Supply and Delivery of Next Generation Sequencing Bioinformatics Software 5Years
Tender Details
- Tender Number: RFQ NO: 671096
- Tender Title: Re-advertise Supply and Delivery of Next Generation Sequencing Bioinformatics Software for Five Years
- Client: National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS)
- Department: Human Genetics Department, Universitas
- Location: Bloemfontein, Free State
- Tender Category: Computer Software Supply and License Management; Information and Communications Technology
- RFQ Status: Open
- Advert Date: 01 October 2026
- Contract Period: 5 years
- Briefing Session: N/A
- Closing Date: 13 October 2026 at 11:00
- Enquiries: Neo.mokgosi@nhls.ac.za
Tender Objective
The NHLS seeks a suitably qualified supplier to supply, deliver, install and commission Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) bioinformatics software for the Human Genetics Department at Universitas Bloemfontein for a period of five years.
The software must support genomic data analysis, clinical variant interpretation and standardized reporting while maintaining appropriate healthcare data protection and security requirements.
Scope of Work
The successful supplier will be responsible for:
- Supplying and delivering the NGS bioinformatics software.
- Installing and commissioning the solution on local desktop and server environments.
- Integrating the software with existing laboratory workflows.
- Providing comprehensive operator training.
- Supplying an operator manual and supporting documentation.
- Providing technical support throughout the five-year contract.
- Providing software upgrades at no additional cost during the contract period.
- Updating algorithms where required to align with evolving clinical genetics guidelines.
- Maintaining the required software functionality and support for the full contract period.
Licensing Requirements
- The solution must use a fixed annual or perpetual licensing model.
- Token-based or pay-per-sample licensing models are excluded.
- Pricing must remain fixed for the five-year contract period.
- Pricing must be submitted excluding VAT and on official company letterhead.
Mandatory Technical Requirements
The software must include or comply with the following:
- CE-IVD certification.
- Compliance with applicable data protection standards, including POPIA, HIPAA or GDPR.
- Support for standard NGS and microarray formats, including:
- FAST5
- FAST1
- BAM
- CRAM
- GVCF
- VCF
- BED
- TSV
- Automated analysis of:
- SNVs
- Indels
- CNVs
- Structural variants (SVs)
- Germline variant classification aligned with ACMG or ACGS guidelines.
- Local desktop installation with local server extension capabilities.
- Quality-control reporting.
- Audit trails.
- Predefined annotation sources.
- Custom variant knowledge database.
- Automatic alerts for reclassified ClinVar variants.
- Literature referencing capabilities.
- Clinical report generation in DOCX and PDF formats.
- Integrated local database functionality.
- Data visualisation features.
- Written confirmation that software upgrades will be provided free of charge during the contract.
- Algorithm updates when new clinical guidelines are introduced.
Supplier Skills and Experience
Suppliers should demonstrate expertise in:
- Bioinformatics software deployment.
- Clinical genomics data processing.
- NGS data analysis.
- Laboratory IT infrastructure integration.
- Local server configuration and support.
- Clinical diagnostics software implementation.
- Healthcare data privacy and security.
- Technical training of laboratory personnel.
- Ongoing software support and maintenance.
Experience implementing clinical diagnostic solutions within public healthcare environments would be advantageous.
Key Technical Terms
CE-IVD: A conformity certification for in-vitro diagnostic medical devices, indicating compliance with applicable requirements for clinical diagnostic use.
POPIA: South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act, which regulates the processing and protection of personal information, including sensitive health information.
ACMG/ACGS: Guidelines used by clinical genetics professionals to classify genetic variants according to their clinical significance.
ClinVar: A database containing information linking human genetic variants with their clinical significance and associated conditions.
Fixed Licence Model: A licensing arrangement where the supplier charges a predetermined fee rather than charging according to sample volume, tokens or individual analyses.
Required Documents
Bidders must submit all mandatory documentation specified in the RFQ documentation.
Late, incomplete or non-compliant submissions may be disqualified.
Important Notes
- This is a re-advertised RFQ.
- The contract period is five years.
- The software must support clinical NGS and genetic variant interpretation workflows.
- Suppliers must provide ongoing support and software upgrades throughout the contract.
- Bidders should consult the complete RFQ documentation for the detailed technical specifications, submission requirements and mandatory documentation.