Offsite Records Storage and Management Services

uMngeni-uThukela Water (UUW), a municipal water services entity based in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, is seeking a qualified service provider to supply an offsite records storage facility and related records management services for a contract period of 60 months. The requirement supports the preservation of corporate records and historical information, promotes access to records in line with the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000, and replaces a previously outsourced arrangement. The scope covers collection of boxes from UUW premises within 48 hours of request, retrieval of records on request, delivery of records to UUW offices within 48 hours, data capturing of records within 10 working days of collection, supply of archiving boxes within 10 working days, destruction of records in line with the corporate retention schedule within one month of authorisation, and scanning of records (indicatively 12,000 pages, using a scanner capable of 100 to 200 pages per minute, duplex scanning, A3 capacity and OCR). Indicative volumes include approximately 9,000 boxes in storage, 360 retrievals and returns, and 180 collection and delivery trips per annum.

Evaluation follows a three-stage process. Stage 1 requires mandatory documents: a completed SBD 4 bidder disclosure, a letter from the Provincial or National Archives confirming the storage facility has been inspected or audited, and a signed POPI declaration. Stage 2 is functionality scoring based on the tenderer's experience in offsite records storage and related services, where one contract scores 40 points, two contracts 65 points, and three contracts 80 points, with additional points for further contracts up to five; a minimum of 70 points is required to proceed. Stage 3 evaluates price (80 points) and preference (20 points), with the 20 preference points awarded to bidders located within KwaZulu-Natal. Bidders must also meet Contract Participation Goals of at least 35% of the contract value (25% from enterprises in the UUW area of operation and 10% from local participation) for contracts above R5 million excluding VAT. Insurance requirements are public liability cover of R10 million and professional indemnity cover of R5 million. Prices must be VAT inclusive, remain firm for 12 months, and then be subject to CPI escalation with 30 days' notice. Bid validity is 120 days.

The benefits of this opportunity include a long-term, five-year contract with predictable monthly payments, a public sector client with established procurement processes, and the chance to build a strong public sector reference base. Successful bidders gain experience in records management for a large public institution, while UUW benefits from secure, compliant and efficient management of its corporate records. Interested bidders should note the compulsory briefing session on 16 November 2026 at 11:00 at 310 Burger Street, Pietermaritzburg, the bid closing date of 3 December 2026 at 12:00 (late submissions are not accepted), and the requirement that tender documents be purchased during the collection period and brought to the briefing for signing.