10-RFP 2000004244.pdf

IMPORTANT NOTICE

THIS IS AN ELECTRONIC PROCUREMENT (eBID) SUBMISSIONS WILL ONLY

BE ACCEPTED ELECTRONICALLY VIA THE EUNA (BONFIRE) PORTAL

(https://fairfaxcounty.bonfirehub.com)

Fairfax County Government uses a procurement portal powered by EUNA Procurement (formerly Bonfire Interactive) for accepting and evaluating proposals. To register, visit https://fairfaxcounty.bonfirehub.com. Additional assistance is also available at support.bonfire@eunasolutions.com. Offerors must register in the Bonfire portal in order to download the RFP documents and submit a response to this RFP.

Submitting proposals via the EUNA (Bonfire) portal is mandatory. Fairfax County will not accept proposals submitted by paper, telephone, facsimile (“FAX”) transmission, or electronic mail (e-mail) in response to this RFP. Reference Special Provisions, SUBMISSION OF PROPOSAL for additional information.

Fairfax County strongly encourages offerors to submit proposals well in advance of the proposal submission deadline. A proposal submission is not considered successful unless all necessary files have been uploaded and the ‘Submit & Finalize’ step has been completed. Offerors are responsible for the consequences of any failure to plan ahead in the submission of its Proposal.

https://fairfaxcounty.bonfirehub.com/ https://fairfaxcounty.bonfirehub.com/ mailto:support.bonfire@eunasolutions.com

RFP 2000004244

SPECIAL PROVISIONS

1. PURPOSE AND SCOPE:

1.1 The purpose of this Request for Proposal (“RFP”) is to solicit sealed proposals to establish contracts for the provision of Next Generation 9-1-1 Core Services (“NGCS”) and Emergency Services IP Network (“ESInet”) solutions. The objective is to ensure that public safety answering points (“PSAPs”) across the Commonwealth of Virginia, the State of Maryland, the District of Columbia and other 911 Authorities authorized to use this procurement process have access to reliable, resilient, and standards-compliant Next Generation 9-1-1 (“NG9-1- 1”) services.

1.2 The procurement will result in multiple contract awards following a full and competitive evaluation process. It is the County desire that up to three qualified offerors may be selected.

1.3 Offerors are required to submit pricing for NGCS and ESInet services in alignment with American National Standards Institute (“ANSI”) and National Emergency Number Association (“NENA”) specifications for all primary PSAPs in the specified regions. Figure 1 illustrates the primary geographic scope of this RFP (Virginia, Maryland, District of Columbia). Offerors may also submit optional pricing for PSAPs or regions outside the defined scope, provided such pricing is presented transparently in the RFP Pricing Matrix and includes all assumptions and criteria.

1.4 All PSAPs listed in the pricing table of Appendix D currently operate under an existing

NGCS/ESInet contract. The outcome of this procurement will provide PSAPs with the ability either to transition to a new provider or, depending on an incumbent provider’s proposal and final evaluation, to continue service with an incumbent vendor. Each PSAP will retain the authority to select its NGCS provider from among the awarded contracts.

1.5 The evaluation process will be guided by defined RFP requirements, ensuring that only responsive and responsible proposals advance for consideration. A unique aspect of this procurement is the inclusion of independent, third-party interoperability and cybersecurity testing to validate vendor claims and ensure compliance with technical standards before negotiations and contract awards are made.

1.6 The evaluation and scoring for this RFP will only focus on the scope outlined in red shown below in Figure 1.

Figure 1- Primary Scope of RFP - VA, MD, and DC

1.7 Independent Interoperability Testing:

1.7.1 As part of this procurement, all proposed NG9-1-1 Core Services (NGCS) and ESInet solutions must undergo independent interoperability and cybersecurity testing through a local Virginia Testing Lab. This requirement ensures that vendor solutions conform to NENA i3 interoperability standards and meet National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) cybersecurity requirements.

1.7.2 Testing will be conducted in a controlled NG9-1-1 environment that simulates real-world conditions, including call handling, routing, geospatial information, and emergency call routing functions. The Testing Lab will provide confidential test reports and scorecards to both the vendors and the Selection Committee. These results will supplement—but not replace—the broader technical and pricing evaluation criteria of the RFP.

1.7.3 This process reduces procurement risk, increases transparency, and provides independent assurance that awarded NGCS/ESInet solutions are secure, interoperable, and capable of supporting the operational and strategic needs of all participating PSAPs. Embedding independent testing into the RFP framework strengthens confidence that selected systems will deliver resilient, long-term public safety communications

1.8 A high-level view of the RFP process is shown below in Figure 2:

Figure 2 - High Level RFP Process Overview

1.9 Anticipated Key Action Dates, subject to change:

• December 29, 2025, Release RFP

• January 30, 2026 @ 4:30 p.m., Questions from Offerors due

• February 27, 2026, Proposal due

• April 3, 2026, Evaluations of Technical Completed

• April 17, 2026, Evaluation of Cost Completed

• April 27-July 27, 2026, Interop Testing Completed

• July-October 2026, Negotiations

• November 2026 Notice of Award/Contract(s) in place

2 PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE:

2.1 An optional pre-proposal conference will be held on January 8, 2026, at 10:00 A.M. eastern time online via Microsoft Teams call. Offerors wishing to participate will need to register using the following link:

Microsoft Teams Need help?

Join the meeting now Meeting ID: 250 175 263 528 61 Passcode: xx2RJ7da

Dial in by phone +1 571-429-5982,,246276013# United States, Washington Find a local number Phone conference ID: 246 276 013# For organizers: Meeting options | Reset dial-in PIN

2.2 The purpose of the pre-proposal conference is to give potential offerors an opportunity to ask questions and to obtain clarification about any aspect of this RFP. Offerors may submit any questions pertaining to the RFP, in writing to dpmmteam1@fairfaxcounty.gov until January 30, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. eastern time.

3 CONTRACT PERIOD AND RENEWAL:

3.1 The period of the contract shall be a term of ten (10) years with five (5) additional one year renewal options or any combination available.

3.2 The obligation of the County to pay compensation due the contractor under the contract or any other payment obligations under any contract awarded pursuant to this Request for Proposal is subject to appropriations by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to satisfy payment of such obligations. The County’s obligations to make payments during subsequent fiscal years are dependent upon the same action. If such an appropriation is not made for any fiscal year, the contract shall terminate effective at the end of the fiscal year for which funds were appropriated and the County will not be obligated to make any payments under the contract beyond the amount appropriated for payment obligations under the contract. The County will provide the contractor with written notice of non-appropriation of funds within thirty (30) calendar days after action is completed by the Board of Supervisors.

However, the County’s failure to provide such notice shall not extend the contract into a fiscal year in which sufficient funds have not been appropriated.

4 BACKGROUND:

4.1 The current contract for this service can be viewed on the Fairfax County Contract Register at https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/cregister/ by entering the following contract number 4400007825 in the contract number field.

https://aka.ms/JoinTeamsMeeting?omkt=en-US https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_YzdkNjhiMjEtMzE0Yy00Njc5LTk3MTAtZDFlOWE4ZDMxNzI3%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22a26156cb-5d6f-4172-9d7d-934eb0a7b275%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22a71959c7-2030-43f0-8f82-f57e9388b7ce%22%7d tel:+15714295982,,246276013 https://dialin.teams.microsoft.com/e5b18791-4e42-4a82-bed2-216a0e93463a?id=246276013 https://teams.microsoft.com/meetingOptions/?organizerId=a71959c7-2030-43f0-8f82-f57e9388b7ce&tenantId=a26156cb-5d6f-4172-9d7d-934eb0a7b275&threadId=19_meeting_YzdkNjhiMjEtMzE0Yy00Njc5LTk3MTAtZDFlOWE4ZDMxNzI3@thread.v2&messageId=0&language=en-US https://dialin.teams.microsoft.com/usp/pstnconferencing mailto:Noorullah.shakir@fairfaxcounty.gov https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/cregister/

5 STATEMENT OF NEEDS:

5.1 Qualified offerors are encouraged to submit a proposal for 2026 - Next Generation Core

Services (NGCS), Emergency Services Internet Protocol Network (ESInet), and optional services as outlined in Appendix C, titled “TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS”.

5.2 Offerors should provide a comprehensive treatment of their solution and the Project tasks to be performed to introduce the solution into the Fairfax County VA PSAP and its secondary PSAPs. Also describe, if different, the tasks that would be necessary to implement other individual PSAPs to the offered solution (all PSAPs within immediate scope that are listed in Appendix D, Cost Proposal).

5.3 Upon contract award the Project tasks should include details, at a minimum, on the following elements:

5.3.1 Project implementation Plan that includes progress reports, dependencies, and dates of key tasks and milestones.

5.3.2 Acceptance Test Plan.

5.3.3 Detailed Training Plan.

5.3.4 Detailed Transition Plan.

5.3.5 Spatial Interface procedures and interface approach.

5.3.6 Project Staffing Plan and Support Plan.

5.3.7 Continuity Of Operations Plan (COOP)/Disaster Recovery (DR) Plan.

5.3.8 Approach and Considerations for any Optional Items in the offeror’s proposal.

6 TECHNICAL PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS:

The offeror must submit the Technical Proposal for NGCS and ESInet solutions as instructed in EUNA (Bonfire) containing the following information, in searchable, PDF format. This information will be considered the minimum content of the proposal. Proposal contents shall be arranged in the same order and identified with headings as presented herein.

6.1 DPMM Coversheet (DPMM32) Signed

6.2 TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

The Technical Proposal must include the following Sections listed below:

1. Section 1 – Introduction:

Indicate the principal or officer of the Offeror organization who will be the County's primary point of contact during negotiations. This individual must have the authority to negotiate all aspects of the scope of services and provisions on behalf of the Offeror.

2. Section 2 – Statement of Qualifications:

The Statement of Qualifications must include the following:

a. Organizational Experience: Offerors must describe their qualifications and experience to perform the work described in this RFP. Information about experience should include direct experience with the specific subject matter.

b. Personnel: Full-time and part-time staff, proposed consultants and subcontractors who may be assigned direct work on this contract must be identified. Information is required which will show the composition of the task or work group, its specific qualifications, and recent relevant experience. The technical areas, character and extent of participation by any subcontractor or consultant activity must be indicated and the anticipated sources will be identified.

Resumes of staff and proposed consultants are required indicating education, background, recent relevant experience with the subject matter of the contract.

The personnel named in the technical proposal will remain assigned to the project throughout the implementation period of this contract. No diversion or replacement may be made without submission of a resume of the proposed replacement with final approval being granted by the County Purchasing Agent and/or NCR.

c. Staffing Plan. A staffing plan is required which describes the Offeror’s proposed staff distribution to accomplish this work. The staffing plan should indicate a chart that partitions the time commitment of each professional staff member across the proposed tasks and a timeline for the contract. It is mandatory that this section identify the key personnel who are to work on the contract, their relationship with the contracting organization, and amount of time to be devoted to the contract.

This includes Consultants as well as regular employees of the offeror, if relevant.

All staff and staff hours needed to support the contract shall be included in the proposal and any hours or staff not specifically mentioned are assumed to be included in the proposal.

3. Section 3 – Understanding the Statement of Needs and Work Plan:

The offeror shall submit a comprehensive description of the logical phases or segments of the proposed program and the implementation of the solution, along with corresponding flowcharts illustrating the process. The “Understanding the Statement of Needs and Work Plan” description should be no more than 30 pages (excluding diagrams). The pages related to the “Appendix C, Tab J questions” (see paragraph

6.2. 3.e) are not included in this 30 page limit.

a. The Offeror should demonstrate awareness of potential difficulties or risks in completing this project and propose practical, effective strategies for mitigation.

The discussion should specifically address methodological and technical transition challenges likely to be encountered during project implementation and describe how these will be managed to ensure continuity and quality of performance.

b. Offeror must provide a response to each technical requirement within Appendix C, titled “Fairfax Solution Functionality Matrix”, following the instructions within Appendix C (including any required forms). Offeror must include a fully completed Appendix C in their proposal submittal.

c. Preliminary layouts, sketches, diagrams, other graphic representations, calculations, and other data as may be necessary for presentation, substantiation, justification or understanding of the proposed approaches and program should be provided as indicated in the Appendix C instructions.

d. Program Description, Technical Narrative, and Work Plan:

i. The Offeror shall provide a detailed description of the phases or segments into which the proposed program can logically be divided and executed, supported by appropriate flowcharts given the requirements of Appendix C. This section shall also include a discussion of any deviations, modifications, or alternative approaches proposed by the Offeror that materially differ from the project scope defined in the Special Provisions and/or Technical Requirements (Appendix C), as applicable.

ii. This section shall further include comprehensive descriptions of the project activities to be performed, major milestones, and anticipated deliverables. The County prefers that a High-Level Project Plan be submitted with the Offeror’s proposal. The Project Plan shall describe the Offeror’s approach for transitioning from the existing ESInet and NGCS solution—or from the Legacy 911 environment—to the proposed solution. The Offeror shall identify all underlying assumptions and provide sufficient detail to permit evaluation of the transition process, including GIS data updates, data conversion, operational testing, and system cutover. The Offeror shall also identify any one-time transition activities, and associated costs shall be included in the Cost Proposal.

e. Technical Requirements Narrative Response to Specific Questions:

i. The Offeror shall provide narrative responses to the specific questions identified in Tab J of Appendix C. Each response will be provided in Appendix E, Narrative Responses and shall not exceed three (3) pages in length. The Offeror shall include the full text of each question immediately preceding its corresponding response; inclusion of the question text will not count toward the page limit.

ii. The Offeror shall refer to the instructions provided in Appendix E and Appendix C – Technical Requirements for additional guidance and formatting requirements. All responses shall be clearly labeled and organized in accordance with the numbering and structure established in Appendix E.

Sample:

Narrative Requirement Tab J – Question 1:

Describe how the proposed resources will provide the leadership, program management, collaboration, and communication necessary for the overall management of the project, including coordination with subcontractors and interface with OSPs. The response shall demonstrate how the proposed approach ensures a NENA i3 standards-based solution that is fully interoperable with all neighboring jurisdictions. The description should include a high-level explanation of how a local Forest Guide may be used to route calls to adjacent NGCS systems.

f. Reporting and Compliance Review Requirement: The offeror must describe in their response how they intend to fulfill the obligations outlined in the RFP, Special Provisions, paragraph 19.1, including examples of similar reporting practices from prior engagements.

4. Section 4 – Treatment of the Issues:

In this section, the offeror may also comment if deemed appropriate, on any aspect of the RFP, including suggestions on possible alternative approaches to the coverage, definition, development, and organization of a solution to the requirements presented in Appendix C. The offeror may propose alternative approaches, so long as they are in compliance with all required standards as stated in Appendix C.

5. Section 5 – Exceptions to the RFP:

Offerors may make exceptions to the terms, however, some of the terms may not be negotiable (ref. Attachment B).

6. Section 6 – References:

The Offeror’s will provide at least three (3) client references, outside of clients who are within the scope of this RFP, for whom the Offeror has deployed ESInet and NGCS services that are the same or substantially similar to the services requested in this RFP. Reference information shall include a brief description of the services, the size of the client in terms of population size, number of PSAPs, the contracting entity name, contact name, contact title, contact email address, and contact telephone number. The County may request that references authorize a site visit and the opportunity to review event logs.

7. Section 7 – Statement of Agreements and Forms:

All required forms such as:

• Appendix B (agreeing if selected to participate in the Interoperability testing),

• Appendix F,

• Service l Agreement Matrices,

• Maintenance Agreements,

• Software Agreements,

• Change Order forms, and

• etc,. as applicable and modified to comport with the terms and conditions of these Special Provisions and Technical Requirements; an editable version of these documents is required with offerors’ electronic version of the submission to this RFP.

Financial Statements: The offeror shall provide an income statement and balance sheet from the most recent reporting period.

8. Section 8 – Statement of Work (“SOW”):

The offeror will provide a separate document representing the draft SOW for this effort. The Offeror’s proposed SOW shall be sufficiently detailed to demonstrate a complete understanding of the project requirements and provide a clear roadmap for successful implementation. The Agency reserves the right to negotiate the final SOW prior to contract award to ensure alignment with project objectives and timelines.

The SOW shall include, at a minimum, the following components:

a. Project Overview and Objectives:

• Description of the proposed NGCS and ESInet solution, including scope, purpose, and alignment with NENA i3 standards and applicable federal/state regulations.

• Identification of key project goals, anticipated outcomes, and success criteria.

b. Project Scope and Deliverables:

• Detailed description of all work to be performed by the Offeror and any subcontractors.

• Identification of all major deliverables, including design documentation, implementation plans, system configurations, testing procedures, training materials, and transition plans.

• Clear delineation of tasks to be performed by the Offeror versus those expected of the Agency.

c. Project Schedule and Milestones:

• Proposed timeline showing all phases of the project (planning, design, implementation, testing, cutover, and post-deployment support).

• Key milestones, dependencies, and critical path activities.

• Identification of deliverable due dates and acceptance points.

d. Roles and Responsibilities:

• Comprehensive description of roles and responsibilities for the Offeror, subcontractors, and the Agency.

• Identification of the Offeror’s project management structure and key personnel, including points of contact.

e. Technical Approach:

• Description of how the Offeror will design, configure, test, and implement NGCS and ESInet components in compliance with NENA i3 and relevant interoperability standards.

• Approach to network design, security, redundancy, resiliency, quality of service, and interoperability with existing systems.

• Description of data migration, integration with legacy systems, and transition to full NG911 operations.

f. Testing and Acceptance:

• Detailed testing plan including unit, integration, end-to-end, and acceptance testing.

• Acceptance criteria and processes for validation and sign-off by the Agency.

g. Training and Knowledge Transfer:

• Plan for providing training to Agency personnel on system operations, maintenance, and support.

• Documentation deliverables and ongoing knowledge transfer approach.

h. Risk Management and Quality Assurance:

• Identification of project risks, mitigation strategies, and quality assurance processes.

• Description of methods for ensuring performance, reliability, and compliance with service level requirements.

i. Maintenance, Support, and Warranty:

• Post-implementation support plan including maintenance schedules, service levels, and escalation procedures.

• Description of warranties and any continuing obligations after project completion.

j. Change Management and Governance:

• Procedures for handling changes to scope, schedule, or deliverables.

• Governance structure for project oversight and communication.

The Offeror shall provide, after contract award, a comprehensive, detailed Statement of Work (SOW) describing all tasks, deliverables, responsibilities, and dependencies necessary to successfully design, implement, test, and transition to operational status a fully functional Next Generation Core Services (NGCS) and Emergency Services IP Network (ESInet) solution.

6.3 Fairfax County Forms:

• Attachment A1, Offeror Data Sheet

• Attachment A2, Virginia State Corporation Commission Registration Information

• Attachment A3, Request for Protection of Trade Secrets or Proprietary Information Pursuant to Article 2, Section 5.C.3 of the Purchasing Resolution and Va. Code Ann.

§ 2.2-4342(F)

• Attachment A4, Business, Professional and Occupational License

• Attachment A5, Certification Regarding Debarment or Suspension

• Attachment A6, Certification Regarding Ethics in Public Contracting

• Attachment A7, Fairfax County’s Business Classification Schedule

• Attachment B, Affirmation of Legally Required Contract Terms

7 COST PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS:

7.1 The Offeror shall provide a detailed description of the total cost to provide the ESInet and NGCS as described within the Technical Requirements (Appendix C). The Offeror shall submit its firm fixed price in Appendix D Cost Proposal. Costs shall be provided for a 120-month services contract with the term and payment to begin no earlier than the go-live date, i.e., the formal acceptance of the first PSAP operating live on the network. Costs shall be provided for each jurisdiction encompassing all of its PSAP(s) listed in (Appendix C).

The intent of this procurement is to have the offeror separate costs in its proposal to provide common infrastructure and setup costs required to prepare for each jurisdiction’s migration.

Upfront, one-time fees associated with project initiation, planning, hardware, software, network connectivity, and training for each PSAP are to be paid by the PSAP or 911 Authority that is using the vendors selected through this procurement.

Once a PSAP is cutover to the successful offeror’s NGCS and ESInet, the offeror shall invoice each PSAP for its proportionate share of ongoing monthly recurring fees. There is no ongoing central project fund that pays for a portion of the overall costs of the offeror’s solution once all PSAPs are cutover. The project funds available for this procurement are distinct and separated by state or 911 Authority that is using the vendors selected through this procurement.

The Offeror shall assume that each PSAP or PSAPs will migrate to the ESInet and NGCS solution based on the mutually agreed upon Work Plan that aligns with the preliminary work plan submitted with this RFP. As such, offerors should take this into consideration when developing one-time fees. If population is used for pricing, offeror’s pricing shall be based on the most recent estimated population as provided by the U.S. Census Bureau. At time of RFP release, 2020 was the most recent estimated population.

7.2 The optional services may be selected by an individual jurisdiction or multiple jurisdictions.

These optional services shall not be required by any means, but are simply additional services for jurisdictions to elect on a case-by-case basis. If the pricing table in Appendix D Cost Proposal does not fit the fee structure for a service, offeror may provide details in its own table or in a written description below.

7.3 The Offerors ESInet and NGCS solution has the potential to expand to other PSAPs in the

State of Maryland, the Commonwealth of Virginia the District of Columbia, and other 911 Authorities authorized to use this procurement process. The offeror should provide NGCS- ESInet Base Costs for adding other potential PSAPs, Regions, States to this solution offering.

Offerors shall describe whether expanding the solution to an entire state(s) would provide additional cost efficiencies to the NCR PSAPs. Offerors may provide these optional fees in its own pricing table, with tiers of population volume and PSAP size.

http://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045215/00

8 CONSULTATION SERVICES:

8.1 The Contractor’s staff must be available for consultation with County staff on an as-needed basis between 8:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.

9 PRICING:

9.1 The subsequent contract will be a firm-fixed price agreement. The fee(s) will remain firm and will include all charges that may be incurred in fulfilling the requirements of the contract during the first 365 days. Changes in cost for any subsequent contract years may be based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), or other relevant indices as determined solely by the Procurement Agent and shall not exceed a five percent (5%) increase. Annual recurring maintenance fees associated with all software shall not increase costs beyond the CPI for a given year and shall not exceed a five percent (5%) increase.

9.2 The request for a change in the unit price shall include as a minimum, (1) the cause for the adjustment; (2) proposed effective date; and, (3) the amount of the change requested with documentation to support the requested adjustment (i.e., appropriate Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index (CPI-U), change in manufacturer's price, etc.).

9.3 Price decreases shall be made in accordance with paragraph 40 of the General Conditions

& Instructions to Offerors. (Appendix A)

10 TRADE SECRETS/PROPRIETARY INFORMATION:

10.1 Trade secrets or proprietary information submitted by an offeror in connection with a procurement transaction shall not be subject to public disclosure under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act; however, offerors must invoke the protections of this section prior to or upon submission of the data or other materials.

10.2 The offeror must identify the data or other materials to be protected and state the reasons why protection is necessary. Disposition of material after award(s) should be stated by the offeror.

10.3 Request for Protection of Trade Secrets or Proprietary Information (Attachment A3) is provided as a courtesy to assist offerors desiring to protect trade secrets or proprietary information from disclosure under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.

10.4 The classification of an entire proposal document, line item prices, and/or total proposal prices as proprietary or trade secrets is not acceptable and may result in rejection of the proposal.

11 CONTACT FOR CONTRACTUAL MATTERS:

11.1 All communications and requests for information and clarifications shall be directed to the following procurement official:

Yong Kim, CPPB, Contract Specialist III Department of Procurement and Material Management Telephone: (703) 324-3217; TTY: 711 E-mail: yong.kim@fairfaxcounty.gov

11.2 No attempt shall be made by any offeror to contact members of the Selection Advisory Committee (SAC) about this procurement (see paragraph 16.3).

mailto:yong.kim@fairfaxcounty.gov

12 REQUIRED SUBMITTALS:

12.1 Each Offeror responding to this RFP should supply all the documentation required in the RFP. Failure to provide documentation with the Offeror's response to the RFP may result in the disqualification of the Offeror's proposal.

12.2 Failure to sign “Attachment B” (Affirmation of Legally Required Contract Terms) may result in rejection of the offeror’s proposal.

13 ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION OF PROPOSAL:

13.1 Proposals must be received electronically through Fairfax County’s online Procurement Portal at: https://fairfaxcounty.bonfirehub.com, on or before the Submittal Deadline.

Submissions will only be accepted through the portal. Fairfax County will not accept proposals submitted by paper, telephone, facsimile (“FAX”) transmission, or electronic mail (i.e., e-mail) in response to this RFP. Proposal submissions and registration are free of charge. Offerors can register for a free account at: https://fairfaxcounty.bonfirehub.com, which will be required when preparing a submission. Documents may be uploaded at any time during the open period. The official time used for receipt of proposals/modifications is the time stamp within the Euna (Bonfire) portal. No other clocks, calendars or timepieces are recognized. For technical questions related to a submission contact Bonfire at support.bonfire@eunasolutions.com or click on the link “Contact Bonfire Support here” under Need Help?. (Note: it takes an average of sixteen (16) minutes to an hour for a response). Therefore, offerors shall take the necessary steps to submit their proposals in advance.

13.2 If, at the time of the scheduled proposal closing Fairfax County Government is closed due to inclement weather or another unforeseeable event, the proposal closing will still proceed electronically through the Euna (Bonfire) system.

13.3 Technical Information: Uploading large documents may take time, depending on the size of the file(s) and your Internet connection speed. You will receive an email confirmation receipt with a unique confirmation number once you finalize your submission. Minimum system requirements for the Bonfire portal - Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, or Mozilla Firefox.

Javascript must be enabled. Browser cookies must be enabled.

13.4 It is the Offeror's responsibility to clearly identify and to describe the services being offered in response to the Request for Proposal. Offerors are cautioned that organization of their response, as well as thoroughness is critical to the County's evaluation process. The RFP forms must be completed legibly and in their entirety; and all required supplemental information must be furnished and presented in an organized, comprehensive and easy to follow manner.

13.5 Unnecessarily elaborate brochures of other presentations beyond that sufficient to present a complete and effective proposal is not desired.

13.6 By executing the cover sheet (DPMM32), Offeror acknowledges that they have read this Request for Proposal, understand it, and agree to be bound by its terms and conditions.

14 ADDENDA:

14.1 Offerors are reminded that changes to the proposal, in the form of addenda, are often issued between the issue date and within three (3) days before the due date. All addenda shall be signed and submitted as instructed on the addenda.

14.2 The last day and time to submit questions to be addressed in an addendum is by January 30, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. eastern time. All questions pertaining to this RFP shall be submitted to dpmmteam1@fairfaxcounty.gov.

mailto:support.bonfire@eunasolutions.com mailto:dpmmteam1@fairfaxcounty.gov

14.3 Notice of addenda will be posted on eVA and Euna (Bonfire). It is the Offeror’s responsibility to monitor the web page for the most current addenda at https://fairfaxcounty.bonfirehub.com.

15 PROPOSAL ACCEPTANCE PERIOD:

15.1 Any proposal submitted in response to this solicitation shall be valid for two hundred seventy

(270) days. At the end of the days the proposal may be withdrawn at the written request of the offeror. If the proposal is not withdrawn at that time it remains in effect until an award is made or the solicitation is canceled.

16 BASIS FOR AWARD:

16.1 This RFP is being utilized for competitive negotiation. Under the competitive negotiation process, a contract may be awarded to the responsible offeror whose proposal is determined to be the most advantageous to the County, taking into consideration price and the evaluation factors set forth in the RFP. The County reserves the right to make multiple awards as a result of this solicitation.

16.2 A Selection Advisory Committee (“SAC”) has been established to review and evaluate all proposals submitted in response to this RFP. The SAC shall conduct a preliminary evaluation of all proposals on the basis of the information provided with the proposal, and the evaluation criteria listed below. Based upon this review, the cost proposals of the highest rated offeror(s) will then be reviewed.

16.3 Following completion of the technical and cost proposal evaluations, the County may select a limited number of the highest-ranked offerors to participate in interoperability and cybersecurity testing using a third-party as outlined in below in Special Provisions, paragraph

16.5.2. The County anticipates conducting interoperability and cybersecurity testing with no more than six (6) offerors, subject to the availability of funding and County resources. The County reserves the right to limit the number of offerors required to participate in testing, or to waive testing altogether, if determined to be in the County’s best interest. Failure to successfully complete the required interoperability and cybersecurity testing, as determined by the County in its sole discretion, may result in the offeror being eliminated from further consideration. Participation in testing shall be at no additional cost to the County.

16.4 No Offeror, including any of their representatives, subcontractors, affiliates and interested parties, shall contact any member of the SAC or any person involved in the evaluation of the proposals. SAC members will refer any and all calls related to this procurement to the procurement official named in 11.1 above. Failure to comply with this directive may, at the sole discretion of the County, result in the disqualification of an offeror from the procurement process.

16.5 Should the County determine in writing and in its sole discretion that only one offeror is fully qualified, or that one offeror is clearly more highly qualified than the others under consideration, a contract may be negotiated and awarded to that offeror or offerors. The SAC may make appropriate recommendations to the County Purchasing Agent, if appropriate, prior to the actual award of contract.

16.6 Proposal Evaluation Criteria:

16.6.1 The following factors will be considered in the award of this contract(s):

Criteria Weighting

Technical Proposal: (65%)

1. General Requirements for Project Success 10%

2. Technical Requirements 30%

3. Support Requirements and SLA Integration 15%

4. References and Qualifications 10%

Cost Proposal: (35%)

5. Reasonableness of Cost 35%

Total 100%

16.6.2 Interoperability and Cybersecurity Testing Evaluation:

16.6.2.1 The RFP will require proposed vendors to coordinate the testing of their NGCS solutions (primarily for CyberSecurity adherence to appropriate NIST and i3 standards and also to test the ESRP and ECRF functional elements of the vendor’s NGCS/ESInet solution) in the Netmaker Communications Interoperability Lab. Details for the onboarding of an offeror’s solution into the lab are provided in Appendix G and some summarized information is immediately below:

1. Each vendor test cycle lasts approximately 30 calendar days.

2. Up to two vendors may test concurrently (depending on lab availability).

3. Fairfax County (Sponsor) and Ashburn Consulting, LLC (Prime) will coordinate sequencing

4. Each vendor shall complete a pre-test self-assessment using approved scripts and submit results via the Netmaker Communications Interoperability Lab portal (www.NMCLabs.net) prior to formal testing.

16.6.2.2 Results from the Interoperability Testing Process will be provided to the County evaluation Team.

16.6.2.3 An overview of the Interoperability Test, further detailed in Appendix G, Interoperability Testing Process, is shown below in Figure 3.

Figure 3 – Interoperability Testing Overview

16.7 Fairfax County reserves the right to make on-site visitations to assess the capabilities of individual offerors and to contact references provided with the proposal.

16.8 The County Purchasing Agent may arrange for discussions with firms submitting proposals, if required, for the purpose of obtaining additional information or clarification.

https://fairfaxcounty-my.sharepoint.com/personal/john_mcmurrer_fairfaxcounty_gov/Documents/H/A-911-System-Administrator/ESInet-2025/2025-Fairfax-County-NGCS-ESInet/www.NMCLabs.net

16.9 Offerors are advised that, in the event of receipt of an adequate number of proposals, which, in the opinion of the County Purchasing Agent, require no clarifications and/or supplementary information, such proposals may be evaluated without further discussion. Consequently, offerors should provide complete, thorough proposals with the offerors most favorable terms.

Should proposals require additional clarification and/or supplementary information, offerors should submit such additional material in a timely manner.

16.10 The SAC will then conduct a final evaluation of the proposals. Selection shall be made of two or more offerors deemed to be fully qualified and best suited among those submitting proposals, on the basis of the factors involved in the RFP, including price if so stated in the RFP. Negotiations shall then be conducted with each of the offerors so selected. The County will consider all cost and business terms to be negotiable and will not be artificially constrained by an Offeror's internal corporate policies. In short, Offerors that contend they lack flexibility because of their corporate policy on a particular negotiation item will face a significant disadvantage and may not be elevated to the final negotiation phase. After negotiations have been conducted with each offeror so selected, the County shall select the Offeror which, in its opinion, has made the best proposal, and shall award the contract to that Offeror.

16.11 Should the County determine in writing and in its sole discretion that only one offeror is fully qualified, or that one offeror is clearly more highly qualified than the others under consideration, a contract may be negotiated and awarded to that offeror or offerors. The SAC may make appropriate recommendations to the County Purchasing Agent, if appropriate, prior to the actual award of contract.

16.12 Proposals which, after discussion and submission of additional clarification and/or supplementary information, are determined to meet the specifications of this Request for Proposal will be classified as "acceptable". Proposals found not to be acceptable will be classified as "unacceptable" and no further discussion concerning same will be conducted.

16.13 The County may cancel this Request for Proposal or reject proposals at any time prior to an award, and is not required to furnish a statement of the reasons why a particular proposal was not deemed to be the most advantageous.

17 INSURANCE:

17.1 The Contractor is responsible for its work and every part thereof, and for all materials, tools, equipment, appliances, and property of any and all description used in connection therewith.

The Contractor assumes all risk of direct and indirect damage or injury to the property or persons used or employed on or in connection with the work contracted for, and of all damage or injury to any person or property wherever located, resulting from any action, omission, commission or operation under the contract.

17.2 The Contractor shall, during the continuance of all work under the contract provide the following:

a. Statutory Workers' Compensation and Employer's Liability insurance in limits of not less than $1,000,000 to protect the Contractor from any liability or damages for any injuries (including death and disability) to any and all of its employees, including any and all liability or damage which may arise by virtue of any statute or law in force within the Commonwealth of Virginia.

b. Commercial General Liability insurance in the amount of $1,000,000 per occurrence/ $2,000,000 in aggregate, to protect the Contractor, its sub-Contractors, and the interest of the County, its officers, employees and agents against any and all injuries to third parties, including bodily injury and personal injury, wherever located, resulting from any action or operation under the Contract or in connection with the contracted work.

c. Owned, non-owned, and hired Automobile Liability insurance, in the amount of $1,000,000 per occurrence/aggregate, including property damage, covering all owned, non-owned, borrowed, leased, or rented vehicles operated by the Contractor. In addition, all mobile equipment used by the Contractor in connection with the contracted work, will be insured under either a standard Automobile Liability policy, or a Commercial General Liability policy.

d. Cyber Insurance, in an amount not less than $5,000,000 per claim and annual aggregate, covering all acts, errors, omissions, negligence, and including infringement of intellectual property (except patent and trade secret) in the performance of services for or on behalf of the County hereunder. Contractor’s policy will provide for Data Security & Privacy “Cyber” coverage (including coverage for unauthorized access and use, failure of security, breach of confidential information, of privacy perils, as well as breach mitigation costs and regulatory coverage). Such insurance will be maintained in force at all times during the term of the agreement and for a period of two years thereafter for services completed during the term of the agreement.

e. Professional Liability Insurance in the amount of $1,000,000 per claim to cover each individual professional staff.

17.3 Liability Insurance “Claims Made” basis:

a. If the liability insurance purchased by the Contractor has been issued on a "claims made" basis, the Contractor must comply with the following additional conditions. The limit of liability and the extensions to be included as described previously in these provisions, remain the same.

b. The Contractor must either:

1. Agree to provide certificates of insurance evidencing the above coverage for a period of two years after final payment for the contract. This certificate shall evidence a "retroactive date" no later than the beginning of the Contractor's or sub-contractor's work under this contract, or

2. Purchase the extended reporting period endorsement for the policy or policies in force during the term of this contract and evidence the purchase of this extended reporting period endorsement by means of a certificate of insurance or a copy of the endorsement itself.

17.4 Liability insurance may be arranged by a combination of primary and excess or umbrella policies

17.5 Any deductibles and/or self-insured retentions greater than $50,000 must be disclosed to and approved by the County’s Risk manager prior to the commencement of services. Use of large deductibles and/or self-insured retentions will require proof of financial ability as determined by the County.

17.6 After a period of five-years from Agreement Date, the County may reasonably require higher limits of insurance or additional insurance coverage against other hazards for which insurance is reasonably obtainable and which, at the time, are commonly insured against in the case of similar properties conducting similar activities within the geographic area of the Property, whether or not such additional insurance requirements are otherwise described or contemplated herein.

17.7 The Contractor agrees to provide insurance issued by companies admitted within the

Commonwealth of Virginia, with the Best's Key Rating of at least A: VII.

17.8 European markets including those based in London, and the domestic surplus lines markets that operate on a non-admitted basis are exempt from this requirement provided that the Contractor's broker can provide financial data to establish that a market is equal to or exceeds the financial strengths associated with the A.M. Best's rating of A: VII or better.

17.9 The Contractor will provide an original, signed Certificate of Insurance citing the contract number and such endorsements as prescribed herein and The County of Fairfax, its officers, employees and agents shall be named as an “additional insured” for all liability policies and it shall be stated on the Insurance Certificate that this coverage “is primary to all other coverage the County may possess.”

17.10 The Contractor will secure and maintain all insurance certificates of its subcontractors, which shall be made available to the County on demand.

17.11 Contractor waives and must require (by endorsement or otherwise) all its insurers to waive subrogation rights against the County and other additional insureds for losses paid under the insurance policies required by this Contract or other insurance applicable to the Contractor or its subcontractors. The waiver must apply to all deductibles and/or self-insured retentions applicable to the required or any other insurance maintained by the Contractor or its subcontractors. Where permitted by law, Contractor must require similar written express waivers of subrogation and insurance clauses from each of its subcontractors.

17.12 The Contractor will provide on demand certified copies of all insurance policies related to the contract within ten business days of demand by the County. These certified copies will be sent to the County from the Contractor's insurance agent or representative.

17.13 No change, cancellation, or non-renewal shall be made in any insurance coverage without a

30-day written notice to the County. The Contractor shall furnish a new certificate prior to any change or cancellation date. The failure of the Contractor to deliver a new and valid certificate will result in suspension of all payments until the new certificate is furnished.

17.14 Compliance by the Contractor and all subcontractors with the foregoing requirements as to carrying insurance shall not relieve the Contractor and all subcontractors of their liabilities provisions of the contract.

17.15 Nothing contained in the specifications shall be construed as creating any contractual relationship between any subcontractor and the County. The Contractor is as fully responsible to the County for the acts and omissions of the subcontractors and of persons employed by the Contractor as it is for acts and omissions of person directly employed by Contractor.

17.16 Precaution shall be exercised at all times for the protection of persons (including employees) and property.

17.17 The Contractor and all subcontractors are to comply with applicable federal, state, and local occupational safety and health requirements, including, but not limited to, the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, Public Law 91-596, as it may apply to this contract.

18 METHOD OF ORDERING:

18.1 The County may use two (2) different methods of placing orders from the final contract:

Purchase Orders (PO’s) and approved County procurement cards.

18.2 Purchase Order (PO) may be issued to the contractor on behalf of the County agency ordering the items/services covered under this contract. An issued PO will become part of the resulting contract. The purchase order indicates that sufficient funds have been obligated as required by Title 15.2-1238 of the Code of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

18.3 Procurement Card orders and payments may also be made by the use of a Fairfax County or Fairfax County Public Schools “Procurement” Card. The Procurement Card is currently a Master Card. Contractors are encouraged to accept this method of receiving orders.

18.4 Regardless of the method of ordering used, solely the contract and any modification determine performance time and dates.

18.5 Performance under this contract is not to begin until receipt of the purchase order, Procurement Card order, or other notification to proceed by the County Purchasing Agent and/or County agency to proceed. Purchase requisitions shall not be used for placing orders.

19 REPORTS AND INVOICING:

19.1 The selected NGCS Contractors shall conduct at least one (1) annual in-person or virtual meeting with the 911 Authority’s designated representatives to provide comprehensive updates on the project’s progress and enhancements. These meetings shall include, but not limited to:

• A detailed review of key project milestones achieved during the reporting period, including any deviations from the original timeline, associated risks, migration strategies, and projected timelines for remaining deliverables.

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