Horticulture and Tree Felling Services

The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) Facilities Management is inviting quotations to appoint two service providers for horticulture and tree-felling services at various stations, operational depots and vacant land in the West Rand area of its Southern Gauteng Region. The contract runs for 24 months from the date of acceptance and operates on an as-and-when basis, meaning work is instructed and scheduled as needed rather than as a fixed monthly volume. Bidders should note that the supporting document is titled "East Rand" while the scope of work refers to the West Rand, so the site locations should be confirmed with the buyer before pricing.

The scope covers the cutting and removal of overgrown vegetation, grass cutting and disposal, tree felling, pruning and disposal, and weed control on paved and tarred areas. Contractors must clear debris and waste from each job and dispose of it at an approved waste site, then provide PRASA with a site disposal certificate. At depots, yards, relay rooms and substations, vegetation must be cleared 2 metres from perimeter fences and building structures. Work above 3 metres requires scaffolding or a cherry picker. Claims must be supported by completed job cards, invoices for any subcontracted services, and before, during and after photos. Each contractor must be able to work on more than one site at a time and must field a maximum team of 20 staff, including at least four chainsaw operators, six brush-cutter operators and ten rakers or labourers. All staff must complete PRASA safety induction and wear full personal protective equipment, and no work may begin until a safety file has been approved and a site access certificate issued. Response-time failures attract a penalty of 10% of the value of the work, and repeated breaches may lead to termination.

Mandatory pre-qualification includes a CIDB grading of 3SH or higher, a valid COID letter of good standing, a valid SARS tax compliance PIN, and a CSD registration number. Joint ventures or consortia must provide a signed agreement naming the lead bidder. Bids are scored on functionality (minimum 60% threshold), price (80 points) and specific goals (20 points, covering BBBEE level 2 or higher, 51% black ownership, black youth ownership and black women ownership). Functionality criteria assess the bidder's track record of horticulture contracts of at least R1 million each in the last five years, two key personnel with formal arboriculture certification, fleet ownership or rental for pickup trucks, and bank-confirmed financial capacity. Pricing is submitted per unit: tree felling by stem diameter, and per square metre for grass cutting, pruning and weed eradication, plus a once-off safety file fee of R15 000. Quotations, including VAT, must be sealed and delivered to the bid box at 30 Wolmarans Street, Umjantshi House, Braamfontein, by 12:00 on 17 November 2026. The bid validity period is 60 working days.