Agricultural Mechanisation Services (36-Month Contract)

The Limpopo Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (LDARD) is inviting bids from suitably qualified and experienced service providers to supply agricultural mechanisation services on an as-and-when-needed basis over a 36-month period. Successful bidders will use their own tractors and implements to carry out field operations for farmers in rural villages across the province's five districts. The department has identified that its internal capacity is insufficient to cover all fields, and the work is seasonal and timing-sensitive, with operations needing to align with soil moisture conditions. The programme aims to broaden access to mechanised traction power for Previously Disadvantaged Individuals, including household producers and emerging entrepreneurs, while reducing manual farm labour, improving the timeliness and quality of work, and supporting sustainable food production.

The scope covers nine services priced per hectare: ploughing, ripping, ridging, disc harrowing, planting (seeds), spraying (pesticides, herbicides and similar), fertilising, harvesting, and de-bushing of crop fields. Bidders must submit rates for Year 1, with subsequent years adjusted in line with the prevailing Consumer Price Index. Rates must be inclusive of all costs and applicable taxes, and VAT at 15% is shown separately. Bidders must indicate their preferred district and municipality, with a maximum of 10 service providers per municipality. The department may appoint several bidders for rural areas near their physical addresses, and may decline to appoint a bidder to more than one municipality. Service providers must also comply with Department of Transport regulations and all Occupational Health and Safety requirements, and they are responsible for their own safety compliance.

Evaluation is split across three phases. Phase 1 is a pre-compliance check covering CSD registration (which must show an active status), tax compliance, state employment status, and tender defaulting or restriction status. Phase 2 is functionality scoring out of 100, with a minimum of 50 required to proceed. It assesses track record (supported by purchase orders or invoices showing at least one to six or more executed projects) and equipment ownership, where a detailed list of owned tractors, engine capacities and implements scores higher than leased equipment. Phase 3 applies the 80/20 preference point system, with 80 points for price and 20 for specific goals (black ownership above 51%, women ownership, persons with disabilities, and youth ownership), alongside 40 points for proof of physical address within the local municipality. Bidders should note that joint ventures require a valid JV agreement and separate CSD and tax registration, that the department will inspect shortlisted bidders' premises and equipment, and that a compulsory clarification meeting applies. Completed bids must be submitted in sealed envelopes in black ink to the tender box at the Temo Towers parking bay, 67 Biccard Street, Polokwane, by 11:00 on 01 December 2026, with a 240-day validity period. Late submissions will not be accepted.