Objectives

The primary objective is to procure a single pharmaceutical-grade planetary stirrer/mixer to support the manufacturing, compounding, and mixing of creams and ointments at Estcourt Hospital’s Pharmacy Department. The tender aims to secure a compliant, cost-effective, and timely supply through a transparent preferential procurement process aligned with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health’s supply chain management policies.

Scope

The contract encompasses the supply, delivery, and handover of one (1) 5-litre planetary stirrer/mixer to Estcourt Hospital. It is a once-off transaction with a quotation validity period of 90 days. The successful bidder is responsible for transporting the equipment to the designated hospital location, ensuring all items are new, unused, and fully compliant with the prescribed specifications. Evaluation follows an 80/20 preference point system, allocating 80 points for price competitiveness and 20 points for specific socio-economic goals.

Technical Requirements

• Equipment Specification: Planetary stirrer/mixer, 5-litre capacity, engineered for mixing creams and ointments.
• Material & Finish: Corrosion-resistant stainless steel with a silver/metallic exterior.
• Condition & Quality: Must be brand new, unused, and represent the most recent model with current design improvements. Products must have a minimum shelf life of six months post-delivery.
• Standards Compliance: Goods must conform to applicable South African National Standards (SANS/SABS) and the attached specification document.
• Pricing Structure: Firm, all-inclusive delivered price covering VAT (if applicable), freight, and incidental services. Variable or non-firm pricing will be rejected.
• Documentation: Mandatory submission of proof of prior similar deliveries, Central Supplier Database (CSD) verification, SARS tax clearance, B-BBEE certificate, CIPC registration, and completed standard bidding forms (SBD 4 and SBD 6.1).

Skills Requirements

No specialized installation or engineering skills are explicitly mandated. However, bidders must demonstrate proven logistical and administrative capacity to deliver medical/pharmaceutical equipment within public sector timelines. Required capabilities include experience in healthcare facility supply chains, maintenance of regulatory compliance (tax, CSD, B-BBEE), and provision of warranty support. Suppliers should be prepared to perform incidental services such as on-site assembly, commissioning, and basic operator training if requested. A clean delivery history is mandatory; prior defaults without acceptable justification will result in disqualification.

Unusual or Complicated Terms

• Planetary Stirrer/Mixer: A laboratory device featuring a dual-motion mechanism where the mixing paddle rotates on its own axis while simultaneously revolving around the container. This ensures uniform blending of high-viscosity pharmaceutical compounds without introducing air pockets or degrading product consistency.
• 80/20 Preference Point System: A South African public procurement scoring framework where 80% of evaluation points are awarded based on price, and 20% are allocated for specific socio-economic goals. In this tender, the full 20 points are reserved for enterprises owned by South Africans located within the procuring district.
• Cover-Quoting Prohibition: A strict anti-fraud regulation prohibiting multiple companies from submitting quotations under different names for the same bid. Violation is classified as corruption and acquisition fraud, resulting in immediate disqualification and potential public sector trading restrictions.
• GCC/SCC Framework: The General and Special Conditions of Contract establish binding legal parameters, including performance security, warranty periods (12–18 months), daily penalty calculations for delayed delivery (based on the prime interest rate), termination clauses, and dispute resolution under South African law.