Legal Advisory Services Panel - Litigation

CEF (SOC) Ltd, the holding company of the CEF Group of energy-sector subsidiaries, has issued Request for Tender LITG/10/2026 to appoint a panel of legal advisory service providers for litigation-related matters over a three-year period. The panel will be used on an ad hoc basis: for each assignment, a Request for Quotation (RFQ) will be issued to panel members by area of expertise, and responses will be evaluated on time, quality and price. Appointment to the panel does not guarantee any work for its duration. The scope covers litigation management on behalf of the CEF Group, civil and criminal litigation including determination of damages and asset recovery, supply chain dispute matters, forensic investigations and reporting, security regulatory advisory, legal audits and gap analyses, contract drafting, vetting and negotiation, settlement and alternative dispute resolution or arbitration, and international law advisory. Successful firms must also provide a pool of seven senior and seven junior counsel with specialist litigation expertise, and are encouraged to develop women and young Black counsel.

Mandatory requirements include a valid Legal Practice Council (LPC) accreditation and letter of good standing, law qualifications at NQF Level 8 or above, a named project lead, and right of appearance in the High Court. Bids are then scored on a 70% minimum technical threshold covering the team lead's litigation experience (20%) and number of completed projects (25%), the average litigation experience of other team members (30%), and reference letters for litigation work from 2021 to date (25%). Bidders must also provide valid SARS tax compliance status, a BBBEE certificate, CSD registration, and completed SBD forms, and must sign confidentiality and indemnity agreements, a Service Level Agreement, and maintain professional liability insurance or a fidelity fund certificate annually. The KYC questionnaire covers sanctions, data protection, competition law, ethics, anti-bribery, financial standing and pending litigation.

This opportunity offers a long-term, recurring pipeline of legal work from a large state-owned energy group, with the potential for repeat instructions across multiple CEF Group entities. Submissions must be emailed to scm-legal@cefgroup.co.za by 12:00 on 18 November 2026, with links not accepted and late submissions disqualified. Firms that were on the previous panel must re-apply, as automatic re-registration does not apply. Bidders should note that the tender validity period is 120 days from closing, and that the CEF Group may modify, split, or cancel the process at its discretion.