Tendering regulations, a real to challenge bidders

National Treasury’s, Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act (PPPFA) Regulations, which came into effect in 2017, make all tenders ‘unacceptable’ if they do not comply with these stipulations. 

According to Gerrit Davids, Lead Advisor at tender advisory consultancy, TaranisCo Advisory CC, “these Regulations from the outset grants an organ of state the authority to stipulate a ‘Preferred Minimum B-BBEE Level’ in a tender, which will exclude certain companies with a lower B-BBEE Level from submitting bids”. 

The Regulations also allow the state to include another wide-ranging requirement, i.e. Sub-Contracting as stipulation, which could force principle bidders to make use of up to 8 x different types of sub-contractors under the ‘Pre-Qualification Criteria’. 

A failure to do so will also have the bid being declared ‘unacceptable’. The value of the 80:20 and the 90:10 Preference Point Systems has also been increased to below and above R50m respectively. 

However, it retains the current scoring of points for Price alongside that of BBBEE in tenders. 

Additionally, the new Regulations also reinforce a 25% maximum on Sub-Contracting, which is done in the ordinary course of business with companies that have a lower B-BBEE level than that of the principle bidder. 

A failure to comply with this stipulation will also cause tenders to be disqualified from consideration. 

Davids says, that the Regulations have also introduced a new approach to pricing, where a bidder who scores the ‘highest points’ in a tender, but its price is perhaps not market related, and if approached by the state to lower the price and refuses to adjust it to be in-line with market related prices, the organ of state will have the right not to award the tender to such a bidder. 

The state may even cancel the tender in such a scenario.  

Davids also points out that the much debated stipulation of compulsory Sub-Contracting of 30% for all tenders above R30m in value will also be allowed ‘where feasible’ to advance any one or more of the ‘designated groups’ as defined by these new Regulations. 

Another key stipulation to the Regulations makes it obligatory for an organ of state issuing tenders to ‘make available a list’ of potential sub-contractors that qualify under the definition of ‘designated groups’ and such a list must be subject to approval by National Treasury. 

According to Davids, “the biggest challenge will be to find the right ‘designated’ sub-contractors and on the face of it, one can read, “an organ of state must make available the list of all suppliers (sub-contractors) registered on a database approved by the National Treasury”. 

If on the other hand, it is required from the organ of state to make such a list available for every single ‘sub-contracting’ tender, it will surely place a big administrative burden on them to manage the process in line with this stipulation bearing in mind that the Central Supplier Database (CSD), which at present, is the only list approved by National Treasury”.

“If it indeed refers to the CSD to vet these ‘designated groups’, it will mean that your existing sub-contractors, even if they do qualify under the scope of these ‘designated groups’, will also have to be registered on it, even if they themselves do not tender for state contracts, otherwise you won’t be able to ‘select’ them in your tender. 

In this scenario, its also important to note that even if you do manage to get them to register on the CSD and if at the time of your tender, any of their details are not verified, it will also make your tender ‘unacceptable’ until they have updated their ‘un-verified details’. 

However, if any of your existing sub-contractors do not qualify under this ’designated groups’ status, it would also mean that you won’t be able to ‘select’ them in a tender. It will then force bidders to facilitate joint ventures between such ‘designated groups’ sub-contractors and that of their own. 

Another key regulation stipulates that sub-contracting, which was not mentioned in the bidder’s tender could only be done with the permission of the organ of state ‘after a tender has been awarded’. 

A 10% penalty of the total value of the contract may be imposed where the correct sub-contracting procedures were not followed or where information was withheld. 

A ban on doing business with the state for 10 years could also be imposed by National Treasury under these new Regulations. 

Davids says, “The meaning and understanding of the concept of ‘being proactive’ becomes a very relevant consideration with these regulations. Tenderers will be left behind if they do not make the required changes in the way they submit government tenders, especially in relation to sub-contracting”.

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For further details, contact:

Gerrit DavidsLead AdvisorTaranisCo Advisory CCCell. 082 4961 5671E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.Web site: www.taranisco.info