Building Maintenance and Construction Services Panel

The South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), a facility of the National Research Foundation, is seeking a panel of suitably qualified and experienced building maintenance contractors to provide construction and maintenance services across its buildings, structures and site infrastructure at Old Fraserburg Road, Sutherland, Northern Cape. The appointment runs for three years or until the contract value is exhausted. The panel will operate on a rotational basis, and work will be issued on an as-and-when-required basis through a separate purchase order for each request, which must be quoted for individually before work begins. Services include scheduled, preventative, corrective and emergency maintenance. Scope covers general building and facility repairs, masonry, concrete, plastering, flooring, painting, drywall, ceilings, windows and glazing, carpentry and joinery, doors and locks, balustrades and handrails. It also covers roofing (assessments, leak detection, waterproofing, sheeting, gutters and downpipes), civil works (paving, retaining walls, gabions, stormwater, tiling, trenching and septic tanks), plumbing (sewer lines, geysers, water mains, pumps and drainage), safety fixtures (security gates, burglar bars, safety cages for gas cylinders), and special works such as small structures, wheelchair ramps, accessible restrooms and container foundations. Scaffolding is included as and when required, and the contractor must provide all plant, tools, materials, labour and supervision. Emergency maintenance is required 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Response times are within 12 hours for emergencies, 24 hours for urgent work and 48 hours for normal work, with completion targets of 3, 5 and 10 working days respectively, subject to material availability. Because of the remote location and limited local suppliers, contractors may use suitably qualified local subcontractors for minor works, subject to SAAO approval. A compulsory site briefing in Sutherland on 18 November 2026 is mandatory, and bidders who do not attend are disqualified. Shuttle transport and limited hostel accommodation are available on a first-come, first-served basis, with RSVPs required by 12 November 2026.

Eligibility requirements are strict. Bidders must hold a CIDB grading of 2GB or higher and NHBRC registration, and must be registered on the Central Supplier Database (CSD). They must also provide a company profile, three reference letters, purchase orders or appointment letters for building maintenance or renovation projects completed in the past five years (2021 to 2026), a valid COIDA letter of good standing, and current public liability insurance of at least R2 million. Work must comply with SANS 10400 and the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and contractors must maintain an up-to-date SHEQ file, task-specific risk assessments and method statements. All materials must be new and fit for purpose, and a minimum 12-month workmanship warranty applies. Evaluation follows the 80/20 preferential point system, with 80 points for price (VAT included) and 20 points for B-BBEE status and specific goals. Pricing is submitted as firm hourly rates (weekday and after-hours/Saturday), SHEQ file costs, travel per kilometre at AA rates, and a materials mark-up percentage. Offers must remain valid for 60 days from the closing date, and payment is due within 30 days of invoice receipt.

For qualified contractors, this panel offers a multi-year pipeline of recurring maintenance and construction work for a national research facility with a stable funding base. Appointment to the panel positions contractors to respond to a wide range of building and civil needs, and the SAAO encourages panel members to use local labour and local businesses in the Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality where practicable. Quotations must be emailed to scm@saao.ac.za by 27 November 2026 at 16:00. Interested bidders should confirm their eligibility and attend the mandatory briefing, as the SAAO reserves the right to withdraw the invitation, re-advertise, or award only part of it.