Laundry Services (5-Year As-and-When Required)

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has issued Request for Proposal RFP No. 3787/10/11/2026 for the provision of laundry services over a five-year period on an as-and-when required basis. The service covers the full laundry cycle for the CSIR's organisation-wide requirements, including collection, sorting, washing, drying, ironing, folding, packaging, dry cleaning and delivery of linen, laboratory coats, catering and hospitality textiles, workshop and parking uniforms, PPE and other washable items. The requirement is split into three regions: Gauteng (ICC, Pretoria, Johannesburg, Auckland Park, Kloppersbos and Paardefontein sites), KwaZulu-Natal (Durban) and the Western Cape (Rosebank and Stellenbosch). Bidders may quote for one, two or all three regions, and each region is evaluated as an independent bid.

Key requirements include strict segregation of laundry categories so that laboratory, catering and accommodation items are never mixed during collection, transport, washing, drying, storage or delivery. Service providers must have procedures for handling chemically or biologically contaminated items, provide PPE for staff handling laboratory laundry, comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the National Health Act where applicable, SANS 10146 and related SANS standards, and applicable environmental and effluent regulations. Operational requirements include daily collection and delivery for the ICC (including after-hours and weekend provision), same-day service where needed, re-washing at no extra cost, item logging and receipting at collection, sealed and canopied collection vehicles, and a dedicated liaison person for the contract. Mandatory returnable documents include proof of a dedicated, roadworthy, enclosed laundry vehicle with valid registration, roadworthiness certificate and ownership or lease documentation, along with a signed joint venture or subcontracting agreement where applicable.

Evaluation follows a three-phase process: elimination criteria (including CSD registration, tax compliance and submission via the CSIR Electronic Bid Submission Portal), technical scoring out of 100 (company experience, client references, staff capacity, methodology and operational capacity, and HSE and quality management, with minimum thresholds applied), and then price and preference points on an 80/20 basis, with black ownership as the specific goal. Pricing is submitted as unit rates against an indicative Pricing Schedule, with quantities used for evaluation only; the CSIR does not guarantee any minimum volume. The successful bidder(s) will hold a rate-based contract with a maximum ceiling value, with payment based on services actually rendered. The contract offers a substantial, long-term revenue opportunity for established commercial laundry operators with the capacity, vehicles and compliance systems to serve a large research and institutional client. Closing date is 10 November 2026 at 16:30, and a non-compulsory briefing is scheduled for 2 November 2026.