032-MDW-0220_Ethernet_Service_Bartow_Sites_E-rate_final.pdf

School Board of Polk County RFP #032-MDW-0220, Ethernet Service Bartow Sites E-rate

P.O. Box 391 1915 S. Floral Avenue

BARTOW, FLORIDA 33831-0391 BARTOW, FLORIDA 33830-7124

THE SCHOOL BOARD OF POLK COUNTY, FL

PURCHASING DEPARTMENT

Request for Proposal (RFP)

032-MDW-0220 ETHERNET SERVICE BARTOW SITES ERATE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Table of Contents

REQUIRED RESPONSE FORM

Ethernet Service Bartow Sites E-rate

SECTION 1: PURPOSE AND OVERVIEW

1.1 Purpose

1.2 About the District

SECTION 2: GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS

2.1 District Contact/Inquiries

2.2 Restrictions on Contacting the District

2.3 Mandatory Pre-Proposal Conference and Written Questions

2.4 Addendum

2.5 Receipt of Proposals

2.6 Anticipated Schedule of Events

SECTION 3: SCOPE OF SERVICES

SECTION 4: Solution Specifications

SECTION 5: PREPARATION OF PROPOSAL AND REQUIRED CONTENT

5.1 Proposal Preparation

5.2 Required Information and Format

5.3 Response Organization

SECTION 6: EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS

6.1 Evaluation Process

6.2 Written Proposal Evaluation Criteria

6.3 Calculation of Evaluation Score

SECTION 7: GENERAL TERMS, CONDITIONS and INFORMATION

7.1 Posting of RFP Award Recommendation

7.2 District Obligations

7.3 Proposer Obligations

7.4 Lobbying

7.5 Public Records

7.6 Time

7.7 Public Entity Crimes Statement and Convicted Vendor List

7.8 Discriminatory Vendor List

7.9 Preference for Drug-Free Workplace

7.10 Protest Procedures

7.11 Insurance Requirements

7.12 Patents and Royalties

7.13 Compliance with the Jessica Lunsford Act

7.14 Non-Warranty of Specifications

7.15 Federal and State Tax

7.16 Indulgence

7.17 Proposers Mailing Address

7.18 Certification of Independent Price Determination

7.19 Federal Regulations

7.20 Other Information

SECTION 8: CONTRACT INFORMATION

8.1 Contract Period

8.2 Contract Renewal

8.3 Contingency of the Contract Award

8.4 Agreement for Services

8.5 Indemnification/Hold Harmless Agreement

8.6 Sub-Contracts

8.7 Assignment of Contract and/or Payment

8.8 Joint Proposal

8.9 School Security

8.10 Dispute Resolution

8.11 Other Contracts

8.12 Default

8.13 Legal Requirements

8.14 Permits and Licenses

8.15 Intellectual Property Rights

8.16 Termination of Contract

8.17 Force Majeure

8.18 General Terms and Information

Addendum Acknowledgment Form

Submittals Checklist

Appendix A, Statement of Affirmation and Intent

Appendix B, Conflict of Interest Statement

Appendix C, Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility, and

Appendix D, Respondent’s Statement of Qualification

Appendix E, Reference Request Form

Appendix F, Drug-Free Workplace Certification Form

Appendix G, E-rate Special Construction

Appendix H - PIA Fiber Special Construction Questions

Recipient of Service on this FRN

Attachment 1 – Site Locations

THE SCHOOL BOARD OF POLK COUNTY, FLORIDA

TITLE: RFP 032-MDW-0220 Ethernet Service Bartow Sites E-rate

REQUIRED RESPONSE FORM

Proposal Certification

I hereby certify that I am submitting the following information as my company's proposal and understand that by virtue of executing and returning with this proposal this REQUIRED RESPONSE FORM, I further certify full, complete and unconditional acceptance of the contents of this Request for Proposal, all Attachments, Worksheets, Appendices, Supplemental Materials, and the contents of any Addendum released hereto except as otherwise noted in this proposal.

SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE:

SIGN HERE

PRINT NAME OF AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE:

TITLE: DATE:

PROPOSER (Legal name of firm):

STREET ADDRESS:

CITY & STATE:

CONTACT PERSON:

CONTACT PERSON'S ADDRESS:

TELEPHONE: FAX:

TOLL FREE: E-MAIL ADDRESS:

PROPOSER TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER:

USAC ISSUED 498 ID (FORMERLY SERVICE PROVIDER IDENTIFICATION-SPIN) _____________________________________

NOTE: Entries must be completed in ink or typewritten.

**PLEASE PROVIDE AN ORIGINAL MANUAL SIGNATURE ABOVE**

Anti-Collusion Statement/Public Domain I, the undersigned proposer have not divulged, discussed, or compared this proposal with any other Proposers and have not colluded with any other proposer in the preparation of this proposal in order to gain an unfair advantage in the award of this proposal.

I acknowledge that all information contained herein is part of the public domain as defined in the Public Records Act, Chapter 119, F.S.

P.O. Box 391 1915 S. Floral Avenue

BARTOW, FLORIDA 33831-0391 BARTOW, FLORIDA 33830-7124

Request for Proposal (RFP)

Ethernet Service Bartow Sites E-rate RFP No.: 032-MDW-0220

MANDATORY PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE: JANUARY 14, 2020, 2:00 PM (ET)

DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF WRITTEN QUESTIONS: JANUARY 15, 2020, 4:00 PM (ET)

DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF PROPOSALS: FEBRUARY 5, 2020, 3:00 PM (ET)

SECTION 1: PURPOSE AND OVERVIEW

1.1 Purpose

The School Board of Polk County, Florida, hereafter referred to as the “District”, is requesting proposals for leased lit fiber and leased dark fiber services for delivery of wide area network (WAN) services to the district. Leased dark fiber requests include options for a traditional lease and a long-term Indefeasible Right of Use (IRU). The current WAN services are provided by managed fiber services but enhanced fiber services are now required to support rapidly growing bandwidth needs and to meet the State Education Technology Directors Association standard recognized in the FCC Second E-rate Modernization order as the benchmark standard for bandwidth for school districts.

Service is expected to be delivered from the district’s hub location at the District Office to the schools listed in Attachment 2- Financial Proposal Worksheet. Please note that Attachment 2 contains each location’s street address, demarcation point, and approximate Longitude and Latitude.

The new service is being planned to begin on July 1, 2020 which represents the expiration of the current leased WAN service.

The District’s preference is to partner with a single service provider for a high bandwidth fiber WAN service as described in this RFP. Partnerships and consortia of entities may work together to respond to this RFP. However, each proposal must clearly identify a prime service provider.

The prime service provider will be responsible for providing all deliverables as defined by any resulting contract or purchase agreement according to the terms and conditions as set forth in any resulting contract or purchase agreement.

The prime service provider will orchestrate installation, support, and maintain the services sought though this RFP and contract term. The solution proposed must include all facilities listed in this RFP; therefore, the selected primary Service Provider may “team”, “partner”, or “subcontract” with other providers to offer a complete solution; however the selected prime Service Provider will be the provider of record.

Respondent(s) must be capable of providing telecommunication services under the Universal Service Support Mechanism, be a registered vendor with USAC, and have a USAC issued 498 ID (formerly Service Provider Identification Number-SPIN).

1.2 About the District

• The District office is located in Bartow, Florida.

• There are over 150 K-12 schools located throughout the District. The District currently operates 16 high schools, 4 middle-senior high schools, 20 middle schools, 76 elementary and K-8 schools and various alternative education sites.

• The current PreK-12 student population is approximately 96,000 making the Polk District the eighth largest District in the State of Florida, in terms of student population. There are 67 school Districts within the state. There are approximately 12,000 employees currently employed by the school District.

• The County measures 1,823 square miles, making it one of the larger counties in the state.

• Additional District information is available at https://polkschoolsfl.com/

• School FTE, school population, etc. is available at https://polkschoolsfl.com/schoollistings/

END OF SECTION 1

SECTION 2: GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS

2.1 District Contact/Inquiries

This RFP is issued by the District. The District is the sole point of contact with regard to this RFP and all contractual matters related to the services described herein. All communications concerning this RFP must be addressed, in writing, to:

Denise Whitaker Purchasing Agent School Board of Polk County, Florida Post Office Box 391 Bartow, Florida 33831-0391 Fax: 863-534-0802 Email: denise.whitaker@polk-fl.net

The physical address for overnight and hand delivery only is:

Denise Whitaker Purchasing Agent School Board of Polk County, Florida 1915 South Floral Avenue Bartow, Florida 33830

The Purchasing Department is located in Building A. This is a “controlled access” building. All visitors will be required to obtain a visitor’s pass. Photo ID is required. Arrive early to allow for check in procedure with the receptionist.

Responses to inquiries regarding the status of a proposal will not be made prior to the posting of award recommendation.

2.2 Restrictions on Contacting the District

Upon the issuance of this RFP, all contact with the District must be made through the designated contact person noted above. The Proposer must limit communication with the https://polkschoolsfl.com/ https://polkschoolsfl.com/schoollistings/ mailto:denise.whitaker@polk-fl.net designated contact to the means specified in this document. Other District employees, representatives of the District and members of the Evaluation Committee are instructed not to answer questions regarding the RFP or otherwise discuss the contents of the RFP with the proposers or their representatives. Any contacts made with other District employees, representatives of the District or members of the Evaluation Committee will be reported to the Purchasing Department. Proposers shall not, under the penalty of law, offer any gratuities, favors or anything of monetary value to any officer or employee of the District or representative of the District in connection with this competitive procurement.

Cone of Silence:

A Cone of Silence is hereby established for all competitive selection processes including Invitations to Bid (ITB), Requests for Proposal (RFP) and Invitations to Negotiate (ITN) for the provision of goods and services. The Cone of Silence is designed to protect the integrity of the procurement process by shielding it from undue influences prior to the recommendation of contract award. Pursuant to School Board Policy 6324, the District enacts a Cone of Silence that commences after the advertisement of the ITB, RFP or ITN. All provisions of School Board Policy 6324 are applicable to this solicitation. The cone of silence terminates at the time the Board acts on a written recommendation from the purchasing department or facilities department regarding contract award; provided, however, that communications are permitted when the Board receives public comment at the meeting when the recommendation is presented.

2.3 Mandatory Pre-Proposal Conference and Written Questions

A mandatory Pre-Proposal Conference will be held at Polk County Public Schools, District Office Purchasing Conference Room, 1915 S. Floral Avenue, Bartow, Florida at 2:00 PM (ET) on January 14, 2020. A duly authorized representative of the prospective proposer shall attend this conference (sub-contractors do not meet this requirement). Bids will not be considered from proposers that arrive after the official start of the conference or who do not attend the entire conference. Please bring all questions in writing. Compose your questions on paper, ask your questions at the pre-proposal conference and give the facilitator a written copy of your questions. Each question should be in writing, indicating the RFP section/page number to which the question refers. If possible, answers to all questions timely received will be provided verbally at the conference; however, final and controlling answers will be provided in writing by Addendum to the RFP (see Item 2.4 Addendum, below Written questions concerning interpretation, clarification or additional information will be accepted by mail, facsimile or email addressed to the attention of the designated contact person referenced on page 8 of this document. All written questions must be received by the District’s Purchasing Department no later than January 15, 2020 at 4:00 PM (ET). Telephone inquiries will not be accepted, nor will answers be provided by telephone. It is the sole responsibility of the proposer at its own risk to ensure that written questions, however submitted, will be received by the deadline indicated above. After this date and time, no additional questions will be accepted.

Individuals covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 in need of accommodations to attend public RFP openings or meetings should contact The School Board of Polk County, Florida, Purchasing Department, Bartow, Florida (863-534-0563) at least five (5) days prior to the date.

The Purchasing Department Conference Room is located in Building A. This is a “controlled access” building. All visitors will be required to obtain a visitor’s pass. Photo ID is required. Arrive early to allow for check in procedure with the receptionist.

2.4 Addendum

The issuance of a written addendum is the only official method by which interpretation, clarification or additional information can be given. If it becomes necessary to revise or amend any part of this document, an addendum will be posted to the same website where this document is posted, at www.myvendorlink.com. See the Anticipated Schedule of Events for specific information.

The District may modify the RFP at any time prior to the proposal due date by issuance of a written addendum. Addenda shall be numbered consecutively and initiated by the Purchasing Director. No other person shall be authorized to make changes verbally or in writing.

Any such addenda will be posted to the same website where this RFP is posted, at www.myvendorlink.com. It shall be the responsibility of the proposer to be sure they receive all addenda.

No addendum will be issued later than five (5) calendar days prior to the date for receipt of proposals except an addendum withdrawing the request for proposals or one which includes postponement of the date for receipt of proposals.

No verbal or written information which is obtained other than by information in this document or by addendum to this RFP will be binding on the District.

2.5 Receipt of Proposals

Provide one (1) original proposal with manual signature, 5 (five) duplicate copies (for a total of

6 (six), a redacted copy (if applicable), and an electronic version on CD/DVD or flash drive identical to the original in editable format (e.g. Word, Excel not PDF).

Proposals must be submitted in a sealed container, clearly identified as RFP for Ethernet Service Bartow Sites E-rate, 032-MDW-0220. The deadline for receipt of sealed proposals is 3:00 PM (ET) on February 5, 2020, in the District Purchasing Department at the address shown in Item 2.1 District Contact/Inquiries above. The official clock for the purpose of receiving proposals is located in the Purchasing Department. All proposals must be date and time stamped by the official clock. Proposals will be opened in the Purchasing Department after the deadline for receiving proposals. Any proposal received in the Purchasing Department after the deadline indicated above will be date and time stamped and will not be opened. It is the proposer’s responsibility to see that their proposal is properly received at the correct location prior to the deadline.

Proposals will be received and publicly opened. Only name(s) of respondent(s) will be read at this time. Pricing and other contents of proposals will not be disclosed at openings. Reference Section 119.071(1) (b), F.S. and Section 286.0113, F.S.

Individuals covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 in need of accommodations to attend public RFP openings or meetings should contact the School Board’s Purchasing Department, Bartow, Florida (863-534-0045) at least five (5) days prior to the date of the opening.

2.6 Anticipated Schedule of Events

(Subject to change as conditions may dictate)

Activity Date Release of RFP January 8, 2020 Mandatory pre-proposal conference, 2:00 PM (ET) January 14, 2020 http://www.myvendorlink.com/

Deadline for receipt of questions in Purchasing Office – 4:00PM (ET) January 15, 2020 Release of responses to questions (on or about) January 17, 2020 Deadline for receipt of sealed proposals in the Purchasing Office, 3:00 PM (ET) February 5, 2020 *Evaluation Committee meeting to review responses. Purchasing Conference Room 9:00 AM (ET) February 6, 2020 Posting of Award Recommendation (on or about) February 7, 2020 Approval of recommendation by the Board February 25, 2020 Contract Start July 1, 2020

*Evaluation Committee meetings and oral presentations will be posted as a public notice at https://polkschoolsfl.com/purchasing/#public-notices

If the time allotted to make the selection of awarded proposer(s) as stated above proves to be insufficient, the posting of the Notice of Recommended Bid Award and the Superintendent (or Board) approval date could both slip. Continue to monitor www.myvendorlink.com or contact the purchasing department for more specific information as to when the notice will be posted

END OF SECTION 2

SECTION 3: SCOPE OF SERVICES

3.1 Service Options: The District is seeking three options for fiber proposals. For any leased dark fiber and leased dark fiber IRU solutions, we also require maintenance & operations services.

Respondent(s) may propose one, two, or all three options. See section 4 for specifications.

• The first option is a fully managed, leased lit fiber solution. For any leased lit fiber solutions, we also require necessary Category 1 network equipment to place fiber into service, including any one-time installation costs.

• The second option is a leased dark fiber solution. A traditional, year to year lease that is billed monthly and includes fiber maintenance as part of this monthly recurring cost.

• The third option is a long-term IRU agreement with one-time IRU fees paid up-front and fiber maintenance as a separate service. The IRU agreement between applicant and the fiber provider will include terms outlining survivability of the IRU in case the lessor is acquired, insolvent, or experiences any change in ownership.

The District will consider traditional network designs (such as hub and spoke) or alternative proposals that, in accordance with E-rate guidance, maximize cost-effectiveness. Hybrid solutions, such as a mixture of sites connected by leased lit fiber and leased dark fiber may also be considered. Due to current and future bandwidth needs, respondents are encouraged to provide dedicated infrastructure to the District. Designs are encouraged to utilize the private fiber approach, where there exists no other aggregation or third-party equipment on fiber strands between sites and modulating equipment at each site is dedicated to Applicant and not shared in any way with other customers. If this is not possible, then designs should limit the use of shared infrastructure as much as possible. Respondents should clearly illustrate their proposed network design and construction routes. The District is not advocating or mandating any preconceived network design or construction route and leaves this decision up to the proposer to present their best solution while recognizing the cited termination locations.

In E-rate terminology, special construction refers to the upfront, non-recurring costs associated with the installation of new fiber to or between eligible entities. Applicants may seek funding for special https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpolkschoolsfl.com%2Fpurchasing%2F%23public-notices&data=02%7C01%7Clynn.adams%40polk-fl.net%7C56704c3fe8404751e65a08d6cfbfe41b%7C3ce159a93b59425bb96604d39f099bba%7C0%7C0%7C636924820401530900&sdata=gmU6n1AwUcee6a4e8dgfS2xWVhJecBkLlSrMBKCS9b4%3D&reserved=0 construction charges in connection with leased lit fiber, leased dark fiber, and self-provisioning. Special construction charges eligible for Category One support consist of three components:

1. Construction of network facilities

2. Design and engineering

3. Project management

If no new fiber is being installed, then any installation costs are considered standard non-recurring costs (NRC). For leased lit fiber solutions requiring special construction, this means that the costs associated with building the fiber are considered special construction and the costs associated with the equipment required to activate the service are a standard NRC. For leased dark fiber solutions, equipment required by the district to light the fiber are not considered special construction. All options can include special construction or one-time E-rate eligible non-recurring costs as well as E-rate eligible recurring circuit costs.

To the extent that the winning service provider installs additional strands of fiber for future business ventures, the winning service provider assumes full responsibility to ensure those incremental costs are allocated out of the special construction charges to the district in accordance with FCC rules and orders. If, after the issuance of the FCDL, USAC or the FCC determines that the winning service provider did not cost allocate those charges associated with the additional strands, The District will not be responsible for reimbursing the winning vendor, and the winning vendor will assume all responsibilities for costs deemed ineligible by USAC. For examples of cost allocation, please see the document in Appendix F as prepared by the State E-rate Coordinators’ Alliance (SECA).

Based on the proposals and both a short term and long term price analysis, the District will determine which, if any, of the leased lit service, leased dark fiber services, or some combination of solutions is acceptable. The specifications related to each solution option are as follows.

END OF SECTION 3

SECTION 4: SOLUTION SPECIFICATIONS

4.1. Leased Lit Fiber: The District must have dedicated, symmetrical transport bandwidth of 10 Gbps with Service Level Agreement (SLA) guarantees between the district’s hub location and the schools listed in Attachment 2 - Financial Proposal Worksheet. The solution must be scalable to 100Gbps with 5 Gbps cost increments. Price quotes are requested for services provided on a month-to-month basis, as well as 60 month term of service with up to five additional 60 month renewal options. Each respondent is required to complete Attachment 2 - Financial Proposal Worksheet.

Special construction costs, monthly recurring costs, and any additional non-recurring costs are required to be broken out and listed separately. No increased pricing will be allowed during the term of the quoted special construction, NRC, or MRC rates in each pricing cell of the matrix. Any changes in bandwidth requested by the District during the contract period will be considered minor contract modifications, and will not result in an extension of the contract end date. As bandwidth needs are steadily rising, respondents are free to propose higher tiers of bandwidth than what is requested to demonstrate their future scalability. This information may be provided in tab 7 Additional Information.

Respondents proposing a leased lit fiber solution are required to complete each option in the following Tabs in Attachment 2 - Financial Proposal Worksheet:

● Lit Fiber (Option Years if Applicable)

● Lit Fiber-Spec. Constr. Detail

4.2. Leased Dark Fiber: The District must have eight (8) strands (4 pair) of single-mode fiber from the hub location (District Office-Data Center) to each eligible entity location for 10 year (120 month) term of service with up to ten additional 24 month renewal options. The solution must be able to support up to 100Gbps bandwidth. Each respondent is required to complete Attachment 2 – Financial Proposal including special construction costs and monthly recurring costs. If special construction is necessary, respondents are required to separate out pricing in Attachment 2 - Financial Proposal Worksheet.

Respondents proposing a leased dark fiber solution are required to complete the following Tabs in Attachment 2 - Financial Proposal Worksheet:

● Leased Dark Fiber

● Dark Fiber-Spec. Constr. Detail

● Operations - Leased Dark Fiber

4.3. Leased Dark Fiber (IRU): As a third alternative, respondents may quote a 20 year indefeasible right to use (IRU) price for eight (8) strands (4 pair) of single-mode fiber between the specified hub location and each location with up to five additional 24 month renewal options. The solution must be able to support up to 100Gbps bandwidth. The District is interested in IRU-type pricing with a one-time capital cost payment for the IRU combined with “all-in” recurring payments for maintenance costs for the entire length of the IRU. Each respondent is required to complete the leased dark fiber (IRU) pricing matrix located in Attachment 2 - Financial Proposal Worksheet of this RFP. If special construction is necessary, respondents are required to separate out pricing on the appropriate worksheet in Attachment 2 - Financial Proposal Worksheet. The District expects significant reductions from prevailing market rates for the IRU fee and annual maintenance charges.

Respondents proposing a leased dark fiber (IRU) solution are required to complete the following Tabs in Attachment 2 - Financial Proposal Worksheet:

● Leased Dark Fiber

● Dark Fiber-Spec. Constr. Detail

● Operations - Leased Dark Fiber

4.4. Maintenance for Leased Dark Fiber or Leased Dark Fiber (IRU)

All dark fiber responses (lease and IRU) require maintenance as part of the response, even if maintenance is subcontracted out to a third party. In the case of the 3rd party maintenance, the respondent must hold and manage the subcontract and is ultimately responsible for the SLA. It is assumed that the dark fiber network is part of a more comprehensive fiber infrastructure of the service provider. The respondent shall include only the portion of maintenance that is required to support The District fiber segments versus overall network maintenance. If the fiber serves multiple customers, the cost of maintenance should be shared among all the recipients.

• For leased dark fiber, it is assumed that maintenance costs are included in the monthly lease fee.

• For a leased dark fiber (IRU):

o The fiber owner (not the district) must claim responsibility for repairs in the event of a catastrophic cut or relocate.

o Describe the process for relocates including assumption of costs.

o If maintenance cannot be quoted for entire time span of the IRU, please include alternate time span quote as well as explanation for the shorter time span.

Maintenance Terms and Conditions Respondent shall maintain the applicable fiber seven days per week, twenty-four hours per day. Upon notification from the district of a malfunction relating to the applicable fiber, respondent shall respond to such malfunction within two (2) hours and thereafter proceed to correct the malfunction with reasonable diligence. When pricing maintenance, the respondent should include an overview of maintenance practices including:

• Routine maintenance and inspection

• Scheduled maintenance windows and scheduling practices for planned outages

• Marker and handhole inspection and repair

• Handling of unscheduled outages and customer problem reports

• What service level agreement is included and what alternative service levels may be available at additional cost

• What agreements are in place with applicable utilities and utility contractors for emergency restoration

• Repair of fiber breaks

• Mean time to repair

• Replacement of damaged fiber

• Post repair testing

• Replacement of fiber that no longer meets specifications

• Policies for customer notification regarding maintenance

• Process for changing procedures, including customer notification practices

• Process for moves, adds, and changes

• Process for responding to locate requests

Proposal Considerations If the District elects to pursue a leased dark fiber or leased dark fiber (IRU) proposal, the preference is for the awarded vendor to provide a leased lit option to all sites disclosed beginning July 1, 2020 until leased dark fiber or leased dark fiber (IRU) buildout is completed, tested and deemed functional by awarded vendor and the District. This particular leased lit fiber option should be quoted for four (4) strand fiber to each site with service speed of 1Gbps and scalable up to 10Gbps. Cost must be captured and submitted in Tab 5 Cost of Services.

If the district selects one of the dark fiber options and the awarded vendor is unable to provide a leased lit fiber option starting on July 1, 2020, the District reserves the option to enter into a month-to-month leased lit fiber agreement with a provider capable of the July 1, 2020 start date with four (4) optional one (1) year extensions. This agreement will continue until such time as the Dark Fiber option is implemented.

General Terms for All Proposals Failure by the respondent to include any requested information noted as required is grounds for disqualification.

Description of Proposal Respondent will provide a description of their proposal for all services and solutions. Description will include an overview of the proposal, any deviations from the requested architecture, design or requirements, assumptions made, and other detail The District may find useful or necessary (or could differentiate the solution from a competing proposal).

Service Level Agreement The respondent will provide a proposed service level agreement (SLA) with the RFP response. The proposal must include a description of the following services and how these services will be measured.

• Fiber Network Availability: the provider will make all reasonable efforts to ensure 99.99% network availability of each circuit

• Leased lit fiber proposals only

• .25% frame/packet loss commitment

• 25ms network latency commitment

• 10ms network jitter commitment

• There is no right of provider to limit or throttle the capacity of the circuit at any time for any reason

In addition to the required services, the proposal may include but is not to be limited to the following services:

• Network operations center: Solution will provide customer support functions including problem tracking, resolution and escalation support management on a 24x7x365 basis. Customer has the right and is encouraged to call concerning any problems that may arise relative to its connection with vendor provided services.

• Trouble reporting and response: Upon interruption, degradation or loss of service, Customer may contact Vendor by defined method with a response based on trouble level. Upon contact from the Customer, the Vendor support team will initiate an immediate response to resolve any Customer issue. Customer will receive rapid feedback on trouble resolution, including potential resolution time.

• Escalation: In the event that service has not been restored in a timely manner, or the Customer does not feel that adequate attention has been allocated, the Customer can escalate the trouble resolution by request. A list of escalation contacts will be provided when implementation schedule is completed.

• Resolution: The Customer will be notified immediately once the problem is resolved and will be asked for verbal closure of the incident.

• Trouble reporting, escalation and resolution: A detail trouble reporting, escalation and resolution plan will be provided to the district.

• Measurement: Vendor stated commitment is to respond to any outage within one (1) hour and a four (4) hour restoration of service. Time starts from the time the Customer notifies vendor about the problem. Credits for outages of shortage will be identified.

• Reports: Upon request, an incident report will be made available to the Customer within five

(5) working days of resolution of the trouble.

• Link performance per segment: The service will maintain the proposed link performance throughout the term of the contract.

• Historical uptime: Provide aggregate uptime statistics for your proposed service in the geographic area encompassing The District if available.

Timeline For each response, respondents must include a timeline for bringing all sites online. Proposals requiring little to no special construction should be able to bring all sites online by the July 1, 2020 start of the funding year. For solutions requiring special construction, a schedule of bringing sites online must be included with an explanation of how this timeline shifts if the date of the E-rate funding commitment shifts.

Demarcation All solutions whether leased lit fiber, leased dark fiber, or leased dark fiber (IRU) must terminate service or infrastructure at the demarcation point at each address specified in Attachment 2 - Financial Proposal Worksheet. Solutions bringing service to the property line but not to the demarcation point are not acceptable. Respondent must specify specific demarcation setup included in base fees, i.e.

wall mounted CPE and CAT6a handoff, rack mount patch panel, etc.

Network Diagram For each response, respondents must include a detailed network diagram displaying the paths to be used to serve the specified site. The network diagram must be a complete diagram without “clouds” or undefined network devices or paths.

Co-Management Solution The District requires the right to review, collaborate, and access to view any code or configuration updates of the vendor provided devices that directly influences the transportation, filtering, and logging of district data for informational, troubleshooting, and auditing purposes.

Voice-over-IP Quality of Service Vendor must be able to provide prioritization of voice traffic dependent upon the District’s Voice-over- IP provider specifications.

References For each response, respondent must provide 3 references from current or recent customers (preferably Florida K-20) with projects equivalent to the size of The District or larger. If respondent responds to more than one option, i.e. leased lit fiber service as well as leased dark fiber, provide 3 references for each.

See Tab 3, use Appendix E Reference Request Form to provide information.

Special Construction Payment Plan Option The applicant requires that the respondents allow The District to pay the non-discount share of special construction costs (the portion of costs that are the responsibility of the applicant) to be paid in equal annual installments over four years from Funding Year 2021 to Funding Year 2025 inclusive. Responses must include an agreement of this request.

Special Construction Information for Form 471 and PIA Review All E-rate applications including special construction are subject to detailed questioning during PIA review where the cost of proposed special construction will be reviewed based on the cost of historical fiber builds in the region. Respondents are required to affirm their agreement to provide, to The District and its E-rate consultant, the information and/or documentation necessary to answer any PIA Special Construction inquiries. Respondents/proposals that take exception to this requirement will be deemed non-responsive and will be disqualified from further consideration. Additionally, certain information on necessary special construction is needed to accurately fill out the Form 471. Respondents are required to fill out the applicable Special Construction Detail table(s) in Attachment 2 - Financial Proposal Worksheet. Respondents are encouraged (but not required) to submit the additional information described in Appendix H - PIA Fiber Special Construction Questions, that will likely be requested during PIA review. If respondents do not submit this additional information with their proposal, and their proposal is chosen, they must be prepared to promptly provide that information and any additional information not described in this RFP when requested. Please note that vendors may assist applicants with preparing funding requests or responding to PIA questions and may speak directly with PIA reviewers.

Required Notice to Proceed and Funding Availability The District will follow the purchasing policies of the School Board of Polk County, Florida and requirements and procedures of the FCC’s E-rate program as administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company to be eligible for all available funding. The implementation of any associated contracts resulting from this competitive bidding process will be dependent on the district's issuance of a written Notice to Proceed. E-rate funding notification alone will not signify Notice to Proceed. The district will have the right to allow the contract to expire without implementation if appropriate funding does not come available.

E-rate Modernization Order Note Special construction and service eligibility for reimbursement have changed starting funding year 2016. See the Federal Communication Commission’s Second E-Rate Modernization Order (FCC 14-189) (https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-14-189A1.pdf) for more information.

END OF SECTION 4

SECTION 5: PREPARATION OF PROPOSAL AND REQUIRED CONTENT

5.1 Proposal Preparation

In order to ease comparability and enhance the review process, it is requested that proposals be organized in the manner specified below. Failure to provide the required information will affect the evaluation of the proposal and may be grounds for disqualification. Responsive proposals should provide straightforward, concise information that satisfies the requirements noted within this RFP. Expensive bindings, color displays and the like are neither necessary nor desired. Emphasis should be placed on skills and experience that respond to the needs of The District, the requirements of this RFP and completeness and clarity of content.

5.2 Required Information and Format

Proposers must provide the required information in the following order and format. It is required that 6 (six) paper copies (the original and 5 (five) duplicate copies), a redacted copy (if applicable), and an electronic version on CD/DVD or flash drive identical to the original in editable format (e.g. Word, Excel not PDF) be submitted. The Required Response Form (see page 1) must be signed by an officer or agent of the proposing firm who is empowered to contractually bind the firm. Proposals shall be valid for 90 days from the day after the deadline for receipt of proposals. Failure to provide the required information will affect the evaluation of the proposal and may be grounds for disqualification.

5.3 Response Organization

Table of Contents Include a Table of Contents for clear identification of the material by tab number as listed below. The proposal shall include the following information and consist of the following tabs labeled:

Tab 1-General Submittals This is a compliance section and carries no evaluation points. Submittals shall include the following:

Letter of Transmittal. Proposer will submit a Letter of Transmittal listing the following:

• Proposer’s Name;

• Submission date;

• Primary Contact name;

• Contact phone number;

• Contact email address;

• Proposer’s address.

Required Response Form. Refers to page 5 of this RFP. Complete the form as provided, sign and include with your submittal. Any modifications or alterations to this form shall not be accepted. The enclosed original Required Response Form is the only acceptable form. An original manual signature should be provided in the space indicated on this form.

Public Records. Per Section 7, General Terms, Conditions and Information, Item 7.5 Public Records: All responses to this RFP are subject to release as public records consistent with Chapter 119 Florida Statutes.

• Proposers should insert a statement that all content in the proposal is releasable.

• Florida law exempts trade secret information from production in response to a request for copies of government documents. If you believe any portion of your proposal response contains information that is not subject to release under Florida law, you should specifically identify the information you believe is exempt from release and the specific statutory authority that covers the asserted exemption under this Section of Tab

1. Provide a redacted copy of your proposal in paper and electronic versions. See Section 7, item 7.5.

• In the event there is no statement submitted for this Item 7.5 under Tab 1, it is assumed that your proposal does not contain any information not subject to release. Your proposal will be released in its entirety upon request without further notice.

• Please note that details of proposals, including confidential or proprietary information or alleged trade secrets, with the exception of a vendor’s financial statements (when such statements are required in the solicitation), may be disclosed at a public meeting.

Forms.

• Addendum Acknowledgment Form: Proposer should complete, sign and date, and submit the Addendum Acknowledgement Form acknowledging receipt of addenda, if applicable. Completed form should be submitted with the proposal packet and must be on file prior to award.

• Submittals Checklist: Proposer should complete and submit the Submittals Checklist.

• Appendix A, Statement of Affirmation and Intent: Proposer should complete, sign and date, and submit the Statement of Affirmation and Intent. Appendix A must be on file prior to award.

• Appendix B, Conflict of Interest Statement: Proposer should read, sign and date, and submit the Conflict of Interest Statement. Appendix B must be on file prior to award.

• Appendix C, Certification Regarding Debarment Form: Proposer should complete, sign and date, and submit the Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion – Lower Tier Covered Transactions. Appendix C must be on file prior to award.

• Appendix F, Drug-Free Workplace Certification Form (optional): Proposer should sign and date, and submit, if applicable. Proposals received which are equal with respect to price, quality, and services and that have provided proper certification that a business has implemented a drug-free workplace program, shall be given preference in the award process.

• Include printed copies of all information numbered above under Tab 1 of your proposal.

Tab 2 – Experience, Qualifications and References

• State whether the firm is local, regional or national.

• Briefly describe your organization and its history, including the number of years providing the services you are proposing as described in this RFP, number of current employees, experience providing the services you are proposing, personnel and qualifications.

• Include completed Appendix D, Respondent’s Statement of Qualification.

• Describe the range of services provided by this office, such as design/engineering, service and support.

• Provide the name, position, contact information and resume of the individual assigned as the primary contact for purposes of routine communication and coordination efforts between the Proposer and the District as well as all key personnel required to meet the scope of services you are proposing as described in the RFP. Expand on their experience in these areas.

• Briefly describe a minimum of three (3), but no more than five (5) contracts from Florida public school districts or similar agencies Proposer is currently in or has completed within the past three

(3) years that demonstrates Proposer’s experience in providing the services being proposed.

• Respondent must provide 3 references from current or recent customers (preferably Florida K-

20) with projects equivalent to the size of The District or larger. If respondent responds to more than one option, i.e. leased lit fiber service as well as leased dark fiber, provide 3 references for each. References shall be for current or recently completed projects demonstrating your company’s experience in providing services similar in size and scope to those in this RFP.

References must be for the vendor (legal company name on the RFP required Response Form) submitting the proposal response who will be providing all deliverables. Complete your portion of the Reference Request Form (Appendix E), then forward to your three (3) references with instructions to complete the Reference Request, then return to The School Board of Polk County, Florida RFP #032-MDW-0220, P.O. Box 391, Bartow, Florida 33831-0391 or email to denise.whitaker@polk-fl.net prior to 3:00 pm on February 5, 2020.

• Include only references Proposer provided services within the previous three (3) years.

• The District reserves the right to contact any and all references and to obtain, without limitation, information on the Proposer’s performance on the listed jobs. The District may utilize other reference information on a Proposer’s capability to determine performance history. Negative references, in the District’s sole discretion, may be cause for disqualification of Proposer.

• The district reserves the right to waive the reference requirement for any proposer that has recently and successfully performed the services in this RFP for the district.

• References must be received by the District prior to 3:00 PM on February 5, 2020. It is the Proposer’s responsibility to ensure the references arrive in Purchasing by the proposal deadline stated above. If references are not received prior to the deadline for receipt of proposals in this document, the proposal will be declared non-responsive.

• Proposers are encouraged to contact the District contact as defined in section 2.1 to verify the appropriate references have been received by the District.

Tab 3 Methodology

• The Proposer must submit information as required in this document including, but not limited to, required submittals in sections 3 and 4.

Tab 4 Cost of Services

• E-rate eligible recurring and one-time Cost of Services

• E-rate ineligible recurring or one-time Cost of Services

• Complete the appropriate tabs in Attachment 2 Financial Proposal Worksheet for each option that you are proposing.

• Attachment 1 includes listing of E-rate eligible and non-eligible sites, connection speeds for each site and other information.

• All fees and expenses shall remain firm for the term of this contract. Cost proposal must be submitted using Attachment 2 Financial Proposal Worksheet.

Tab 5 Deviations or Exceptions

• Deviations or Exceptions: Proposal must address all specifications in this RFP and must specifically highlight any deviations or exceptions from the service requested in this RFP on a page titled “Deviations or Exceptions to RFP”. If there are no deviations or exceptions to present state in this Tab “There are no deviations or exceptions to the RFP.”

• The district reserves the right to accept, reject or further negotiate exceptions submitted by the Proposer.

Tab 6 Additional Information

• Data not specifically required in this RFP must not be included in the foregoing proposal tabs. Any additional information may be added under Tab 6 titled “Additional Information”. This tab is left to the Proposer’s discretion, however, the Proposer should limit materials included here to those considered essential to the proposal and helpful to the District in understanding the services proposed in this RFP.

END OF SECTION 5

SECTION 6: EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS

6.1 Evaluation Process

Written proposals will be evaluated by an Evaluation Committee comprised of representatives from the District and others determined by the District. Purchasing Department personnel and others as determined by the District, will participate in an advisory capacity only.

The Evaluation Committee will assign points in the evaluation and recommendation process in accordance with the Evaluation Criteria listed in Item 6.2 below. There is a total of 100 points possible.

Proposers providing additional information requested by the District shall not submit in their response any information that will alter or change the terms and conditions of their original proposal. A vendor’s past performance may be used in the evaluation process.

The District reserves the right to negotiate further terms and conditions, including price with the highest ranked proposer(s) in the event of a multiple source award. If the District cannot reach a mutually beneficial agreement with the first selected proposer, the District reserves the right to enter into negotiations with the next highest ranked proposer and continue this process until agreement is reached.

The Evaluation Committee in conjunction with the Purchasing Department will prepare and submit an agenda item to the Superintendent of Schools, Polk County, Florida.

The Superintendent will recommend to the School Board, the award or rejection of any and/or all proposal(s). The recommendation for award of the RFP will be posted for review by interested parties at The School Board of Polk County, Florida Administrative Offices, 1915 S.

Floral Ave., Bartow, FL, the USAC website and on at www.myvendorlink.com on or about February 5, 2020 and will remain posted for a period of at least 72 hours.

The Board may award or reject any or all proposal(s).

6.2 Written Proposal Evaluation Criteria

The Evaluation Committee shall score and rank responsive proposals. The evaluation factors will be limited to the criteria listed in the table below:

Evaluation Criteria-Written Proposal Point Value Experience, Qualifications and References, Tab 2 15 Methodology, Tab 3 20 E-rate eligible recurring and one-time Cost of Services*, Tab 4 25 E-rate ineligible recurring or one-time Cost of Services, Tab 4 15 Demonstrated scalability of technology through pricing for higher tiered bandwidths, Tab 6

Overall ability to meet the district needs 15 Total Points Available 100

*this element must always be the highest weighted

6.3 Calculation of Evaluation Score

Each Evaluation Committee member shall determine which of the following descriptions applies to each of the foregoing Proposal evaluation criteria:

• EXCELLENT (1.0): Of the highest or finest quality; exceptional; superior; superb; exquisite;

peerless.

Proposer provided information for a…