Outsourced Staff Transport for 36 Months – Glen Agricultural College
Tender Details
- Tender Number: DARDEA/RFB 03/2026/2027
- Tender Type: Request for Bid (Open Tender)
- Department: Free State – Agriculture and Rural Development
- Province: Free State
- Location: Glen Agricultural College, Bloemfontein
- Tender Category: Bus, Minibus and Car Transport; Transportation
- Contract Period: 36 Months
- Closing Date: 20 October 2026 at 11:00
- Briefing Session: 30 September 2026 at 10:00
- Briefing Session Compulsory: No
- Briefing Venue: Glen Agricultural College, Glen Inn Hall, Gielie Joubert Street, Bloemfontein
- Place of Service: Glen Agricultural College, Chemistry Building, College Gielie Joubert Street, Bloemfontein, 9301
- Technical Contact: Mr M. Matlakala
- Technical Contact Number: 060 311 0329
- Technical Contact Email: matlakalm@dard.gov.za
- Tender Enquiries: Mr S. Thulo
- Enquiries Email: scmdard2@gmail.com
- Telephone: 082 040 4027
Tender Description
The Free State Department of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environmental Affairs is seeking suitably qualified and compliant service providers to provide outsourced staff transport services for a period of 36 months.
The transport service will provide daily commuting for departmental officials between designated central pick-up points and their workplace at Glen Agricultural College.
The required service covers two main routes:
- Route A: Central pick-up points in Botshabelo and Thaba Nchu to Glen.
- Route B: Hoffman Square in Bloemfontein to Glen.
The appointed service provider or providers will be responsible for operating the required buses during official working hours and maintaining a reliable, safe and compliant staff transport service.
Scope of Services
The successful bidder will be required to:
- Provide suitable buses for the specified transport routes.
- Transport departmental officials between designated central pick-up points and Glen Agricultural College.
- Operate the buses during official working hours.
- Accommodate occasional official events or approved route deviations where agreed to in writing.
- Maintain vehicles in a safe, roadworthy and compliant condition.
- Provide qualified and appropriately licensed drivers.
- Maintain accurate transport and kilometre records.
- Submit monthly claims in accordance with the contract requirements.
- Coordinate with departmental Bus Controllers responsible for monitoring passenger conduct and safety.
- Ensure continuous availability of the required fleet throughout the contract period.
Fleet Requirements
Route A
The bidder must provide:
- 32–36 seater buses suitable for the required route.
Route B
The bidder must provide a combination of:
- 60–65 seater buses
- 32–36 seater buses
Vehicles must comply with applicable road traffic legislation and must include:
- High-backed upholstered seats
- Seatbelts
- Full-length parcel racks
- Valid Certificates of Fitness
Depot and Infrastructure Requirements
The service provider must have a functional depot within the Mangaung Metro service area.
The depot must provide:
- Secure perimeter fencing
- Night locking facilities
- Daytime and nighttime security personnel
- Smooth ground surfaces
- Adequate parking capacity
- Office facilities
- Maintenance shelter
- Wash-bay facilities
- External lighting
- Staff ablution facilities
Compliance Requirements
Bidders must be able to provide the required documentation and demonstrate compliance, including:
- Valid operating permits for Free State routes.
- Comprehensive public liability insurance covering third-party damage and passenger injuries.
- Current tax clearance.
- Valid Central Supplier Database (CSD) registration.
- Proof of financial capacity.
- Evidence of a local office or lease agreement within the service area.
- Documentation proving experience in similar transport contracts.
Experience Requirements
Bidders must demonstrate:
- Experience in providing similar staff transport services.
- Completion of similar transport contracts within the past five years.
- Relevant operational and fleet-management experience.
- Ability to provide reliable transport services over the full contract period.
Key Personnel and Skills
The bidder must have, or contractually secure, suitably qualified personnel, including:
Managing Director
Responsible for overall management and execution of the transport contract.
Accountant
Responsible for:
- Financial administration
- Claims
- Contract-related financial matters
- Regulatory compliance
Mechanic / Technical Inspector
The bidder must have:
- An in-house mechanic or technical inspector; or
- A formal service agreement with a reputable mechanical workshop.
The technical function must ensure vehicle roadworthiness, maintenance and timely repairs.
Drivers
The bidder must provide sufficient licensed drivers according to the number of buses tendered.
Drivers must have:
- Valid driver’s licences
- Valid Professional Driving Permits (PDPs)
- Appropriate documentation submitted as required
CVs and supporting documentation must be provided for key personnel.
Operational Responsibilities
The service provider will be expected to:
- Plan and manage transport schedules.
- Ensure buses arrive at designated pick-up points on time.
- Maintain safe and reliable transportation of staff.
- Keep standardized log sheets for kilometre tracking.
- Accurately record kilometres travelled.
- Prepare and submit monthly claims.
- Maintain vehicle roadworthiness.
- Respond to breakdowns and operational disruptions.
- Work with departmental Bus Controllers.
- Maintain appropriate passenger safety and conduct standards.
- Ensure compliance with applicable transport and road traffic requirements.
Pricing and Payment
The contract provides for:
- A fixed monthly retainer fee per bus, regardless of actual usage, provided the bus remains available and compliant.
- A variable tariff per kilometre travelled.
- Kilometres travelled between the service provider’s depot and pick-up/drop-off points are excluded from claimable kilometres.
The pricing structure includes an escalation mechanism:
- 85% of the bid price is subject to annual index-based adjustments.
- Consumer Price Index (CPI) adjustments apply to fixed/non-fuel costs.
- Official diesel wholesale prices are used for fuel-related adjustments.
- 15% of the price remains fixed.
- Fuel-related adjustments may occur more frequently than annually in accordance with market fluctuations.
Evaluation Process
The tender uses a two-phase functionality assessment.
Phase 1 – Documentary Assessment
Bidders will be assessed on the required documentary submissions.
- A minimum of 70 points is required to proceed to the next phase.
Phase 2 – Physical Inspection
The department will conduct physical inspections of:
- The bidder’s depot
- Available fleet
- Relevant facilities and infrastructure
A minimum of 30 points is required to qualify for financial evaluation.
The department reserves the right to award the contract to one or multiple service providers, depending on its operational requirements.
Preferential Procurement
The tender will be evaluated using an 80/20 or 90/10 preferential procurement system, as applicable.
Points may be allocated for specified preferential procurement goals, including qualifying businesses associated with:
- Historically disadvantaged ownership
- Women-owned enterprises
- Persons living with disabilities
Supporting documentation must be provided where required.
Important Tender Conditions
- The contract period is 36 months.
- The briefing session is scheduled for 30 September 2026 at 10:00 and is not compulsory.
- Bidders must comply with the requirements contained in the official bid document.
- The department may suspend, terminate or reallocate services where operational circumstances or service failures require it.
- Bidders must maintain the required vehicles and infrastructure throughout the contract period.
- All pricing must comply with the tender’s specified pricing and escalation provisions.
- The department may appoint one or more service providers.