Objectives

The primary objective of this tender is to appoint a qualified service provider to deliver integrated collaboration services to the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE). The services aim to enhance productivity, strengthen cybersecurity, improve collaboration, and ensure data protection and compliance through procurement and management of Microsoft licenses, backup and retention solutions, and email security services.

Scope

The scope of work includes:

• Renewal of existing Microsoft 365 E3 licenses expiring in November 2025 and procurement of additional licenses tailored to organizational needs.
• Provision of Microsoft 365 E5 licenses for advanced security and compliance features for key personnel.
• Implementation of Microsoft Teams Essentials for departments requiring video conferencing and collaboration tools.
• Deployment of Microsoft Intune for mobile device management (MDM) and mobile application management (MAM) across all user devices.
• Enabling automatic backups for Exchange, SharePoint, Teams, and OneDrive data to support disaster recovery, retention, and compliance with POPIA.
• Provision of cloud-based email management services focusing on security, archiving, anti-phishing, and data loss prevention.
• Implementation of email filtering and security solutions, including threat hunting, investigation, and remediation capabilities.
• Provision of collaboration platform features such as online meetings, instant messaging, file sharing, content centralization, and synchronization across devices.

Technical Requirements

The technical specifications for the services include:

• Provision of licenses:
  • Microsoft 365 E3 (124 users): Office apps, OneDrive, SharePoint, Exchange, security, compliance tools.
  • Microsoft 365 E5 (5 users): Advanced security, Power BI Pro, Compliance Manager, Threat Analytics.
  • Microsoft Teams Essentials (129 users): Video conferencing, chat, meetings.
  • Microsoft Intune (129 users): Mobile device and application management, device enrollment, app deployment, security policies.
• Backup and retention:
  • Secure cloud-based backup solutions for Exchange, SharePoint, Teams, and OneDrive data.
  • Support for disaster recovery, data retention, and POPIA compliance.
• Email security:
  • Cloud-based email management with anti-phishing, archiving, and continuity features.
  • Security awareness training and collaboration security tools.
• Collaboration platform features:
  • Online meetings with audio and video capabilities, transcription, and instant messaging.
  • Secure file sharing and content management with advanced search and sharing capabilities.
  • Synchronization of data across devices with 99.9% uptime guarantee.
  • Integration with existing Microsoft 365 applications and support for iPads and tablets.
• Implementation of security features including threat protection, data loss prevention, and device compliance enforcement.
• Provision of training, technical support, and ongoing monitoring and reporting.

Summary

The technical requirements focus on delivering a comprehensive, secure, and compliant collaboration environment leveraging Microsoft 365 cloud services, backup solutions, and security tools. The service provider must ensure seamless integration, high availability, and robust security features aligned with organizational and regulatory standards.