Objectives

The primary objective is to appoint a qualified service provider to supply, deliver, install, maintain, and service office printing equipment under a lease arrangement, alongside implementing comprehensive print management software, for a fixed three-year contract period.

Scope

• Leasing and ongoing maintenance of multiple equipment categories, including high-volume colour multi-function machines, standard black-and-white photocopiers, desktop printers, industrial shredders, thermal strip binding machines, and plotters.
• Deployment, configuration, and management of enterprise print management software across all leased devices.
• Provision of all consumables, spare parts, preventive maintenance, and corrective repairs at no additional cost to the municipality.
• Performance-based invoicing strictly tied to actual usage (metered prints/copies) per device, user, and department.
• Contract duration: thirty-six (36) months from date of appointment.

Technical Requirements

• Equipment must comply with category-specific specifications, including minimum print speeds, paper tray capacities, storage requirements (e.g., 128GB SSD for high-volume units), and seamless integration with Active Directory/Azure AD.
• Print management software must support pull/follow-me printing, multi-factor authentication, conditional access, real-time dashboards, automated meter collection, departmental chargeback, fleet health monitoring, and full compatibility with current Microsoft Windows environments.
• All leased devices must be protected against power surges at the supplier's expense.
• Faulty equipment must be repaired or replaced within twenty-four hours without downtime charges or service interruptions.
• Bidders must demonstrate full compatibility with existing municipal IT infrastructure and submit certified proof of tax compliance, audited financial statements (last three years), B-BBEE verification, and evidence of managing at least sixty similar devices in previous contracts.

Skills & Experience Requirements

• Proven operational capacity to supply, install, and maintain large-scale office printing fleets, substantiated by verifiable client references, service level agreements, or delivery notes.
• Technical expertise in deploying and integrating enterprise print management solutions with cloud-based identity providers and municipal networks.
• Strong field service logistics and technical support capabilities to guarantee rapid response times and continuous equipment availability across multiple municipal sites.
• Financial stability and project management proficiency to sustain a three-year lease model, manage usage-based billing cycles, and enforce strict service level agreements.

Key Terms & Service Clarifications

Lease Option Model: Equipment remains the legal property of the supplier throughout the contract term. The municipality does not purchase hardware; instead, the supplier retains ownership and assumes full responsibility for maintenance, consumables, repairs, and replacements.

Usage-Based Billing: Invoicing is strictly consumption-driven. Charges are calculated solely on verified meter readings per page or copy, eliminating fixed rental fees and aligning costs directly with actual municipal usage.

Evaluation Framework: Tenders are assessed using an 80/20 preference point system. Eighty percent of scoring is allocated to price competitiveness, while twenty percent is reserved for specific goals, primarily B-BBEE status level and geographic proximity to the municipality.

Submission Protocol: Bids require both an original hard copy and an electronic version stored on a USB drive, SD card, or CD. Electronic media must be physically intact and readable at the time of submission to avoid non-responsiveness.