Provision of cafeteria/catering services (reserved for…

What is being bought

Kenya Seed Company Limited invites tenders for provision of cafeteria/catering services at its Head Office, Mbegu Plaza, Kitale, for one year, renewable once subject to satisfactory performance. The tender is reserved for women-owned businesses holding a valid AGPO women-category certificate. Contract value is not stated in the reviewed material.

What could disqualify you

Late tenders are not accepted and will be rejected and returned unopened. D1 p.3
Submission using a box file leads to automatic disqualification. Tender pages must be serialized 1,2,3 to the last page. D1 p.24
A tender valid for a shorter period than required is rejected as non-responsive. Standard rule D1 p.12
Tender without a substantially responsive Tender-Securing Declaration is rejected as non-responsive. Standard rule D1 p.13
Price schedule must be completed and signed; failure leads to disqualification. Prices must be fixed; an adjustable price quotation is rejected as non-responsive. D1 p.28
Bidders must price each item in the price schedule; failure to do so leads to automatic disqualification. D1 p.66
Tenderers scoring less than the 70 mark pass mark in technical evaluation are automatically disqualified. D1 p.28
Bidders who fail the Company's due diligence visit (experience in running similar establishments) will not be considered further. Previous providers with unsatisfactory performance will not be considered. D1 p.66
A major arithmetic error (unit price, quantity, subtotal or total) leads to disqualification as non-responsive; the tender sum read out at opening is final. D1 p.24

Key facts

Closing: Wed 28 Oct 2026, 11:00 am
Tenders close on 28 October 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at Mbegu Plaza, Kitale. Late tenders are rejected. P
Bid / tender security: Tender-Securing Declaration required in the format attached to the tender pack (no cash or bank security amount is stated; form can be used in place of tender security). D1 p.23
Tender fee: Tender document costs Kes 1,000.00 non-refundable if bought in cash or banker's cheque; the invitation also says it can be accessed free at www.kenyaseed.com or PPIP. D1 p.3
Site visit: Obrigatório
TDS says bidders are required to visit the site Monday to Friday during working hours; the schedule says visit on the 22nd, 23rd or 26th between 8.30am and 4.30pm (month not stated). Proof of visit is a mandatory document. ITT 7.1 generic clause says visit is encouraged. Conflicting D1 p.23
Pre-bid meeting: Optional
There is no pre-tender conference. D1 p.23
Reserved for: Tender is reserved for women (AGPO women category). Only businesses holding a valid AGPO women-category certificate may tender. D1 p.3
Contract value: Not stated in the documents we reviewed Not stated D1
Tender opening: Tenders are opened immediately after the deadline in the presence of bidders or their representatives at the Conference Room, Kenya Seed Company, Mbegu Plaza, Kijana Wamalwa Road, Kitale. D1 p.3
Tender validity: Tenders remain valid for 120 days. The start date is conflicting in the documents: from closing date (invitation), from tender opening (TDS), or from submission deadline (ITT 20.1). Conflicting D1 p.3

Who can apply

Tender is for a service contract of one year, renewable once subject to satisfactory performance. D1 p.3
Joint ventures are not allowed for this tender. D1 p.23
Public officers of the procuring entity and their spouses, children, parents, brothers or sisters (and those of a spouse in which they have substantial or controlling interest) are not eligible to tender. Standard rule D1 p.5
A firm may tender only once; participating in more than one tender (individually, as joint venture member or as subcontractor) disqualifies all tenders the firm is involved in. Standard rule D1 p.5

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

Company profile showing directors, staff, general structure and continuous years of service in the catering industry. Five years and above scores full 20 marks; less is prorated. D1 p.27
List of clients and reference letters for clients served in the last 3 years. Five or more clients scores full 20 marks; fewer are prorated. D1 p.27
CVs of key staff with current health check certificates (certificate must be attached or it is not counted). At least 5 qualified hotel management staff scores full 20 marks. D1 p.27
Staff must hold at least KCSE certificates and certificates permitting them to handle food; CVs and certificates of staff must be attached. D1 p.65
Provide a preliminary description of the proposed work method and schedule. Standard rule D1 p.7
Other requirements: NHIF and NSSF compliance certificates; the caterer must observe labour laws and minimum wage requirements. D1 p.65

Financial

Submit certified bank statements for the last 3 years, or a credit access letter from your banker showing the firm currently operates an account; the letter must be no older than 3 months. Scores 10 marks. D1 p.27

How and where to submit

Hard copy only: electronic tenders are not permitted. Deliver the tender to the Procurement office address below. D1 p.23
Address: Kenya Seed Company Limited, Mbegu Plaza, Kijana Wamalwa Street, P.O Box 553-30200 Kitale. Tel 054 31909-14, 0722 205 144. A tender package too large for the tender box goes to the Procurement office to be received and recorded. D1 p.23
Submit one original and one copy, each clearly marked as Original and Copy. The original prevails if the copies differ. D1 p.23
Deliver the tender in a single sealed envelope, package or container bearing the tender name and reference number, addressed to the Procuring Entity and marked not to open before opening time. Standard rule D1 p.14
Submission must be written and in English; all tender pages must be signed or initialled where entries are made, and the signatory's name and position must be typed or printed below the signature. Standard rule D1 p.14

Lots and categories

Lot none: Single contract only; no multiple lots. Award goes to the lowest evaluated bidder. D1 p.28

What the addenda changed

No addenda were provided in the reviewed material. Not stated D1

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 start date: Invitation (p.3) says 120 days from the closing date; TDS ITT 20.1 (p.23) says 120 days from the date of tender opening; ITT 20.1 (p.12) says the period starts from the submission deadline. Ask the procuring entity which date applies. (D1 p.3; D1 p.23; D1 p.12)
Site visit requirement and dates: ITT 7.1 (p.7) says visiting the site is encouraged; TDS (p.23) says bidders are required to visit Monday to Friday; Schedule of Requirements (p.66) says 8.30am-4.30pm on the 22nd, 23rd or 26th with no month stated. Proof of visit is also a mandatory document. (D1 p.7; D1 p.23; D1 p.66; D1 p.24)
Technical pass mark: Technical evaluation sets a pass mark of 70 out of 100 (p.27-28), but the financial evaluation section says award goes to a bidder achieving 80 marks and above in technical evaluation. (D1 p.28; D1 p.28)
CR 12 age requirement: TDS mandatory list asks for a current CR 12; Phase 1 preliminary evaluation (p.26) requires a CR 12 issued within the last 4 months. (D1 p.24; D1 p.26)

Not covered in the documents we reviewed

Contract value or budget estimate for the cafeteria services.
Amount, form and validity period of any tender security (only a Tender-Securing Declaration is named).
Any addenda or clarification responses (none were provided).
Full Section IV tender forms, price schedule template and Form of Tender.
Exact month and full schedule for the site visit.
Monthly rent and utility terms agreed with the company, and the number of copies beyond one original and one copy (if any).
Pages not reviewed: most of ITT (pages 4, 11, 16-17, 21, 29, 31, 33-34), Section III pages 29, 31, 33-42, Section IV forms, Section VI conditions of contract and Section VIII contract forms (only 31 of 90 pages reviewed).

Terms explained

AGPO: Access to Government Procurement Opportunities: a reservation scheme for women, youth and persons with disability. Here, the tender is reserved for businesses with a valid women-category AGPO certificate.
TDS: Tender Data Sheet: the section with tender-specific values (dates, forms, security) that override the general Instructions to Tenderers.
Tender-Securing Declaration: A signed form in which the bidder declares it will not withdraw its bid during validity and accepts penalties such as debarment if it does; used instead of a cash or bank tender security.
Responsive / non-responsive: A tender that meets all mandatory requirements is responsive; one that does not is rejected at the preliminary stage and not evaluated further.
CR 12: Company Registry return showing shareholders and directors of a limited liability company, issued by the Registrar of Companies.
SD1 and SD11: Self-declaration forms required by PPRA: SD1 confirms the bidder and parties involved have not engaged in corrupt practices; SD11 is the self-declaration on corrupt or fraudulent practice.
Confidential Business Questionnaire: Form in the tender pack giving details of the bidder's business for eligibility checks; false information is an offence.
Performance security: Guarantee given by the winning bidder after award; ITT 47.1 says performance security will not be required for this tender.

Provision of cafeteria/catering services (reserved for women) - Kenya Seed Company, Kitale - ref KSC/CS/4/2026/27