Terms and conditions

1. Using TenderDirect

These terms cover your use of TenderDirect, including tender discovery, company workspaces, document access and supported response tools. Contact us at contact@tenderdirect.co.za.

You must be at least 18 to create an account and authorised to act for any company you represent. Provide accurate information, use your own account and keep your credentials secure.

Our privacy policy explains how personal information is handled. The issuing buyer’s tender documents and applicable law govern its procurement process.

2. Company accounts

Company workspaces are collaborative. Invite only authorised people and remove access when it is no longer appropriate.

Active supplier members, including staff, can finalise, replace or withdraw responses where the workflow permits it. Company administrators should take this into account when granting membership. Billing permissions are controlled separately.

3. Service and access

TenderDirect provides public tender previews and account-based tools for finding opportunities, organising documents and preparing responses. Buyers can publish tenders and review responses where supported.

Paid plans provide the coverage and allowances displayed at purchase. Signed-in suppliers also have free access to full briefs and documents within 72 hours of an open tender’s closing time, and after closing or cancellation. A deadline extension can move a tender out of that free access window.

Check the pricing page and purchase review for current limits. A tool being available does not mean every buyer accepts submissions through TenderDirect.

4. Checking tender information

Check the latest buyer instructions, documents, amendments and closing time before submitting. Report discrepancies to us and the issuing buyer.

TenderDirect is an independent platform. A listing, payment, buyer profile or workspace status does not verify authority, establish bidder eligibility or guarantee an award.

Search results, summaries, alerts and preparation indicators help you organise your work. They do not replace source documents or buyer clarification. Coverage and message delivery may be incomplete or interrupted.

You remain responsible for the evidence and steps required by the particular tender, including any applicable registrations, tax compliance, B-BBEE evidence, CIDB grading, briefings and declarations.

5. Responses and receipts

Uploading documents or downloading an application pack does not submit a bid. Use the submission route specified by the buyer.

For supported TenderDirect submissions, confirm your final files, declarations and message. A platform receipt records the submission event and timestamp. It does not confirm that the bid meets every requirement or has been approved by the buyer. Submitted content is sealed from buyer access until closing.

Where replacement or withdrawal is available, complete it before closing. The latest accepted event determines the active response; earlier receipts remain historical records. Replacing a library document does not change a version already submitted.

An external delivery record is your report of delivery. It does not send documents, verify buyer receipt or make a late bid timely. Obtain confirmation from the receiving channel and allow time for uploads and corrections.

6. Buyer responsibilities

Publish only tenders you are authorised to issue. Provide accurate requirements, dates, contact details and submission instructions, and communicate amendments through the required channels.

Buyers are responsible for their procurement procedures, evaluation, confidentiality, conflicts of interest, bidder communications and recordkeeping. Using TenderDirect does not replace a legally required official publication or receiving channel.

Request only necessary personal information and use supplier responses for the relevant procurement purpose.

7. Billing and trials

Review your plan, provinces, user allowance, billing period, price, tax treatment and renewal date before paying. Prices are in South African rand unless your Enterprise agreement says otherwise. Stripe provides hosted checkout and billing management.

An eligible company’s first Professional, Business or National subscription includes a 7-day trial. No card is required, with one trial per company. Add a card in Billing before the trial ends to continue; otherwise your company returns to Free. If you add a payment method, billing starts automatically at the displayed price after the trial unless you cancel before it ends.

Paid subscriptions renew at the displayed interval, subject to applicable statutory requirements. Annual subscriptions are charged as an annual amount. Paid access depends on confirmed payment or trial activation.

A same-period upgrade to a larger plan can take effect after payment of the reviewed prorated charge. The selected provinces replace the old coverage and the renewal date stays the same. Other changes ordinarily take effect at renewal. Changes during a trial do not start a new trial. The review shows the cost and effective date before confirmation.

8. Cancellation and refunds

You can cancel renewal through Billing. The confirmation shows when paid access ends. Under the ordinary cancellation process, access continues until that date and the company then uses the applicable free access rules.

For a refund request, a payment error or a statutory cancellation, email contact@tenderdirect.co.za with your company name and payment reference. Requests are assessed under applicable law and the terms agreed for your purchase.

Where ECTA’s cooling-off right applies, an eligible consumer can cancel a service transaction within seven days of the agreement, subject to its statutory exceptions. Qualifying refunds are due within 30 days.

Where CPA section 14 applies, its early cancellation, expiry notice and renewal requirements take precedence, including cancellation on 20 business days’ recorded notice. Any permitted cancellation charge must be reasonable. Section 14 excludes transactions between juristic persons; other consumer protections may still apply.

These terms do not remove any statutory refund or service-quality remedy.

9. Documents and rights

You retain your rights in content you upload. You authorise us to store, version, display and transmit it as needed for the service you use, including publication or delivery to the intended audience. This permission does not allow unrelated sale or reuse of confidential bids.

Upload only material you are entitled to use and share. Respect other people’s information and rights in buyer documents. Subscription access does not transfer ownership or permit unauthorised resale, republication or bypassing access controls.

Archiving preserves library versions. Published revisions, submission receipts, replacements and withdrawals preserve history. Cancelling a subscription or removing a member does not automatically delete company records. See our privacy policy for deletion requests.

10. Acceptable use

Do not use the service for fraudulent tenders, impersonation, forged evidence, bribery, bid rigging, collusive tendering or unauthorised access to confidential information. Do not introduce malicious files, bypass permissions or interfere with the service.

Report suspected misuse to contact@tenderdirect.co.za. Verify unexpected payment instructions through a trusted, independent buyer contact.

11. Service and responsibility

Tell us about service problems promptly. We may restrict access to address security incidents, unlawful activity or a material breach. Where practical and required, we will explain the issue and allow an opportunity to remedy it. Urgent risks may require immediate protective action.

We remain responsible for our service obligations. Buyers and suppliers are responsible for their own procurement decisions and conduct. We do not guarantee tender success or uninterrupted availability.

Nothing in these terms excludes liability for fraud, gross negligence or liability that cannot lawfully be excluded, or removes consumer, privacy or service-quality remedies. Applicable notice and refund obligations also apply if we end a paid service.

Google Maps features are subject to Google Maps additional terms and Google’s privacy policy.

12. Complaints and changes

Send complaints to contact@tenderdirect.co.za with the relevant company, tender or payment reference. You may also approach a competent regulator, ombud, tribunal or court.

South African law governs these terms, subject to any mandatory protections that apply to your transaction.

We will date new versions and provide notice of material changes. Updates will not retrospectively rewrite an accepted response or completed transaction. Changes to existing subscriptions must respect agreed paid periods and applicable notice, acceptance and cancellation requirements.