Tender Summary: Virginia Magistrate’s Office Additional Accommodation Structural Engineering Services

Objectives

The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure aims to appoint a competent service provider to deliver end-to-end structural engineering services for the construction of additional accommodation at the Virginia Magistrate’s Court in the Free State. The primary objective is to secure safe, code-compliant, and sustainable structural design and construction oversight while adhering to national procurement frameworks, preferential scoring regulations, and public sector accountability standards.

Scope of Services

The appointment encompasses the complete lifecycle of structural engineering services, structured across six standard phases:

• Inception: Client liaison, site inspection, feasibility assessment, and scope definition.
• Preliminary Design: Concept development, structural system selection, and viability studies.
• Detail Design: Finalised structural drawings, reinforcement schedules, steelwork specifications, and design approvals.
• Documentation & Procurement: Tender preparation, bid evaluation support, and contract documentation.
• Contract Administration & Inspection: Site supervision, variation management, payment certification, and defect monitoring.
• Close-Out: As-built documentation, final account compilation, and handover procedures.

Additional mandated services include part-time construction monitoring, compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act, environmental impact assessment applications, and administration of labour-intensive programme requirements. The structural engineer will operate within a multi-disciplinary team coordinated by an appointed architect serving as the principal agent.

Technical Requirements

• Regulatory Compliance: Strict adherence to the National Building Regulations, Occupational Health and Safety Act, National Environmental Management Act, Water Services Act, and applicable SANS codes. The service provider assumes full contractual and delictual liability for safety and environmental compliance.
• Software & Documentation: All project documentation must utilise software compatible with the client’s existing systems. Deliverables include detailed structural calculations, bending schedules, material specifications, and monthly progress/cash flow reports.
• Insurance & Risk Management: Maintenance of professional indemnity insurance with a minimum cover of R1.5 million or 15% of the estimated structural works value (whichever is greater), valid throughout the contract period.
• Sustainability & Innovation: Designs must prioritise energy efficiency, passive cooling/heating strategies, water conservation, and locally sourced materials where economically viable.
• Labour-Intensive Programme (EPWP): The service provider must implement and monitor Expanded Public Works Programme guidelines, ensuring contractors submit verified labour reporting before payment certification. EPWP refers to a government initiative mandating that public infrastructure projects create employment opportunities, particularly for youth and marginalised communities, through structured labour-intensity targets.
• Secondment Clause: The successful bidder must accept unregistered built environment graduates for practical secondment to facilitate their professional registration. This term requires the firm to host trainees under a formal agreement, providing hands-on project exposure while the employer retains salary costs.

Skills and Qualification Requirements

• Professional Registration: The tendering entity must operate under the full-time supervision of a Professional Structural Engineer or Professional Engineering Technologist registered with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) in terms of the Engineering Profession Act, 2000. Certified proof of registration for all principals and key personnel is mandatory.
• Experience & Capacity: Demonstrable track record of completing comparable structural projects within the past five years, supported by reference letters, project portfolios, and performance evaluations. Bidders must prove financial viability and adequate staffing capacity.
• Key Personnel: Submission of organisational charts, CVs, and certified identity documents for all proposed staff. Personnel must hold valid South African citizenship documentation and pass required security screening.
• Preferential Procurement Compliance: Points are awarded based on Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) status, including ownership by black individuals, black women, black youth, and persons with disabilities, alongside proof of local municipal presence. B-BBEE is a South African policy framework designed to redress historical inequalities by promoting economic participation and ownership among previously disadvantaged groups.
• Administrative Readiness: Valid Central Supplier Database registration, tax compliance pin, board resolutions authorising signatories, and completed risk assessment and disclosure forms are required for responsiveness.