Procurement

Invitation to small businesses to participate in the GEMS Procurement Advice Centre (PAC) initiative

The Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS) was registered under the Medical Schemes Act 131 of 1998 with effect from 1 January 2005 and commenced member enrolment on 1 January 2006. The registered office of the Scheme is based in the Menlyn Maine Precinct, Pretoria.

GEMS is dedicated to enhancing its transformation initiatives and supporting small businesses looking to enter the competitive procurement landscape or wishing to increase their competitiveness in the procurement environment. GEMS is equally committed to promoting procurement compliance among companies interested in responding to GEMS and other tenders.

GEMS has, therefore, implemented a Procurement Advice Centre (PAC) to promote providers’ procurement competitiveness.

GEMS would like to extend an invitation to small businesses*, with a focus on those in the Healthcare Industry, to participate in the Procurement Advice Centre's Tender Training and Supplier Database Registration Coaching Program, initiated by GEMS.

The program support interventions span across a maximum duration of six (6) months, during which you will participate in various online training sessions and complete tender exercises.

Interested small businesses (with a focus on those in the healthcare industry) are required to provide GEMS with their contact information, company profile, and a valid B-BBEE certificate, which must be submitted to only the email address ProcAdviceCentre@gems.gov.za for consideration. GEMS reserves the right not to place an applicant in the Program in its sole discretion. 

All enquiries could also be directed by mail to ProcAdviceCentre@gems.gov.za.

YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO PLEASE REGISTER YOUR INTEREST AS A BUSINESS AT YOUR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE. 

*Small businesses are defined as EMEs/ QSEs with at least 51% Black ownership or at least 30% Black Women ownership.

Invitation to register on the GEMS Database of Suppliers 

The Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS) was registered in terms of the Medical Schemes Act 131 of 1998 with effect from 1 January 2005 and commenced member enrolment on 1 January 2006. The registered office of the Scheme is based in the Menlyn Maine Precinct, Pretoria.

In accordance with the Scheme's Supply Chain Management Policy, GEMS may call upon suppliers in the database by way of requests for quotations, requests for proposals and/or tenders. Importantly, the registration of a supplier on the Supplier Database does not guarantee that organisation business or business opportunities going forward.

GEMS hereby informs the market, as part of its annual intervention, that suppliers who may be interested in rendering services or providing goods to GEMS, can request an application form for completion and consideration.

Service providers who have completed an application prior to 2022 and who have not received an official response from GEMS, must also complete a new application (currently through email submission or captured on our automated system which is intended to go live during 2025). Service providers who were added to the GEMS Supplier Database prior to 2021 will also receive an email from GEMS to complete a new application form and update their information.  Service providers who fail to submit a new application, will be removed from the GEMS Supplier Database in due course.

According to GEMS’ SCM Policy, GEMS will not consider more than one supplier with the same or a majority of the same owners/ directors for the same database category. In such case, the suppliers will be informed that only one of those suppliers can be considered for placement on the database for that specific category.

The work the Scheme will perform in 2025 may necessitate the provision of goods and services noted in the application document which will range from consulting services to goods.

GEMS is committed to the principles of B-BBEE and we adhere to all relevant legislation. The participation of B-BBEE controlled, B-BBEE owned companies, companies who are at least 51% Black owned, companies who are at least 30% Black Women owned, EMEs, QSEs as well as Black Designated Groups as per the Codes of Good Practice and SMMEs is encouraged. Suppliers who do not have extensive experience in a specific category may also be considered in such categories and under specific circumstances. Certain categories of services as indicated in the application form may be reserved for suppliers who do not have extensive experience.

Currently, application forms can be downloaded from the GEMS website and can also be obtained electronically by sending an email to database@gems.gov.za.  Once the automated system is ready through which providers can load their own details, GEMS will publish its new automated application mechanism on the GEMS website.

Interested suppliers are required to complete an application form, email and submit the forms electronically as well as the required documentation to database@gems.gov.za or through the database registration system. No hard copy versions of any documentation that is delivered will be considered and no application sent to another email address within GEMS, other than the noted address, will be considered.

Training/ guiding sessions available to support application completion

Non-compulsory sessions are made available to providers on how to complete the application as support to any applicants.  Suppliers who are interested in attending one of the sessions must email database@gems.gov.za indicating which session they wish to attend and must provide the company name and the email address to which the invitation can be sent.

Dates: 28 November 2024 and 02 December 2024 : Time: 11H00-13H00

All enquiries should be directed by mail to database@gems.gov.za.

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS:  ONGOING

APPOINTMENT OF A PANEL OF SERVICE PROVIDERS TO PROVIDE INTERNAL AUDIT AND CONSULTING SERVICES TO THE GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES MEDICAL SCHEME FOR A PERIOD OF TWO (2) YEARS WHICH CONTRACT MAY BE ANNUALLY RENEWABLE FOR A MAXIMUM OF THREE (3) MORE YEARS

Reference number: GEMS/InternalAuditPanel/2025/CON017

Please quote the applicable reference number in all correspondence without a reference number will not be attended to.

Prequalification criteria:

GEMS will only consider bids from providers who have a level 1 or level 2 status of contribution or be at least 51% Black Owned or have at least 30% Black Women ownership. If a bidder is a joint venture, then all the joint venture parties must comply with one of the pre-qualification requirements.

Compulsory Briefing Session:

Date: 01 August 2025

Time: 14h30 to 16h00

Online via Microsoft Teams

Attendees joining the session more than 15 minutes after the starting time noted, i.e., after 14h45 will be deemed not to have attended the briefing session.

Prospective service providers are required to notify the relevant person at the respective email address indicated below for this requirement, before 12h00 on 31 July 2025 on whether they will attend the briefing session. Bidders will be provided with a link to connect and join the session on confirmation of attendance. Attendees must have their own copies of the bid document in the briefing session.

Request for and submission of bid documents:

Bid documentation will only be available electronically in PDF or another format, on request by email, from Tuesday, 29 July 2025 from Christopher Dakura by email at CON017.25InternalAuditPanel@nexia-sabt.co.za

The bid documents can be requested electronically at any time but will be distributed during office hours, which are between 08h00 and 16h30, Mondays to Fridays, excluding public holidays. Completed bid documentation must only be submitted in electronic format as per the bid document instructions. No hard copy submissions will be considered.

Closing date: 26 August 2025 Time: 11h00

The time stipulated is in accordance with Telkom time, available by dialling 1026. Further submission details are contained in the bid document. Submission will be strictly electronic to the relevant email address. No late submissions will be considered.

Procurement processes administered by GEMS and Nexia SAB&T