Guide
MBD forms: bidding to municipalities
Municipalities and municipal entities buy under the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) and its Municipal Supply Chain Management Regulations, 2005, not the PFMA. Their packs use Municipal Bidding Documents, the MBD forms. Most look like the SBD forms, but a few differences catch bidders out.
- Applies to
- Metropolitan, district and local municipalities and municipal entities.
- Last reviewed
The issued tender pack always takes precedence. Buyers customise the standard forms and add their own conditions, so complete the forms and follow the rules in the pack you received. This guide explains the official forms; it is general information, not legal advice.
The MBD set at a glance
| MBD form | What it is | How it differs from the SBD form |
|---|---|---|
| MBD 1 | Invitation to bid | Adds the total number of items offered, the total bid price and a signature in Part A. Refers to MBD 7 as the contract form |
| MBD 3.1 to 3.3 | Pricing schedules | Same purpose as SBD 3.1 to 3.3 |
| MBD 4 | Declaration of interest | The older, longer questionnaire. PFMA bodies now use SBD 4; Treasury's forms page has no municipal version of the revised SBD 4 |
| MBD 6.1 | Preference points claim (PPR 2022) | Same content as SBD 6.1; only the form number differs |
| MBD 7.1 to 7.3 | Contract forms (Version 1 2023) | MBD 7.1 covers goods and services (SBD 7.1 says goods and works). The MBD 7 forms list the declaration of interest, the declaration of past SCM practices and the certificate of independent bid determination (MBD 4, 8 and 9) among the bid documents |
| MBD 8 | Declaration of bidder's past SCM practices | Repealed for PFMA bodies as SBD 8; still in the municipal set |
| MBD 9 | Certificate of independent bid determination | Repealed for PFMA bodies as SBD 9; still in the municipal set |
SBD 6.2 and MBD 6.2 (local content) were repealed with the PPR 2022 (Treasury's PPR 2022 Implementation Guide, paragraph 13.3), so a current municipal pack should not ask for MBD 6.2.
MBD 1: invitation to bid
MBD 1 asks for the same supplier details as SBD 1: name, addresses, contact details, VAT number, tax compliance status (TCS) PIN or CSD number, accredited representative and foreign supplier questions. It adds total number of items offered and total bid price in Part A, with a signature, date and capacity right there. Part B repeats the rules: late bids are not accepted, bids must be on the official forms (not re-typed) or online, and no bids will be considered from persons in the service of the state. The municipal SCM regulations also require the bid advert to say that bids may only be submitted on the bid documentation the municipality provides (regulation 22).
MBD 4: declaration of interest
MBD 4 starts from the rule that no bid will be accepted from persons in the service of the state, which reflects regulation 44 of the municipal SCM regulations: a municipality may not make an award to a person in the service of the state, or to a company any of whose directors, managers, principal shareholders or stakeholders is. MBD 4's footnote quotes the regulations' definition: being in the service of the state includes being a member of a municipal council, a provincial legislature or Parliament, a board member of a municipal entity, an official of a municipality or municipal entity, an employee of a national or provincial department, public entity or constitutional institution, a member of a public entity's accounting authority, or an employee of Parliament or a provincial legislature.
- Your name, ID number, position, company registration, tax and VAT numbers.
- Are you in the service of the state now, or were you in the past twelve months?
- Do you, or does any other bidder, have a relationship (family, friend or other) with anyone in the service of the state who may evaluate or adjudicate this bid?
- Are any directors, trustees, managers, principal shareholders or stakeholders in the service of the state, or is any spouse, child or parent of theirs?
- Do any of them have interests in related companies, whether or not those companies are bidding?
- A table of all directors, trustees, members and shareholders with ID numbers and state employee numbers.
Practice varies
National Treasury's standard bidding forms page lists no municipal version of the revised SBD 4; the MBD 4 in its municipal set is the older declaration of interest. Some municipalities issue that MBD 4, others put their own or a relabelled SBD 4 in the pack. Complete whichever declaration the municipality issued.
MBD 8 and MBD 9
MBD 8 asks whether the bidder or its directors are on Treasury's database of restricted suppliers or the Register for Tender Defaulters, were convicted of fraud or corruption in the past five years, had a contract with a municipality or other organ of state terminated in the past five years for failing to perform or comply, and whether they owe any municipality rates and taxes or municipal charges more than three months in arrears. These questions follow regulation 38 of the municipal SCM regulations, which lets the municipality reject such bids. MBD 9 is the certificate that your bid was prepared independently, without collusion. See SBD 8 and SBD 9 for the detail.
Tips for municipal bids
- Check the municipal accounts for the business premises and for each director's property, and settle anything more than three months in arrears before you bid: a municipality may reject a bid from a bidder or director with rates, taxes or service charges in arrears for more than three months (regulation 38(1)(d)). Many municipal packs also ask for a recent municipal account or rates clearance as a returnable.
- Municipalities must advertise competitive bids publicly, for example in local newspapers and on their own website (regulation 22). Check the municipality's website and notice boards as well as eTenders, and read amendments there.
- Watch for compulsory briefing sessions and site meetings. Municipal construction and services tenders often hold them.
How Lula Bid helps
- Works out whether a tender uses the SBD set or the MBD set from the issuer, the source and the pack, and asks you to confirm when it is not sure.
- On the Prepare package, fills MBD 1, 4, 6.1, 7.1 to 7.3, 8 and 9 on the municipality's own pages in the pack you upload, or on the Treasury Word forms.
- Warns before you sign when an MBD 4 or MBD 8 answer could get the bid rejected.
You still check every answer and sign the forms yourself. See what each package includes
Official sources
- MBD 1 Invitation to bid (revised, Word) · National Treasury, Office of the Chief Procurement Officer
- Municipal Bidding Documents (MBD 1 to MBD 9, zip of Word forms) · National Treasury, Office of the Chief Procurement Officer
- MBD 6.1 Preference points claim form in terms of the PPR 2022 (Word) · National Treasury, Office of the Chief Procurement Officer
- MBD 7.1 Contract form: purchase of goods/services (Word) · National Treasury, Office of the Chief Procurement Officer
- Standard bidding forms (SBD and MBD) · National Treasury, Office of the Chief Procurement Officer
- Implementation Guide: Preferential Procurement Regulations 2022 (Version 1, March 2023) · National Treasury, Office of the Chief Procurement Officer
- Municipal Supply Chain Management Regulations, 2005 (GN 868, Gazette 27636) and amendments · National Treasury, MFMA
Last reviewed 10 October 2026 against these documents. Forms and instructions change; check the buyer's pack and National Treasury's site for later versions.