Objectives

The primary objective is to procure and supply certified hemoglobin test strips to support routine clinical diagnostics at Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Memorial Hospital. The tender seeks to secure a reliable, cost-effective supply of in vitro diagnostic materials that meet national regulatory standards, while advancing provincial transformation goals through preferential procurement mechanisms.

Scope

The contract encompasses the supply and delivery of 300 boxes of hemoglobin test strips to the designated hospital facility. Each box contains 50 individual test units. The supplier is responsible for end-to-end delivery, ensuring product integrity, maintaining a minimum shelf-life validity of six months upon handover, and fulfilling standard warranty obligations. The procurement operates under a quotation framework valued below R1,000,000, with evaluation conducted across administrative compliance, technical specification adherence, pricing competitiveness, and socio-economic preference points.

Technical Requirements

• Diagnostic Function: Designed for in vitro measurement of hemoglobin and hematocrit concentrations in whole blood.
• Measurement Range: 3.0 to 25.6 g/dL.
• Response Time: Results displayed within 15 seconds.
• Packaging: Secure box packaging featuring CE certification marks to verify quality compliance.
• Unit Configuration: 50 test strips per box.
• Regulatory Compliance: Must satisfy SABS/SANS standards and hold a valid licence from the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) permitting manufacture, wholesale, or distribution of medical devices.
• Product Condition: Strictly new, unused, and free from manufacturing defects. Expired or second-hand items are prohibited.
• Warranty: Twelve-month coverage from acceptance at the final destination, addressing defects in design, materials, or workmanship.

Skills & Capability Requirements

• Supply Chain Experience: Demonstrated track record via previous delivery records to public or private healthcare facilities, or verified financial statements showing liquidity equal to at least 40% of the quoted value.
• Administrative Compliance: Active Central Supplier Database (CSD) registration, valid SARS tax clearance, and submitted B-BBEE status verification or sworn affidavit.
• Logistical Competence: Ability to manage cold-chain or ambient storage requirements, coordinate timely deliveries, and handle reverse logistics for defective items.
• Quality Assurance: Capacity to produce and submit physical samples for independent laboratory verification when requested during the evaluation phase.

Key Terms & Unusual Requirements

• SAHPRA Licensing: A mandatory regulatory permit required for all entities handling medical diagnostics in South Africa. It ensures products undergo rigorous safety, efficacy, and quality assessments before entering the public health market.
• 80/20 Preference Point System: An evaluation weighting model allocating 80 points to competitive pricing and 20 points to specific socio-economic goals. In this tender, the full 20 points are reserved for South African-owned enterprises to promote economic transformation.
• Cover-Quoting Prohibition: A strict anti-fraud measure banning bidders from submitting multiple quotations under different corporate identities to artificially influence pricing. Violations result in immediate disqualification and potential ten-year exclusion from public sector contracts.
• Delay Penalties: Contract values will be reduced daily at the prevailing prime interest rate for late deliveries. Persistent non-performance grants the purchaser termination rights and recovery of excess procurement costs.
• Sample Verification Protocol: Compliant bidders may be formally invited to submit physical test strips for independent analysis. Failure to provide acceptable samples triggers automatic elimination from further evaluation stages.