Tenders

Invitation to Tender

• All invitations to tender should include the following minimum information:

o detailed specification of the tender or details of how additional information can be collected/accessed;

o any requirements regarding the form in which the tender responses should be presented;

o the final date and time by which all tenders should be received;

o the way in which the tender should be marked and the address to which it should be delivered;

o any tender deposit required (only where the CEO has authorised that a deposit is required) and whether it should be refunded;

o the criteria by which responses will be evaluated;

o information about how both successful and unsuccessful tenderers will be notified.

• Where any alterations are made to the “invitation to tender”, such information must be published in the same manner that the tender was advertised.

Receipt of Tenders

• The tender box must be provided at the location specified in the “invitation to tender”.

• The tender box shall be equipped with two separate locks. One key shall be kept by the Chair of the Tender Board and the other by the Tender Board Secretary.

• All tenders delivered/received shall be placed inside the tender box.

Opening of Tenders

• Tenders shall be opened by the Tender Board Secretary and at least two other officers or members of the Tender Board . Representatives of tenderers shall be allowed to witness the opening of the tenders and the names of the tenderers, but shall not be allowed to read any details of a tender.

• All tenders received must be officially stamped, initialled and recorded in the Tender Register maintained by the Tender Board Secretary.

• Two members of the Tender Board or two other officers present at the opening of the tenders must initial the Tender Register certifying correct the details entered into the Register.

• In cases where the tender requires a tender deposit, the Tender Board Secretary shall issue receipts for the amounts received to the tenderers.

Consideration and Evaluation of Tenders

• The Tender Board or Evaluation Committee appointed under Finance Instruction 16(7) shall be responsible for evaluating tenders received.

• The Chair of the Tender Board or Evaluation Committee must ensure that tenders are evaluated in a transparent and fair manner using the evaluation criteria specified in the “invitation to tender”.

• Tenders that do not comply with the mandatory specifications or conditions in the “invitation to tender” shall be considered invalid.

• If a tender is unclear in certain areas, the Tender Board or Evaluation Committee may direct the Tender Board Secretary to seek clarifications in writing. However, no alterations shall be made to any tender documents.

• Upon completion of the evaluations, the Chair of the Tender Board or Evaluation Committee shall prepare a report including:
• a list of all the tenders received;
• the evaluation of each tender against each evaluation criterion;
• the ranking of tenders based on the evaluation criteria – whether on an individual or consensus basis;
• the approved or recommended tender.

• The report must be signed and dated by each member of the Tender Board or Evaluation Committee.

• Once a tender has been approved, the Tender Board Secretary must inform all unsuccessful tenderers in writing of the outcome of their tender and the name of the successful tenderer.

• The Tender Board Secretary shall publish the name of the successful tenderer in the Government Gazette.

• A written contract or agreement must be entered into with the approved tenderer for the supply of the goods, services or works tendered. Legal advice must be sought on the draft contract or agreement unless the CEO approves otherwise in writing.