Alien Invasive Plant Management Implementation Agent

Cape Agulhas Municipality invites suitably qualified and experienced service providers to tender for the appointment of a Management and Implementing Agent for the Heuningnes Catchment Alien Invasive Plant Management, River Rehabilitation and Ecological Restoration Programme. The contract runs for three years from the date of appointment and is funded by the Breede-Olifants Catchment Management Agency (BOCMA) under a Memorandum of Agreement with the Municipality, which runs until 30 March 2029. The appointed agent will coordinate, administer, monitor and implement the programme across three strategic nodes: Heuningberg Restoration Areas (post-fire restoration, alien clearing and biodiversity corridor restoration), Nuwejaars Wetlands SMA (wetland restoration and groundwater recharge protection) and Napier Conservancy and Klippedrift River (river rehabilitation and riparian restoration), along with other approved sites in the Kars, Nuwejaars and Heuningnes river systems.

The scope of services spans programme management (annual implementation plans, Annual Plans of Operation, risk management and steering committee support), alien invasive plant control (baseline assessments, prioritised mechanical and chemical clearing, and follow-up operations), ecological restoration (riparian and wetland restoration, erosion control and indigenous vegetation recovery), and EPWP implementation (local recruitment, attendance records, person-day reporting and skills training). The agent must also procure and supervise implementation contractors, manage stakeholder engagement with landowners, conservancies, Fire Protection Associations and BOCMA, develop a GIS-based monitoring system with treatment maps and fixed-point monitoring, and support the Municipality with financial administration, expenditure reporting and audit requirements. Key targets include treating approximately 4,000 hectares, creating 12,500 to 13,000 EPWP person-days, constructing a minimum of 5.7 km of firebreak support and engaging at least ten participating landowners. Deliverables include an inception report within 30 days, quarterly progress, financial, GIS and environmental compliance reports, annual performance and financial reports, and close-out documentation including a sustainability plan and asset register.

Bidders must meet mandatory requirements including company registration, a valid CSD report and Tax Compliance PIN, municipal rates clearance, COIDA registration, public liability and professional indemnity insurance, and proof of relevant experience. Evaluation is split into administrative compliance, a functionality stage (minimum 70 out of 100 points, covering methodology, organisational capacity and relevant experience) and price and preference scoring on an 80/20 basis, with 10 points for B-BBEE status and 10 points for locality within Cape Agulhas. Successful delivery offers the appointed firm a substantial multi-year contract with strong opportunities for environmental, EPWP and community impact, and a clear pathway into catchment-scale restoration work.