification detects multiple company registrations bidding for the same contract. Collusive practices or cover-quoting trigger immediate disqualification and possible reporting to competition and anti-corruption authorities.