Chiller and Cooling Tower Maintenance Services

The Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) is seeking a qualified contractor to provide annual major servicing and ongoing maintenance of chillers and cooling towers at O.R. Tambo International Airport (ORTIA) for a period of six months, or until the contract value is exhausted, whichever occurs first. The scope covers 17 chillers across the Cargo, Domestic, International (KB2) and Western Precinct buildings, including Trane, Carrier and Evapco equipment, and 14 cooling towers across the same locations. Services include scheduled preventative maintenance such as weekly and monthly checks of compressor amperage and voltage, sensors, electrical panels, circuit breakers and cooling tower fan motors, VSDs, emergency stops and BMS integration, as well as corrective and breakdown repairs. The airport is a National Key Point, and all work must be carried out on airside, in controlled areas and in confined spaces, under airside permits, AVOP training and strict occupational health and safety requirements.

The contractor will be engaged under the NEC3 Term Service Contract (Option A, priced contract with price list) and must provide a site manager with a Refrigeration Mechanic, Fitter or Millwright trade test and relevant OHS training, along with a technician and assistant per site. A minimum staffing schedule applies, including on-site staffing from 04:00 to 24:00 daily with after-hours and weekend coverage. Performance is measured against a system availability target of 99%, response times of 30 to 40 minutes during working hours and 60 minutes after hours, and closure timeframes for corrective and preventative work orders. Low service damages apply for non-compliance, and availability below 91% over a sustained period may lead to termination. The contractor must also maintain spares inventory and records, provide monthly reports, comply with ACSA environmental requirements, and submit a 30% Targeted Enterprise participation plan with monthly transformation reporting.

For qualified contractors, this tender offers a significant opportunity to deliver specialised mechanical services at a major national infrastructure asset and build a track record with a major state-owned enterprise. Bidders should note the mandatory requirements: a valid CIDB grading of 4ME or higher, a valid tax compliance status, a CSD registration, B-BBEE documentation for preference points, key personnel qualifications and experience, aviation liability insurance of at least R300,000, and a signed OHS agreement. Respondents should carefully review the functionality threshold of 80 out of 100 points, the price-based evaluation under the 80/20 preference point system, and the detailed NEC contract data, including the risk register and low service damages schedule, before submitting a bid. Enquiries closing on 30 October 2026 and submissions closing on 20 November 2026 at 12:00 by email.