ERP water and sanitation utility management system: su…

What is being bought

Tachasis Water and Sanitation Company (TACHWASCO) invites open tenders to supply, implement, integrate and support an ERP integrated water and sanitation utility management system. Intended completion is one year from contract signing. Documents name the procuring office at Tachasis, Off Songhor-Meteitei Road, Songhor, Kenya; no other delivery locations are stated.

What could disqualify you

Tenderers that have been debarred from public procurement are ineligible to tender or be awarded a contract. The PPRA debarment list is at www.ppra.go.ke. Standard rule D2 p.13
Public officers of the procuring entity, their spouses, children, parents, brothers or sisters (and their business associates, or firms in which they hold substantial or controlling interest) may not tender or be awarded a contract. Standard rule D2 p.13
A tenderer with a conflict of interest is disqualified. Conflicts include common control with another bidder, shared legal representative, or a close relationship with procuring entity staff involved in the tender. Standard rule D2 p.13
Late tenders are rejected and returned unopened. D1 p.2
Any tender not accompanied by a substantially responsive tender security or tender-securing declaration is rejected as non-responsive. Standard rule D2 p.21
Failure to meet any mandatory requirement in the preliminary evaluation (M1 to M20) leads to automatic disqualification. D2 p.36
Preliminary examination checks whether tenders are properly signed, whether required securities are furnished, and whether they are substantially complete. Incomplete tenders may be rejected. Standard rule D2 p.26
A tender valid for a shorter period than the TDS requires is rejected as non-responsive. Standard rule D2 p.20
Tenders subject to price adjustment are rejected. Standard rule D2 p.20

Key facts

Closing: Mon 2 Nov 2026, 12:00 pm
Bids close on 2026-11-02 at 12:00 noon East African Time. No addenda were provided, so this is the current deadline. Late bids are not accepted. D1 p.2
Bid / tender security: Tender security of Kenya Shillings 200,000 must be furnished in original hardcopy form, as a bank guarantee from a bank licensed and operating in Kenya, or a guarantee from an insurance company registered with the Insurance Regulatory Authority and listed by PPRA. It must be valid 30 days beyond the tender validity period, i.e. 120 days from tender opening. Tenders without a substantially responsive security are rejected. Security is returned once procurement ends or the successful bidder signs the contract and furnishes performance security. D2 p.33
Tender fee: Tender documents downloaded electronically from the PPIP portal or the TACHWASCO website are free of charge. No fee for physical copies is stated in the reviewed pages. D2 p.9
Site visit: Optionnel
No pre-arranged pre-tender site visit will be held, so no site visit is mandatory. D2 p.33
Pre-bid meeting: Optionnel
No pre-tender conference will be held. D2 p.33
Reserved for: The portal lists AGPO as a reserved group, but the tender documents do not reserve this tender. Under ITT 35.4 a reservation applies only if the TDS states it, and the TDS does not. Ask the procuring entity whether the tender is open to all or reserved. Conflicting P
Contract value: Not stated in the documents we reviewed Not stated D2 p.34
Tender opening: Public opening immediately after the deadline, on 2026-11-02 at 12:00 East Africa Time, in the ground floor conference room at the TACHWASCO office, Tachasis, Off Songhor-Meteitei Road, Songhor. The TDS states electronic opening procedures are not applicable. Attendance by bidder representatives is optional. D2 p.33
Tender validity: TDS ITT 2.7 sets tender validity at 120 days. The Tender Data Sheet is stated to prevail over the standard instructions. However, the Invitation to Tender clause 5 says 90 days from opening. This is a conflict to raise with the procuring entity. Conflicting D2 p.33

Who can apply

Open competitive tendering open to all qualified and interested tenderers. D2 p.9
Foreign tenderers 40% local sourcing requirement is Not Applicable under the TDS. D2 p.33
Joint ventures: if bidding as a JV, a JV Agreement or a form of intent to enter one must be submitted, and a JV must nominate a representative. The TDS sets no maximum number of JV members. Standard rule D2 p.13

Application checklist

Tick items off as you prepare. Your ticks stay on this device only.

Required from every bidder

Experience, licences and financial capacity

Technical

Bidders must submit a valid and current Microsoft SPA certificate (M8) and ICTA accreditations (M7) and a manufacturer's authorization form (M20). Full technical specifications are not in the reviewed pages. D2 p.36
Preliminary Project Plan describing how the tenderer will manage the project, the resources it will use, and what it expects the procuring entity to provide. Standard rule D2 p.19
Item-by-item commentary on the procuring entity's technical requirements, with cross-references to supporting pages. This commentary prevails over catalogues or brochures if they disagree. Standard rule D2 p.19
Intended completion: one year from the date of contract signing. D2 p.33

Financial

Tenders must be quoted in Kenya Shillings and include all taxes. D2 p.9
Audited accounts for 2023, 2024 and 2025 must be submitted as certified copies (see M9). D2 p.36
After award, the successful bidder must provide a performance security of 10% of the estimated contract price, as a bank guarantee from a bank operating in Kenya and licensed by the Central Bank of Kenya. Amount in shillings is not stated. D2 p.34

How and where to submit

Deliver the tender in a single sealed envelope containing an envelope marked ORIGINAL and an envelope marked COPIES. Inner envelopes show the bidder's name and address and the tender identification, with a warning not to open before the opening time. Outer envelopes are addressed to the procuring entity. Standard rule D2 p.22
Physical address for submission: Tachasis Water and Sanitation Company Office, Tachasis, Off Songhor-Meteitei Road, P.O. Box 167-40110, Songhor, Kenya. D2 p.33
Electronic submission is listed on the portal, but the TDS says electronic tendering is not applicable and ITT 24.1 allows electronic submission only when the TDS says so. Ask the procuring entity how to submit, and whether the original security must still be delivered by hand. Conflicting D2 p.23
Number of copies: the instructions require copies marked COPY in the number stated in the TDS, but the reviewed TDS pages do not state the number. Ask before submitting. Not stated D2 p.22
The original and all copies must be signed by an authorized person, typed or written in indelible ink. The signing authority must be attached to the tender, and each person's name and position printed below the signature. Standard rule D2 p.22
Tenders must be in English. Supporting documents in another language need an accurate English translation of the relevant passages, which governs interpretation. Standard rule D2 p.16
Clarification requests must be received no later than three business/working days before the closing/opening date and time, excluding weekends and public holidays. The procuring entity will respond within three working days. D2 p.33
Late tenders are rejected. Tenders received after 12:00 East Africa Time on 2026-11-02 are declared late and returned unopened. D1 p.2

Lots and categories

Single contract; no lots. The TDS states the number of lots is Not Applicable. D2 p.33

What the addenda changed

No addenda were included in the material reviewed. Any addendum issued later could change the closing date, validity, or requirements. Not stated P

Points to confirm with the procuring entity

The documents do not agree with each other on these points. Ask the procuring entity for a written clarification before you submit.

Tender validity period: TDS (ITT 2.7) sets 120 days. The Invitation to Tender general clause says tenders remain valid for 90 days from the date of opening. Confirm the correct period with the procuring entity. (D2 p.33 (TDS ITT 2.7) vs D2 p.9 (Invitation clause 5))
Electronic versus physical submission and original security: The portal says electronic submission. The TDS says electronic procurement is not applicable (ITT 1.2), electronic opening is not applicable (ITT 3.3), and tender security must be an original hardcopy (ITT 2.8). Ask how bids and the original security should be delivered. (P (portal submission method) vs D2 p.33 (TDS ITT 1.2, 2.8, 3.3) vs D2 p.23 (ITT 24.1))
Reserved group (AGPO): The portal lists AGPO as the reserved group, but the tender documents do not reserve this tender to any group. Under ITT 35.4 a reservation applies only if the TDS states it. Ask whether the tender is open to all bidders. (P (portal reserved groups) vs D2 p.13 to 21 (ITT 35.4 and TDS))
Form of tender security: M1 requires a bid bond of Kshs 200,000. M11 separately requires a tender-securing declaration form. The TDS requires a bank or insurance guarantee in original hardcopy. Ask whether a declaration can be used instead of, or with, the guarantee. (D2 p.36 (M1 and M11) vs D2 p.33 (TDS ITT 2.8))
Contact email addresses: Different addresses are given for clarifications and purchase: tawasco13@gmail.com and tachwasco@gmail.com in the general notice, but procurement@tawasco.co.ke in the TDS. Use the addresses the procuring entity confirms. (D2 p.9 vs D2 p.33 (TDS ITT 1.9))

Not covered in the documents we reviewed

Number of copies of the tender required (ITT 22.1 refers to the TDS, which does not state it).
Estimated contract price or contract value, and the amount of performance security in shillings.
Rated evaluation criteria and scoring, if any, beyond the mandatory requirements (Section III).
Technical requirements and specifications (Sections V and VI) and implementation schedule (Section VII).
Any addenda to the tender documents, and any clarifications issued after the advertisement.
Electronic submission procedures, if bids may be submitted electronically on the portal.
Forms (Section IV), including the Form of Tender, Tender Security form and price schedules.
Most of the 192 pages of the tender document were not reviewed (22 pages selected). Standard template sections may contain further requirements.

Terms explained

TDS: Tender Data Sheet. The tender-specific rules that override the standard instructions to tenderers.
ITT: Instructions to Tenderers. The standard rules in the tender document on how to prepare and submit a bid.
AGPO: Access to Government Procurement Opportunities. A preference scheme that reserves some tenders for youth, women and persons with disabilities.
Tender security: Money or a guarantee that a bidder provides to show it will keep its bid open and sign if it wins. It is forfeited if the bidder withdraws or fails to sign.
Tender-securing declaration: A signed declaration that replaces a financial tender security. Failure to honour it can lead to debarment.
Performance security: A guarantee provided by the winning bidder after award, to secure proper performance of the contract.
Responsive: A tender that meets all the required terms without material deviation. A non-responsive tender is rejected.
Preliminary examination: The first check of tenders for completeness, signatures, securities and mandatory documents, before technical or price evaluation.
JV: Joint venture. Two or more firms bidding together as one tender.
CR12: The annual return filed with the Registrar of Companies, listing a company's shareholders and directors.
KRA Tax Compliance Certificate: A certificate from the Kenya Revenue Authority showing the company's tax affairs are in order.
ICTA: Information and Communications Technology Authority. Accreditations are required for ICT system and security work.
SPA: Solution Provider Agreement. Microsoft's licence to a partner to provide and implement its solutions.
Form SD 1 and SD 2: Standard declarations: SD 1 is a declaration of non-debarment and SD 2 is an anti-corruption declaration.
Power of Attorney: A signed document that authorises a named person to sign and commit the bidder to this tender.
Addendum: A written change to the tender documents issued by the procuring entity. Addenda override earlier terms.
Mandatory evaluation requirement: Items M1 to M20 in the evaluation criteria. Failure to meet any leads to automatic disqualification.

ERP water and sanitation utility management system: supply, implementation and support (TACHWASCO)