Quotes for PPE, workwear and uniforms

What to put in your request

A supplier can only price what they can see. Answer these and the quotes come back for the same job, which is the only way they can be compared.

1. 1Each item with its quantity, and a size breakdown rather than a total. "40 boots" cannot be priced; 40 boots across sizes 5 to 12 can.
2. 2The protection each item has to give: steel or composite toe caps, chemical-resistant gloves, the class of hi-vis.
3. 3The standard it must meet where you know it, such as SANS 20345 for safety footwear.
4. 4Branding: logo files, where it goes on each garment, embroidery or print, and how many colours.
5. 5Whether you need a sample to approve before the full run.
6. 6Delivery address, and whether the order can arrive in parts or has to come complete.
7. 7For a repeat order, the product codes from last time, so the quotes are for the same items.

What to compare when the quotes come back

The lowest total is where comparing starts, not where it ends.

• Unit price at your quantity, and the price break at the next one up.
• Branding priced separately or included, and the once-off set-up cost for embroidery.
• The lead time: stock items and branded garments are very different, and an imported line can be weeks.
• Whether every size you asked for is actually available, rather than "to be confirmed".
• How exchanges for wrong sizes work, and who pays for the courier.
• The exact brand and model quoted, so a cheaper quote is not quietly a different boot.

On SupScope every quote arrives with the same three figures: the total, the lead time and the deposit. The first comparison is done before you open anything. The rest of this list is what to read in each supplier's notes and documents.

Paperwork worth asking for

An NRCS Letter of Authority for safety footwear

Safety footwear sold in South Africa must be approved by the NRCS under compulsory specification VC 9002 (based on SANS 20345). Approval is per model and comes as a Letter of Authority with an approval number. Ask for it.

Approval for respirators too

Respiratory protective devices have a compulsory specification of their own (VC 8072), so the same question applies to masks and respirators.

The test certificate behind any other protective claim

For gloves, eyewear and hi-vis, ask which standard the item is tested to and for the test report, rather than relying on the label.

And from any supplier

A SARS Tax Compliance Status PIN

It replaced the old tax clearance certificate. Checking it on eFiling shows the supplier's status on the day you check, not the day it was issued.

A B-BBEE certificate or sworn affidavit

Only if your own scorecard counts it. Small suppliers (turnover up to R10 million) may use an affidavit instead of a verified certificate.

Company registration and a bank confirmation letter

Worth having before the first payment, so the account you pay is the company you chose.

General guidance, not legal advice. Regulations change, and some depend on your municipality or the job, so confirm anything you rely on with the authority concerned.

How this works on SupScope

1. Step 1

   Post it once

   Describe the job and choose PPE, Workwear & Uniforms and your province.

2. Step 2

   It reaches the right suppliers

   Only suppliers who work in this trade and cover your province see it.

3. Step 3

   Compare and award

   Quotes arrive side by side. Accept one and the others are told.