General Information

You can download the latest open tenders (in any category) or find useful information to help you complete your proposal. If you need help, contact the provincial contacts for procurement or contact your nearest tender advice centre for free assistance.

• What is a Tender or Bid?
• Finding out about Tenders or Bids
• Supplier Databases
• Tender Articles

A tender is an offer to do work or supply goods at a fixed price. Getting goods or services is also known as "procurement". Since January 2004, government began referring to tenders as "bids". When government "puts out a tender" or "invites bids", this means government asks the public for price offers to do work or supply goods. Government then assesses who to choose based on the prices offered and the nature of the person or company making the tender.

The tender or bid process is designed to ensure that the work to be done for government is given out in a fair way. There are a number of policies (known as "procurement policies") with special mention of the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act (PPPFA) that guides government on how to make decisions on which tender to accept. Although price is very important in the decision on which tender or bid to accept, it is not the only factor taken into account.

Once government accepts a tender, it is binding on both parties. This means that the person or company that won the tender has to provide the goods or services in the manner agreed to and at the price offered, and government must pay the agreed price at the agreed time. In other words, once accepted, a tender is a binding contract.

• National and Provincial Tenders or Bids
• Verbal Quotations (R2 001 to R10 000)
• Tradeworld (Purchasing System) (R10 001 to R500 000)
• Competitive Bids (R500 001 and above)
• Local Government Tenders
• Supplier Databases

Tenders at all levels of government (national, provincial, local) must be advertised.

National and Provincial Tenders or Bids

You can find the listing of all national and provincial government tenders currently available in the Government Tender Bulletin, which comes out every Friday. The Bulletin is available online on the National Treasury site or the SA Government Online site.

You can also subscribe by post to the Government Tender Bulletin for R39.32 per year by contacting the Government Printer:

Government Printer
Private Bag X85, Bosman Street, Pretoria, 0001

Or you can call 012 334 4735 / 012 334 4736 / 012 334 4737

Verbal Quotations (R2 001 to R10 000)

These can be sourced by means of telephonic enquiries from possible suppliers.

eProcurement Solution (Purchasing System) (R10 001 to R500 000)

The Western Cape Provincial Government (WCPG) uses an independent third party called Quadrem/TradeWorld to distribute their Request for Quotations (RFQs), under R500 000, to the WCPG supplier database. These RFQs together with many others, including formal tenders nationally, are available through a subscription service called TradeWorld Leads and Tenders. Tenders and RFQs are e-mailed/faxed to subscribers according to their business profile on a daily basis. Results of RFQs awarded are also available to subscribers on the TradeWorld website.

• Regional: R650.00 (Western, Eastern and Northern Cape).
• National: R895.00 (The rest of South Africa).
• Subscription starts at SMME: R315.00 (only Western Cape information and must have 50% or more HDI ownership on the WCSD and no more than three categories).

For more information contact:
Quadrem/TradeWorld
1st Floor Liesbeeck House, River Park, Liesbeek Parkway, Mowbray, 7700
PO Box 1207, Cape Town, 8000
Tel: 021 680 4600
Fax: 021 680 4686
E-mail: tendersupport@quadrem.com

Competitive Bids (R500 001 and above)

Tenders for the Provincial Government of the Western Cape are published in the Government Tender Bulletin and also published on the National Government page.

Detailed information about forms, compulsory meetings and tender process is described in the Provincial Treasury Instructions (PTIs).

Local Government Tenders

The City of Cape Town advertises its tenders in Cape Town newspapers in their classifieds section on Fridays in the legal section. The municipalities may advertise in the Government Tender Bulletin (GTB) as well. The five district councils and 24 local councils in the Western Cape are required to advertise their tenders in local newspapers and in public places, such as libraries and council noticeboards. You can also contact a local council directly to find out about local tenders or search for their listings on the City of Cape Town website.