Office Accommodation Lease (Up to 5 Years) NEW

Legal Aid South Africa, a statutory body under the Legal Aid South Africa Act 39 of 2014, invites property owners to submit proposals to lease office accommodation for its Bethlehem Local Office for a period of up to five years. The office currently serves 22 employees and requires a minimum of 335 m² and a maximum of 350 m², with seven parking bays. Only bids that fall within these space parameters will be evaluated. The space must accommodate staff workstations and management offices, a public waiting area, consultation rooms, a reception area, and sanitary facilities. The required facilities include five toilets (three female cubicles and two basins; one male cubicle, one basin and two urinals) with one accessible toilet for disabled persons.

Preferred properties should be a standalone building in Bethlehem, located close to the local court(s) and public transport interchanges such as taxi ranks, train stations or bus terminals. The building should preferably be on the ground floor or have functioning lifts, and provide secure, lockable parking for Legal Aid SA. It must be user-friendly for disabled persons, comply with all building, health and safety laws, regulations and bylaws, and be zoned by the local authority for office, business or commercial use. The landlord must provide a title deed and, where required, a zoning certificate on or before award. The premises must allow Legal Aid SA branding and display of its signboard, and include telephone and computer network points and an emergency generator as backup. Legal Aid SA will be responsible for the UPS unit.

Successful bidders must commit to refurbishment to Legal Aid SA specifications, supported by floor plans, a commitment letter stating the Tenant Installation amount, and a space plan. Required works include partitioning, split-unit air-conditioning, painting and floor covering in corporate colours, power skirtings with two plugs per workstation, network and telephone points, corporate-coloured blinds, and UPS-integrated plug points. Evaluation is based on the 80/20 preference point system, with 80 points for price and 20 points for B-BBEE status level. Bidders must also provide reference sites, a valid original tax clearance certificate or proof of CSD registration, and a completed Annexure B lease schedule with a five-year cost breakdown. All properties must be available for inspection within five days of request, and a site inspection certificate must be signed by Legal Aid SA and the landlord. The highest-scoring bidder will be asked to negotiate further reductions in rental and refurbishment allowances within five days, failing which the bid may be set aside. Legal Aid SA reserves the right not to appoint any bidder or to enter into a lease longer than five years.

Key dates are an optional briefing session on 16 November 2026 from 14:00 to 15:00, held at 24 corner Commissioner and Naude Streets, Bethlehem, and via Microsoft Teams. The closing date is 9 December 2026 at 11:00. Sealed proposals must be deposited in the tender box at Legal Aid House, 29 De Beer Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg. Proposals must remain valid for 150 days. Bidders should note that the tender documents contain some inconsistencies on lease duration: the title refers to 'up to five years', while the special conditions refer to a minimum five-year term. Clarification should be sought through the bid enquiry contacts before submission.