Newspaper Advertising Placement Services

Saldanha Bay Municipality, based in Vredenburg in the Western Cape, is inviting tenders for the appointment of a service provider to place official notices, advertisements, promotional articles and ad hoc publications in printed newspapers. The contract runs until 30 June 2029. The municipality has identified three newspaper categories: a local weekly newspaper serving the Saldanha Bay municipal area (Weslander or equivalent, published in Afrikaans or English), a regional Afrikaans weekly with Western Cape circulation (Die Burger or equivalent), and a regional English weekly with Western Cape circulation (Cape Times, Cape Argus or equivalent). Bids are evaluated per item, so tenderers may bid on one or more items, but a bid that does not price every sub-item of an item will be non-responsive for that item. The estimated annual volume for the local newspaper is 120 placements and for the regional Afrikaans newspaper 46 placements, although the municipality does not guarantee any minimum number of publications and may purchase any quantity.

The successful service provider must publish approved material in the relevant newspaper sections, submit final proofs to the municipal contact person for sign-off before publication, and provide a tear sheet or clipping within 24 hours of each publication. No advertisement may be placed without a prior official order from the municipality, and the provider must be able to meet short-notice requests and the municipality's deadlines. Pricing must include all disbursements and related costs, with a price schedule covering black-and-white and colour notices and main-body formats (including 10cm to 30cm column notices, and quarter, half and full pages). Prices are fixed until 30 June 2027 and may then increase annually by the average CPI of the previous 12 months, as published by Statistics South Africa. Invoices must be submitted individually for each published item, with a tear sheet, within three weeks of publication, and are payable within 30 days. Bidders may optionally offer a 2.5% discount for payment within 30 days, which does not affect evaluation. VAT must be shown separately.

Bidders must be a publisher, or an agent with a signed agreement with the publisher confirming a formal relationship, timely advertising and guaranteed advertising space. Each bidder must provide at least three contactable references for similar services of at least 12 months' duration completed within the last three years. Mandatory documents include a valid tax compliance status on the Central Supplier Database (CSD), which is compulsory for doing business with the municipality, a SANAS-accredited B-BBEE certificate or sworn affidavit, proof of locality, financial statements, company registration documents, director identity documents, and a board resolution or other proof of signatory authority. Evaluation uses the 80/20 preference point system: 80 points for price and 20 for specific goals, with up to 10 points for B-BBEE status and up to 10 points for locality (10 for businesses within the Saldanha Bay boundaries, 5 within the West Coast District, and 2 within the Western Cape). Bids close on 20 November 2026 at 12:00 and must be submitted in a sealed envelope to the tender box at the Investment Centre, 15 Main Road, Vredenburg. Late, faxed or emailed bids will not be accepted.