A Request for Information (RFI) is required to evaluate the maturity and suitability of Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) for deployment within NTCSA’s Operational Technology (OT) environment.Closed

Overview

This is a Request for Information (RFI) to evaluate the maturity and suitability of Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) for deployment within NTCSA’s Operational Technology (OT) environment. NTCSA seeks input to understand how SDN/NFV can be integrated across OT domains (WAN, data centers, substation LANs) and to guide future network modernization. Suitable bidders are vendors with verifiable OT/utility SDN/NFV experience, multi-vendor interoperability capabilities, and the ability to provide case studies, standards guidance, and security/compliance insight. Submissions are electronic only. (RFI: Request for Information (RFI) - SDN- SDN.pdf)

Requirements

• Demonstrated experience with SDN/NFV in OT/utility networks, including case studies.
• Recommendations on frameworks and standards for secure, resilient, scalable SDN/NFV architectures in OT.
• Ability to address deterministic traffic, SCADA-like latency/jitter, TSN or equivalent, and QoS/traffic engineering.
• Clear approach to multi-vendor interoperability, vendor lock-in avoidance, and multi-OEM support models.
• Open standard protocols supported (e.g., OpenFlow, NETCONF, YANG) and interoperation with legacy equipment.
• Strategies for high availability (99.999%), deterministic networking, and forensic visibility for critical services.
• Redundancy models for SDN controllers, NFVI, and VNFs across deployment scenarios (SD-WAN, data centers, substation LAN).
• Scalability plans to accommodate growth in traffic and services.
• Visibility and monitoring capabilities (real-time and historical) and incident/Root Cause Analysis tools.
• Hosting options for SDN controllers/NFV platforms (cloud/on‑prem/hybrid) and associated trade-offs.
• Licensing models, VNF licensing, and lifecycle/patch management.
• Required compute/storage/VNF resource specs, and policy management for software lifecycle and vulnerability mitigation.
• Management policies for lifecycle updates, security, and policy enforcement.
• Evidence of OT-specific governance (RBAC, MFA) and data integrity (RTO 8–24 hours; zero data loss; active-active DR).
• Training/knowledge transfer plans for internal teams. (Information - SDN_signed.pdf)

How to Apply

• Submission deadline: 23 July 2026 10:00 (South African Standard Time). (RFI: SDN_SD N.pdf)
• Submission method: electronic upload via NTCSA Tender bulletin site on the Eskom e-tendering page; no physical submissions. (RFI)
• Documents to submit: PDFs and Excel files only; max 50 MB per file, total submission up to 900 MB; no zip files; no hard copy. Ensure status is marked complete. (RFI)
• Required responses: complete the Part B Response Sheet addressing the NTCSA questions; include any assumptions, deviations, or value-adds. (Part B, RFI SDN.pdf)
• Pre-qualification/registrations: submit through NTCSA e-tendering; refer to supplier manuals for access guidance. (NTCSA_E-tendering Help Manual)
• Briefing session: not indicated (Briefing address listed as N/A). (RFI)
• Where to obtain documents: the attached RFI documents and the NTCSA e‑Tendering Help Manual. (RFI)
• Contacts: Claire Gontse Sennelo (Sennelcg@ntcsa.co.za; 011 800 8111). (RFI)