260086rfp.pdf

SUBMIT TO:

All Proposals must be submitted via VendorLink-- www.myvendorlink.com--at the specified date and time below.

It is the Vendor’s responsibility to ensure the submittal is uploaded to VendorLink according to bid specifications. We are not responsible for delivery systems.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

PURCHASING DEPARTMENT

215 Manatee Avenue West Bradenton, Florida 34205

DATE ISSUED: October 8, 2025

CONTACT PERSON:

Kimberlie Dufon

Telephone #: 941.708.8770 ext. 41204 Email address:

dufonk@manateeschools.net

TITLE:

Internal Connections District E-Rate Equipment – New Sites

NUMBER:

26-0086-KD

SUBMITTAL DEADLINE:

November 5, 2025

PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE: Not Applicable

SUBMITTALS RECEIVED

AFTER ABOVE DATE AND

TIME WILL NOT BE

ACCEPTED

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION DEADLINE: October 20, 2025 This Proposal Submittal and subsequent award by The School District of Manatee County shall constitute a binding and enforceable contract. All Specifications, Terms and Conditions, Addenda, and correspondence of this Contract shall be incorporated into the final award and become an integral part of the Contract. Unless otherwise stipulated in this Contract, no other contract documents shall be issued.

LEGAL NAME, (herein referred to as “Bidder”)

As described in the Section Titled “Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations Registration Requirements” within this Request for Proposal (“RFP”):

Florida Division of Corporation Document Number (www.sunbiz.org):

CONTRACTOR E-VERIFY NUMBER:

MAILING ADDRESS: I hereby certify that I have read and understand the requirements of this Solicitation and that, I, as the Bidder, will comply with all requirements of this offer and any contract(s) and/or other transactions required by this award.

Authorized Signature Typed Name Title Date Email Address

CITY – STATE – ZIP:

TELEPHONE NO:

FAX NO:

FEI/EIN Number:

The School District of Manatee County http://www.myvendorlink.com/ mailto:dufonk@manateeschools.net http://www.sunbiz.org/

Request for Proposal on Internal Connections District E-Rate Equipment – New Sites, SDMC No.

26-0086-KD

PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL CHECKLIST

It is the sole responsibility of each Proposer to check VendorLink up to the bid opening date and time, for all addenda issued and for any information regarding this solicitation.

Each submittal should include all information and documents requested in this RFP. Incomplete submissions may be declared non-responsive. A signed proposal submitted to the School Board obligates the submitter to all terms, conditions and specifications stated in this document, unless exceptions are taken and clearly stated in the RFP response.

The following documents must be submitted electronically:

Invitation to Proposal Form Pricing, Delivery and Warranty Submittal, Including Attachment A References No Bid Response Submittal Form OR Bidder Acknowledgement Bidder’s Experience and Qualifications Bidder’s Statement of Principal Place of Business Bidder’s Statement of Financial Qualification Drug-free Workplace Certification Debarment and Suspension Certification Scrutinized Company Certification Byrd Anti-Lobbying Amendment Anti-Discrimination Amendment Employment Eligibility Verification (“E-VERIFY”) Contractor Affidavit Regarding the Use of Coercion for Labor and Services

SECTION 1. SCOPE

The FCC's E-rate program makes telecommunications and information services more affordable for schools and libraries with funding from the Universal Service Fund, “E-rate” provides discounts for telecommunications, Internet access and internal connections to eligible schools and libraries.

The School District of Manatee County (“SDMC” or the “District”), Florida is seeking RFP proposals from USAC approved and qualified firms (Bidders) to provide, in accordance with E-rate rules for the following services:

Internal Connections District E-Rate Equipment: All SDMC locations reside within the boundaries of Manatee County. SDMC desires to receive proposals for Internal Connections District E-Rate Equipment solutions as detailed in Attachment A - Internal Connections District E-Rate Equipment

– New Sites.

SECTION 2. SPECIAL CONDITIONS

1. Term: The intent of this Contract is to establish a Contract from the date of award, during which time the successful Bidder(s) shall guarantee fixed Pricing on items awarded, as specified in this Solicitation. Contract period commences on April 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

District requests a project start date of April 1, 2026. The District will file using the SPI option (Discounted Invoicing Method). The District must receive the equipment for the (2) schools listed in April 2026. Artisan Lakes Elementary and Rye Ranch Elementary School are new school sites in Manatee County, FL.

2. Contract Extension: In addition to any renewal options contained herein, the School District of Manatee County has the right to extend the Contract for the period of time necessary for the School District of Manatee County to release, award, and implement a replacement ITB for the commodities and/or contractual services provided through this Contract. Such extension shall be based upon the same prices, terms, and conditions as the existing ITB.

3. E-Verify: The School District of Manatee County and all parties the district contracts with must provide contractors E-Verify number in accordance with Florida Statute 448.95.

4. Insurance: Indemnification shall be in accordance with section 725.06, 725.08 Florida Statute “as applicable”. The successful proposer shall furnish the School District of Manatee County with proof of:

(1) Statutory Limits of Worker’s Compensation in compliance with Chapter 440, Florida

Statute, if required.

(2) Comprehensive General Liability Insurance in an amount equal to or greater than

$1,000,000.00 per occurrence.

If policy is on a “CLAIMS MADE” basis, contractor’s insurance carrier will identify policy as such and indicate in writing the number of claims paid by this policy and reserves outstanding. Policy aggregates must equal at least two (2) times the occurrence limit.

(3) a. Automobile Liability Insurance in an amount equal to or greater than $1,000,000.00 per person.

b. Automobile Liability Insurance equal to or greater than $1,000,000.00 per occurrence for property damage or $1,000,000.00 combined single limit.

(4) Contractual Liability Insurance in an amount equal to or greater than $1,000,000.00 per occurrence. Policy must include endorsement for indemnification in the event third party damages are sought against the School District.

(5) Completed Operations Endorsement equal to or greater than $1,000,000.00 per occurrence.

(6) Independent Contractors Endorsement in an amount equal to or greater than $1,000,000.00 per occurrence.

(7) Additional Insured Endorsement: The School District of Manatee County shall be named as an additional insured on all policies that are required by these specifications.

(8) Cancellation Notice: All policies in effect shall contain cancellation endorsements providing thirty (30) days written notice of such cancellation, non-renewal and/or reduction in coverage limits prior to the effective date of such cancellation, non-renewal and/or reduction.

SECTION 3. SPECIFICATIONS

1. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

The Proposer shall provide all the below documentation. Failure to provide said documentation is cause for SDMC to deem the proposal as non-responsible and will not be evaluated. Additionally, SDMC reserves the right to request documentation at any time during the Contract period.

a) E-Rate Guidelines: The Proposer will meet all E-Rate guidelines and remain in good standing with the program by timely filing all appropriate forms.

b) Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN): A SPIN is a unique nine-digit number assigned to service providers by USAC when an FCC Form 498 is filed. This number is also known as the service provider's 498 ID. A vendor may have more than one if the business units are separated by state, type of service, or for other reasons. One SPIN/498 ID is required to participate in the Schools and Libraries Program.

c) Proof of Insurability: The Contractor may provide with the proposal a copy of any policy evidencing the insurance coverages and limits required by the solicitation. However, it does not constitute approval or agreement by SDMC that the insurance requirements have been satisfied or that the insurance policies shown on the Certificates of Insurance are following the requirements of the solicitation.

d) Experience: The Proposer shall have been in the provision of the required goods and services herein for a minimum of three (3) years and shall provide proof along with the Proposal (including but not limited to articles of incorporation, business tax receipts, E- Rate funding commitments…). Failure to provide said proof may be grounds for rejection of proposal. Respondents must prove validity of the stated documents to be in effect at the time of Proposal opening. SDMC will not award on assumptions that a granting of a license will occur at a future date.

e) A Proposer may be required to furnish written evidence that they maintain a permanent place of business and have adequate equipment, finances, and personnel to furnish the goods and services offered satisfactorily and expeditiously.

f) Licenses: The Contractor must be in possession of and provide proof of applicable current Florida License(s).

2. GENERAL EQUIPMENT SPECIFICATONS:

The School District of Manatee County is seeking vendor proposals to supply the below manufacturers equipment or fully equivalent equipment compatible with existing infrastructure installed throughout 2 of the District’s facilities.

Currently installed equipment manufacturers:

• Aruba Network Switches

• Aerohive / Extreme Networks Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) Wireless Access Points

The School District of Manatee County has established maintenance, repair, and support services with the above manufacturers’ equipment. Manufacturer support includes no cost training (both on-site and hosted remotely).

The apparent silence of any Specification detail, or the apparent omission from it of a detailed description concerning any point, shall be regarded as meaning that only the best commercial practice is to prevail and that only material and workmanship of the finest quality are to be used. All interpretations of the Specifications shall be made based on the above statements.

Network Equipment Minimum Standards:

• Switches must fully integrate with Aruba ClearPass Network Access Control software for VLAN port auto-provisioning, user authentication, security profiling, etc.

• Switches must be Layer 3

• Switches must connect to each sites core switch with 10-Gigabit LC LRM fiber Gbics

• Site core switches must support OpenFlow protocol standard for Software Defined

Networking (SDN)

• Network switches must come with:

o Limited Lifetime warranty o No cost NBD replacement shipping o No cost business hours phone support (as long as owned) o No cost software upgrades (as long as owned)

• Manufacturer must provide management and monitoring software for products (cost if applicable)

Network Architecture:

• Due to the limitations of multi-mode fiber strand availability between school IDFs and the MDF closets, all switches must be of a chassis design. This design model provides maximum efficiency of resources, easier manageability, and lower cost of ownership.

• Each IDF closet must support a single 10-Gigabit LC LRM fiber Gbic for connection back to the site’s MDF switch.

• Each MDF closet switch design must be able to support up to a minimum of 240– RJ-45 autosensing 10/100/1000 PoE+ ports with 2 open 10GbE SFP+ transceiver slots (4 or 8 open module slots for support of 10GbE SFP+ transceivers or RJ-45 autosensing 10/100/1000 PoE+ ports or any combination thereof). Each closet configuration will vary.

• All equipment must be Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) in original packing, no vendor proposed used or refurbished equipment will be considered as part of this RFP.

Wireless Access Points (WAP’s) Minimum Standards:

• Access Points must fully integrate with Aruba ClearPass Network Access Control software for VLAN port auto-provisioning, user authentication, security profiling, etc.

• Distributed Controller-less Wi-Fi management architecture

• Cloud hosted software application for management and monitoring (cost if applicable)

• Access points must have the ability to be managed in all three (3) of the following ways:

o Stand-Alone (CLI and/or GUI) o Public Cloud (Vendor Hosted) o Private Cloud (Customer Hosted/on-premises)

• WAP’s must be able to work without central management

• WAP’s must support multiple SSID ID’s

• WAP’s must support multiple -VLAN tagging on a specific SSID

• WAP’s must support multiple pre-shared keys for unique identification and classification on a single SSID

• WAP’s must support QoS at the WAP device level

• WAP’s must support 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax

• Tri-Radio - software-selectable radios (SSRs) capable of dual 5 GHz connectivity.

• Dual Radio 802.11ac/ax, integrated Omni-directional MIMO antenna two (2) Autosensing

10/100/1000 Ethernet ports

• 802.11 ac/ax Dual-Radio 4x4:4 Multiple in, Multiple out (MIMO) Radio 5GHz

• WAP’s must support the ability for both radios to operate in 5 GHz mode

• WAP’s must support concurrent 802.11 a/n/ac/ax and 802.11 b/g/n performance

• WAP’s must support Power over Ethernet (PoE)

• WAP’s must have the ability to group access points by location, to allow location specific configurations

• Provide an easy to use, integrated graphical map tool to display the location of the access points, clients, and rogue devices

• WAP’s must have the ability to create, modify and apply configuration, firewall policies and traffic shaping (QoS) policies based on application, user, device type, device OS, SSID or any combination thereof

• WAP’s must support Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) based application visibility and control at the edge of the network. Control shall include firewall, prioritization and rate limiting and marking for upstream traffic, based on available user context. This layer 7 awareness should be able to support customized application signatures (including SSL based) built and defined by the customer.

• WAP’s must support the functionality to provide different user experiences (firewall settings, QoS, rate limits, SLA, dynamic airtime scheduling etc.) on a single SSID based upon user identification during authentication

• Secure guest access shall allow each guest to receive a unique pre-shared key without the use of certificates

SECTION 4. PRICING AND WARRANTY:

NOTE: SUBMISSION OF FALSE DELIVERY DATES MAY RESULT IN VENDOR DEBARMENT.

DELIVERY TO BE COMPLETED WITHIN __________________ DAYS AFTER RECEIPT OF ORDER.

E-Rate Eligible Costs

Best value means the highest overall value to SDMC based on noted evaluation criteria.

1. FINANCIAL PROPOSAL

Attachment A - Internal Connections District E-Rate Equipment – New Sites

Attachment A - Internal Connections District E-Rate Equipment – New Sites details the Internal Connections equipment needs of the district.

Responder must provide pricing on all items in this attachment, or the response will be deemed as non-responsive and will not be accepted.

Additional Charges and Fees: All additional charges such as shipping, insurance, normal service consumables, shop supplies, environmental fees, administration fees, etc. must be included in your proposal. SDMC will not be responsible for any type of miscellaneous surcharges or fees.

Price Adjustments The District may, in its sole discretion, make an equitable adjustment in the contract terms and/or pricing if pricing or availability of supply are affected by extreme and unforeseen volatility in the marketplace, that is, by circumstances that satisfy all of the following criteria:

a) The volatility is due to causes wholly beyond the vendor’s control

b) The volatility affects the marketplace or industry, not just the particular vendor’s source of supply

c) The effect on pricing or availability of supply is substantial

d) The volatility so affects the vendor that continued performance of the contract would result in substantial loss or financial hardship.

The determination as to whether a situation represents “extreme” volatility of the marketplace and/or whether the effect on pricing or availability is “substantial” shall be solely at the discretion of the District.

WARRANTY AND SERVICE PROVISION: Bidder must state in spaces provided below complete descriptions of any warranties given by manufacturer and dealer. The Statement shall include availability of service, repair parts, and time normally required to effect repair on equipment contained in the bid. Further, the statement shall also indicate who is to be responsible for any transportation charges that may be accrued in effecting equipment repair within the provisions of applicable warranties.

MANUFACTURER’S WARRANTY: ______________________________________________________________

DEALER’S WARRANTY: ________________________________________________________________________

LOCATION OF REPAIR SERVICES: ________________________________________________________

AVAILABILITY OF REPAIR PARTS: ________________________________________________________

ESTIMATED TIME TO EFFECT REPAIR: ________________________________________________________

RESPONSIBLE FOR WARRANTY SERVICE TRANSPORTATION CHARGE:

SECTION 5. PROPOSER INSTRUCTIONS

1. Questions: The Procurement Office is the sole point of contact from the date of release of this solicitation until contract award. All questions must be submitted in writing via www.myvendorlink.com.

2. Proposer’s Submittal Instructions: Proposer shall submit proposal Submittal in accordance with the instructions and schedule included in the solicitation containing these specifications and documents. Proposals Submittals not conforming to the instructions provided herein may be subject to disqualification at the sole option of the School District of Manatee County.

3. Proposal Requirements: The following Appendices, upon which information is required, must be completed and provided with the Bid Submittal:

Invitation to Proposal Form Pricing, Delivery and Warranty Submittal References No Bid Response Submittal Form OR Bidder Acknowledgement Bidder’s Experience and Qualifications Bidder’s Statement of Principal Place of Business Bidder’s Statement of Financial Qualification Drug-free Workplace Certification Debarment and Suspension Certification Scrutinized Company Certification Byrd Anti-Lobbying Amendment Anti-Discrimination Amendment Employment Eligibility Verification (“E-VERIFY”) Contractor Affidavit Regarding the Use of Coercion for Labor and Services

4. “No Bid” Response Submittal Form: If Proposer is not providing a Proposal Submittal in response to this Contract, Proposer shall complete and submit the “No Bid” Response Submittal Form electronically prior to the due date established in this Contract via www.myvendorlink.com.

5. Electronic Submission: Proposer shall submit Proposal Submittal electronically through VendorLink at www.myvendorlink.com. Contact VendorLink technical support at support@evendorlink.com , if technical difficulties arise during proposal submission.

i. Upload files only in Excel (.xls or .xlsx), Adobe Portable Document (.pdf), or .ZIP file formats.

Do not password protect documents.

ii. Enable printing on files submitted.

iii. Clearly identify the RFP Number, Name, Submission Date, and Bidder Name on Invitation to Bid Cover Sheet.

iv. Complete the Request for Proposal Cover Sheet on Proposer’s using the following information:

a. Business Name;

b. Complete Business Address;

c. Name(s) and contact information of key personnel.

d. Separate and identify each part of the submission.

Respondents should carefully follow the format and instructions outlined herein. All documents and file:///C:/Users/viamoni/AppData/Roaming/Microsoft/Word/www.myvendorlink.com http://www.myvendorlink.com/ mailto:support@evendorlink.com information must be fully completed and signed as required.

The Proposal shall be written in enough detail to permit SDMC to conduct a meaningful evaluation of the proposed services. However, overly elaborate responses are not requested or desired.

Vendorlink (www.myvendorlink.com): All solicitations and supporting documents will be posted on www.myvendorlink.com. It is the sole responsibility of interested parties to monitor VendorLink for solicitation opportunities and updates. Each Proposer must have a current vendor application on file with VendorLink to conduct business, receive updates and addenda, and ask questions under any SDMC solicitation. SDMC may disqualify a Proposer for failure to comply with this condition.

Technical Support: For technical support contact the Vendor Registration Helpdesk via email at support@evendorlink.com for additional registration questions.

6. Withdrawal: Proposer may withdraw, alter, and resubmit Proposal Submittals through VendorLink at any time prior to the due date and time of this Contract. Any Proposal Submittals not withdrawn will constitute an irrevocable offer, for a period of 120 days after the due date to provide The School District of Manatee County with the services specified in the proposal, unless otherwise specified.

The School District of Manatee County may request clarifications and additional information after proposal submission.

7. Signature: All Proposals Submittals must be signed by an officer or employee having authority to legally bind Proposer. Any corrections of unit prices must be initialed. Corrections made using correction fluid (white out) are not permissible and may result in the rejection of a Proposer’s proposal. Proposer’s should become familiar with any local conditions which may, in any manner, affect the product or service required. Proposer’s are required to carefully examine the RFP terms and to become thoroughly familiar with any and all conditions and requirements that may in any manner affect the work to be performed under this Contract. No additional allowance will be made due to lack of knowledge of these conditions. Digital signature or a scanned copy of a wet signature is acceptable.

8. Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations Registration Requirements: Proposer’s that are required to be registered with the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations or who are incorporated within the State of Florida must furnish their Florida document number, and written documentation of “active” status. All registered Proposer’s must have an active status in order to be eligible to do business with the School District of Manatee County. Proposer’s doing business under a fictitious name must submit the Proposal Submittal using the company’s complete registered legal name, i.e. ABC, Inc. d/b/a XYZ Company. To register with the State of Florida, visit:

www.Sunbiz.org.

9. Fingerprinting, Badges, and the Jessica Lunsford Act: The Jessica Lunsford Act was enacted on

September 1, 2005 in response to the tragic abduction and death of Jessica Lunsford. This law affects a Proposer’s business operations and employees if they are under Contract with the School District of Manatee County.

9.1. The Awarded Proposer and any of its employees performing services hereunder shall comply with the Jessica Lunsford Act, effective September 1, 2005. “Non-instructional school district employees or contractual personnel who are permitted access on school grounds when students are present, who have direct contact with students or who have access to, or control of school funds must meet level 2 screening requirements as described in s.1012.32. Contractual personnel shall include any vendor, individual, or entity under Contract with a school or the school board.” See Section 1012.465, F.S.

http://www.myvendorlink.com/ http://www.myvendorlink.com/ mailto:support@evendorlink.com http://www.sunbiz.org/

9.2. Florida statute requires all vendors, contractors and subcontractors of the School District of Manatee County to undergo a FDLE/FBI Level II background screening and be fingerprinted if any one of the following conditions apply:

1.2.1. Vendor employees will be on school grounds when students are present;

1.2.2. Vendor employees will have direct contact with students; or

1.2.3. Vendor employees will have access to or control of school funds.

9.3. Vendors meeting the above conditions shall carry the School District of Manatee County badge or the State-Wide ID Badge.

10. Insurance Capacity Verification: Awarded Proposer’s shall provide proof of insurance prior to execution of this Contract. Receipt of proof of insurance shall not be construed as an approval of Awarded Proposer’s insurance or a release or waiver of Awarded Proposer’s obligation to provide insurance required by this Contract. Awarded Proposer agrees to the following as it relates to all above required insurance:

10.1 All insurance shall be written with an insurance company licensed to issue insurance in the State of Florida and shall maintain an A.M. Best financial strength rating of A (VI).

10.2 All insurance shall be primary and not contributory to any other insurance carried by the School District of Manatee County. This shall also apply to any self-insurance maintained by the School District of Manatee County.

10.3 Awarded Proposer shall notify the School District of Manatee County’s Risk Management Department within thirty (30) days of any material changes or notice of cancellation Awarded Proposer received from its insurer on above required insurance.

10.4 Awarded Proposer shall provide evidence of all insurance in the form of a Certificate of Insurance and specify any deductible or retention applicable to above required insurance.

10.5 To the extent permitted by law, Awarded Proposer’s insurance shall contain a waive rights to recover from the School District of Manatee County or its insurance.

10.6 Any required insurance that Awarded Bidder self-insures or carries retentions in excess of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) shall be pre-approved by the School District of Manatee County’s Risk Management Department and referenced in an addendum to this Contract.

11. Lobbying/Cone of Silence: Procurement, prohibits any communication regarding an active competitive solicitation between any District employee or School Board member and any third party, representative, or lobbyist of that party, in effect from the time of release of the competitive solicitation until the contract is awarded by the School Board.

SECTION 6. EVALUATION AND PROPOSER SUBMITTAL

PROPOSAL EVALUATION

Procurement Services shall forward all on-time responsive Proposals to the assigned Evaluation Committee (the “committee”) for evaluation and ranking. The committee, consisting of SDMC personnel, but may include additional stakeholders, will convene, review, and discuss the Proposals.

The Procurement Officer will participate as a facilitator and document the meeting.

a) Selection Criteria: This solicitation will comply with applicable SDMC policies, state board rules, and Florida statutes. SDMC may determine a selection without discussion with any Respondent after SDMC receipt of Proposals. Therefore, Respondents must submit complete Proposals with all pertinent information. If SDMC cannot reach an agreement with the highest ranked Responder, SDMC may then conduct negotiations with the next highest rated Responder. This process may continue until there is a mutually agreed contract or until SDMC has rejected all desirable Responders. Failure to enter into a mutually agreed contract may require the termination of negotiations and rejection of the solicitation. No Responder shall have any rights against SDMC arising from such negotiations.

b) Proposal Clarification: On the posted date of RFP evaluation, the Proposer must be available by phone for questions or possible clarification of proposal.

c) Negotiations: The committee or designee reserves the right to negotiate further terms and conditions, including price with the highest ranked Responder. If a mutually beneficial agreement with the first-ranked Proposer being considered for award cannot be resolved, the committee reserves the right to enter into negotiations with the next highest ranked Responder and continue this process until agreement is reached. There will be no interim briefing regarding the status of a Proposal until evaluation of all Proposals are complete.

d) Inspection of Proposer's Facilities: SDMC reserves the right to inspect the Proposer's facilities prior to award of this contract.

e) Proposal Preference: SDMC reserves the right to qualify Responders who SDMC deems to meet the qualifications listed in this solicitation. SDMC is therefore not bound to accept a Proposal based on lowest price per E-Rate rules. In addition, SDMC at its sole discretion, reserves the right to cancel, recall, or re-issue all, or parts of the solicitation, to reject any Proposal, to waive any formality and irregularity, or to re-advertise the identical or revised specifications.

f) SDMC will only contract with those Respondents that are in full or substantial compliance with the provided terms and conditions stipulated in this solicitation. SDMC cautions Responders to indicate all restrictive deviations from the desired terms and conditions.

g) SDMC will select the Respondent(s) it deems as in the best interest of SDMC and shall be the sole judge and final arbiter of its own best interest, the evaluation of submissions, and the resulting negotiated contract. SDMC decisions will be final.

h) Board Submittal: Procurement Services will prepare and submit an agenda item to the Superintendent who will recommend the award to the Board. The Board has the final say as to whether it will authorize the award.

i) Award: This contract will be awarded to the highest ranked, responsive, and responsible Respondent once all Proposals are evaluated. SDMC is not responsible for discrepancies or inconsistencies provided in Respondent’s Proposal. Respondents not meeting the requirements herein will be determined to be nonresponsive and will receive no further consideration by SDMC.

j) Preliminary Phase: The intent of this solicitation is to allow the committee to make like comparisons between Proposals. Proposer’s failure to comply with the requested format shall be cause for rejection of the faulty Proposal. Procurement Services reserves the right to (i) evaluate Proposals for compliance with required format, (ii) completeness of forms, (iii) submission of required experience requirements, including but not limited to proof of insurability, licenses, articles of incorporation (Division of Corporations - Florida Department of State (myflorida.com), business tax certificates, and references.

k) Proposal Evaluation: The committee will rank Proposals based on the below Weighted Criteria. VendorLink will not be used to score the proposals. Instead, proposals will be scored utilizing a 100% E-Rate compliant bid evaluation matrix.

l) Award Recommendation: Procurement Services may negotiate the Proposal terms, conditions, and costs with the highest-ranked Respondent prior to Board award. If Procurement Services is unable to reach acceptable terms with a highest-ranked Respondent, SDMC may seek to reach acceptable terms with the next highest-ranked Respondent and recommend award to said Responder. SDMC may continue the process until an agreement is reached or until the termination of the solicitation process. SDMC shall post a notice of intent as to its intended decision

m) Weighted Criteria: The Weighted Evaluation Criteria will include the following:

Evaluation Criteria Weight

1 Cover Letter: (including proper Bid format, coversheet, and signed forms). Pass/Fail

2 Total Cost of E-Rate Eligible Equipment 40

3 Equipment Integration into existing Infrastructure 20

4 Equipment Warranty Period 10

5 Customer Reference Forms 5

6 Technical Support Model 5

7 Training on Proposed Equipment Installation and Daily Management 5

8 Past E-Rate Experience with Responder 10

9 Best Fit for District’s Needs 5 https://dos.myflorida.com/sunbiz/ https://dos.myflorida.com/sunbiz/

Evaluation Criteria Weight

Total Points 100

COVER LETTER AND GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

Failure to meet the below-prescribed submittal format is cause for rejection of the Proposal as non-responsive.

1. COVERSHEET

The coversheet, at a minimum, must contain the:

• Solicitation title

• Due date

• Proposer name

• Proposer address

• Proposer contact information

2. TABLE OF CONTENTS

Outline and identify the Proposal by:

• tab and page number the major areas of the Proposal

• all pages must be consecutively numbered and correspond to the table of contents

3. COVER LETTER

The cover letter shall be a brief formal letter that provides the Proposer’s:

• understanding of the requirements and scope of services of this solicitation; and

• interest and ability to perform the requirements of this solicitation; and

• principles, including the contact information; and

• representatives, including the contact information, of those who will represent the Proposer during the solicitation process; and

• signature (by an authorized representative who may legally bind the Proposal to the promises provided in its Response)

4. SIGNED FORMS

The Proposer must sign and include the provided forms in the following pages.

The Proposer must supply the information listed below for consideration. In case of a Contract dispute or further clarification becomes necessary, please indicate your representative’s contact information. The Director of Procurement Services shall serve as the initial SDMC representative.

5. CONTACT INFORMATION & CERTIFICATION

The Proposer must supply the information listed below for consideration. In case of dispute or if further clarification becomes necessary, please indicate your representative’s contact information.

LOCAL CONTACT INFORMATION

Account Representative Name Title

Local Address

Phone Number Cell Phone Number

Email Address Fax Number

X_________________________________________________ Signature of Owner or Authorized Officer

CORPORATE INFORMATION

Representative's Name Telephone Number

Company Name

Principal Place of Business Address

Remit-To Address (if different from above)

☐ Corporation ☐ Sole Proprietor/Partnership ☐ Limited Liability Corp.

FEIN or SS# ________________________________ ☐ Other______________________________________

Proposer SPIN Number: __________________ (obtain from the USAC Schools and Libraries Division)

SECTION 7: CONTRACTORS RESPONSIBILITIES

The Contractor shall be responsible for the protection of all buildings, structures, and utilities that are underground, above ground, or on the surface from their operations that may be hazardous and/or damaging to said facilities.

The Contractor shall be responsible for the protection of all personnel against hazards and/or injuries due to their construction operation at the work site.

Contractor shall be responsible for correction and/or replacement according to local codes and School District’s satisfaction of all water lines, sanitary lines, electrical lines, curbs, sidewalks, streets, parking lots, grassed areas, etc., broken or damaged as the result of Contractor’s operations.

Contractor shall be responsible to safeguard all of their tools, equipment, signs, barricades, etc. while operating on any School District properties. The School District of Manatee County assumes no responsibility for any act of theft or vandalism which may occur while Contractor’s equipment is located on any School District site.

Contractor shall not inhibit access to school sites during pursuit of any work specified herein.

Contractor shall leave all work sites in a neat and orderly fashion at the end of each work day.

The Contractor shall be responsible to ensure frequent pick-up of all rubbish, refuse, scrap materials, and debris as a result of their operations so that work sites present a neat and orderly appearance at all times. All rubbish, scrap, etc. shall be transported from the premises. Rubbish shall NOT be deposited as fill on the work site. At completion of work, the Contractor shall remove all work materials, tools, construction equipment, machinery and surplus materials from the work site and shall leave project in ready to use condition.

Contractor or a representative, daily while working on School Sites shall sign in at the school’s Main Office prior to commencing any work and shall sign out at the school’s Main Office prior to leaving campus unless prior written exception has been obtained.

Contractor shall remedy any and all damages to property by acts of omission, or vandalism which occur as a result of their work.

Contractor shall provide due care at all times while performing any task at any School District controlled location to cordon off, barricade, and/or post signs to maintain a safe distance to avoid creating hazardous conditions for pedestrians, property and vehicles.

The Contractor shall at all times enforce strict discipline and good order among their employees and shall not employ any unfit person or anyone not skilled in the task assigned to them.

The Contractor shall supervise and direct the work, using their best skill and attention. The Contractor shall be solely responsible for all construction means, methods, techniques, work sequences and procedures for coordinating all portions of the work under this contract.

The Contractor shall be responsible to the School District of Manatee County for the acts and omissions of their employees, subcontractors and their owners and employees and any other persons performing any of the work under a contract with the Contractor.

The Contractor shall take field measurements and verify field conditions and shall carefully compare such field measurements and conditions and any other information known to the Contractor as may be provided by the owner before commencing activities. Errors, inconsistencies or omissions discovered shall be reported to the School District Project Manager at once.

The Contractor shall not be held liable neither for delays caused by the district nor those caused by the scheduling of inspections.

The Contractor shall be responsible for the appearance of all working personnel assigned to the project at all times and their compliance with School District Policies and Rules stated in the Instructions to Bidders.

The Contractor shall be responsible for off-loading, unpacking/uncrating all materials and equipment at the job site and install railings in accordance with specifications herein and all attachments.

Contractor shall ensure all work is installed straight, level, plumb and in a workmanlike manner.

The Contractor’s invoice must be itemized indicating cost or list price and percentage mark up or discount as specified herein, labor, freight, etc. to provide a complete accounting of items purchased and services performed. Failure to do so may result in delayed payments.

The invoice shall be submitted within ten (10) working days upon completion of the job.

The Contractor shall not proceed with any project until a written purchase order has been received from the School District of Manatee County.

The Contractor shall obtain prior approval on all costs before any additional work is performed beyond the scope of the original project.

The Contractor shall provide a construction work schedule and submit it to the School District Project Manager. The schedule shall include estimated commencement and completion dates as requested.

The Contractor shall provide an emergency after-hour telephone number and contact person for emergencies which occur after hours and on week-ends.

Should any employee in the performance of this contract encounter materials that they suspect are embedded with asbestos they should stop all work at the site and not disturb the area of suspicion, call their appropriate Supervisor and advise them of the discovery.

The Supervisor shall contact the School District Project Manager immediately for review and analysis of the suspected materials.

The Contractor shall promptly correct all work rejected by the owner as defective or as failing to conform to the contract documents whether observed before or after substantial completion and whether or not fabricated, installed or completed. The Contractor shall bear all costs of correcting such rejected work.

LOCATION:

School addresses can be located on the purchasing website:

https://www.manateeschools.net/page/school-directory https://www.manateeschools.net/page/school-directory

SECTION 8. KEY EVENTS & DATES

KEY EVENTS & DATES

October 8, 2025 Request for Proposal notice e-mailed to prospective Proposer’s via

VendorLink & bidding documents posted on the VendorLink website.

October 20, 2025 Questions/Clarifications due. Question shall be submitted electronically through VendorLink at www.myvendorlink.com. Only questions submitted electronically will be included in an addendum.

October 24, 2025 Addenda posted to the e-procurement service website

(www.myvendorlink.com).

November 5, 2024 Proposals due @ 3:00 p.m. E.T. Bidder shall submit Bid Submittal electronically through VendorLink at www.myvendorlink.com/

* November 10, 2025 Evaluation of bids and make selection of contractor(s). Evaluation meeting will be located at 215 Manatee Avenue West, Bradenton, FL @ 9:00 a.m. in Room 406

*On or About November 12, 2025 Notice of Intent to Award posted on the e-procurement service website

(www.myvendorlink.com).

* December 9, 2025 School Board Award of Proposal

*If the time allotted to evaluate bids and make the selection of contractors as stated above proves to be insufficient, the evaluation meeting(s), posting of the Notice of Intent to Award and the Board approval date could slip two weeks or more. Continue to monitor our website or contact the Purchasing Department for more specific information as to when meeting(s) and notice(s) will be posted.

SECTION 9. GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

ASSIGNMENT:

Neither party may assign any of its rights or obligations hereunder, whether by operation of law or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the other party (not to be unreasonably withheld.) If this matter pertains to a school that becomes a Charter School, this contract may be cancelled by the School District upon thirty days written notice and the School Board will be released of any and all obligations under this contract.

GENERAL PROPOSERS INFORMATION: Interested vendors are advised that the School District of Manatee County (District) will not consider bids which contain an escalation clause for the initial contract period. It is understood that normal bid processing time will be 30

- 60 days after opening date of bid and that prices reflected by this bid will be firm through bid processing time and the delivery of items awarded.

No price escalations (increases) will be permitted during the initial term of this contract. Price de-escalation (decrease) is permissible at any time during the contract term. The District reserves the right to require a decrease based on industry pricing indicators (PPI and CPI) Contractors may request a price increase at renewal, if any. Price increase requests must be based on the Producer Price Index (PPI) Table Containing PPI- U All Items Indexes and Annual Percent Changes, http://data.bls.gov index for related commodity, final demand, seasonally adjusted, and may not exceed 4 percent.

The price increase request must be submitted 30 days before the expiration of the Contract, to the Contract Administrator, in writing and substantiated by a copy of the appropriate (meaning specific to that Contractor’s commodity code) PPI index.

PURCHASE TERMS AND CONDITIONS: This proposal, and the corresponding contract of award agreement and purchase orders will constitute the complete agreement. The School District of Manatee County will not accept proposed terms and conditions that are different than those contained in this Request for Proposal, including pre-printed text contained on catalogs, price lists, other descriptive information submitted or any other materials. By virtue of submitting a bid, vendor agrees to not submit to any School District of Manatee County employee, for signature, any document that contains terms and conditions that are different than those contained herein and that in the event any document containing any term or condition that differs from those contained herein is executed, said document shall not be binding on the School District of Manatee County.

MINOR IRREGULARITIES/RIGHT TO REJECT: The District reserves the right to accept or reject any and all bids, or separable portions thereof, and to waive any minor irregularity, technicality, or omission if the District determines that doing so shall serve the Districts’ best interests. The District may reject any response not submitted in the manner specified by the solicitation documents.

CLARIFICATIONS OR REVISIONS: The District reserves the right to seek clarifications or request any information deemed necessary for proper evaluation of submissions from all respondents deemed eligible for Contract award. Failure to provide requested information may result in rejection of the response.

EX PARTE COMMUNICATION: To assure proper and fair evaluation of submissions, after submissions are received the District prohibits ex parte communication initiated by the submitter to Board members and discourages ex parte communication initiated by the submitter to any District official or employee evaluating or considering the submissions prior to the time a decision has been made. Communication between a submitter and the District will be initiated by the appropriate District official, employee or designated consultant in order to obtain information or clarification needed to develop a proper and accurate evaluation of the submission. Ex parte communication may be grounds for disqualifying the offending submitter from consideration or award of the contract then in evaluation or any future contract.

PURCHASES BY OTHER PUBLIC AGENCIES: With the consent and agreement of the successful proposer’s, purchases may be made under this bid by other governmental agencies within the State of Florida.

Such purchases shall be governed by the same terms and conditions as stated herein, with written approval by the School District of Manatee County.

CANCELLATION: Notwithstanding any other provision of this invitation, any agreement resulting from this invitation may be unilaterally canceled by the School District of Manatee County via either of these two methods at the District’s sole discretion:

1. In the event any of the provisions of the awarded proposal are violated by the vendor, the School District of Manatee County may give written notice to the vendor stating the violations or deficiencies and demanding their http://data.bls.gov/ cure. If those violations or deficiencies are not cured to the School District’s reasonable satisfaction within five (5) days of the vendor’s receipt of the notice, the agreement may immediately thereafter be canceled by written notification to the vendor; or

2. The School District of Manatee County may terminate any agreement resulting from this invitation at any time, with or without cause, upon thirty (30) days written notice to the other party.

AUTHORITY: The School Board of Manatee County, Florida is the sole legal entity having authority to award a bid or bind the School District in regard to any agreement resulting from this invitation. The Superintendent of Schools acts as the Chief Executive Officer of the School District of Manatee County and shall have, and is hereby delegated by the School Board, authority to issue any notice, effect any cancelation, perform any inspection, or take any other action to ensure compliance with the terms of this invitation or any agreement resulting there from on the School Board’s behalf without further action by the School Board.

CLARIFICATION OF RFP: Proposers should submit via Vendorlink any questions electrically regarding this bid.

Only questions submitted electrically will be included in an addendum. See “Key Events & Date” section for deadline date. Questions received after the date posted in the “Key Events & Date” section will not be acknowledged. Changes to the bid which have a material effect shall be communicated to bidders

ADDENDA TO RFP: From time to time, addenda’s may be issued to this proposal. Any such addenda will be posted on (www.myvendorlink.com). Such notices will contain clarifications to details of the solicitation and/or responses to questions submitted during the preview period. Each respondent is responsible for monitoring these sites for information concerning this solicitation.

EVALUATION COMMITTEE MEETING: Evaluation meetings will be open to the public pursuant to Florida State Statute 286.011 and noticed on the District Web Site (www.manateeschools.net) and on the School District bulletin board located in the lobby at the School Support Center, 215 Manatee Avenue West, Bradenton, Florida, 34205. Any portion of a public meeting at which a negotiation with a vendor is conducted pursuant to a competitive solicitation, at which a vendor makes an oral presentation as part of the a competitive solicitation, or at which a vendor answers questions as part of a competitive solicitation is exempt from Florida Statute 286.011. See Key Events and Dates page contained herein.

LINE ITEM PROPOSAL CORRECTIONS: The use of correction fluid or erasures to correct line item proposal prices and/or quantities are not acceptable.

Corrections must be by line outs of the incorrect figures, writing in of correct figures and initialing of the corrections by the originator. Correction fluid or erasure corrected proposals will be considered nonresponsive for the corrected items only.

BUDGETARY LIMITATIONS: The School District of Manatee County reserves the right to reject any item or items and/or increase or decrease quantities as required due to budgetary limitations.

NON-FUNDING CLAUSE: In the event sufficient budgeted funds are not available for a new…