Mobile Communication and Electronic Mailer Services NEW

The Media, Information and Communication Technologies Sector Education and Training Authority (MICT SETA) is seeking a service provider to manage its stakeholder communication channels for a period of 24 months. The MICT SETA communicates with more than 60,000 active stakeholders across five media and ICT sub-sectors, including government, community bodies, industry associations and internal audiences. Communications are typically distributed 10 to 15 times per month, and the appointed provider must be able to reach the full database on a weekly or monthly basis, or as campaigns require.

The scope covers three core service areas. First, bulk SMS services across all South African mobile networks, including personalised messages, long messages (over 160 characters), scheduled sending, SMS surveys and STOP opt-out handling. Second, a WhatsApp Business Platform that supports campaign delivery, consent management, opt-in and opt-out handling, chatbots for frequently asked questions, auto-replies outside trading hours, customer satisfaction (CSAT) surveys, template responses, and distribution of audio and video content. A WhatsApp Channel for public announcements is also required. Third, an email marketing tool with responsive templates (up to 700px), scheduling, business-to-business campaigns, analytics on delivery, read and bounce rates, and unsubscribe functionality, along with cross-channel coordination with the MICT SETA website and social media. Template design is to be coordinated with the in-house designer.

The provider must also deliver monthly and quarterly reports, campaign success metrics, user acquisition and retention rates, daily and monthly active users, churn, conversion rates, NPS and click-through rates, and must attend status meetings. Evaluation is split into a functional stage (out of 100 points, with a 70-point minimum) and a price and specific goals stage using the 80/20 preference system. Functional scoring considers samples of previous work for WhatsApp, SMS and email, client reference letters, a project implementation plan, and a methodology. Specific goals points are awarded for enterprises owned at least 51% by historically disadvantaged persons (10 points), women (5 points) and youth (5 points). Bidders should note that the document refers to a 24-month period in the title and a 12-month contract period in the terms of reference, and cites both a 70-point and a 75-point functional threshold. Clarification should be sought from rfqs@mict.org.za before the closing date, as this is an RFQ without a briefing session. Bidders must be registered on the National Treasury Central Supplier Database and submit the required forms, including the pricing schedule, tax clearance, SBD 4 and SBD 6.1, and CIPC documents.