RFP Identifier: WS470CAB18_RFP Fiber Cabling Installation Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Winston-Salem, NC Request for Proposal E-rate Funding Year 2015 (July 1, 2015-June 30, 2016) E-rate 470 Application # 652350001321067 Identifier: WS470CAB18 RFP Release Date: February 6, 2015 Contents SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION... 2 SECTION 2 REQUIREMENTS RELATED TO E-RATE PROGRAM... 2 SECTION 3 COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROCESS REQUIREMENTS... 3 SECTION 4 PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS... 4 SECTION 5 SELECTION PROCESS... 5 SECTION 6 SPECIFICATIONS OF SOUGHT PRODUCT(S) AND SERVICE(S)... 6 Internal Connections... 6 SECTION 7 USDA Statement... 9 Appendix A: EXECUTION OF PROPOSAL... 10 NOTE IMPORTANT DEADLINES: February 20, 2015: Prospective bidders must email reservations for participation no later than 4:00 pm on February 20, 2015 to werates@wsfcs.k12.nc.us. Mandatory Vendor Walk-Thrus: February 24, 2015: Walk-thru at two sample sites: East High School and Whitaker Elementary School at 9:30 AM. Walk-Thru will start at East High School, 2500 W. Mountain Street, Kernersville, NC. March 6, 2015: Proposals are due no later than 4:00 PM. Page 1 of 11
SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools (WS/FCS) requests proposals from qualified vendors to provide E-rate eligible products and services, per the specifications and timelines detailed in this document. Details are provided below on the Request for Proposal (RFP) outlining the eligible product(s) and service(s) sought by the district, and proposal submission requirements in accordance with N.C.G.S. 143-129.8. Note the following very important items in order for the proposal to be considered: a. All prospective vendors must attend school walk-thrus on February 24, 2015. b. All prospective vendors must follow the requirements related to the competitive bidding process described in Section 3. c. All submission criteria described in Section 4 must be followed. Proposals will be evaluated with price of the eligible components as the primary consideration. All vendors should give the lowest competitive prices as required by E-Rate rules/guidelines. An example of the evaluation matrix is included in Section 5. The district reserves the right to reject any proposals or any portion of submitted proposals based on the evaluation criteria, and to make any and all purchases to the best interest and advantage of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools (WS/FCS). SECTION 2 REQUIREMENTS RELATED TO E-RATE PROGRAM The proposal shall cover E-Rate Funding Year 2015 (July 1, 2015 June 30, 2016). As such, bidders shall note and include the following required items: 1. All bidders must have a Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN). The SPIN should be listed in the proposal. 2. All vendors submitting a bid must have a current Form 499 and Service Provider Annual Certification (SPAC) filed for Funding Year 2015. 3. All bidders must agree to comply with rules and regulations of the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC). Vendors must be familiar with billing methods and timelines associated with the program, and bid submission indicates agreement to comply with billing process requirements. The submission of a bid constitutes agreement to all USAC terms. This agreement and understanding must be reflected in the proposal. 4. Bids resulting from this proposal request will be subject to all USAC, FCC, State of North Carolina, and Winston-Salem/Forsyth School specifications and requirements. 5. All proposals must be submitted with the understanding that implementation will be dependent on budgetary requirements, included but not limited to E-rate funding approval and/or the required local funding match to take advantage of E-rate funding. 6. The start date of the provider contract and services must begin on or after July 1, 2015 per E- rate Funding Year 2015. Page 2 of 11
SECTION 3 COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROCESS REQUIREMENTS 1. Any overt attempt to circumvent the competitive bidding process shall result in the disqualification of the prospective vendor from consideration. i. All communications between Responder and Requestor shall be through the Requestor s RFP contact (as listed below in this RFP) and no other Requestor s employees or consultants. ii. Written questions concerning the RFP specifications will be received until March 4, 2015 at 4:30 PM. They must be sent via e-mail to the following contact person: werates@wsfcs.k12.nc.us iii. For all questions, please reference the RFP identifier and title in the subject matter of your e-mail. Every attempt will be made to respond to questions within 3 business days. iv. Questions and Answers will be posted on the WSFCS technology webpage at http://wsfcs.k12.nc.us/page/93582 (see Departments Technology - ERate Technology Projects 2015-2016). v. No negotiations, decision, or actions shall be executed by any Responder as a result of any oral discussions with any Requestor s employees or consultants. 2. Proposals must include the following: this RFP number, a Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN), and a current Service Provider Annual Certification (SPAC) filing. 3. Prospective vendors shall note and strictly follow restrictions related to gifts and favors, mandated by the Federal Communications Commission using USAC guidelines and North Carolina law. North Carolina General Statutes 133-32 and 138a-32 and Executive Order 24, issued by Gov. Beverly Perdue, makes it unlawful for any vendor, bidder or contractor to make gifts or to give favors from any entity seeking to do business with a state governmental agency. Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools is governed by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and the North Carolina State Board of Education and strictly adheres to these laws and policies. 4. Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools may make such reasonable investigations as deemed proper and necessary to determine the ability of the service provider to perform the work/furnish the item(s), and the service provider shall furnish to WS/FCS any such additional information and data for this purpose as may be requested. Page 3 of 11
SECTION 4 PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS 1. Electronic submissions are required. Please follow these instructions to submit: All proposals with pricing must also include the following: o Electronic copy of Appendix A (Please scan and attach to the submission email) o Signed Signature Page (Please scan and attach to the submission email.) o References All proposals must be emailed to werates@wsfcs.k12.nc.us. The subject of the submission email must include the application # and Identifier. 2. All respondents will provide a detailed description of the products/services as it relates to the services and products sought by WS/FCS. The elements of the proposal must be relevant to the services and products sought. 3. Electronic submissions of the proposal must be received no later than 4:00 PM, March 6, 2015. Any proposal received after this deadline shall not be considered. 4. Each proposal will be reviewed to determine if it is complete prior to final evaluation. Proposals not containing the information requested will not be considered for final evaluation. Respondents shall clearly indicate their experience and qualifications. 5. Appendix A (Execution of Proposal), properly filled out and signed by the Responder representative, must accompany the proposal in order to be considered. Unsigned bids will not be considered. 6. Walk-thrus are required to provide information to prospective vendors in order to ensure fair proposals. Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools has scheduled the walk-thrus for February 24, 2015 beginning at 9:30 AM. Prospective bidders must email reservations for participation no later than 4:00 pm on February 20, 2015 to werates@wsfcs.k12.nc.us. Each company may send no more than 2 participants. Walk-thrus will be conducted as a group, not on an individual basis. 7. A proposal that is in the possession of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools may be withdrawn by email, addressed as above in Section 4, item 1. The email must be submitted by the responder who signed the signature page. An acceptable withdrawal must be received prior to the proposal deadline specified in Section 4, item 3. Page 4 of 11
SECTION 5 SELECTION PROCESS 1. Proposals will be reviewed to ensure that they have met all basic requirements outlined in Sections 1-4. Remaining proposals will then be equally considered, based on an evaluation matrix. 2. Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools reserves the right to reject any or all proposals if the evidence submitted fails to meet the qualifications set forth in this RFP. 3. Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools reserves the right to make any and all purchases to the best interest and advantage of the district. 4. The award will be made on a best value procurement policy. Price is not the only factor that will be considered in determining a winning proposal. However, price of eligible components will be the primary factor in determining a winning proposal. 5. The following is an example of the proposal evaluation matrix that is to be used in proposal evaluations. The district reserves the right to revise the final evaluation matrix, with price of eligible components remaining as the primary factor. Sample Evaluation Matrix Area Price 60 Prior Experience 30 Responder References 10 Total Points Available 100 Maximum Points Page 5 of 11
Internal Connections SECTION 6 SPECIFICATIONS OF SOUGHT PRODUCT(S) AND SERVICE(S) 1. Description of Products and Services a. This project requires fiber cabling to be installed, terminated, labeled, tested and certified. These requirements are under project control and will be completed by the awarded vendor. The number of fiber pulls required at each site are listed in Section 6.6b. Bidders must attend the mandatory walk-thru to determine school installation requirements. Building schematics will be provided to attendees. Building schematics will indicate the location of all IDFs and MDFs. b. The Bidder will provide all fiber and termination ends. Vendor will be responsible for materials to support fiber to include but not limited to: j-hooks, hangers, tie wraps, fire-stopping and associated screws and fasteners. All installed fiber will be tested and verified to meet or exceed TIA standards and specifications for 50 micron, multi-mode, 6-strand fiber. Reports of same will be provided to the owner via electronic file or on paper. c. It is the desire of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools to begin this fiber cabling project once e-rate funding has been procured. A six-foot service loop should be left on each end of each fiber pull. 2. Experience and Qualifications a. The district seeks a company that has 5 or more years experience in the installation and support of the above products. The Bidder must be able to provide as a reference a project of similar size and scope within the last five years. b. Installers should be certified in the components/products that are to be installed. c. The company should be bonded and personnel eligible to work within the schools; background checks of personnel working in the schools may be required. Professionalism is implied and expected. 3. Implementation Plan a. The vendor will provide detailed information as to the products and a reasonable time line for installation must be done within ERate Year 2015-16 time frame. b. A product and service inventory will be included for each location. c. Clean up and disposal of refuse is the responsibility of the vendor. Page 6 of 11
4. Service Level Guarantees and Technical Support a. There is an expectation of 100% support of all products and services. b. Completion will require signature of the WS/FCS Executive Director of Technology or their designee for each site listed below. c. Vendor will provide a warranty/guarantee for goods and services provided in the contract of 1 year following installation. d. Vendor will work with the Technology Support personnel to transfer information/knowledge of products and services as related to the installation within the district locations and networks. 5. Pricing/Billing Charges: a. The district seeks detailed billing per school for the products and services described above. b. Pricing must include warranty and required licenses. c. The product and services will be billed in the allowable period for e-rate 2015. 6. Service Locations and Product Request: a. The E-rate application for Category 2 Internal Connections will include the following schools: School Address Brunson Elem School 155 N. Hawthorne Rd. Winston-Salem NC 27104 Carver High School 3545 Carver School Rd. Winston-Salem NC 27105 Children's Center 2315 Coliseum Dr. Winston-Salem NC 27106 Clemmons Elem School 6200 Bingham Ave. Clemmons NC 27012 Clemmons Middle School 3785 Fraternity Church Rd. Winston-Salem NC 27127 Downtown Elem School 601 N. Cherry St. Winston-Salem NC 27107 East Forsyth High School 2500 W. Mountain St. Kernersville NC 27284 East Forsyth Middle School 810 Bagley Dr. Kernersville NC 27284 Easton Elementary School 734 E. Clemmonsville Rd. Winston-Salem NC 27107 Gibson Elementary School 2020 Walker Rd. Winston-Salem NC 27106 Hanes Middle School 2900 Indiana Ave. Winston-Salem NC 27105 Konnoak Elementary School 3200 Renon Rd. Winston-Salem NC 27127 Lowrance Middle School 2900 Indiana Ave. Winston-Salem NC 27105 Main Street Academy 2700 South Main St. Winston-Salem NC 27127 Meadowlark Elem School 401 Meadowlark Dr. Winston-Salem NC 27106 Meadowlark Middle School 301 Meadowlark Dr. Winston-Salem NC 27106 Middle Fork Elem School 3125 Williston Rd. Walkertown NC 27051 Mineral Springs Elem School 4527 Ogburn Ave. Winston-Salem NC 27105 Mineral Springs Middle School 4559 Ogburn Ave. Winston-Salem NC 27105 Mount Tabor High School 342 Petree Rd. Winston-Salem NC 27106 Northwest Middle School 5501 Murray Rd. Winston-Salem NC 27106 Old Richmond Elem School 6315 Tobaccoville Rd. Tobaccoville NC 27050 Old Town Elementary School 3930 Reynolda Rd. Winston-Salem NC 27106 Reagan High School 3750 Transou Rd. Pfafftown NC 27040 Walkertown Elem School 2971 Main St. Walkertown NC 27051 Ward Elementary School 3775 Fraternity Church Rd. Winston-Salem NC 27127 Whitaker Elementary School 2600 Buena Vista Rd. Winston-Salem NC 27104 Page 7 of 11
b. The products requested per site are as follows: 7. Installations Criteria School 50 micron, multimode Less than 500ft Brunson ES 2 50 micron, multi-mode 501-1000ft 50 micron, multimode 1000ft or greater Carver HS 5 1 Children's Center 1 1 Clemmons ES 3 Clemmons MS 2 1 Downtown ES 1 2 3 East HS 2 8 5 East MS 4 1 Easton ES 1 1 Gibson ES 2 Hanes/Lowrance 1 Konnoak ES 1 Main St 3 Meadowlark ES 1 Meadowlark MS 1 Middle Fork ES 3 Mineral Springs ES 1 Mineral Springs MS 1 1 Mt Tabor HS 2 5 1 Northwest MS 2 Old Richmond ES 1 Old Town ES 1 Reagan HS 1 7 Walkertown ES 1 Ward ES 3 Whitaker ES 2 Cabling: 1. Contractor will pull (1) 6-strand 50 micron, multi-mode fiber to each IDF from the MDF. 2. Contractor will leave 6 foot service loop at each termination point. 3. Contractor will terminate both ends of each fiber cable. 4. Contractor will label both ends of the fiber cable. 5. Contractor will test and certify all fiber cables. 6. Contractor will be responsible for all cable hangers, wall penetrations, conduit, and fire stop. 7. Contractor will use existing fiber pathways on all exposed cabling. Contractors: 1. Are responsible for all permits. 2. Are responsible for providing their own lift equipment. 3. Are responsible for any and all damage to schools during project. 4. Contractor will replace damaged ceiling tiles. 5. WS/FCS will supply maps of MDF / IDFs. Page 8 of 11
8. Submissions All responses must clearly indicate any proposed ineligible product and service and their associated costs that are required to complete the project as proposed. All responses must clearly indicate the cost allocation of any proposed product and service that are determined to be partially eligible. SECTION 7 USDA Statement The U.S Department of Agriculture prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded by the Department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or employment activities.) If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, found at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint filing cust.html or at any USDA office, or call (866) 632-9992 to request the form. You may also write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form. Send your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, by fax (202) 690-7442 or email at program.intake@usda.gov. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contac t USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339; or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Page 9 of 11
Agreement: Appendix A: EXECUTION OF PROPOSAL By signing this proposal, the Responder agrees to the following items. Initial each line item below for acceptance. # Item Initials 1 This proposal is signed by an authorized representative of the firm. 2 3 4 5 Responder has read and understands the conditions set forth in this RFP and agrees to them with no exceptions. The Responder understands the scope and requirements of this RFP and has included all labor costs, direct and indirect, in the proposed cost. The cost and availability of all equipment, materials, and supplies, if needed, associated with performing the services described herein have been determined and included in the proposed cost. Responder will be responsible for all warranty issues related to goods and services provided during the factory warranty period if applicable. Authorization: In compliance with this RFP, and subject to all conditions herein, the undersigned offers and agrees, if this proposal is accepted within 90 days from the date of the opening, to furnish the goods or services as stated in this RFP. Company Name: Street Address: City, State, Zip: Federal ID #: Contact Name: Telephone Number: Email Address: Page 10 of 11
THIS PAGE MUST BE SIGNED AND INCLUDED IN THE PROPOSAL. Unsigned proposals will not be considered. RESPONDER ATTESTATION BY: (Signature) DATE: Printed Name: TITLE: COMPANY DATE: ACCEPTANCE OF PROPOSAL (to be completed upon award) Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools BY: (Signature) DATE: Printed Name: TITLE: Page 11 of 11