SBD 6.1 — The Preference Points Claim Form, Explained
SBD 6.1 is the Preference Points Claim Form, issued in terms of the Preferential Procurement Regulations, 2022. It is where you claim the points a tender awards for its specific goals — the transformation and development objectives that tender is pursuing alongside value for money. This matters because a South African government tender is not won on price alone: every compliant bid is scored out of 100, most of those points go to price, and the rest are claimed on SBD 6.1.
What SBD 6.1 is for
Government is required to buy in a way that is both cost-effective and developmental. The mechanism for the second half is the preference point system, and SBD 6.1 is the form that operates it. On it you state which of the tender's specific goals your business meets, and you claim the points attached to them. The buyer then verifies that claim against the proof you attached before adding those points to your price score.
Leave SBD 6.1 out and you have not made a claim — which in practice means competing on price alone against bidders who did claim.
How the preference point system works
Every bid is scored out of 100 points, split two ways:
- the larger share goes to price — the lower your price relative to the other bids, the more of it you earn;
- the smaller share goes to the tender's specific goals, claimed on SBD 6.1.
There are two splits in use: 80/20 (80 points for price, 20 for specific goals) and 90/10 (90 for price, 10 for goals), with the split determined by the value of the contract. Every tender document states which system applies to it — you never have to work it out yourself, and you should not assume, because the same buyer runs both.
The consequence worth absorbing: you do not have to be the cheapest bidder to win. Price carries the most weight, but a strong specific-goals claim can carry a slightly higher price past a cheaper bidder who claimed nothing. Among compliant bids, the highest combined score is the one in line for the award.
What "specific goals" actually means
This is where most confusion sits, and it is the reason people search for an "SBD 6.1 points table" and find conflicting answers.
Under the Preferential Procurement Regulations, 2022, the points in that second block are awarded for specific goals that the organ of state sets for that individual tender. The tender document contains a table showing the goals being scored and how many points each carries, together with the proof you must attach to claim them. Because that allocation is decided per tender, there is no single national table that applies to every bid. The numbers that govern your claim are the ones printed in the tender document in front of you.
This is a change from the older regime that many online guides and older templates still describe, where a bidder's B-BBEE level mapped to a fixed number of points nationally. If you are working from an SBD 6.1 that does not say "in terms of the Preferential Procurement Regulations, 2022" on it, you are looking at an outdated form — use the one in your tender pack.
What has to back up your claim
A claim on SBD 6.1 is only worth points if the evidence the tender asks for is attached. For goals relating to broad-based black economic empowerment that normally means a valid B-BBEE status level verification certificate, or — for businesses whose turnover puts them in the exempted micro enterprise category — a sworn affidavit in the prescribed form. How to get a B-BBEE certificate or affidavit →
Two things go wrong often enough to be worth naming. A claim that is not supported by the required proof is generally scored at zero rather than being queried, so the points are simply lost. And the details on the form must match the supporting documents and your CSD registration — a mismatch invites the buyer to disregard the claim.
You can still bid without claiming anything. You are not disqualified for it; you just start from the price score alone.
What is changing
The Public Procurement Act 28 of 2024 was signed into law in July 2024 and is being brought into force in phases, with the aim of consolidating public procurement — preferential procurement included — into a single national framework. Until the provisions that apply to your tender are in force, the position above is what governs, and in every case the tender document itself states the system and goals being used.
The practical rule does not change with the legislation: read the preference-point table in the tender you are bidding on, and claim only what you can prove. See how SBD 6.1 fits with the other SBD forms →
Understanding how the scoring works is one thing; getting a real bid pack completed, claimed and attached correctly under a closing-date deadline is another. That is what the Tender Ready SA toolkit was built for.
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Get the R399 toolkit → learn to winFrequently asked questions
What is SBD 6.1?
SBD 6.1 is the Preference Points Claim Form, issued in terms of the Preferential Procurement Regulations 2022. It is the form in a South African government tender on which you claim points for the specific goals that tender is scoring, supported by the proof the tender requires.
What is the 80/20 preference point system?
It is the scoring split used on most tenders: 80 of the 100 points go to price and 20 go to the tender's specific goals, which are claimed on SBD 6.1. Larger contracts use a 90/10 split instead. The tender document states which of the two applies to that bid.
How many preference points can I claim on SBD 6.1?
It depends on the tender. Since the Preferential Procurement Regulations 2022, the organ of state sets the specific goals and the points attached to each one for that individual tender, and publishes them in a table inside the tender document. There is no single national table that applies to every bid — read the one in your tender pack.
Do I need a B-BBEE certificate to complete SBD 6.1?
You need whatever proof the tender asks for to claim the points. For B-BBEE-related goals that is usually a valid B-BBEE status level verification certificate, or a sworn affidavit if your turnover puts you in the exempted micro enterprise category. Without the proof the claim is generally scored at zero, though you can still bid and compete on price.
What is the difference between SBD 6.1 and SBD 6.2?
SBD 6.1 is the preference points claim. SBD 6.2 is the declaration for local production and content, which applies only to tenders in sectors designated for local content. A tender may include one, both or neither.
Is SBD 6.1 the same as a B-BBEE certificate?
No. The certificate or sworn affidavit is the evidence of your status; SBD 6.1 is the form on which you claim points based on it. The buyer reads the claim on SBD 6.1 and checks it against the certificate you attached.
Can I win a tender without claiming preference points?
Yes, but you are giving away part of the scoreboard. Price carries most of the 100 points, so a very competitive price can still win. You would be competing against bidders who claimed the goal points, so your price has to make up the difference.
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