Travel Management Services Panel

The Free State Development Corporation (FDC), a public entity established under the Free State Development Corporation Act No. 6 of 1995, is inviting proposals from qualified travel management companies to be appointed to a panel for the provision of travel management services over a 36-month contract period. The FDC requires travel agencies to implement and coordinate the full travel management function for its personnel and board of directors, operating from the agency's own offices. Core responsibilities include providing individualised travel solutions within FDC internal policies, detailed itineraries with airport information, making and amending reservations for flights, accommodation, car hire and shuttle services, negotiating optimal rates and reviewing them with the FDC, and assisting travellers with international driving permits and visa arrangements. Service must be available during normal office hours (Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 16:30) with after-hours emergency support including weekends and public holidays. Successful providers must also maintain a personnel contingency plan to ensure service continuity, and continuously identify cost improvements and innovative solutions.

Additional services sought include passport and visa assistance, conference organisation packages including accommodation and transfers, foreign exchange arrangements using SARS fixed exchange rates as gazetted for the relevant tax year, and parking arrangements at OR Tambo International Airport, Cape Town International Airport and other regional airports. A key deliverable is a consolidated management information report, generated through automated reporting tools, covering total and domestic/international spend, air, accommodation and car hire spend, spend by business unit, top travellers, cost savings, policy exceptions, cancelled trips, unused tickets and supplier utilisation.

Evaluation is conducted in three stages. Stage one checks mandatory requirements: ASATA and IATA accreditation (certified and no older than six months at closing, or a compliant third-party agreement at no extra cost to the FDC), CSD registration and a valid Tax Compliance Status PIN. Stage two requires a BBBEE certificate or sworn affidavit, and completed SBD 1, SBD 4 and SBD 6.1 forms. Stage three is functionality, scored out of 100 with a minimum threshold of 80 points. Criteria include reference letters for similar work (up to 25 points), bank rating or funding commitment (up to 15 points), qualifications and experience of the Project Account Manager (up to 27 points) and Travel Consultants (up to 22 points), and Free State-based company status with proof of residence (up to 11 points). The 80/20 preference point system applies. Once appointed, panel members will be invited to quote under the FDC's SCM policy, and purchase orders will be issued only after a quote and returnable documents are received. Bids close on 30 November 2026 at 12:00 and must be hand-delivered to the FDC bid box at 33 Kellner Street, Westdene, Bloemfontein. Electronic and emailed submissions are not accepted.