Featured Project: Leisure and Cultural village – Infrastructure

Description:

Construction of infrastructure and services for a cultural village including accommodation and tourism facilities located on Farm Moiloa 412-JO, Dinokana Village, near Zeerust, North West. GPS Co-ordinates: 25°27’22.74”S; 25°51’07.40”E

 

Status:

Procedural

Industry:

Hospitality & Leisure

 

Region:

Zeerust

 

Sector:

Private

 

Value:

Unknown At This Stage

 

Timing:

If you are a valued Projects subscriber, you can find more details click here

About Carmen Barends

Social media adventurer for Leads 2 Business, exploring new frontiers and taking new ground. “Not all those who wander are lost.” JRR Tolkien

Featured Tender: Local Area Network Implementation and Maintenance – Switching (includes Wireless)

Contract Number:

GT/GDED/142/2017 – Economic Development Department

 

Description:

Bids are invited for the following: Terms of Reference for Local Area Network Implementation and Maintenance – Switching (includes Wireless) for Regional Office Building.

 

Category:

IT & Telecom

 

Industries:

Institutional

 

Region:

Gauteng

Site Inspection:

A Compulsory Briefing Session will be held at 75 Fox Street, Auditorium, Ground Floor on the 08 December 2017 at 09:00.

 

Closing Date:

19 January 2018 at 11:00

 

Restrictions:

If you are a valued Tender subscriber, Click here for more information.

About Lungile Buthelezi

I started working at Leads 2 Business in May 2014 as a Content Researcher in the Daily Tenders South Africa Department. I oversee Eastern Cape and Limpopo Regions.

Did you Know #DYK: Should you include VAT when pricing an RFQ

So the question is should you charge VAT when pricing an RFQ??

Well, I think we should start at the beginning.

RFQ's Received

What is an RFQ? It is a Request for Quotation.

 

 

As a vendor on the L2B site, you have the best opportunity ever!! That’s right, you guessed it! Main contractors use our site to search for vendors by using their trades. So let’s say one of your trades is the supply of bricks. Bricks fall under – Masonry Brickwork: brick, facebrick, nfx, bricklaying, masonry, lintels, brick reinforcement. The main contractor would then select your company from the list of vendors according to your trade.

 

Request for Quotation on (Crushed Stone, Gravel & Sand)

 

As soon as they have selected your company you will get an email directly from the buyer asking you to price.

RFQ Email

 

Exciting times! Not much effort had to go into that one. The main contractor chooses you! So now what to do? It’s time to price.

Terms & Conditions

On your Vendor dashboard, you will find your request for a quotation. All the drawings, specifications and the portion of the bill that pertains to you. Now the fun begins! Time to price! Always remember your Terms & Conditions! They are very important and you can either select the Standard Terms and Conditions or add your own. If you skip your terms and Conditions at the beginning, you would need to complete it before it will allow you to send the Request for Quotation.

 

Then comes the portion of the bill that you will need to be pricing on. The description, unit, qty, aptitude and then, of course, your rate or unit cost. Followed by the total. All done! Remember to copy yourself in on your pricing!

Items to Price

 

Question

 

 

 

 

So here comes that question again.

Should you include VAT when pricing an RFQ? The answer is No!

When doing an RFQ you will see we do not add VAT to the individual pricing and also state in your Terms and Conditions that the pricing excludes VAT (VAT should only be added to the total of the RFQ).

We do this as it is an industry norm not to add VAT when pricing. By adding VAT the buyer will think you are overcharging them which could result in the Request for Quote to be Awarded to an opposing company! So when pricing your RFQ please do not add the VAT to your pricing. Now you are ready to price when that email request arrives in your mailbox!

Now that you know how to price: Do you have the time?

Yes you do, see below:

Did you Know #DYK: How much time is needed when pricing?

 

Happy Pricing!

 

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About Connie van Tonder

I started working at L2B in April 2017 as an Accounts Executive. Not knowing too much about the construction industry. Learning new things every day and enjoying every second of it. Loving what I do!

Did you Know #DYK: What is a Private Project

posted in: Did You Know 4

This is a vitally important question for companies in the construction industry, now more than ever!

Private SignSource

A Private Project is a project which is funded by a private developer which can be a private individual or company as opposed to public or Governmental organisations. You will find that private projects tend to go ahead quicker as there is far less red tape to go through and no corrupt tender processes. These will include projects such as shopping centres, townhouse complexes, private hospitals and schools and the list goes on.

So, you ask…why is this so important?

Running the risk of giving my age away…I am an avid listener of talk radio, which has recently, educated me on just how broke the South African government currently is. Now, of course, we all have opinions on how the government uses our taxes, and that is a whole different blog for a whole different day, but how does this all affect us in the construction industry?

There are a lot of people that I have been speaking to in the construction industry that will tell you that ‘No tenders are being awarded’… and this is exactly the problem that we are facing. Even though work needs to be done, and tenders may even be issued, the actual awarding of Governmental and/or Municipal projects is happening even slower than it used to due to no available budget. This, in turn, means that a lot of companies that rely heavily on public projects are not receiving as much, if any, work as they used to, and let’s face it, there’s not an awful lot that the average South African can do to change this.

Companies do still have the option to focus their attention on Private Projects but what you do need to know is that they work very differently than public projects.

A Private Developer will purchase land with the intention of developing that land, they will have to go through all the regular processes such as EIA, rezoning etc. They will also appoint a professional design team which will include Project Managers, Architects, Quantity Surveyors and so on. The consulting team will draw up the plans and specifications and once they are ready to go ahead a contractor will be appointed and they can start building from there…no big differences yet? Oh! But there are!

Private Projects very rarely go to open tender (and open tender being where the company publishes the tender out into the media allowing anyone to tender), instead, they will be invited or negotiated. This is not only for the contractors or sub-contractors but even for the consultants

Caution Construction ZoneSourcesteegs@intekom.co.za

How do I get invited?

This really comes down to who you know, at the end of the day.  Think of it this way, if you have R10 000.00 and you want to buy a washing machine, are you going to call the first person you find on Gumtree and make an EFT to them and then wait for delivery? Of course not, you will more than likely g somewhere you know, such as Makro, for instance. If you ask yourself why you do this, I am sure the answer will be that you trust them…mostly. If there is an issue you can take it back, if they don’t deliver when they say they will you can hold them accountable.

This works the same for Private Construction Projects. People will always trust people they know more than someone that has perhaps only sent them an email in the past and when, at the end of the day, that person is responsible for making sure everything is done right, they will use service providers that they know they can trust or if something does go wrong, they want to make sure they can get it sorted out.

Anyone that wants to get involved in the project will need to contact the Developer or the key players (depending on what stage the project is at) in order to get invited. Trust me, if you are not meeting with the relevant people, you are very unlikely to be awarded any work from them. Everyone, even you, have your preferred suppliers, whether it be for your cell phone, clothing, medical aid; and I do not dispute that developers will have their preferred consultants, project managers, and contractors will have their preferred suppliers for materials or sub-contractors but this does not mean that you have no hope of becoming one of their preferred suppliers. The key is to make yourself known to them. Make sure they remember you!

As a Leads 2 Business subscriber, you are already a step ahead of everyone else. You know WHO you need to speak to, rather than starting at a receptionist in the hopes that they might know who in their company is busy with something that you are interested in.

During my years in sales, I have heard some outrageous ways to get to see the person they are wanting to meet, but at the end of the day you don’t need to do anything crazy, you just need to get them to realize that they need to see you. Business is tight for all companies now and competition is rife so be memorable.

We get you to the doorstep, you need to knock on the door. Opportunity does not find you, but it is waiting for you! Red door Source

About Joanne Couto

I started with Leads 2 Business in April of 2013 as an Account Executive, was promoted in 2016 to Senior Account Executive, and then in March 2017, I became the Client Liaison Officer, where I now specialise in client retention and assisting the Sales Team in this regard. I believe whole heartedly in the service that we provide, knowledge is king!

L2B Blog: Annual Construction Gift Guide

posted in: General 0

Corporate gifting to clients is one of the best marketing strategies that a company can use to build brand awareness and build close business relationships. It cultivates and affirms business relationships promoting feelings of goodwill between buyers and supplier.

 

Corporate Gifting is no longer restricted to the festive season, in a corporate world it is standard to introduce endowments to each other to build the business. Gifting can be used in many applications in business, for any occasion or any person – gifting reinforces the obligation of business to its customers.

 

Gifts for Business Growth

Corporate gifting is used to stay noticed by clients and target consumers. The resources spent on these gifts are refunded back in terms of future business or higher sales of your product.

 

Corporate gifts for marketing

Gifting helps build your company brand, it helps build brand awareness as branding is all about making associations. Corporate gifts allow personalization – to have a successful branding campaign, your brand must be personal enough for consumers to identify and build a relationship with. By matching corporate gifts to the type of company personality that requires promoting, you will be able to hit the right chord with the consumers.

 

Corporate gifts maintain the interaction between company and consumers. Usually, after a marketing campaign, consumers will only be able to associate and interact with the company through its advertising message, which is intangible. But with corporate gifts, they will be able to touch and feel the representation of a company. This will leave your marketing message in their minds resulting in a better marketing campaign. Using corporate gifts is a good way to start building brand awareness among your customers. Many people think that by using corporate gifts as a marketing tool a huge budget is needed. However, I must say this is not true. With the right budget and campaign, you will be able to fulfil your marketing mission and create brand awareness for your company.

 

Corporate Gifts

Corporate gifting is a great opportunity to show employees, management at your company and your clients that you appreciate them and promote one’s business brand in a cost-effective way. There are so many events that corporate gifts can be used for … Birthdays, Christmas, Women’s Day, Bosses Day, Secretary’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Mandela Day, Weddings, Award ceremonies, Retirement recognitions …. just a few to mention. This is a great opportunity to show your employees and your clients that they are really appreciated.

 

Promotional Gifts

Promotional gifts are articles of merchandise that are branded with a logo or a slogan and used in the marketing and communication process – they are given away to promote a company.

 

Gifts for every budget

Your budget should be fixed before-hand before you start factoring in how many recipients there will be, and what the occasion is.

 

Your overall benefits of corporate & promotional gifting are:

Increases Brand Awareness
Provides appropriate Information
Increases customer traffic
Build sales and profits
Promotions will also help your company to introduce products easily into an ever so competitive market.

 

For enquiries regarding Corporate gifting, please contact michele@infinitycg.co.za

 

“Branded Corporate Gifts are lasting favourites”

About Michele Hettema

Infinity Gifts Pty Ltd is a woman-owned business dedicated and focusing on delivering a superb service to you. My aim is to give you peace of mind and delight you. I can supply you with branding clothing, branded stationery, exclusive corporate pens, USB devices, first aid kit and much more.

Featured Project: Jangamo Mineral Sands Project, Mozambique

Jangamo Mineral Sands Project, Mozambique

Jangamo Mineral Sands Project, Mozambique

Description: Jangamo Mineral Sands Project is a 180 km² area heavy mineral sands project, located in a mineral sands province in southern Mozambique. Geological reconnaissance and scout drilling work has confirmed that the project is covered by a series of north-east trending quaternary dunal and fluvial systems. The area has three morphological zones, composed of two inland dunes (red sands), which are the areas with the highest elevation, separated by a low lying area (alluvial sands), with different sedimentary characteristics.

Status: Tender

Industry: Mining

Region: Mozambique

Sector: Private

Value: R 100 million+ 

Timing: 2014 onwards.

If you are a valued Tender subscriber, Click here for more information on this Tender.

If you are interested in becoming one of our subscribers, please visit our website.

To view notes with screenshots on how to use our website, please visit our Wiki site.

To view more articles, please visit our blog.

 

About Marlaine Andersen

Leads 2 Business Advertising Co-ordinator and Digital Designer

Featured Tender: Tri-Annual Contract for Sewer Infrastructure Rehabilitation Using Trenchless Technologies

Tri-Annual Contract for Sewer Infrastructure Rehabilitation Using Trenchless Technologies

Tri-Annual Contract for Sewer Infrastructure Rehabilitation Using Trenchless Technologies

Contract Number: SCM17-21/S – Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality

Description: Tenders are invited for the following: Tri-Annual Contract for Sewer Infrastructure Rehabilitation Using Trenchless Technologies.

Category: Infrastructure

Industries: Institutional

Region: Eastern Cape

Site Inspection: Compulsory Briefing Meeting: 01 December 2017 at 11:00; Venue: Aurecon, Lion Roars Office Park, Corner of Heugh Road and 3rd Avenue, Walmer, Port Elizabeth. Tenderers arriving 10 minutes late will not be allowed for a clarification meeting.

Closing Date: 11 January 2018 at 11:00

Restrictions: CIBD Grading: 5 CE or Higher. All tenderers must be registered on the Municipality’s supplier’s database through NMBM database. The Municipality reserves the right not to consider the tenders of tenderers not registered on the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s supplier’s database. Please phone NMBM database to register, If not yet registered.Submission of Opening and Opening of Tenders: Tenders must reach the Municipality by not later than the closing date and time.The tenders in sealed envelopes, clearly stating the contract number and description, Tenders will be publicly opened simultaneously in the boardroom, Supply Chain Management Office, Harrower Road, North End, Port Elizabeth and the Conference Room, first floor. Municipal Offices. Market Street. Uitenhage, Thursday, 11 January 2018 at 11:00 on the application.The Council does not bind itself to accept the lowest or any tenders and late tenders will not be accepted.The Council promotes the use of previously disadvantaged small and medium contractors. Details of the preference formula appear in the Supply Chain Management Policy of the Municipality and can be obtained from the Director: Supply Chain Management, Harrower Road, North End, Port Elizabeth. Bid Validity Period: 180 days.

 

If you are interested in becoming one of our subscribers, please visit our website.

To view notes with screenshots on how to use our website, please visit our Wiki site.

To view more articles, please visit our blog.

 

About Lauren Davids

I am a Content Researcher for the Western Cape Region in the Daily Tenders Department.

Did you know #DYK: RFQ? Pricing? Drawings…. What?

posted in: Did You Know 0

 

Picture this scenario… the phone rings…
a rather flustered voice comes through the phone..
Michelle!!! what’s this RFQ thingy…?
Who sent me this?
What must I price on?
Where can I find the Drawings…?
…. Specifications…? huh!?

     

 

These are just some of the questions I am asked on a daily basis. So let’s start from the beginning and break them down.

Leads 2 Business has an online pricing system, Leads 2 Quotes (L2Q), that is designed for Main Contractors to send out Request for quotes (RFQ’s) to suppliers and subcontractors (Vendors).

So you might be asking how is this going to bring in new business to my company? Once you receive an RFQ, you can download the drawings and specification from the Vendor home-page or RFQ mail. This will enable you to add your own terms and conditions, attachments and any important information the Contractor would need. The RFQ can be priced online and in return increases your rating on L2Q which will work in your favour when Contractors are sending out new RFQ’s as your company will be ranked higher.

 

We provide you with the Contractors details, so if you have any of those important questions about a specific section in the bill you will already have all the tools you need to get into contact with the right people.

 

If you are not subscribed to any of L2B’s services we have amazing staff that would be more than willing to assist you. Alternatively, you can subscribe to Open Quotes for a minimal amount, this will give you access to new opportunity’s to price to Contractors without them requesting you to price.

Now that’s what I call being proactive!

With a fresh approach to pricing and retrieving what you need to price efficiently and on time. Are you as excited? I am!

   

Let’s sum it up:

  • RFQ’s are sent via L2Q directly to Preferred Vendors.
  • Documentation and Specifications or any additional information that you might need regarding the RFQ can be found either on the L2Q website or by contacting the Contractor directly.
  • You can add your terms and conditions to your RFQ.
  • The more you price online, the higher your rating on L2Q.
  • New Open Quotes feature enables you to forward your pricing to other Buyers without them even asking you for a price.

 

Happy Pricing Everybody!!!!!

 

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About Michelle Herbst

I started working at Leads 2 Business in February 2014. I'm a Senior L2Q Account Executive for the Cape Town Region.

Featured Event: The Road Infrastructure and Development Congress 2017

The Road Infrastructure and Development Congress 2017

 The Road Infrastructure and Development Congress 2017

Event:

The Road Infrastructure and Development Congress 2017

 

Date:

28 November 207 – 30 November 2017

 

Event location:

Avenue Conference Centre,

V&A Waterfront,

Cape Town

 

Event Description:

The Congress will analyse new public-private partnership projects (PPPs), new infrastructure projects that promote regional integration and competitiveness of countries, new technologies and financing challenges in the road and highway industry across Sub-Saharan Africa

 

Contact Person:

Gaurav Koul

E-mail: gaurav.koul@bitumenexchange.com

 

Event Website:

The Road Infrastructure and Development Congress 2017

 

If you are interested in becoming one of our subscribers, please visit our website.

To view notes with screenshots on how to use our website, please visit our Wiki site.

To view more articles, please visit our blog.

About Eldary Carpenter

I have been with Leads 2 Business for 5 years and absolutely love working for such a dynamic company. I started off as a Content Researcher in the Tenders Department before being promoted to Customer Relations.

L2B Blog: How to study to become a Facilities Manager? A look at internships and universities

 

If you are looking to study to become a Facilities Manager, then I imagine you already know what might be involved. If not, please see below:

 

What is a Facilities Manager?

A facilities manager is the ultimate organiser, making sure that a workplace meets the needs of employees by managing all of the required services.

 

A Facilities Manager will be responsible for the management of services and processes that support the core business of an organisation and ensures that an organisation has the most suitable working environment for its employees and their activities.

This is a diverse field with a range of responsibilities, which are dependent on the structure and size of the organisation.
Facilities managers are involved in both strategic planning and day-to-day operations, particularly in relation to buildings and premises. Likely areas of responsibility include:
• building and grounds maintenance;
• cleaning;
• catering and vending;
• health and safety;
• procurement and contract management;
• security;
• space management;
• utilities and communications infrastructure.
The duties will probably vary depending on the nature of the organisation, but will generally focus on using best business practice to improve efficiency, by reducing operating costs while increasing productivity. A facilities manager can be employed in all sectors and industries and the diversity of the work is reflected in the range of job titles, for example, operations, estates, technical services, asset or property manager.

 

Salary:

I’m sure the end result when deciding to study to become a Facilities Manager, is to be employed as such and have some idea of the competitiveness of the salary. Obviously, this would depend on your experience and the organisation you end up working for. According to Payscale Human Capital: “Facilities Manager Salary (South Africa): A Facilities Manager earns an average salary of R357,994 per year. Pay for this job rises steadily for more experienced workers, but goes down significantly for the few employees with more than 20 years’ experience. Most people with this job move on to other positions after 20 years in this career.” Let me reiterate, this a statistical average that takes all manner of different variables into account.

 

Vacancies:

The next question is, are there opportunities for Facilities Managers out there? When doing my research, I found any number of vacancies advertised on any number of advertising sites. The job descriptions varied from company to company, as would be expected. Duties ranged from budgeting and routine site inspections to managing staff and getting your hands dirty, with handyman skills and qualifications. The remuneration offered ranged from R16,000.00 a month to R30 000.00; often dependent on qualifications, experience and the extent of the duties required.

 

Learnerships:

It’s at this time of the year, that I see a lot more Learnerships and Bursaries being advertised in the media. However, when looking specifically for “Facilities Management”, I can’t say any jumped out at me. Due to the diverse and varied nature of the job, I can’t imagine it’s as clear-cut as some professions. Based on the variety of formal qualifications required/requested and the heavy lean on actual experience; Facilities Management definitely requires adaptability and a
diverse skill set.

 

Study Options:

I did find courses for Facilities Management offered by a variety of educational entities, namely:

The University of Cape Town (UCT) offers a Short Course in Facilities Management, through Getsmarter
Enterprises University of Pretoria (Pty) Ltd offers a Short Course in Facilities Management

CEA Career Excel Academy offers a Facilities Management Programme (FMP), a course held over three days

The Academy for Facilities Management (A4FM) is a specialist higher education institution that specialises in facilities management.

 

It goes without saying that when you decide to study, you ensure that you are studying with a reputable and qualified organisation.

The South African Facilities Management Association (SAFMA) recognises the need for training within the industry and offers endorsements for reputable training providers. Please see http://www.safma.co.za/Training

 

Facilities Management is as diverse and varied as the organisations that require it. And with the right qualification and experience, you can find the right fit.

 

Sources:
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/facilities-manager
http://www.payscale.com/research/ZA/Job=Facilities_Manager/Salary

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facility_management
http://www.safma.co.za/

 

About Claire Donaldson

I started working at Leads 2 Business in February 2005, and have served as Head of Department of Daily Tenders from 2007 until the present. I oversee both the Daily Tenders South Africa and Africa Departments.

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