Heath Goldfields Limited did not get the minimum technical score required in the tender for the Damang Gold Mine, according to a report submitted by the Tender Committee to the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources on Tuesday, April 7, 2026.
The committee’s evaluation indicate that Heath Goldfields Limited fell short of the 80 per cent threshold in the technical assessment and was therefore excluded from further consideration, including the financial evaluation of its proposal.
Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources therefore upheld the outcome of the competitive tender process for the Damang Mining Lease, approving the recommendation that the lease be granted to Engineers and Planners Ltd.
The decision was announced on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, after the Ministry received the report of the Tender Committee established by the Minerals Commission.
According to the report, the Tender Committee recommended Engineers and Planners Ltd as the successful bidder under Regulations 262(1)(b) and 263 of the Minerals and Mining (Licensing) Regulations, 2012 (LI 2176).
The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources subsequently approved the recommendation and directed the Minerals Commission to complete all necessary regulatory processes for the award to take effect.
The Committee stated that Engineers and Planners met all mandatory requirements of the tender and provided evidence of access to financing exceeding the required minimum threshold of 500 million US dollars.
It further noted that the company demonstrated sufficient knowledge of the operations, infrastructure and geology of the Damang Mine, while also presenting proposals aimed at extending the life of the mine beyond ten years.
A total of four companies submitted tenders before the March 31 deadline. They included Vortex Resources Mining Group, Engineers and Planners Ltd, Heath Goldfields Ltd and Maripoma Mining Services Ltd.
The Tender Committee concluded that, based on the established evaluation criteria and scoring system, Engineers and Planners attained the highest overall score and presented the most viable proposal.
The Committee therefore determined that the company had demonstrated the strongest capacity to operate the Damang Mine successfully.
