24-RQ220144-NM NC DPI RFP Lite E-RATE Category Two 10.2.26.pdf

August 5, 2026

OFFER AND ACCEPTANCE

The State seeks offers for the Software, Services and/or goods described in this solicitation. The State’s acceptance of any offer must be demonstrated by execution of the acceptance found below and any subsequent Request for Best and Final Offer, if issued. Acceptance shall create a contract having an order of precedence as follows: In cases of conflict between documents comprising the contract, the order of precedence shall be (1) Best and Final Offers, if any, (2) special terms and conditions specific to this Request for Proposal-RFP Lite, (3) specifications, (4) Department of Information Technology Terms and Conditions of this RFP Lite, and (5) the agreed portions of the awarded Vendor’s offer. No contract shall be binding on the State until an encumbrance of funds has been made for payment of the sums due under the contract.

EXECUTION

In compliance with this RFP Lite and subject to all the conditions herein, the undersigned offers and agrees to furnish any or all Services or goods upon which prices are offered, at the price(s) offered herein, within the time specified herein. By executing this offer, I certify that this offer is submitted competitively and without collusion.

Failure to execute/sign offer prior to submittal shall render offer invalid. Late offers are not acceptable.

OFFEROR:

STREET ADDRESS: P.O. BOX: ZIP:

CITY, STATE & ZIP: PHONE:

NAME & TITLE OF PERSON SIGNING: E-MAIL:

AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE: DATE:

Offer valid for three hundred and sixty five (365) days from date of offer opening unless otherwise stated here: ____ days

Offers will be publicly opened:

November 6, 2026 at 10:00 AM ET NC DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

Division of Digital Learning and Technology Services Issue Date: October 2, 2026

Refer ALL inquiries regarding this RFP Lite to:

Nicole Mathis procurement@dpi.nc.gov

Commodity Number: 4319-Communication Devices and Accessories; 4322-Data Voice or Multimedia Network Equipment Platform; 811617 Telecommunication Services

Description: E-RATE CATEGORY TWO

Using Agency: Department of Public Instruction

See page 6 for offer submittal. Requisition No.: RQ220144

RFP Lite # 24-RQ220144-NM August 5, 2026

ACCEPTANCE OF OFFER

If any or all parts of this RFP Lite are accepted, an authorized representative of Department of Public Instruction shall affix their signature hereto. A copy of this acceptance will be forwarded to the successful vendor(s).

FOR DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION USE ONLY

Offer accepted and contract awarded (Effective Date) ______________________.

By: _________________________________ Maurice “Mo” Green, Superintendent of Public Instruction (Authorized representative of NC Department of Public Instruction) By: __________________________________ Alexis Schauss, Chief Financial Officer of Public Instruction (Authorized representative of NC Department of Public Instruction)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 INTENT, USE, DURATION AND SCOPE

2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION

2.1. VENDOR QUESTIONS

2.2. ADDENDA

2.3. ELECTRONIC OFFER SUBMITTAL

2.4. BASIS FOR REJECTION

2.5. LATE OFFERS

2.6. NON-RESPONSIVE OFFERS

2.7. NOTICE TO VENDORS

2.8 E-PROCUREMENT SYSTEM

2.9. RESELLERS

2.10. POSSESSION AND REVIEW

2.11. BEST AND FINAL OFFERS (BAFO)

2.12. AWARD

2.13. POINTS OF CONTACT

2.14 SOURCE SELECTION

2.15 EVALUATION CRITERIA

2.16. RFP LITE AWARD

3.0 SPECIFICATIONS

3.1. VENDOR STANDARD AGREEMENT(S)

3.2. VENDOR UTILIZATION OF WORKERS OUTSIDE U.S. – DISCLOUSRE STATEMENT

3.3. E-VERIFY

3.4 REQUIREMENTS AND SPECIFICATIONS SPECIFIC TO THIS RFP LITE

3.4.1 REQUIREMENTS SPECIFIC TO THIS RFP LITE

3.4.2 SPECIFICATIONS SPECIFIC TO THIS RFP LITE

3.5. SECURITY SPECIFICATIONS

3.6 ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE SPECIFICATIONS

3.6.1 ARCHITECTURE DIAGRAMS - RESERVED

3.6.2 SOLUTION ROADMAP- RESERVED

3.6.3 IDENTITY AND ACCESS MANAGEMENT - RESERVED

3.6.4 INTEGRATION APPROACH - RESERVED

3.6.5 DISASTER RECOVERY AND BUSINESS CONTINUITY - RESERVED

3.6.6 DATA MIGRATION - RESERVED

3.6.7 APPLICATION MANAGEMENT - RESERVED

3.6.8 ACCESSIBILITY - RESERVED

3.7. BRAND SPECIFIC PRODUCT - RESERVED

3.8. DELIVERY

3.9. CONTRACT TERM

3.10 EFFECTIVE DATE

3.11 REFERENCES

3.12 PRODUCT RECALL

3.13 WARRANTY

4.0 FURNISH AND DELIVER

5.0 DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS

6.0 DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Section 1 . General Terms and Conditions Applicable to All Purchases Section 2: Terms and Conditions Applicable to Software as a Service (SaaS) Section 3: Terms and Conditions Applicable to Personnel and Personal Services

7.0 AGENCY SPECIAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

1. PROGRAM AND AGENCY TERMS

2. PURCHASING PROCESS RESULTING FROM THIS RFP LITE

3. COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE STANDARDS

4. INSTALLATION-RELATED DAMAGE AND REPAIRS

5. INSTALLATION TESTING AND VERIFICATION DOCUMENTATION

6. E-RATE AWARDED VENDOR OBLIGATIONS

1.0 INTENT, USE, DURATION AND SCOPE

The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) Lite is for NCDPI to establish one or more statewide convenience contracts with qualified E-Rate service providers from whom participating North Carolina PSUs and eligible libraries may competitively procure E-Rate Category Two products and services through subsequent mini-bids. No specific quantities are guaranteed under this solicitation.

Products and services available under the resulting contracts may include: eligible wireless access points and associated components; network switches and routing functionality; wireless controllers; UPS/battery backup equipment; eligible firewall and caching components; software and licenses necessary for operation of eligible internal connections; installation, activation and initial configuration; managed internal broadband services; basic maintenance and technical support; and structured copper and fiber cabling, associated components and installation services.

This solicitation establishes the eligible product/service categories, minimum technical and performance requirements, OEMs/product lines offered by each awarded vendor, minimum discounts from publicly available MSRP, and maximum rates for services. Individual PSUs and libraries will define site-specific quantities, configurations, performance needs and statements of work through subsequent mini-bid solicitations.

The awarded contracts will support PSU and library-led mini-bid procurements in accordance with the rules and requirements of the Federal Communications Commission’s E-Rate program. This contract is funded through receipts and is a cooperative purchasing agreement (see Section 7.0, 2.) for the PSUs. The NCDPI School Connectivity Division manages this contract on behalf of the PSUs and the E- Rate program.

Scope limited to E-Rate eligible Public School Units (PSU) and Public Libraries (collectively, PSU/Library):

This RFP will result in a Cooperative Purchasing Agreement pursuant to NC Session Law 2015-241 Section

8.14 for an indefinite quantity of Products or Services that may be used by a North Carolina E-Rate Eligible Public School Unit (PSU) or Library that is a member of the NCDPI E-Rate Consortia. Use is not mandatory by any North Carolina PSU/Library.

RFP INTENDED SCHEDULE OF PROCUREMENT

The table below shows the intended schedule for this RFP Lite. NCDPI will make every effort to adhere to this schedule.

Action Responsibility Date and Time

Issue RFP Lite NCDPI October 02, 2026 Deadline to Submit Written Questions Vendors October 16, 2026 at 10:00 AM ET Provide Responses to Questions NCDPI October 23, 2026 Submit Bids (Bid Deadline) Vendors November 06, 2026 at 10:00 AM ET

Public Bid Opening NCDPI November 06, 2026 at 10:00 AM ET See MS Teams Link Below under Public Bid Opening

Evaluate Offers NCDPI TBD Best and Final Offer Negotiations (if needed)

NCDPI and Finalist Vendors TBD

Award Contracts NCDPI TBD Deadline to Submit Protest Vendors 15 calendar days after award

PUBLIC BID OPENING

The public bid opening will occur virtually via the Microsoft Teams link below:

This meeting will be recorded for audit purposes only.

Microsoft Teams meeting Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/291813832583687?p=IURw53MKHs1q2CXOuw Meeting ID: 291 813 832 583 687 Passcode: MS7aB6kX

Need help? | System reference Dial in by phone +1 323-484-5095,,876288764# United States, Los Angeles Find a local number Phone conference ID: 876 288 764# For organizers: Meeting options | Reset dial-in PIN

2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION

2.1. VENDOR QUESTIONS

All inquiries regarding the solicitation specifications or requirements must be addressed to the contact person listed on Page One of this solicitation via the Ariba Sourcing Tool’s message board. Vendor contact regarding this Solicitation with anyone other than the contact person listed on Page One of this Solicitation may be grounds for rejection of said Vendor’s offer.

Written questions concerning this Solicitation will be received until October 16, 2026 at 10:00 AM ET.

They must be submitted to the contact person listed on Page One of this Solicitation via the sourcing tool messages. Please enter:

“Questions Solicitation 24-RQ220144-NM” as the subject for the message. Questions should be submitted in the following format:

QUESTION # RFP LITE SECTION,

SUBSECTION, PAGE

NUMBER

VENDOR QUESTION

2.2. ADDENDA

The Agency will issue an Addendum to provide a response to all questions received in accordance with Section 2.1-VENDOR QUESTIONS, above.

The Agency may also issue additional Addenda as needed to modify the specifications, requirements, terms and conditions, etc. Critical information may be included in these Addenda. It is important for Vendors to periodically check the website for any and all Addenda that may be issued prior to the bid opening date.

All Addenda will be posted on the electronic Vendor Portal (eVP) website at https://evp.nc.gov and will become Addenda to this solicitation.

https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/291813832583687?p=IURw53MKHs1q2CXOuw https://aka.ms/JoinTeamsMeeting?omkt=en-US https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_Y2Y0YTE2NTYtNzZkNi00NDUzLWI4MjktM2JmYTg2Mjc3NDNm%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22849e9c61-f0bb-4d83-ba5f-4b5337664cf7%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22ed189b1b-e632-41fa-9672-7943a6f70b10%22%7d tel:+13234845095,,876288764 https://dialin.teams.cloud.microsoft/5349f5a5-3431-4360-9428-3c6876460abe?id=876288764 https://teams.microsoft.com/meetingOptions/?organizerId=ed189b1b-e632-41fa-9672-7943a6f70b10&tenantId=849e9c61-f0bb-4d83-ba5f-4b5337664cf7&threadId=19_meeting_Y2Y0YTE2NTYtNzZkNi00NDUzLWI4MjktM2JmYTg2Mjc3NDNm@thread.v2&messageId=0&language=en-US https://dialin.teams.cloud.microsoft/usp/pstnconferencing https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fevp.nc.gov%2F&data=05%7C02%7Candrea.pacyna%40nc.gov%7C018d5d0a9c674f32cc4e08dee88fcd46%7C7a7681dcb9d0449a85c3ecc26cd7ed19%7C0%7C0%7C639203901504717360%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=WkoU%2B%2BBgXOaqIbsooR06hUlVLkGgHwNopOnDeIFRcE8%3D&reserved=0

2.3. ELECTRONIC OFFER SUBMITTAL

Due Date: November 6, 2026 Time: 10:00 AM ET

Sealed offers, subject to the conditions made a part hereof, will be received by the time and date specified above and then opened for furnishing and delivering the commodity as described herein. It is the Vendor’s sole responsibility to submit its offer by the specified time and date of opening.

The Vendor shall bear the risk for late electronic submission due to unintended or unanticipated delay including, but not limited to, internet issues, network issues, local power outages, or application issues.

No offers are able to be uploaded in Ariba after the deadline/bid opening date and time.

a) Submit one (1) signed, original electronic offer via the Ariba Sourcing Module. The Vendor to include the Execution Page 1 WITH the remaining pages of the solicitation in one PDF. The Execution Page 1 must be signed and dated by an official authorized to bind the Vendor’s firm. Failure to return a signed offer shall result in disqualification.

b) File names should identify the Vendor, solicitation, and document in that order (Vendor Name – Solicitation Number – Offer, etc.).

c) Files must not be password protected. They must be in .PDF, .JPEG, .DOC or .XLS format and capable of being copied to other sources. The Vendor’s offer may be deemed non-responsive if the Agency is unable to open the file(s).

d) If the offer contains any confidential information (as defined in the NCDIT Terms and Conditions, “CONFIDENTIALITY” Section), the Vendor must provide one (1) redacted electronic copy in addition to the original copy.

For Vendor training on how to use the Ariba Sourcing Tool to view solicitations, submit questions, develop responses, upload documents, and submit offers to the State, Vendors should go to the following site:

https://eprocurement.nc.gov/training/vendor-training

Questions or issues related to using the Ariba Sourcing Tool itself can be directed to the North Carolina eProcurement Help Desk at 888-211-7440, Option 2. Help Desk representatives are available Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST

2.4. BASIS FOR REJECTION

Pursuant to 9 NCAC 06B.0401, the State reserves the right to reject any and all offers, in whole or in part;

by deeming the offer unsatisfactory as to quality or quantity, delivery, price or service offered; non-compliance with the specifications or intent of this solicitation; lack of competitiveness; error(s) in specifications or indications that revision would be advantageous to the State; cancellation or other changes in the intended project, or other determination that the proposed requirement is no longer needed; limitation or lack of available funds; circumstances that prevent determination of the best offer;

or any other determination that rejection would be in the best interest of the State. Vendor contact regarding this RFP Lite with anyone other than Nicole Mathis may be grounds for rejection of said Vendor’s offer.

2.5. LATE OFFERS

Regardless of cause, late offers will not be accepted and will automatically be disqualified from further consideration. It shall be the Vendor’s sole risk to ensure delivery at the designated office by the designated time. Late offers will not be opened and may be returned to the Vendor at the expense of the Vendor or destroyed if requested.

https://eprocurement.nc.gov/training/vendor-training

2.6. NON-RESPONSIVE OFFERS

Vendor offers will be deemed non-responsive by the State and will be rejected without further consideration or evaluation if statements such as the following are included:

• “This offer does not constitute a binding offer”,

• “This offer will be valid only if this offer is selected as a finalist or in the competitive range”,

• “Vendor does not commit or bind itself to any terms and conditions by this submission”,

• “This document and all associated documents are non-binding and shall be used for discussion purposes only”,

• “This offer will not be binding on either party until incorporated in a definitive agreement signed by authorized representatives of both parties”, or

• A statement of similar intent.

Additionally, responses that do not include the following will be considered non-responsive:

• This entire solicitation document completed with vendor responses where indicated.

• Attachment A Proposal Cost Summary, with required fields completed (Excel Spreadsheet).

Attachment A is intended to be a summary of products/services being offered and their pricing. It is not to replace comprehensive pricing information required below.

• Attachment B completed Vendor Qualification, located at the bottom of this document.

• Detailed list of products/services being offered by the Vendor grouped by similar type/function, MSRP, description, SKU, and E-Rate eligibility percentage.

• Documents or data sheets detailing requirements and specifications, See Section 3.4.

• Vendors must show and provide certification proving they are authorized to sell and support the proposed equipment during the contract term, See Section 2.9.

• Vendors must demonstrate authorized access to support and warranty services for all products they offer, See Section 3.13.

• References, Section 3.11.

2.7. NOTICE TO VENDORS

The State objects to and will not be required to evaluate or consider any additional terms and conditions not previously agreed to by the State and submitted with an Offeror’s response. This applies to any language appearing in or attached to the document as part of the Offeror’s response. By execution and delivery of this RFP Lite and response(s), the Offeror agrees that any additional terms and conditions, whether submitted purposely or inadvertently, shall have no force or effect.

2.8 E-PROCUREMENT SYSTEM

The State utilizes the NC eProcurement (NCEP) system to process requisitions and issue purchase orders. See http://eprocurement.nc.gov/ and General Terms and Conditions, Electronic Procurement for more information.

a) It is the Vendor’s responsibility to read these provisions carefully and to consider them in preparing the response. By signature, the Vendor acknowledges acceptance of all provisions related to NCEP.

b) The transaction fee addressed in General Terms and Condition, Electronic Payment (currently at 1.75%) applies to the purchase of goods only. It does not apply to Vendor Hosted Solutions, IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, software maintenance/support services, or any other type of services.

c) If not already registered in NCEP, the Vendor must register within two (2) days after notification of contract award.

d) The Vendor must be current on all NCEP fees prior to submitting a response. Otherwise, the State may disqualify the Vendor from participating in this solicitation.

http://eprocurement.nc.gov/

2.9. RESELLERS

“Resellers” as used herein, refers to businesses that routinely sell or distribute Vendor’s Products, and may include “Distributors”, “Value Added Resellers” (VARs), “Original Equipment Manufacturers” (OEMs), Channel Partners, or such other designations. These businesses must be approved by the State prior to placement of any orders. Any contract established will be subject to this solicitation and any resulting Agreement(s), and to the terms and conditions of the State’s competitive bidding process.

The Agency acknowledges that the Reseller has merely purchased the Third-Party Items for resale or license to the Agency, and that the proprietary and intellectual property rights to the Third-Party Items are owned by parties other than the Reseller (“Third Parties”). The Agency further acknowledges that except for the payment to the Reseller for the Third-Party Items, all of its rights and obligations with respect thereto flow from and to the Third Parties. The Reseller shall provide the Agency with copies of all documentation and warranties for the Third-Party Items which are provided to the Reseller. The Reseller shall assign all applicable third-party warranties for Deliverables to the Agency.

Proposed OEMs offering Cloud Service Provider (CSP) software, platforms, or infrastructure shall maintain a current GovRAMP authorization at the CONFIDENTIAL level. The Reseller shall provide documentation demonstrating the OEM's current GovRAMP status at the time of proposal submission and this documentation shall be included in the manufacturer’s authority letter form the OEM.

The Reseller must identify the OEM and provide evidence of its authorization to resell the OEM's products and services. The OEM's GovRAMP status shall satisfy this requirement for the reseller.

Failure to provide documentation verifying the OEM's required GovRAMP status may result in the proposal being deemed non-responsive.

For Vendor Completion:

1. Vendor is the: ☐ Manufacturer ☐ Dealer ☐ Reseller ☐ Distributor

2. Authorized: ☐ Yes ☐ No

3. Attached Manufacturer’s Authority: ☐ Yes ☐ No

2.10. POSSESSION AND REVIEW

During the evaluation period and prior to award, possession of the bids and accompanying information is limited to personnel of the issuing agency, and to the committee responsible for participating in the evaluation. Vendors who attempt to gain this privileged information, or to influence the evaluation process (i.e. assist in evaluation) will be in violation of purchasing rules and their offer will not be further evaluated or considered.

After award of contract the complete bid file will be available to any interested persons with the exception of trade secrets, test information or similar proprietary information as provided by statute and rule. Any proprietary or confidential information, which conforms to exclusions from public records as provided by N.C.G.S. §132-1.2 must be clearly marked as such in the offer when submitted.

2.11. BEST AND FINAL OFFERS (BAFO)

The State may establish a competitive range based upon evaluations of offers, and request BAFOs from the Vendor(s) within this range; e.g. “Finalist Vendor(s)”. If negotiations or subsequent offers are solicited, the Vendor(s) shall provide BAFO(s) in response. Failure to deliver a BAFO when requested shall disqualify the non-responsive Vendor from further consideration. The State will evaluate BAFO(s), oral presentations, and product demonstrations as part of the Vendors’ respective offers to determine the final rankings.

2.12. AWARD

The State reserves the right to make partial, progressive or multiple awards: where it is advantageous to award separately by items; or where more than one supplier is needed to provide the contemplated specifications as to quantity, quality, delivery, service, geographical areas; and where other factors are deemed to be necessary or proper to the purchase in question.

A link to the NC electronic Vendor Portal (eVP) allows the public to retrieve contract award information electronically from the web site: https://evp.nc.gov/solicitations/ Results may be found by searching by RFP Lite number or agency name. This information may not be available for several weeks depending upon the complexity of the acquisition and the length of time to complete the evaluation process.

2.13. POINTS OF CONTACT

Contact by the Offeror with the persons shown below for contractual and technical matters related to this RFP Lite is only permitted if expressly agreed to by the purchasing lead named on page 4, or upon award of contract:

Vendor Contractual Point of Contact

Vendor Technical Point of Contact

Name of Vendor:__________________________ Street:__________________________________

City, State, Zip: ___________________________ Attn: ___________________________________

Email: __________________________________

Name of Vendor:__________________________

Street:__________________________________

City, State, Zip: ___________________________

Attn: ___________________________________

Email: __________________________________

2.14 SOURCE SELECTION

A trade-off/ranking method of source selection will be utilized in this procurement to allow the State to award this RFP Lite to the Vendor providing the Best Value and recognizing that Best Value may result in award other than the lowest price or highest technically qualified offer. By using this method, the overall ranking may be adjusted up or down when considered with or traded-off against other non-price factors.

a) Evaluation Process Explanation. State Agency employees will review all offers. All offers will be initially classified as being responsive or non-responsive. If an offer is found non-responsive, it will not be considered further. All responsive offers will be evaluated based on stated evaluation criteria.

Any references in an answer to another location in the RFP Lite or Offer shall have specific page numbers and sections stated in the reference.

b) To be eligible for consideration, Vendor’s offer must substantially conform to the intent of all specifications. Compliance with the intent of all specifications will be determined by the State. Offers that do not meet the full intent of all specifications listed in this RFP Lite may be deemed deficient.

Further, a serious deficiency in the offer to any one (1) factor may be grounds for rejection regardless of overall score.

c) The evaluation committee may request clarifications, an interview with or presentation from any or all Vendors as allowed by 9 NCAC 06B.0307. However, the State may refuse to accept, in full or partially, the response to a clarification request given by any Vendor. Vendors are cautioned that the evaluators are not required to request clarifications; therefore, all offers should be complete and https://evp.nc.gov/solicitations/ reflect the most favorable terms. Vendors should be prepared to send qualified personnel to Raleigh, North Carolina to discuss technical and contractual aspects of the offer.

Vendors are advised that the State is not obligated to ask for or accept after the closing date for receipt of offer, data that is essential for a complete and thorough evaluation of the offer.

2.15 EVALUATION CRITERIA

Evaluation shall include best value, as the term is defined in N.C.G.S. § 143-135.9(a)(1), compliance with information technology project management policies as defined by N.C.G.S. §143B-1340, compliance with information technology security standards and policies, substantial conformity with the specifications, and other conditions set forth in the solicitation. The following Evaluation Criteria are listed in Order of Importance.

1. Total cost of ownership; including but not limited to the cost of E-Rate fully or partially eligible products and/or services, based upon the average discount from list price percentage. (Attachment A and detailed list of products/services being offered by the Vendor will be evaluated.)

2. How well the Vendor’s offer conforms with the specifications.

3. How each Vendor’s offer compares with other Vendor offers.

4. Physical location of Vendor (and all third parties). Preference will be given to Vendors and third parties with physical business presence in or near the state of North Carolina. (Complete Attachment B)

5. Strength of references relevant and/or Vendor Past Performance. (The Vendor may be disqualified from any evaluation or award if the Vendor or any key personnel proposed, has previously failed to perform satisfactorily during the performance of any contract with the State, or violated rules or statutes applicable to public bidding in the State.)

2.16. RFP LITE AWARD

It is the general intent to award this contract to one Vendor. As provided by statute, award will be based on Best Value Analysis, in accordance with N.C.G.S. §143B-1350(h), which provides that the offer must be in substantial conformity with the specifications herein, and 09 NCAC 06B.0302.

A link to the eVP System allows the public to retrieve contract award information electronically from the Internet web site: Results may be found by searching by RFP Lite number or agency name. This information may not be available for several weeks depending upon the complexity of the acquisition and the length of time to complete the evaluation process.

3.0 SPECIFICATIONS

3.1. VENDOR STANDARD AGREEMENT(S)

The terms and conditions of Vendor’s standard license, maintenance or other agreement(s) applicable to Software and other Products acquired under this Agreement may apply to the extent such terms and conditions do not materially change the terms and conditions of this Agreement. In the event of any conflict between the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the Vendor’s standard agreement(s), the terms and conditions of this Agreement relating to audit and records, jurisdiction, choice of law, the State’s electronic procurement application of law or administrative rules, the remedy for intellectual property infringement and the exclusive remedies and limitation of liability in the Terms and Conditions herein shall apply in all cases and supersede any provisions contained in Vendor’s relevant standard agreement or any other agreement. The State shall not be obligated under any standard license and/or maintenance or other Vendor agreement(s) to indemnify or hold harmless the Vendor, its licensors, successors or assigns; nor arbitrate any dispute, nor pay late fees, legal fees or other similar costs.

3.2. VENDOR UTILIZATION OF WORKERS OUTSIDE U.S. – DISCLOUSRE STATEMENT

In accordance with the Statewide Information Security Manual (SISM), the State restricts the location of information systems that receive, process, store, or transmit State and Federal data to the United States which includes the following areas: US States, US Territories, US Embassies, and US Military installations (stateside or overseas). This restriction applies to the Vendor and to any subcontractors engaged to provide Services under this Agreement or with access to State Data. The Vendor must ensure that its subcontractor agreements contain the same restrictions and will be responsible for monitoring and enforcing subcontractor compliance at all times.

Pursuant to N.C.G.S. §143B-1361(b), the Vendor must complete and return this Disclosure Statement with its solicitation response. The Vendor may attach additional pages to its response if needed. The State of North Carolina will evaluate Disclosure Statement responses for additional risks, costs, and other factors associated with its service prior to making an award for any such Vendor’s offer. The Vendor must provide the following information in its bid response:

Vendor to complete (a.- e.) in their offer:

a. The location of work performed under a state contract by the Vendor, any subcontractors, employees, or other persons performing the contract and whether any of this work will be performed outside the United States.

Vendor to enter text here to answer this disclosure question:

b. The corporate structure and location of corporate employees and activities of the Vendor, its affiliates or any other subcontractors.

Vendor to enter text here to answer this disclosure question:

c. Vendor agrees to provide notice of the relocation of the Vendor, employees of the Vendor, subcontractors of the Vendor, or other persons performing Services under a state contract outside of the United States in the event such relocation occurs during the contract term.

Does Vendor agree to provide notice as defined above? YES NO

d. Vendor agrees that any Vendor or subcontractor providing call or contact center Services to the State of North Carolina shall disclose to inbound callers the location from which the call or contact center Services are being provided.

Does Vendor agree to provide disclosure as defined above? YES NO

e. Will any work under this contract be performed outside the United States? YES NO

The use of resources or workers located outside the United States is a critical security exception that must be escalated to the State Chief Information Officer for review pursuant to N.C.G.S. §143B-1376(c) and §143B-1320(c). These critical security exceptions are approved only in rare and extenuating circumstances. Vendor should account for this when preparing its response.

3.3. E-VERIFY

Pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 143B-1350(k), the State shall not enter into a contract unless the awarded Vendor and each of its subcontractors comply with the E-Verify requirements of N.C.G.S. Chapter 64, Article 2.

Vendors are directed to review the foregoing laws. Any awarded Vendor must submit a certification of compliance with E-Verify to the awarding agency, and on a periodic basis thereafter as may be required by the State.

3.4 REQUIREMENTS AND SPECIFICATIONS SPECIFIC TO THIS RFP LITE

The requirements and specifications contained in this section, together with the additional information requested in Attachment A, Proposal Cost Summary, establish the applicable requirements and specifications for the products and services offered under this solicitation.

Vendors shall identify the products and services they propose to offer by completing and submitting Attachment A, and all applicable technical, performance, configuration, service, and pricing information requested for each product or service category included in their offer.

Vendors shall review and address all applicable requirements and specifications contained in this section and complete all required fields in Attachment A. The information provided in Attachment A supplements, but does not replace, responses to requirements and specifications contained in this solicitation.

3.4.1 REQUIREMENTS SPECIFIC TO THIS RFP LITE

(a) Vendor shall include in its offer at least one (1) product/service of the following segments:

A. Segment A: Internal Connections (IC) B. Segment B: Managed Internal Broadband Services (MIBS) C. Segment C: Basic Maintenance of Eligible Broadband Internal Connections (BMIC) D. Segment D: Structured Cabling – Considered eligible under Internal Connections (IC)

For Segment A: Vendors will respond with a minimum of (1) and up to (5) OEM/brands. Determination of the OEM/brand and Sub Segment (See Attachment A) are the responsibility of the responding Vendor.

Example: Responding Vendor chooses (3) OEM brands of access points/switches and (2) UPS devices for a maximum total of (5). Negotiations between responding Vendors and chosen OEM/brands shall be completed before submitting an offer to this RFP Lite.

(b) All Vendor offers must comply with the following requirements:

I. Responses must only include E-Rate fully or partially eligible on-premises Network Equipment and services, with associated taxes and fees, that have been designated by the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Schools and Libraries Universal Service Support Mechanism (otherwise known as the E-Rate Program or “E-Rate”) as “Category Two” Broadband Internal Connections, Managed Internal Broadband Services, and Basic Maintenance of Eligible Broadband Internal Connections as defined by the FCC’s E-Rate Eligible Services List (ESL), which can be found at: https://www.usac.org/e-rate/applicant-process/before-you-begin/eligible-services-list/ (Note: products/services offered are not required to be 100% eligible. Partially eligible products/services can be offered.)

II. Offers cannot include any E-Rate “Category One” Products or Services.

https://www.usac.org/e-rate/applicant-process/before-you-begin/eligible-services-list/ https://www.usac.org/e-rate/applicant-process/before-you-begin/eligible-services-list/

III. All hardware included in an offer must be new, commercially available, and supported by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for a minimum of five (5) years from date of purchase.

Products that have reached end-of-life (EOL) status or for which the OEM has announced an end-of-support date that would prevent compliance with the five-year manufacturer support requirement shall not be included in the Vendor's offer.

All hardware furnished under any resulting contract shall comply with these requirements at the time of purchase.

3.4.2 SPECIFICATIONS SPECIFIC TO THIS RFP LITE

For any offers including the following types of products, where indicated, the offered products must meet or exceed applicable minimum technical specifications. Further, please describe or identify specific features where indicated. Vendors must also provide all applicable technical and product information requested in Attachment A.

I. Wireless Access Points (Segment A):

Minimum Technical Specifications:

1. IEEE 802.11 compliant, providing a minimum IEEE 802.11ax support as well as backward compatibility with all IEEE 802.11 in 2.4GHz and 5GHz standards.

2. Powered by the appropriate IEEE 802.3 standard required for full radio operation.

Requested information:

3. Describe how support is provided for the following:

a. Dual radio, 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, simultaneously; or software defined dual 5 Ghz radios.

b. Tri radio, 2.4Ghz, 5Ghz, 6GHz bands, simultaneously

c. 5GHz, specifically listing which of the bands are supported: UNII-1, UNII-2, UNII-2e and

UNII-3

d. Dynamic Frequency Selection

e. Multiple-In, Multiple-Out (MIMO) radio; multiple spatial stream design with a minimum capacity of 2x2:2

f. At least 2 spatial streams in the 5GHz band

g. Multiple SSIDs and per-SSID access policy

h. Per-client policy while using only one SSID

i. “Captive portal” or other facility to ensure Acceptable Use Policy is affirmed by end users

j. Rate limiting and traffic shaping of guest clients

k. Client isolation; prevent attached wireless devices from communicating directly with each other

l. Rogue AP detection

m. Multiple VLANs with assignable QoS

n. IEEE 802.1X Authentication and IEEE 802.11i WPA2/Enterprise cryptography

o. Layer 2 / 3 roaming/mobility without performance degradation or re-authentication required by clients (roaming within a single school, not LEA-wide)

p. Autonomous channel, power, and RF configuration based on dynamic environment changes

II. Routers / Switches (Segment A):

Minimum Technical Specifications:

1. Proposed switches are a Managed Ethernet Switch.

2. Hardware and software to comply with IEEE 802 Standards.

3. Equipment has the following Fixed and Modular configurations: Standalone, Stackable (backplane and/or virtual), and Chassis.

4. Offer and support both 24-port and 48-port models. Additional models with less ports can be offered.

5. Offer and support the following physical port speeds: 10/100/1000/10000 Mbps, at a minimum

6. Offer and support both copper and fiber ports, at a minimum; and

7. Offer and support both non-Power Over Ethernet (non-POE) and Power Over Ethernet (POE) options, at a minimum Requested information:

8. Describe and identify all cloud licensing required for full functionality.

III. Structured Cabling Installation and Verification Services (Segment D):

Vendors offering structured cabling installation and verification services shall identify the services included in their offers and provide the applicable information requested in Attachment A.

Site-specific quantities, configurations, installation requirements, and deliverables will be identified through subsequent PSU/Library mini-bid solicitations and associated statements of work.

Minimum Technical Specifications:

1. All structured cabling installations shall comply with the following applicable technical and installation standards, including, but not limited to:

a. American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards;

b. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards;

c. Building Industry Consulting Service International (BICSI) standards;

d. Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) cabling standards;

e. National Electrical Code (NEC), as adopted by North Carolina;

f. National Electrical Safety Code (NESC);

g. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards;

h. Applicable local building and electrical codes and requirements established by the local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ); and

i. Applicable manufacturer installation specifications and recommendations.

2. Structured Cabling All new copper cabling shall be, at a minimum, Augmented Category 6 Unshielded Twisted Pair (Category 6A UTP).

Plenum-rated cabling shall be provided where required by applicable building and electrical codes.

3. Fiber Installation Fiber cabling shall be installed only in locations greater than ninety (90) meters from the closest aggregation switch or where speeds exceeding one (1) gigabit per second are required.

4. Installation Services Installation services may include delivery, unloading, uncrating, placement, mounting, fastening to walls, floors, counters, or other structures or fixtures, internal wiring, termination, connection of system components, and other installation activities required by the applicable statement of work.

Installation services shall include any necessary cutting, patching, and finishing associated with the specified installation.

5. Racks and Enclosures Installed racks and enclosures shall include proper grounding in accordance with applicable technical and electrical standards.

All rack and enclosure accessories, including mounting hardware and screws, shall be provided to the PSU/Library upon completion of installation.

6. Product Compliance Products furnished under this segment shall be UL Listed and RoHS compliant, as applicable to the products being offered.

7. Installation Testing and Verification Vendors shall perform applicable testing and verification of installed cabling in accordance with the relevant technical standards and the requirements of the applicable statement of work.

Vendors shall provide the PSU/Library with the required testing and verification documentation upon completion of installation.

3.5. SECURITY SPECIFICATIONS

3.5.1 SOLUTIONS HOSTED ON STATE INFRASTRUCTURE - RESERVED

3.5.2 SOLUTIONS NOT HOSTED ON STATE INFRASTRUCTURE

The Agency (named on page one (1)) has designated this solicitation to receive and securely manage data that is classified as:

Agency has selected:

Restricted - Restricted data represents the highest risk to the State, State Agencies, and constituents if it is disclosed or compromised. This information is likely to be regulated by State or Federal law, and access to it is restricted to a limited audience (e.g., State and Federal Tax Information [FTI], Payment Card data, Protected Health Information [PHI], Criminal Justice Information [CJI], Social Security Administration provided information, etc.)

Confidential - Includes information that is limited to a small audience with a need-to-know or legitimate business case (e.g., State employee personnel records, trade secrets, student records, sensitive public security information, etc.). If exposed to unauthorized parties, data from this category will cause high impact consequences such as regulatory fines, inability to recruit talent, loss of confidence, and/or damage to vendor relationships. This is not a complete list and is subject to legislative changes.

Internal - This is information typically used within the agency and not for public sharing. Most documents are classified as Internal within the organization, and most State employees would have access. This type of data, if exposed to unauthorized parties, would have a very limited impact on an agency’s reputation, compliance requirements or ability to achieve strategic goals. Internally classified data does not contain direct identifiers. Often, the effects of the loss of data can be recognized in very subtle ways and may not lead to clear negative consequences causing confusion due to lack of context or minor reputational harm.

Public - Data that is open to public inspection according to state and federal law, or readily available through public sources.

Refer to the North Carolina Statewide Data Classification and Handling policy for more information regarding data classification. The policy is located at the following website:

https://it.nc.gov/document/statewide-data-classification-and-handling-policy.

To comply with the State’s Security Standards and Policies, State agencies are required to perform annual security/risk assessments on their information systems using NIST 800-53 controls.

https://it.nc.gov/document/statewide-data-classification-and-handling-policy

This requirement additionally applies to all Vendor-provided, agency-managed Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions which will handle data classified as Internal, Confidential, or Restricted.

(a) To comply with the State’s Security Standards and Policies, cloud products are required to comply with applicable FedRAMP or GovRAMP security requirements, including but not limited to, continuous monitoring, incident response, and data classification as outlined in GovRAMP documentation.

(b) To streamline and standardize this requirement the State has adopted GovRAMP which is a Risk and Authorization Management Program that provides a standardized approach to security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring for cloud products and services. GovRAMP’s security verification model is based on NIST 800-53 Rev. 5 (or current).

(c) The required GovRAMP verified status will depend on the sensitivity of the data and processes supported by the solution as defined in the Statewide Data Classification and Handling Policy.

(d) For purposes of this solicitation, in accordance with the North Carolina Department of Information Technology Statewide Information Security Manual, a GovRAMP verified status of GovRAMP Ready is required. At offer submission, if the protected system does not currently hold a validated GovRAMP status, the Vendor will be required to provide their GovRAMP Security Snapshot Score and upon request, the complete Snapshot Matrix. If awarded the contract, Vendor shall have an interim period from the effective date of the contract to achieve the verified GovRAMP status outlined above. The interim time periods for each data classification that requires a verified status are further described below. The Vendor shall provision access to the State to their continuous monitoring packages at a [standard] or [elevated] access level within fourteen (14) days of contract award, and seven

(7) days of any subsequent GovRAMP status changes.

a. Public - For third-party cloud services where the highest category of information to be processed is Public data, the Vendor must submit an updated score for the product annually throughout the contract duration that meets or exceeds the original score at time of contract award. Products with GovRAMP Core, Ready, Authorized or Provisionally Authorized statuses or FedRAMP Rev. 5 authorization also satisfy the security requirement.

b. Internal - For third-party cloud services where the highest category of information to be processed is Internal data, the Vendor must either achieve the status of GovRAMP Core prior to award, or agree to achieve GovRAMP Core status within an interim time period, no later than twelve (12) months from the effective date of the contract.

c. Confidential - For third-party cloud services where the highest category of information to be processed is Confidential data, the Vendor must either achieve a status of GovRAMP Ready, or agree to achieve GovRAMP Ready status no later than fifteen

(15) months from the effective date of the contract.

d. Restricted - For third-party cloud services where the highest category of information to be processed is Restricted Data, the Vendor must either achieve a status of GovRAMP Authorized, or agree to achieve GovRAMP Authorized status no later than twenty-one

(21) months from the effective date of the contract.

Upon contract award, Vendor’s who submitted a GovRAMP Security Snapshot Score will be required to enroll in the GovRAMP Progressing Snapshot program prior to any data being transferred, stored or processed. The Vendor must complete their first Progressing Snapshot within ninety (90) days of award, with the expectation that progress will be made on a quarterly basis and access to progress reports must be provisioned to the State. Products must maintain their participation in the Progressing Snapshot program and continued access to progress reports must be provisioned to the State until such time that they have achieved the minimum verified status outlined above. The State will review the Vendor’s progress on a quarterly basis and, in its sole discretion, may determine that the Vendor is not making satisfactory progress in the Progressing Snapshot program. Satisfactory progress shall be a material requirement of the contract.

(e) If the Vendor holds a FedRAMP Rev. 5 authorization at time of award, this authorization can be accepted in lieu of a GovRAMP authorization. Authorizations obtained via the FedRAMP 20x Pilot Program will not be permitted.

If the Vendor’s cloud product currently holds a FedRAMP Authorized designation, at the time of award, the State may require the Vendor to initiate and actively pursue, within thirty (30) days of award, the GovRAMP Fast Track Process, to achieve a GovRAMP Provisionally Authorized or Authorized status in order to satisfy Statewide continuous monitoring requirements.

(c) Additional Security Documentation. Prior to contract award, the State may in its discretion require the Vendor to provide additional security documentation, including but not limited to, vulnerability assessment reports and penetration test reports. The awarded Vendor shall provide additional security documentation upon request by the State during the term of the contract.

Refer to: https://it.nc.gov/documents/statewide-glossary-information-technology-terms for descriptions of the Application Criticality categories.

Refer to: http://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/FIPS/NIST.FIPS.199.pdf for descriptions of NIST system confidentiality, integrity, and availability categories.

3.6 ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE SPECIFICATIONS

ENTERPRISE, SERVICES, AND STANDARDS

Agencies and vendors should refer to the Vendor Resources Page for information on North Carolina Department of Information Technology regarding architecture, security, strategy, data, digital, identity and access management and other general information on doing business with state IT process.

The Vendor Resources Page found at the following link: https://it.nc.gov/vendor-engagement-resources. This site provides vendors with statewide information and links referenced throughout the RFP Lite document. Agencies may request additional information.

3.6.1 ARCHITECTURE DIAGRAMS - RESERVED

3.6.2 SOLUTION ROADMAP- RESERVED

3.6.3 IDENTITY AND ACCESS MANAGEMENT - RESERVED

3.6.4 INTEGRATION APPROACH - RESERVED

3.6.5 DISASTER RECOVERY AND BUSINESS CONTINUITY - RESERVED

3.6.6 DATA MIGRATION - RESERVED

3.6.7 APPLICATION MANAGEMENT - RESERVED

3.6.8 ACCESSIBILITY - RESERVED

3.7. BRAND SPECIFIC PRODUCT - RESERVED

3.8. DELIVERY

Delivery, installation of software or provision of professional services shall not be considered to have occurred until installation has been completed. Upon completion of the installation, the Vendor shall remove and properly dispose of all waste and debris from the installation site. Vendor shall be responsible for leaving the installation area clean and ready to use.

If circumstances beyond the control of the contractor result in a late delivery [or installation], it is the responsibility and obligation…