LWMA hosts preparatory meetings for upcoming tender process in landscaping and cleaning services |31 March 2025

Mahé meeting

The Landscape and Waste Management Agency recently held a series of preparatory meetings aimed at preparing contractors for the upcoming tender process for cleaning and beautification services.

These sessions were part of the Landscape and Waste Management Agency’s (LWMA) ongoing efforts to ensure cleaner public spaces and sustainable waste management practices across the country through the works undertaken by the LWMA’s contractors.

Meeting overview and dates

The series of meetings kicked off on Monday, March 24, and were primarily targeted at contractors from Praslin and La Digue. The focus was on the contractors involved in both cleaning and/or beautification services on the two islands. Subsequent sessions were held between March 26 and March 28 for contractors from Mahé, particularly those in the cleaning services category. The meetings were split into regional categories to accommodate all participants.

Key highlights from the meetings

Several key points were addressed during these sessions, namely:

• Step-by-step breakdown of the bidding process for contractors, ensuring they are well-prepared for the tender process.

• LWMA’s expectations for contractors, focusing on their responsibilities, regulatory compliance and safety standards.

• Upcoming contractual changes intended to enhance safety and efficiency for contractors and employees including stricter measures for the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and uniforms.

• The shift for the introduction of new technologies, by contractors in services delivery, with the inclusion of mechanised equipment and modern cleaning techniques to improve their operational efficiency.

Christina Dora, the waste manager at LWMA, highlighted the importance of contractors’ readiness for the upcoming tender and provided a proposed detailed timeline for the bidding process. The upcoming tender process will unfold as follows:

• April 30: Issuance of bidding documents, which will outline the specific requirements for each category.

• May 12-14: Pre-bid meetings to take place with registered bidders for them to seek clarifications about the scope of work.

• May 26-29: Site visits for bidders to inspect cleaning locations and fine-tune their financial and operational proposals for cleaning of either public roads, bus shelters, rivers, beaches, or wetlands.

• May 29: Final deadline for submitting bids.

• June 16-17: Tender opening.

• July 23-August 22: Evaluation period, where contractors will be assessed based on technical capabilities, financial proposals, past performance, safety compliance and overall suitability for meeting of LWMA’s standards.

Ms Dora outlined the need for contractors to carefully review the tender documents and attend the scheduled meetings to clarify any doubts and noted that contractors who fail to meet the tender requirements may face the risk of disqualification.

Category breakdown:

The LWMA’s tender process covers two main categories:

• Category One: Cleaning contracts, which involve maintaining of litter-free roads, controlling of excessive vegetation along public roads, and keeping public spaces such as bus shelters, beaches, rivers, and wetlands clean.

• Category Two: Cleaning and beautification contracts, focusing on urban beautification, with the maintenance of public spaces, and upkeep of amenities such as public toilets, and benches.

The LWMA's Landscaping team oversees the beautification efforts in areas such as Victoria, Perseverance I and II, Ile Du Port, Bois de Rose, Highway, and Roche Tortue, including areas on Praslin.

The way forward

The next scheduled meeting is for Category Two contractors (those involved in cleaning and beautification) on Monday, March 31. This meeting will support the LWMA’s target to engage with contractors and ensure they are fully prepared for the tender requirements.

As the tender process unfolds, the LWMA remains committed to improving the quality of waste management and urban beautification across the islands, ensuring for the cleaner, safer and more sustainable environment spaces for all.

Contributed by LWMA