DBE 177 - Non-Compulsory Briefing Session Minutes - Appointment of Service Provider for LAN Infrastructure Upgrade

Oct 19, 2026

Minutes of a non-compulsory virtual briefing session held on 15 February 2022 (10:00–11:00) for tender DBE 177, covering the appointment of a service provider or consortium to upgrade Local Area Network (LAN) infrastructure for South Africa’s National Department of Basic Education. The document records welcome and introductions, TOR presentation, supply chain management guidance on attendance and submission rules, tender closing and late-bid conditions, and responses to technical and administrative questions from bidders, including access and documentation availability instructions.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages5

Reading Time13 min

AccessFree to download

Welcome and Introduction

Bid Presentation

Supply Chain Management (SCM) Matters

Questions Raised and Responses Provided (during the briefing session)

Conclusion

Questions Raised (after the briefing session) and Responses Provided

NON-COMPULSORY BRIEFING SESSION HELD VIRTUALLY – MICROSOFT TEAMS DATE: 15 FEBRUARY 2022 TIME: 10:00 to 11:00 TENDER NUMBER DBE 177 DESCRIPTION: Appointment of a service provider or a consortium of service providers to provide Local Area Network (LAN) infrastructure upgrade for the National Department of Basic Education 1. WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION Ms Metula welcomed everyone and introduced the Department of Basic Education’s (DBE) team which is Mr S Banda, Mr RMabilo, Mr D Moukangwe, Ms N Thebe (Supply Chain Management) and Ms T Dumezulu and Mr W Barnard. She gave the Bidders an opportunity to introduce themselves (indicating the individual’s names and the name of the company/ organisation one is presenting) . 2. BID PRESENTATION Presentation of the Terms of Reference (TORs) by Ms T Dumezulu. 3. SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT (SCM) MATTERS The SCM indicated that: 􀁸 The briefing session was non-compulsory as indicated in the Tender advert. Non-attendance to the briefing session does not lead to disqualification of the Bidders’ proposal/s. 􀁸 The questions can still be raised after the briefing session and sent to [Tenders@dbe.gov.za](Tenders@dbe.gov.za). Discussions during the briefing session and the questions raised after the briefing session would be consolidated, responded to and uploaded on the Department’s website ([www.etenders.gov.za](www.etenders.gov.za) ) eTender Portal ([www.etenders.gov.za](www.etenders.gov.za) ) where the tender advert and documents are published. Bidders can still forward the clarity seeking questions regarding the bid until at least seven days before the tender closes (as indicated in the tender advert) . 􀁸 The tender is closing on 04 March 2022 at 11:00 . A bid submitted after 11:00 would be regarded as late and would not be accepted by the DBE. 􀁸 Tender documents must be hand/ physically delivered; emailed documents will not be accepted. 􀁸 Bidders must read the Mandatory Requirements carefully as listed in the TORs and ensure that they respond as required. 􀁸 Bidders must download, fully complete and submit the SBD Forms published with the tender documents. 4. QUESTIONS RAISED AND RESPONSES PROVIDED (during the briefing session) | No. | Question raised | Response/ clarity | | --- | --- | --- | | 1. | Should the solution still remain CISCO or could any other solution be proposed? | The Department is currently running the CISCO solution; however, Bidders can propose their solutions that meet the Department’s requirements. for example, Huawei or Juniper. | | 2. | Since you are using the CISCO solution, should the new solution still be CISCO; can we propose a new solution e.g Huawei? | Bidders should bring the proposals to meet the requirements outlined. You are welcome to bring in your proposals to be able to meet the requirements. | | 3. | The SD access is specifically requested, there is only a single DNA centre in the specification. To run the SD access you need 3 DNA centre appliances. Can that be clarified from the technical aspect? | ST is a fibre connection used to connect floors to the core of the network in others words three DNA centre appliances are not needed. | 5. CONCLUSION Bidders were reminded: 􀁸 To be mindful of the tender closing date as indicated in the Tender advert. 􀁸 That they can still ask questions until at least seven (7) days before the tender closes; questions should be directed to [Tenders@dbe.gov.za](Tenders@dbe.gov.za). Ms Metula thanked the Bidders for attending the briefing session and wished them well with the preparation and submission of their bids. The session was adjourned. 6. QUESTIONS RAISED (after the briefing session) AND RESPONSES PROVIDED | No. | Question raised | Response/ clarity | | --- | --- | --- | | 1. | I came across bid DBE177 and would like to request a copy of the electronic copy for review. Would you kindly assist in forwarding a copy of this bid. | The tender documents are available on the DBE websi

FAQs

Is attendance at the briefing session mandatory for DBE 177 bidders?

No. The briefing session is non-compulsory as stated in the tender advert, and non-attendance does not disqualify a bidder’s proposal.

How and when must bids and tender documents be submitted for DBE 177?

Tender documents must be hand/physically delivered; emailed documents are not accepted. The tender closes on 04 March 2022 at 11:00, and any submission after 11:00 is considered late and not accepted.

Where can bidders access the DBE 177 tender documents and electronic versions for review?

Documents are available on the DBE website and the eTender Publication Portal (www.etenders.gov.za). Bidders should use the tender bulletin/bid documents section on the DBE site and browse opportunities on the eTender portal, then open the tender description to view documents.

Oct 19, 2026

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