Wi-Fi RFQ Questions & Answers
All questions must be emailed to queries@saben.ac.za
Clarification Questions and Answers – RFQ No: SABEN 0005/2023
TCCP Campus Wi-Fi – ROUND 2 Equipment Supply RFP number
Q – As the current fluctuations are in some cases way in excess of the low bidder margins for an RFP where price is a main criteria, we would respectfully want to request that SABEN consider the option of allowing bidders to quote at the exchange rate of the closing date of the tender (or publish date) and to allow exchange rate adjustments on the foreign component only, on the date of order to the successful bidder.
A – It is confirmed that fixed pricing is required, as specified in the RFP.
Q – We would like to request a one–week extension if possible?
A – No extension will be permitted.
Q – Are there existing FortiGate devices installed at the sites in the tender? If they are not installed at all the sites, then how many sites do have FortiGate devices installed?
A – They all have FortiGates.
Q – . Noted that the RFP indicates firm pricing (we assume this means no exchange rate order variation will be allowed).
All quotations from suppliers is 100% firm if it is local content, but any imported content is based on firm Foreign Currency pricing, however it is still affected by the exchange rate variations to the Rand that may occur until the date of order. This is especially of importance in the current environment where the rates have been extremely volatile over short periods.
We fully understands the requirement and objectives of SABEN’s request for fixed pricing, but that can only be achieved by using expected future currency exchange rates on the date of order, resulting in bidders having to still take a risk as that exchange rate cannot be guaranteed. It is also dependant on the maximum time period from tender submission until the actual order received. It will also result in bidders using different exchange rates in their quotations making comparing prices on an equal basis even more difficult.
There is an option of using a forward cover rate on the date of quotation (for say 30 or 90 days) but this require a committed order – In the case that the bidder is not successful the forward cover can be cancelled but then the bidder is still liable for the variance amount on the date of cancellation to the date of the forward cover taken.
As the current fluctuations are in some cases way in excess of the low bidder margins for an RFP where price is a main criteria, we would respectfully want to request that SABEN consider the option of allowing bidders to quote at the exchange rate of the closing date of the tender (or publish date) and to allow exchange rate adjustments on the foreign component only, on the date of order to the successful bidder.
This will allow SABEN to compare all prices on a fair and like for like basis. It also have the benefit of, should the exchange rate be lower on the date of order, the cost can be adjusted downwards to the benefit of SABEN.
Your confirmation on receipt of this email will be appreciated.
A – Please be advised, a question was receive from your organisation via the queries@SABEN email address and the answer was posted on 2 June 2023 on the identified website.Please note, as per RFQ
8.3 Any other contact with SABEN personnel involved in this RFP is not permitted during the RFP process other than as required through existing service arrangements or as requested by SABEN as part of the RFP process.
Q -Please assist with the following clarifications questions:
– Will this be a swop out of existing indoor / outdoor AP’s?
– No request for UTP CAT6 data points for wifi equipment? There are however CAT6 patch panels requested, hence the reason if this replace existing equipment.
– No Fibre requested, Will all cabinets for wifi / data points already be interconnected?
– SFP’s requested 1456, Indoor APs 1459, outdoor AP’s 563 – are these quantities based on Heat maps? Any heatmaps available for location of AP’s
– Will each cabinet get a UPS? Number of cabinets – 728, number of UPS’s – 59.
– Number of outdoor AP’s – 563, number of Poles / Outdoor AP mount – 303?
– Trellidor – will this be for a single or double door
– No routing provisioned for AP mounts, all routing already available from cabinet to AP mounting position?
We can see a controller required per site / building in a campus, is it for WAN?
As per below can we add a “rate card” for optional items?
No logistics provisioned in pricing schedule; no items can be added to quote template.
No travelling, installations etc requested: Please refer to the below.
A – As per the published RFP, the window for queries regarding RFP 0005/2023 is closed:
8.1.3 Be accepted by SABEN up until 15:00 on 7 June 2023.
Q – Please can you assist with the following feedback/ response:
1. Section 11: The equipment provider confirms that the equipment items delivered are donated to the INSTITUTION by the TCCP project. Please can you clarify what this means, for a supplier/ partner who is responding to this tender?
2. point 3.3.4– Non-firm prices (including prices subject to rates of exchange variations) will not be considered. Would the bidder be given a chance to requote upon issue of PO based on ROE? (The ROE is unstable at the moment)
A – As per the published RFP, the window for clarifications on RFP 0005/2023 has closed:
8.1.3 Be accepted by SABEN up until 15:00 on 7 June 2023.
Clarification Questions and Answers – RFQ No: SABEN 000(1,2&3)/2023
TCCP Campus Wi-Fi Supply Configuration, Installation Testing and Support
Q – Please give clarity on the statement below from the RFQ that states that the equipment will be donated instead of supplied (RFQ PARA 3.7.3.1)
A – The project is procuring equipment from suppliers that will be installed on campuses. This equipment will not remain the property of the project but be donated to the respective colleges for them to take on to their asset registers.
Q – Please confirm that the pricing schedule on Tab 2 starts with Item number 2 instead of 1
A – correct the first item on tab 2 is item 2.
Q – as per the RFQ ‘The contracted service provider will provide 1-year support on the installation from the date of commissioning comprising an average of 12 hours of support per quarter over 12 months. The 12 hours will be a mixture of telephonic support and will include on average 1 site visit per quarter.’
• The nature of support, will this be managed or on a call-out basis?
• Will remote access to the network be provided ?
• Does the installation and support extend to equipment provided by SABEN ? section 3.2
A –
• Both managed and call out based support
• Remote access to the network will need to be discussed with the TVET college by the winner of the RFQ. The TVET college will need to approve the remote access.
• The college will be responsible to engage with the equipment suppliers on the equipment provided by SABEN (it will be a college asset).
Clarification Questions and Answers – RFQ number: SABEN 0021/2022 & 0020->0033
Q – RFQ paragraph 3.3 specifies that “3.3 For the APs and Wi-Fi controller (ITEM 4 in the table). 3.3.1 Quotations are required for same brand for compatibility purposes and must include pricing for the full suite of APs and wireless controller.” The tables in the RFQ and pricing annexure indicate that item “4-Same Brand POE Switches” and item ‘5-Same brand Aps and Wi-Fi Controller”. Which need to be same brand?
A – As per the tables:
• the 8, 12 and 24 port switches and SFPs must all be of the same brand;
• the indoor and outdoor APs and controller must all be of the same brand.
Q – Must the quote include deliveries to all the end-user sites?
A – Yes
Q – Once you have awarded the tender, how will the roll-out work? Will you order everything at once? Or over a period of time?
A – Yes, everything will be ordered at once and delivery costs to be included in the quote.
Refer to section 1 in the RFQ.
1.1 Quotations are hereby invited for the supply of equipment for the South African Broadband and Education Networks (SABEN) TVET Campus Connection Programme (TCCP). This equipment is to be provided on the basis that a third party, still to be contracted through a separate RFQ process, will install, configure, test and commission the Wi-Fi networks at college campuses.3.4.2 Delivery lead time from placement of order to delivery to SABEN must be indicated in the quotation schedule.
Q – If UPS’s and the cabinets are quoted on, will these be a bulk order?
A – Yes this will be a bulk order and delivered to site.
Q – Which of the sites that are part of this tender, have an existing Fortigate firewall installed?
A – All campuses on the list in this RFQ have Fortigate devices already installed with firewalls. Refer to: Annexure 2 – SABEN TCCP RFQ Equipment and Delivery Costing 24 October 2022
Q – Will it be the same kit for all TVETs, or could it be a mix of vendors?
A – . It can be a mix of vendors for different items (one vendor per item). As stipulated in the RFQ the switch can be a different brand from the APs and Controller (but APs and Controller must be same brand).
Multiple quotations can be provided for more than one full suite of alternative brands.
Q – Is SABEN just a fulfillment and tender evaluation.
A – No.
Q – Who will own the kit, and who will be responsible for the ongoing support.
A – As stated in the RFQ:
1.1 Quotations are hereby invited for the supply of equipment for the South African Broadband and Education Networks (SABEN) TVET Campus Connection Programme (TCCP). This equipment is to be provided on the basis that a third party, still to be contracted through a separate RFQ process, will install, configure, test and commission the Wi-Fi networks at college campuses.3.6.2 Quotations must be made on the basis that once the equipment is paid for, installed, and commissioned at a site, the equipment will be donated to the TVET college, and the warranty will be ceded to the college for the balance of the warranty period.
Q – Will the POs be submitted to a single Partner, or could it be split across multiple partners depending on the TVET region.
A – The PO will be issued directly to the winning service provider(S) – there are no “partners”
Q – On page 8 of the SABEN TCC RFQ 0021) 2022 Wi-Fi Equipment 24 October 2022.pdf document, under item 3.6 Warranty, Maintenance, and support , point 3.6.3 states: “Hardware support will require replacement of failed or faulty critical components by the service provider within seven working days from date of return to the service provider.” Can you please confirm if this Hardware support is for the minimum 1-year warranty period, or for how long this equipment must be supported for replacing failed or faulty equipment?
A – The hardware support is required for the offered warranty period of the equipment item. As per the RFQ, the minimum warranty period required is “3.6.1 Warranties shall be for a minimum period of one (1) year from the date of delivery of each device.”
Service providers can also quote on longer periods of warranty if appropriate for particular items.
Q – In the Annexure 2 document of the Saben RFQ 0021/2022 as well as the spreadsheet Annexure 2 it refers to ” layer 2 Gigabit Ethernet switch with dual sfp slots”
however in the main RFQ doc SABEN TCCP RFQ 0021_2022 Wi-Fi Equipment 24 October 2022 doc it refers in the minimium specification section of the PoE switches to the following ” layer 2 Gigabit Ethernet switch with dual 10G sfp slots”. Could you please confirm if the SFP slots should be Gigabyte slots or 10GByte slots ?
A – The correct specification for the switches is layer 2 Gigabit Ethernet switch with dual 10G sfp slots. The SFPs to be supplied with switches should also be 10GBps.
Q – Only quoting on item 1 and 3 and require clarity on the below questions:
Q – Kindly advise whether there is a specific delivery date to adhere to or do we advise on stock availability and eta?
A – As soon as reasonably possible.
Q – Item 3. 6U Cabinet
› May we supply a 600mm wide by 650mm deep cabinet?
A – Conform to original requirement – 6U Steel cabinet swing frame 600m wide by 600mm deep with tempered glass door – black; 1×7 way PDU populated with 7 dedicated sockets connected with 2m power cable ending in surge dedicated protection plug.
Q – Require clarity on the bom required and find out if this is in fact a Indoor unit or rather an outdoor unit
7-Microwave Link PtP Microwave Transmitter/receiver (indoor unit) 5GHz unlicensed spectrum
>350Mbps data throughput
min range 10km
latency < 3.5ms
10/100/1000 Mpbs Ethernet interface
SMA Weatherproof RF connectors
power over Ethernet with POE injector included3 A – Both indoor and outdoor units are required; the 5GHz could be in either the indoor or outdoor unit, depending on the brand supplied
Q – Are SABEN able to provide additional cable specifications pertinent to the below low loss coaxial cable specification provided?
ptp microwave – cable coax cable between indoor unit and outdoor unit; 10m weatherproof low loss coaxial cable with small connectors – supplier must include appropriate low loss RF cable with connectors to suit the microwave equipment supplied for example weatherproof SMA 3
A – The vendor must supply appropriate low loss coaxial cable to meet the manufacturers specifications of the microwave solution proposed by the vendor. The coaxial cable requirement is for the RF connection between the indoor unit and outdoor unit or external antenna and must match the specifications of the equipment.
Q – Kindly advise if we can request an extension on submission due 11th November 2022.
A – Unfortunately an extension will not be granted.
Q – I just need clarity in terms of the site inspections regarding RFQ 0020/2022, I just wanted to find out if there will be a date set for the site inspections or do we have to arrange for that?
A – Site inspections are not provided for prior to submission of quotations. It is expected that interested parties will use their experience, RFQ data and other sources such as google to prepare pricing etc. across all sites.
Q – I have a query regarding the Excel pricing document that the bidders need to populate. The document is very vague with no quantities and when I refer to the last page of the tender document I notice that the Excel spreadsheet does not correlate with the Standard bill of materials (12.3).
Please see the below example: (I`m not seeing installation details for UPSs, security gates, switches, different labour rates for both indoor and outdoor AP`s, masts, and where it says we need to terminate the cat6 cables onto patch panels, would these be existing patch panels or is this something we need to include, if so what is the current infrastructure preferred product? If we chip and change cabling and terminate onto a Molex panel with Krone cable you could lose your cabling warranty. The same goes for the fibre, do we include panels or do we splice onto existing LC midcouplers on the panels? We can give one price for trenching and 300mm bosal installs but what if no trenching is required and only bosal work is required? Please may I have some clarity as the waters are very clouded at the moment. Alternatively, may we please have an extension and be given the opportunity to survey these sites in order to provide accurate pricing?
A – All quantities of equipment needed for installation, for each individual college, is on the last page (12.3) of the RFQ. These quantities are based on the projects site visits and are being procured under SABEN RFQ 0021/2022 and will be provided to the installation company (as per the description in the RFQ – section 1.1 and 1.2 of the RFQ).
The Google screen shots in the RFQ provide preliminary indication of locations to be optimised on the on-site design with the college once contracted (as per the RFQ – section 10).
We require a per metre price, not a complete distance price – as this will be confirmed during the site survey design process.
The preferred infrastructure product will be determined by the Wi-Fi equipment RFQ. All equipment items will be provided as per RFQ 0021/2022, except for cabling, racking, trunking, etc which must be quoted on, on a per metre basis as per the RFQ.
The basis is a PER METRE basis price. The number of metres will be determined by the on-site design.
No extension is being considered.
