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Q: Do departments still need to use Standard Bid Document (SBD) forms?
Yes, until the Treasury regulations have been amended and the instructions have been repealed, the SBD Forms remain in place.
Q:What was the reason for taking away the advertising of tenders in the newspapers, tender bulletins and other mediums? We service multiple suppliers from a variety of communities. Why not just keep all mediums available to ensure transparency and access?
It is estimated that R700 million is spent annually on publishing tenders in the various media. Furthermore, it is very difficult for suppliers to be informed of opportunities as they need to monitor various publications. Thirdly, if tender documents are not available electronically, it makes it difficult for suppliers to access tender documentation if they do not have an office close to the relevant government department.
The eTender Publication Portal centralises bid opportunities across government and make bid documents available free of charge. This makes procurement much more transparent. Other publications could also be considered should the need arise, but it should not be the norm, as publication costs needs to come down.
Q:The department has a national tender to publish. If we cannot advertise in any other media – how will we reach all potential suppliers?
All competitive bids and their results, irrespective of the audience, must be published on the eTender Publication Portal. In addition, other publications could also be considered, should the need arise, but it should only be in cases where a specific audience is targeted.
Q: How do we cancel tenders on the eTender Publication Portal?
The Tender Administrator needs to be informed of the tender that needs to be cancelled as well as the reason for the cancellation. Only Tender Administrators can change tender statuses on the eTender Publication Portal.
Q:How exposed is the eTender Publication Portal to the general public? How will they get access? Some find the cost of data too high.
The e-Tender Publication Portal is a website that can be accessed free of charge through any device that has internet connectivity.
Based on the information gathered for the period from October 2015 to April 2016, it is worth noting the following statistics:
Site Activity
∙126 101 people have accessed the portal at least once and more than 61% have returned on a regular basis.
∙The daily access increased from 1 450 visits per day during October 2015 to an average of 3 106 per day during March and April 2016.
∙Mondays and Tuesdays are the most active days, because most publications are published on Fridays. Saturdays and Sundays have very low activity.
∙The site is accessed most: daily between 09:00 and 14:00.
Geospatial Statistics:
∙90.61% of views are by South African suppliers.
∙Kenyan suppliers are the second highest audience with 3.39% views, followed by the United States with 1.22%.