Open Tender (Works)
Roof-Mounted PV and BESS Systems at Three Eastern Cape Schools — Supply, Installation, Testing and Commissioning (Three Tenders)
Eastern Cape, South Africa
Site Location
Roof-mounted PV and BESS systems
Scope
Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd, Distribution Division
Contracting Authority
2026-11-03 10:00 (SAST)
Submission Deadline
01Project Overview
Project Name
Supply, installation, testing, commissioning and handover of roof-mounted PV and BESS systems at three Eastern Cape schools (Daluhlanga Senior Secondary School, Enoch Sontonga Secondary School and Phandulwazi Agricultural High School)
Reference
Tender numbers E3650DXECOU (Daluhlanga Senior Secondary School), E3651DXECOU (Enoch Sontonga Secondary School) and E3652DXECOU (Phandulwazi Agricultural High School), three separate tenders
Country
Republic of South Africa
Contracting Authority
Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd, Distribution Division
Procurement Method
Request for Bid (Open Tender), issued and submitted through the Eskom e-Tendering platform
Scope
Supply, installation, testing, commissioning and handover of roof-mounted PV and BESS systems
Contract Form
NEC3 Engineering and Construction Contract (ECC3)
Bid Security
No bid security amount is disclosed in the notice
Language
English
Source
South African National Treasury eTenders official portal (https://www.etenders.gov.za/Home/opportunities?id=1, searchable by tender number), tender numbers E3650DXECOU / E3651DXECOU / E3652DXECOU, procuring entity Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd; official tender documents: E3650DXECOU (Daluhlanga), E3651DXECOU (Enoch Sontonga) and E3652DXECOU (Phandulwazi), with technical evaluation criteria 240-171000567. Published 6 Oct 2026, verified 10 Oct 2026
Background Sources
Eskom official website (https://www.eskom.co.za/); South African National Treasury eTenders official portal (https://www.etenders.gov.za/); South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) (https://www.sapvia.co.za/), which sets out the application and industry development of distributed solar PV (SSEG) in the country; National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) (https://www.nersa.org.za/)
02Project Background
The three tenders are issued by the Distribution Division of Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd for the installation of roof-mounted PV and BESS systems at three schools in the Eastern Cape. The tender documents state that the conditions of contract are the NEC3 Engineering and Construction Contract (ECC3) and that contractors must hold a CIDB grading of 3EP PE or higher.
The technical evaluation criteria document (reference 240-171000567) states that, with the rapid growth in the deployment of distributed PV systems, appointed contractors must demonstrate the necessary technical competence, implement robust quality assurance practices and adhere to the relevant SANS/IEC standards so that installations are safe, reliable and efficient. The document is applied together with Eskom Standard 240-171000418 (Major Equipment Requirements for Distribution Solar PV and BESS) and Eskom Specification 240-171000566 (User Requirement Specification for Residential Solar PV and BESS).
The procurement requires tenderers to meet the prescribed thresholds for designated sectors for local production and local content, and to submit local content declaration documents at contract award stage.
03Scope of Work & Technical Specifications
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| Scope of Supply and Works | Supply, installation, testing, commissioning and handover of roof-mounted PV and BESS systems |
| Site Locations | Eastern Cape: Daluhlanga Senior Secondary School, Enoch Sontonga Secondary School and Phandulwazi Agricultural High School |
| Contract Form | NEC3 Engineering and Construction Contract (ECC3) |
| PV Module Standard | PV modules must comply with SANS 61215:2015 or equivalent |
| Inverter Standard | Inverters must comply with NRS 097-2-1, supported by datasheets, third-party type-test certificates and evidence of a communication device supporting local Wi-Fi/LAN monitoring and Modbus remote telemetry |
| Battery Standard | Battery modules must comply with SANS/IEC 62619:2022 and IEC 63056 Ed. 1.0 b:2020 or equivalent, with a minimum of 80% depth of discharge, at least 5,000 cycles and modular, scalable configuration |
| Local Production and Content | Local content thresholds for designated materials: Solar PV components (including mounting structures and inverters) 90%; inverters 40%; fabricated structural steel products 100%; electrical and telecoms cables 90%; lithium batteries 50% |
| Contractor Grading | CIDB 3EP PE or higher |
| Submission Platform | Submitted online through the Eskom e-Tendering platform |
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04Key Commercial Terms
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| Contract Form | NEC3 Engineering and Construction Contract (ECC3) |
| Tender Validity | 120 days from the closing date and time |
| Performance Security | Where a performance bond or demand guarantee is required, the tenderer must select a minimum of two financial institutions from the list of Eskom-approved institutions |
| Local Content | Designated-sector local production and content requirements apply; at contract award the SBD 6.2 Local Content Declaration Certificate and Annexure C summary schedule must be submitted, and a DTIC exemption letter is required where a threshold cannot be met |
| Contract Skills Development Goals | Not applicable to this tender, as stated in the notice |
| Contract Participation Goals | Not applicable to this tender, as stated in the notice |
| CSD Registration | Registration on National Treasury's Central Supplier Database (CSD) is a mandatory contractual requirement on contract award |
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05Bidder Qualification Requirements
01
Eligible Tenderers
Must meet the eligibility requirements in the notice and tender documents and complete and submit all mandatory returnable documents
02
CIDB Grading
Must hold a CIDB contractor grading of 3EP PE or higher
03
Qualified Personnel
Proof of qualified personnel including an ECSA registration certificate (Pr Eng / Pr Tech Eng / Pr Techni Eng) with a signed design responsibility letter; PV installer accreditation such as a PV GreenCard or equivalent; the registered electrician's wireman's licence with proof of registration with the Department of Labour; and a signed organisational structure
04
Previous Design Documentation
Complete design documentation from two previous projects in the last three years, which may include single line diagrams, PV array layouts, string configuration tables, AC and DC cable sizing calculations, mounting structure specifications, bills of material, component datasheets, equipment container layouts and PV system feasibility study software reports
05
PV Module Compliance
Evidence that PV modules comply with SANS 61215:2015 or equivalent
06
Inverter Compliance
Evidence that inverters comply with NRS 097-2-1, together with datasheets, third-party type-test certificates and proof of the communication device
07
Battery Compliance
Evidence that battery modules comply with SANS/IEC 62619:2022 and IEC 63056 Ed. 1.0 b:2020 or equivalent, meeting the depth of discharge, cycle life and modularity requirements
08
Tax Compliance
A Tax Compliance Status (TCS) PIN issued by SARS, or a printed TCS certificate
09
Tender Language
English
06Key Milestones
6 Oct 2026
Notice Issued
15 Oct 2026, 10:30 (SAST, online via MS Teams)
Compulsory Clarification Meeting
3 Nov 2026, 10:00 (SAST)
Submission Deadline and Opening
120 days from the closing date and time
Tender Validity
07Evaluation Criteria
Material Compliance60%
- Conformity of the principal equipment offered is assessed against the clauses of Eskom Standard 240-171000418
- Hybrid inverters12%
- Battery energy storage system12%
- Solar panels12%
- Remote monitoring system10%
- AC and DC protective devices8%
- Fire protection assessment6%
User Requirement Specification40%
- Conformity with the user requirements is assessed against the clauses of Eskom Specification 240-171000566
- Functional requirements3%
- System design and engineering4%
- Modes of operation3%
- Customer feasibility study or analysis3%
- Site assessment3%
- Basic roof assessment method5%
- Installation and construction requirements8%
- Handover and training3%
- Customer after-sales and installation support8%
Mandatory Technical Requirements
Assessed on a pass or fail basis; a tender that fails any mandatory requirement is deemed non-compliant and disqualified, and does not proceed to functional scoring
Functional Threshold
A combined weighted score of at least 80% across both sub-categories is required, and each sub-category must itself attain at least 80%; failure of either threshold results in disqualification
