2025-2026_Fiber_Maintenance_Splicing_Services_RFP.pdf

This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

ISSUED DATE: June 11, 2025

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Central Florida Electric Cooperative, Inc. is seeking proposals from qualified contractors to provide Fiber

Maintenance Splicing Services for 2025-2026. This document is a request for proposal for the scope of work described below. This RFP establishes minimum requirements a bidder must meet to be eligible for consideration as well as information to be included in the Contractor’s bid response.

TERRITORY DESCRIPTION

Central Florida Electric Cooperative, Inc., is an electric distribution Cooperative in north central Florida, serving 36,936 active services as of year-end, 2024. The Cooperative maintains 4,039 miles of overhead distribution line, 400 miles of underground distribution line, and 43 miles of transmission line in Alachua, Dixie, Gilchrist, and Levy Counties. The Cooperative operates 16 distribution substations, purchasing power at 69 kV from Seminole Electric Cooperative, Inc., a statewide cooperative power supplier.

The Cooperative’s service territory, located in the “Big Bend” area of Florida, is flanked by the Gulf of

Mexico on the west; Tri-County and Clay ECI’s to the north and northeast, respectively; and Sumter and

Withlacoochee ECI’s to the south and southeast, respectively. The majority of the area is rural where small farms, multiple dairies, and timberlands are the predominant land usage. There are several small towns within the service area, along with some “pockets” of residential development. The service area is bisected by U.S. Highway 19 & 98, which runs from the northwest to the southeast, and by U.S. Highway 27A, which runs west to east.

BID SUBMISSION

All proposals should be submitted through the VendorLink portal where the opportunity was broadcast.

Proposals are due by 3:00 p.m. on July 11, 2025.

GENERAL QUESTIONS

CFEC will entertain questions for clarification until June 25, 2025, at 3:00 pm. All questions must be submitted in writing by email to cbeauchamp@cfec.com. No questions will be answered after that date.

Central Florida Electric Cooperative, Inc.

PO Box 9, Chiefland, FL 32644

11491 NW 50th Ave, Chiefland, FL 32626 mailto:cbeauchamp@cfec.com

PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

• Submittal of Certificate of Insurance

• Submittal of Resume

• Submittal of (3) Letters of Reference

• Completion of CFEC’s attached mandatory rate sheets

• Completion of Exhibit “A”

INSURANCE

Contractor shall, at its own cost and expense, procure and maintain in full force and effect during the term of this Agreement, policies of insurance, of the types and in the minimum amounts stated herein, with responsible insurance carriers duly qualified in those states (locations) where the Services are to be performed, covering the operations of Contractor, pursuant to this Agreement.

TYPES OF INSURANCE

Required

(X)

LIMITS OF LIABILITY

(Minimum Amounts)

Comprehensive or Commercial General

Liability and Third-Party Property

Damage

X $1,000,000 per occurrence, $3,000,000 aggregate

Excess Liability insurance X $2,000,000 per occurrence, $2,000,000 aggregate

Comprehensive or Business Automobile

Liability; Personal Injury (including bodily injury) and Third-Party Property

Damage

X $1,000,000 per occurrence, $3,000,000 aggregate

Workers' Compensation X Statutory limits

Employer’s Liability X $500,000 per accident

Professional Errors and Omissions

Insurance

N/A

CFEC shall be named as an additional insured in such policies which shall contain standard cross liability clauses. The contractor shall cause the liability it assumed under this Agreement to be specifically insured under the contractual liability section of the liability insurance policies. The liability policy shall be primary without the right of contribution from any insurance by CFEC. Such policies shall require that CFEC be given not less than thirty (30) days prior written notice of any cancellation thereof or material change therein.

CFEC shall have the right to request an adjustment of Limits of Liability for General Liability and Errors and Omissions Insurance as Contractor’s exposure to CFEC increases (i.e. if Contractor’s annual payment is expected to be $2,000,000 then $1,000,000 limits are no longer adequate). Such policies shall provide coverage for CFEC during the term of this Agreement and up to and until the expiration of any applicable statute of limitations applicable to the occurrences triggering any of the insurance, indemnification, subrogation, and defense clauses included in this Agreement.

Upon CFEC’s request, Contractor shall provide CFEC with certificates of insurance evidencing all of the above coverage, including all special requirements specifically noted above, and shall provide CFEC with certificates of insurance evidencing renewal or substitution of such insurance thirty (30) days prior to the effective date of such renewal or substitution.

CHANGES, INTERPRETATIONS, QUESTIONS

CFEC reserves the right to cancel a solicitation at any time prior to the execution of a resulting contract.

The decision to cancel a solicitation cannot be the basis for a protest.

CFEC reserves the right to request clarification of information submitted and to request additional information of any Respondent. Any such request should not be construed by a Respondent as an indication of the selection to provide proposed services.

Any proposal may be withdrawn until the date and time set above for the submission of the proposals. Any proposal not so withdrawn shall constitute an irrevocable offer, for a period of 90 days, to provide to CFEC the services set forth in this RFP, or until one or more of the proposals have been awarded.

Respondents shall not direct any queries or statements concerning their proposal to CFEC staff during the selection process, from the time of submission of a proposal until the execution of a contract. Any respondent who initiates any discussions with staff in any manner other than that described below is subject to disqualification from this procurement. No oral interpretation of this RFP shall be considered binding.

EVALUATION AND AWARD

CFEC will evaluate and rank the most advantageous proposals and make a selection for contract negotiation and award. The selected Respondent(s) will be notified in writing with an intent to award letter. CFEC reserves the right to award the contract to someone other than the lowest price offeror.

Award criteria may include, but is not necessarily limited, to the Contractor’s background and experience in performing requested services, availability, and best financial value.

Each proposal will be evaluated individually and in the context of all other proposals. Proposals must be fully responsive to the requirements described in this RFP and to any subsequent requests for clarification or additional information made by CFEC through written addenda to this RFP. Proposals failing to comply with the submission requirements, or those unresponsive to any part of this RFP, may be disqualified. There is no obligation on the part of CFEC to award the proposal to the lowest-priced Respondent, and CFEC reserves the right to award the contract to the Respondent(s) submitting the best overall responsive proposal which is most advantageous to and in the best interest of CFEC consistent with the evaluation criteria. CFEC shall be the sole judge of the proposals that are in the best interests.

A Selection Committee appointed by CFEC will evaluate and rank each Proposal per the evaluation criteria listed below. Scoring will be based on a 100 point-scale. To be considered “qualified,” a Respondent must receive a minimum of 70 points.

• Cost/Price (0-30)

• Prior Experience (0-20)

• References (0-20)

• Technical Merit (0-15)

• Responsiveness to Proposal (0-15)

RFP TIMETABLE

The anticipated schedule for this RFP and contract approval is as follows:

Question Deadline June 25, 2025 –3:00 p.m.

Proposal Due Date and Time July 11, 2025 – 3:00 p.m.

Proposal Evaluation Date July 16, 2025

Contract Award Date July 21, 2025

SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

Respondents shall provide a summary regarding their ability to deliver the requested services in a specific timeframe, including a proposed project timeline. Information regarding dedicated staff and current workload should be provided. Resumes of key personnel should also be included. Resumes should not exceed two pages per person. Resumes should include a description of:

• Training, education, and degrees.

• Related experience and for whom.

• Professional certifications, licenses, and affiliations.

Respondents shall provide three letters of reference demonstrating their experience and/or skill with similar projects. Prior experience and skills with other rural electric cooperatives are desirable.

DEFAULT, TERMINATION, LITIGATION, DEBARMENT, ETC.

Respondents should provide a summary of any default, termination, litigation, or debarment against, or which named the Respondent in the past five (5) years which is related to the goods and/or services sought in this RFP or that Respondent otherwise provides in the regular course of business. The summary shall state the nature of the default, termination, litigation, or debarment and a brief description of the outcome or projected outcome, and the monetary amount involved. If none, state as such.

DRUG FREE WORKPLACE

CFEC is a Drug Free Workplace. CFEC also requires its Contractors to be drug free and have their employees periodically drug tested by Contractor.

SCOPE OF SERVICES

• The Scope of Work is amended to add the following services and fees for Maintenance Splicing.

• Deliverables and Fees o Splicing Services: Fusion splicing of optical fibers in accordance with industry standards and manufacturer specifications.

o Testing and Maintenance: End-to-end, reel testing, splice loss testing, and other specified tests.

o Preventative Maintenance: Routine inspections, cleaning, and testing of splices and related infrastructure.

o Coordination: Notifying relevant parties (e.g., 811) before any digging.

o Documentation: Deliver splicing documentation (testing documentation, light levels) o Equipment and Materials: Providing necessary equipment, tools, and materials for maintenance and repair, including splice closures and related components.

o Maximum 40 hours per week on average (substitute personnel will need to be provided due to vacation or illness) o Emergency Repair: Respond to and repair fiber optic cable breaks, damage, and splicing issues on a 24/7/365 basis.

▪ Additional techs needed with respect to emergency outages may be invoiced using a separate units based Splicing Service Agreement.

▪ Standby / Emergency call out for after hours, weekends, and holidays will need to be covered under the agreement with the inclusion of a service level agreement outlining response time expectations. Organizations that have the ability to have technicians during Standby / Emergency call out situations on the job site withing

2 hours ready to begin work will be preferred and those that will be able to have technicians on the job site within 4 hours ready to begin work will be reviewed / considered.

• Positions / Duties o Maintenance Positions

▪ This work only pertains from the NID to the hut. Routine Maintenance and add-ons

(2 techs, 2 trucks); includes tap swaps, tap add-ons, extensions, splice damaged drops, ONT replacements, low light or no light issues. Additionally, the positions will need to be qualified and have the ability to work together during testing, troubleshooting, providing OTDR Support, while assisting additional technicians in identifying cable damage to minimize outage times and reporting/project admin responsibilities. Other duties as requested.

▪ Cooperative personnel will provide management / scheduling of routine maintenance and add-ons including the tracking of material usage / resource allocation.

• Unless otherwise indicated in this Scope of Services, all services performed under this contract shall be paid in accordance with this Proposal.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

The contractor shall supervise and direct the work, using skilled labor and proper equipment for all tasks.

The safety of the contractor’s personnel and equipment is the responsibility of the contractor.

The contractor shall provide contact information for all key personnel to CFEC that shall include name, phone number, cell phone number, and email address. The contractor and its agents shall respond in a timely manner to all CFEC inquiries at all times.

WORK SCHEDULE

Maximum 40 hours per week on average (substitute personnel will need to be provided due to vacation or illness)

Emergency Repair: Respond to and repair fiber optic cable breaks, damage, and splicing issues on a 24/7/365 basis.

CFEC observes the following holidays (no work outside of outages will be allowed on these holidays to prevent disturbances to our members):

New Year’s Day Independence Day

Memorial Day

Martin Luther King Day

Christmas Eve Day

Christmas Day

Thanksgiving Day Labor Day

Friday following Thanksgiving Day

Veteran’s Day

If any holiday falls on Saturday, it shall be observed the Friday preceding the holiday, and if any holiday falls on Sunday, it shall be observed the following Monday.

OPTION FOR EXTENSION

CFEC may, at its discretion, extend the contract term by written notice to the contractor within ten (10) days of the contract expiration date, provided that CFEC gives the contractor a preliminary written notice of its intent to extend at least 60 days before the contract expires. The preliminary notice does not commit the contractor to an extension.

Fiber Maintenance Splicing Services

2025 Rate Sheet

Company Name: ___________________________________________________

WORK TYPE CODE DESCRIPTION PRICING UOM

Fiber Splice HO1 Fusion splice per fiber (mainline only) each

Fiber Splicing Misc. HO1T Test fiber after splicing – per fiber each

Fiber Splicing Misc. HAFO (A)

Prep and Place aerial splice enclosure equivalent of Commscope OFDC (up to 24 count) each

Fiber Splicing Misc. HAFO (B)

Prep and Place aerial splice enclosure equivalent of Tyco “B” (from 25 count up to 48 count) each

Fiber Splicing Misc. HAFO (C)

Prep and Place aerial splice enclosure equivalent of Tyco “C” (from 49 count up to 96 count) each

Fiber Splicing Misc.

HAFO

(D)

Prep and Place aerial splice enclosure equivalent of Tyco “D” (from 97 count up to 144 count) each

Fiber Splicing Misc. HBFO (A)

Prep and place underground splice enclosure equivalent of Commscope OFDC (up to 24 count) each

Fiber Splicing Misc. HBFO (B)

Prep and Place underground splice enclosure equivalent of Tyco "B" (from 25 count up to 48 count) each

Fiber Splicing Misc. HBFO (C)

Prep and Place underground splice enclosure equivalent of Tyco "C" (from 49 count up to 96 count) each

Fiber Splicing Misc. HBFO (D)

Prep and Place underground splice enclosure equivalent of Tyco “D” (from 97 count up to 144 count) each

Fiber Splicing Misc. PMSR Install storage rack 12' from ground each

Fiber Splicing Misc. PMSR-S

Adder for banding storage rack 12' from ground on steel or concrete pole each

Fiber Splicing Misc. PMSL Install fiber storage utilizing 2 snowshoes each

Fiber Splicing Misc.

RE

ENTER Enclosure re-entry each

Fiber Splicing Misc. Tap-S

Adder for banding tap pole mount bracket to steel or concrete pole each

Fiber Splicing Misc. OFFA

Adder for splicing off system aerial location regardless of splice type (tap, lateral, butt splice, or any combination), for strand mount locations each

Splice Closure

HAFO

(2T)

Prep and place aerial TAP enclosure 2 Port (in Tyco A, B or OFDC closure) each

Splice Closure

HAFO

(4T)

Prep and Place aerial TAP enclosure 4 Port (in Tyco A, B or OFDC closure) each

Splice Closure

HAFO

(8T)

Prep and Place aerial TAP enclosure 8 Port (in Tyco A, B or OFDC closure) each

Splice Closure

HBFO

(2T)

Prep and place underground TAP enclosure 2 Port (in Tyco A, B or OFDC closure) each

Splice Closure

HBFO

(4T)

Prep and Place underground TAP enclosure 4 Port (in Tyco A, B or OFDC closure) each

Splice Closure

HBFO

(8T)

Prep and Place underground TAP enclosure 8 Port (in Tyco A, B or OFDC closure) each

Emergency/Standby EAS-S

Emergency Restoration hourly rate for troubleshooting (1 tech, 1 truck);

includes non-productive time/downtime waiting on restoration crews/standby hours per hour

Fiber Maintenance Splicing Services

2026 Rate Sheet

Company Name: ____________________________________________________

WORK TYPE CODE DESCRIPTION PRICING UOM

Fiber Splice HO1 Fusion splice per fiber (mainline only) each

Fiber Splicing Misc. HO1T Test fiber after splicing – per fiber each

Fiber Splicing Misc. HAFO (A)

Prep and Place aerial splice enclosure equivalent of Commscope OFDC (up to 24 count) each

Fiber Splicing Misc. HAFO (B)

Prep and Place aerial splice enclosure equivalent of Tyco “B” (from 25 count up to 48 count) each

Fiber Splicing Misc. HAFO (C)

Prep and Place aerial splice enclosure equivalent of Tyco “C” (from 49 count up to 96 count) each

Fiber Splicing Misc.

HAFO

(D)

Prep and Place aerial splice enclosure equivalent of Tyco “D” (from 97 count up to 144 count) each

Fiber Splicing Misc. HBFO (A)

Prep and place underground splice enclosure equivalent of Commscope OFDC (up to 24 count) each

Fiber Splicing Misc. HBFO (B)

Prep and Place underground splice enclosure equivalent of Tyco "B" (from 25 count up to 48 count) each

Fiber Splicing Misc. HBFO (C)

Prep and Place underground splice enclosure equivalent of Tyco "C" (from 49 count up to 96 count) each

Fiber Splicing Misc. HBFO (D)

Prep and Place underground splice enclosure equivalent of Tyco “D” (from 97 count up to 144 count) each

Fiber Splicing Misc. PMSR Install storage rack 12' from ground each

Fiber Splicing Misc. PMSR-S

Adder for banding storage rack 12' from ground on steel or concrete pole each

Fiber Splicing Misc. PMSL Install fiber storage utilizing 2 snowshoes each

Fiber Splicing Misc.

RE

ENTER Enclosure re-entry each

Fiber Splicing Misc. Tap-S

Adder for banding tap pole mount bracket to steel or concrete pole each

Fiber Splicing Misc. OFFA

Adder for splicing off system aerial location regardless of splice type (tap, lateral, butt splice, or any combination), for strand mount locations each

Splice Closure

HAFO

(2T)

Prep and place aerial TAP enclosure 2 Port (in Tyco A, B or OFDC closure) each

Splice Closure

HAFO

(4T)

Prep and Place aerial TAP enclosure 4 Port (in Tyco A, B or OFDC closure) each

Splice Closure

HAFO

(8T)

Prep and Place aerial TAP enclosure 8 Port (in Tyco A, B or OFDC closure) each

Splice Closure

HBFO

(2T)

Prep and place underground TAP enclosure 2 Port (in Tyco A, B or OFDC closure) each

Splice Closure

HBFO

(4T)

Prep and Place underground TAP enclosure 4 Port (in Tyco A, B or OFDC closure) each

Splice Closure

HBFO

(8T)

Prep and Place underground TAP enclosure 8 Port (in Tyco A, B or OFDC closure) each

Emergency/Standby EAS-S

Emergency Restoration hourly rate for troubleshooting (1 tech, 1 truck);

includes non-productive time/downtime waiting on restoration crews/standby hours per hour

EXHIBIT “A”

AFFIDAVIT OF CORPORATE OWNERSHIP RFP

I, know all men by these presents that “Contractor’s Name,” hereafter called the “Contractor” as principal, do certify the following in regard to Central Florida Electric Cooperative, Inc., hereafter called the “Owner” in connection with the project described in the scope of services.

1. That the contractor, its proprietor, any partners, or stockholders are NOT an employee of the Owner and are NOT or HAVE NEVER BEEN on the Owner’s Board of Trustees; and

2. That the contractor, its proprietors, any partners, or stockholders are NOT immediately related to any employee of the Owner or the Owner’s current Board of Trustees other than those listed below

(immediately related means grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, and corresponding in-laws). Check “yes” or “no” accordingly. By listing individuals, it is understood that this subject action may disqualify the contractor from entering any contractual agreement with the Owner.

Relationship Yes No

Contractor Employee Relationship

% Owner

Owner

Employee

Relative