Objectives

The primary objective is to appoint a competent service provider to deliver pre-employment and ongoing employee verification services over a three-year period. This appointment aims to facilitate informed recruitment decisions, mitigate employment-related risks, and ensure full compliance with applicable South African legislation, regulations, and internal organisational policies.

Scope of Services

The contract encompasses a comprehensive suite of background verification checks, utilised on an as-and-when-required basis. Estimated annual volumes include:

• Identity and photograph verification
• Driver’s licence validation
• Matriculation certificate verification
• Fingerprint-based criminal record checks
• Academic qualification verification
• Professional reference checks (estimated at 300 annually)

Services will be deployed flexibly across categories, provided cumulative spending remains within the approved three-year contract value.

Technical Requirements

• Provision of a secure, web-based verification portal granting direct, real-time access to authorised SAMSA personnel.
• Capability for independent submission, monitoring, and status tracking of verification requests without intermediary routing through the supplier.
• Guaranteed system availability during standard business hours for online submissions and progress tracking.
• Strict adherence to data security, privacy, and labour compliance standards.
• Maintenance of high accuracy, rigorous quality assurance protocols, and delivery within agreed turnaround times.
• Dedicated customer support for verification queries, escalations, and performance reporting.

Skills and Competency Requirements

While not explicitly itemised, the tender necessitates proven expertise in end-to-end background screening and regulatory compliance. Providers must demonstrate:

• Operational proficiency in conducting accurate, confidential, and legally sound verification checks across multiple jurisdictions and databases.
• Deep familiarity with South African employment, privacy, and consumer protection legislation.
• Technical capability to develop, host, and maintain a secure, user-friendly digital verification platform.
• Experience managing high-volume verification workflows while meeting stringent service level agreements.

Key Terms and Definitions

• POPIA: Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013, South Africa’s primary data privacy legislation regulating the lawful collection, processing, and storage of personal information.
• CSD: Central Supplier Database, the official national registry required for all entities bidding on public sector contracts.
• B-BBEE: Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment, a legislative framework promoting economic transformation and equitable ownership structures.
• Preference Point System: A procurement evaluation methodology allocating up to 20 or 10 points (depending on the applicable model) towards socio-economic goals, such as equity ownership by historically disadvantaged individuals, women, youth, persons with disabilities, or geographically local enterprises.
• SBD Forms: Standard Bid Document templates mandated for verifying tax compliance, disclosing conflicts of interest, and claiming preference points.