3-Vanguard All Buildings WiFi Switch UPS 2026 RFP.docx

Request For Proposal

VAN 2026-01

Wi-Fi/Switch Upgrade and UPS Installation

3 Vanguard Academy Locations

Vanguard Academy

RFP Release Date: 2/23/2026

PROPOSALS DUE BY: 3/23/2026 @ 5PM MST

Contents

Introduction Vanguard Academy Charter is seeking bids to redesign and install internal Wi-Fi, switches and equipment for our existing site, plus 2 expansion sites to accommodate the increasing number of students. The three buildings we’re requesting services for are the following 3 sites:

1) Site 1: Vanguard Academy Main at 2650 Decker Lake Ln, West Valley City, UT 84119 (shown in figures 1a-d)

2) Site 2: Vanguard Academy Lakepoint at 3rd floor of 2835 Decker Lake Dr, West Valley City, UT 84119. (shown in figure 2a)

3) Site 3: Vanguard Academy Middle Location at 2691 Decker Lake Ln, West Valley City, UT 84119 (shown in figures 3a-d) Site 1 Vanguard Academy Main Site 1: Vanguard Academy Main, currently has about 1000 devices that connect wirelessly in our main building throughout the day. Vanguard Academy Main is a two-story building spanning approximately 75,000 square feet total and 55+ rooms. Classrooms house on average 15-30 students. There are two large meeting rooms including a 1st floor cafeteria and 2nd floor meeting hall. Both large rooms need the ability to connect up to 450 devices at a time.

Current Configuration:

Firewall:

Meraki MX-250 (This does not need any replacement) Wireless Access Points Vanguard’s current Ruckus solution of Wi-Fi access points are hitting their limit of connected users and concurrent bandwidth. In the large meeting areas, there are frequent Wi-Fi drops and disruptions during times of high traffic. Vanguard currently has 22 indoor R650 Ruckus APs and 2 outdoor T750 Ruckus APs that are hard wired and centrally located. Existing wire may be used if possible. New locations will likely need new wiring, see the map below for existing AP locations to determine if additional wiring is needed. For example, replacing the outer APs but using existing wiring is expected.

Network Switches Currently Vanguard has 9x stackable SG500 PoE 48-port+4 switches that are end-of-life. These switches are interconnected with SFP ports. These are managed locally through the switch interface. They provide PoE for our existing APs throughout the building. These switches are currently mounted in racks in Vanguard’s IT room.

Cabling Vanguard uses CAT6 PoE ethernet cables to supply connectivity and power to the existing APs. Some are old, and some have been over-stretched. Due to the significant network/WiFi changes being proposed in this RFP, all existing cables used for the new wireless APs will need to be replaced to ensure reliable, consistent performance.

UPS

The existing UPS only lasts about 5 minutes of downtime.

Requested Services:

Wireless Access Points Replace existing Wi-Fi, one-to-one in call classrooms and fulfill requirements below. The total access points needed for this location are as follows: 1st floor- 11 classroom access points and 6 additional for hallways and lunchroom. 2nd floor- 24 classroom access points and 8 additional for hallways and the South Room (auditorium).

Network Switches Replace existing switches and add any necessary to power up new APs. At least 12 48-port PoE switches are required.

Cabling Replace existing ethernet cables for existing APs with new CAT6 PoE solid copper ethernet cables sufficient to provide 10Gbps speed up to 100 meters and enough power to fully support the new APs. Old cabling shall be saved and given to Vanguard. Please note, the only new ethernet cables that will be considered part of this project are ones needed to support new APs. Any existing ethernet cables used for wall ports must remain in-tact and connections shall be migrated to the new network switches. It is expected but not required that each AP will need 2 designated ethernet cables. Any further changes made to existing ethernet cables supporting wall-ports are out of the scope of this project.

UPS

Replace Rack Mountable UPS 240V input, that will provide at least 15 minutes downtime for all equipment stated in this RFP. At least 3 UPS devices are needed here.

Site 2 Vanguard Academy Lakepoint Site 2 Vanguard Academy Lakepoint, currently has about 150 devices that connect wirelessly throughout a typical day. Vanguard Lakepoint is located on the 3rd floor of 2835 Decker Lake Dr, West Valley City, UT 84119. Classrooms house on average 15-30 students. There are dozens of offices and a single conference room and a breakroom. This location needs the ability to connect up to 100 devices at a time.

Current Configuration:

Firewall:

Meraki MX-75 (This does not need any replacement) Wireless Access Points Vanguard’s current Ruckus Solution of Wi-Fi access points are hitting their limit of connected users and concurrent bandwidth there are frequent Wi-Fi drops and disruptions during times of high traffic. Existing wire may be used if possible. New locations will likely need new wiring, see the map below for existing AP locations to determine if additional wiring is needed.

Network Switches Currently Vanguard has 2x stackable SG500 PoE 48-port+4 switches that are end-of-life. These switches are interconnected with SFP ports. These are managed locally through the switch interface. They provide PoE for our existing APs.

Cabling Vanguard uses CAT6 PoE ethernet cables to supply connectivity and power to the existing APs. It isn’t clear what quality of cabling is used in this facility. Due to the significant network/Wi-Fi changes being proposed in this RFP, all existing cables used for the new wireless APs will need to be replaced to ensure reliable, consistent performance.

UPS

The existing UPS only lasts about 5 minutes of downtime.

Requested Services:

Wireless Access Points Replace existing Wi-Fi, one-to-one in call classrooms and fulfill requirements below. The total access points needed for this location are as follows: 3rd floor- 4 classroom access points and 2 additional for hallways.

Network Switches Replace existing switches and add any necessary new switches to power up new APs. At least 2 48-port PoE switches are required.

Cabling Replace existing ethernet cables for existing APs with new CAT6 PoE solid copper ethernet cables sufficient to provide 10Gbps speed up to 100 meters and enough power to fully support the new APs. Old cabling shall be saved and given to Vanguard. Please note, the only new ethernet cables that will be considered part of this project are ones needed to support new APs. Any existing ethernet cables used for wall ports must remain in-tact and connections shall be migrated to the new network switches. It is expected but not required that each AP will need 2 designated ethernet cables. Any further changes made to existing ethernet cables supporting wall-ports are out of the scope of this project.

UPS

Replace rack Mountable UPS 240V input, that will provide at least 15 minutes downtime for all equipment stated in this RFP. 1 UPS device is needed here.

Site 3 Vanguard Academy Middle Site 3, Vanguard Academy Middle location will need about 500 devices to connect wirelessly throughout a typical day. Vanguard’s middle location expansion is located at 2691 Decker Lake Ln, West Valley City, UT 84119. Vanguard Academy site is a one-story building spanning approximately 46,000 square feet total and 40+ rooms. Classrooms house on average 15-30 students. There is one large meeting room and a cafeteria shared in the same space. This is the largest area that needs the ability to connect up to 300 devices at a time.

Current Configuration:

Firewall:

There is no Firewall, one is required.

Wireless Access Points There are no APs. We need them.

Network Switches There are no switches. We need them.

Cabling There are no cable runs for any APs. We need them.

UPS

There are no UPS devices. We need them.

Requested Services:

Firewall:

Vanguard is requesting Vendor to provide a suitable firewall that will connect SD-WAN between the existing other buildings firewalls. This firewall must offer the ability to connect to our Active Directory and Google accounts and filter users based on credentials. Block or filter specific devices by user ID or mac address and have the ability to work with our other technologies stated. This firewall must use high-speed 10G (or better) interconnects to the switches.

Wireless Access Points Setup new Wi-Fi according to requirements stated below. New wiring is required due this being a newly constructed building. All wiring must be run on existing raceways with J hooks. See the schematics below for those requirements. The total access points needed for this location are as follows: 18 classroom access points and 7 additional for hallways and lunchroom.

Network Switches Setup 6 new switches to include at least 48 PoE ports for existing wired jacks in rooms. In addition, switches need to be provided to power and run all new APs installed. All classrooms are already wired and terminated in patch panels located in the network room. Patch wires are needed for all ports.

Cabling Vanguard needs new CAT6 PoE solid copper ethernet cables sufficient to provide 10Gbps speed up to 100 meters and enough power to fully support the new APs. Please note, the only new ethernet cables that will be considered part of this project are ones needed to support new APs. Any existing ethernet cables used for wall ports must remain in-tact and connections shall be migrated to the new network switches. It is expected but not required that each AP will need 2 designated ethernet cables. Any further changes made to existing ethernet cables supporting wall-ports are out of the scope of this project.

UPS

Rack Mountable UPS 240V input, that will provide at least 15 minutes downtime for all equipment stated in this RFP. 2 UPS devices are needed here.

Requested services for all sites Wireless Access Points This request is to redesign and replace the existing Wi-Fi solution with a more robust expandable solution. Vanguard now needs to have a designated access point in all classrooms to manage connectivity and ensure there’s no Wi-Fi issues during peak hours. Vanguard administration also needs the ability to turn off access points on a schedule. One-to-one AP to classrooms is necessary for this requirement. However, it is not necessary to have one-to-one APs in teacher/staff locations, but Wi-Fi must be available on the teacher SSID in all common areas marked on the map. High traffic areas on the map must have enough APs and bandwidth to handle loads stated.

Vendors should include Wi-Fi location/plan showing a proposed Wi-Fi heat map in submitted bids. After implementation is complete, vendors should conduct a Wi-Fi scan in all areas to ensure all expected coverage and signal expectations are met.

Network Switches This request is to design and install switches with a more scalable solution with more current network speeds, and remote cloud management abilities. The primary use will be to support Vanguard’s network APs, and manage classroom network ports. Switches must have the ability to VLAN tag traffic, and extra preference will be given to solutions that provide network traffic/VLAN management live and on the fly without causing network outages or hardware restarts. Switches should have at least 10G SFP or similar interconnection and one management console. Switches must provide POE enough to power Wi-Fi Solution.

Common Requirements Vendors should bid for any needed hardware or software installation services including cabling, network switches, access points, and uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs). Configuration should be compatible with existing devices and users including students, and staff. Training and handoff to current IT staff and Faculty.

Software and Hardware support should be included for a 5-year term. Minimal support/maintenance contract should be included along with monthly and annual billing schedule. Minimal maintenance will include any needed updates or maintenance, periodic Wi-Fi scans and tweaking to ensure end user performance over the 5-year period. Vanguard's on-site staff will provide device and end user support.

Documentation including topology diagram, addresses, usernames, passwords and troubleshooting steps should be included in the bid. All equipment, software and IP will be transferred and owned by Vanguard Academy.

Proposal Requirements:

As a requirement the vendor must be able to guarantee that the requested services are included in the SLA/contract for each connection that will be made. If the parameters cannot be met after the point of implementation, Vanguard reserves the right to terminate any and all contracts, based on the fact that services are not being met as specified.

1. Work with existing user management software or equivalent technology. The proposed solution must be compatible with our existing equipment from Vanguard’s main location, including Meraki firewall, Google G Suite, Managed Methods (Gsuite management) and Microsoft Active Directory accounts or equivalent technologies, iBoss content filter, GoGuardian, LanSchool, remote learning live broadcasts through Newline smart screens, and Lumen cameras.

2. Include a Wi-Fi location/plan showing a proposed Wi-Fi heat map in submitted bids. After implementation is complete, vendors should conduct a Wi-Fi scan in all areas to ensure all expected coverage and signal expectations are met.

3. Wi-Fi solutions must force credentialed logins and direct traffic access based on AD credentials.

4. In the Middle school only, all wire runs must be done on existing raceways. In all schools all wiring must be run with right angles and suspended with J hooks. No shortcuts or wires laying on ceiling tiles. All new cabling must be at least plenum cat6a compliant cable. Vendors must provide cat6a passing test reports for all run cables. See the Figure 2 schematics for the raceway route in the Middle school building below.

5. Students and unregistered devices must be filtered through our iBoss content filter.

6. Solution must have the ability to block or restrict devices by MAC address, identify device ID and assign that to a specific Organizational unit in Active directory or equivalent user management solution.

7. Ability to shut off individual access points and or hardwired ports in specific classrooms on schedule. This will require 1-1 APs in each classroom but not in all administrative areas.

8. Solution must be able to tag specific devices, either hard-wired or Wi-Fi and apply specific filtering/allow/block on-the-fly without the need to reset hardware.

9. Hardwired wall Ethernet ports in each building replacement of old 48-port network switches. It is expected that the selected vendor will provide the number of additional network port switches needed to support the proposed wireless AP solution.

10. Support standards-based encryption protocols.

11. Block or restrict unwanted devices by device ID or mac address.

12. Support wireless networks in high density areas at the levels specified in the requests above.

13. All solutions must conform to Data and Privacy requirements incurred by local and federal laws for schools.

14. Switches should have at least 10G SFP or similar interconnection and one management console.

15. Usage reporting by device ID and Access point location.

16. All UPSs should provide at least 15 minutes of uptime during outages. They will all be rack mounted and 240V wall connection providing 120V to all loads. UPS must be able to communicate outages through email or similar notifications.

17. Firewall required for Middle school must provide SD-WAN and be compatible with existing equipment at the two other schools. Must also provide all requirements in request above.

18. Preference given to offsite-cloud management solutions for both switches and Wi-Fi APs is preferred.

19. Preference given to solutions management simplicity. i.e. Easy to understand user interface, manage both APs and switches under a single console if possible.

20. Training, documentation and handoff of solution to current IT administration and staff. Documentation should include a Wi-Fi AP heatmap and location of all APs. Topology diagram of networks in all buildings including network addresses of all switches, and addresses of all APs.

21. Vanguard is using whitelist firewall rules and has strict content requirements including blocking local devices, online threats and managing individual access. Preference is given to a provider that will provide limited support to diagnose Wi-Fi/network issues.

22. Meet QoS requirements below.

23. Software and Hardware support should be included for a 5-year term.

24. Minimal support/maintenance contract should be included along with monthly/annual fees. Minimal maintenance will include any needed updates or maintenance, periodic Wi-Fi scans and tweaking to ensure end user performance over the 5-year period.

Quality of Service (QoS) All proposed solutions must deliver QoS, from end-to-end. Vendors will be required to prioritize traffic with QoS to ensure packet delivery and latency remains at or above industry standards for the routing protocols as well as for switching. Solution must minimize any latency or drops in coverage throughout the entire building.

1. Requirements defined for common technical standards and operational procedures to maintain system reliability; relevant parameters include:

a. An average end to centralized hub site delay of less than 20 millisecond

b. Provide less than .1% packet loss.

c. Provide less than 20 millisecond jitters (delay variance)

d. Provide greater than or equal to 99.99% network availability.

Implementation Schedule Any network build-out that is required must be completed during the summer break 2026. Therefore, construction should start no later than July 1st, 2026 with completion goals no later than August 12th, 2026. Please include a plan with a timeline, and address ability to meet project timeline goals. Identify circumstances that may create project delays.

Pricing and Cost information Vendors submitting proposals should identify all costs associated with the solution they are quoting. Pricing will be weighted as the highest weighted category in the final evaluation. All hardware MUST BE new and not refurbished equipment. Quotes should include the following:

1. Implementation fees, including purchase of required new hardware for end-to-end connectivity and initial configuration of network hardware. The provided solution must be turn-key ready, and turned over to Vanguard’s existing IT team.

2. Ongoing transmission fees for end-to-end connectivity.

3. Ongoing manufacturer maintenance for the new hardware that will be purchased. Hardware warranty should include 5 years. Software Licensing and support for up to 5 years. Please include information and pricing on any standard warranties.

4. Any other costs associated with the solution that may add to the cost of participants.

5. Include any maintenance or support required to assist in network, wireless, or administration changes to diagnose, fix, update based on current administration requirements.

6. Training of Staff and current IT team.

7. Documentation including topology diagram, addresses, usernames, passwords and troubleshooting steps should be included in the bid. All equipment, software and IP will be transferred and owned by Vanguard Academy Summary of services requested on this RFP and form 470

1. Pre-planning / Pre Wi-Fi heatmap based on building layout.

2. 80 Wi-Fi Access points for all 3 buildings.

3. 20 Switches for all 3 buildings.

4. 6 UPSs for all 3 buildings.

5. 1 Firewall for 1 building.

6. 25,600 feet of CAT6 PoE ethernet solid copper cable for all 3 buildings.

7. Software and licensing for all hardware stated above.

8. Final Wi-Fi heatmap indicating optimal coverage throughout all buildings.

9. Minimal support/updates for all hardware stated above.

All bid proposals must understand and acknowledge USAC invoicing requirements and formats; the bidder will conform to invoicing procedures and processes as promulgated by USAC. Any successful bidder is required to have a current SPIN/498 ID as required by USAC.

Submission Deadline The deadline for bid submission will be 3/23/2026 or 28 days after the posting of the form 470 on the USAC website. A contract may not be signed by any vendor until the 29th day after posting RFP. In order to obtain funding for the services and equipment being requested through this RFP, Vanguard is subject to the rules and regulations of the E-Rate USAC fund program. Vendors must meet all program requirements.

Proposal Evaluation Criteria The following criteria will be utilized to select the final bid. The winning bid will be determined by progressing through the 3 stages of the evaluation: mandatory minimum requirements, scoring criteria stage and cost/budget proposal stage. The winning bid will be the bid that progresses through all stages and earns the highest points on the scoring sheet (provided as a separate document).

Mandatory Minimum Requirements Proposals must meet all of the following Mandatory Minimum Requirements (MMR). Proposals that do not meet all of the MMR will not advance to the scoring criteria stage.

a. Proposal contains all required documentation

b. Vendor makes an appointment with Michael Kingston 801-413-8363 (call or text) or michael.kingston@vanguardcharter.org for a mandatory walkthrough of existing spaces.

c. Vendor will certify that they will inform the school of any changes to the budget proposal.

d. Vendor or representative must participate in the on-site walkthrough that'll be conducted on Friday March 6th, 2026.

e. Vendor will certify that their solution is clearly compatible and equivalent with existing firewall equipment, and this is clearly documented and defended in their proposal.

f. Vendor includes a timeline with clear milestones.

g. Vendor certifies that they can meet the required deadline by Aug 12, 2026 Scoring Technical Criteria Proposals will be scored in the following areas and according to the Evaluation Criteria Breakdown. The total points awarded for Technical Criteria is 525 and total Cost/Budget points will be 550, with the lowest cost bid being awarded the maximum points.

a. Ability to meet requirements stated in the previous Requirements section. Vanguard will review each solution and their ability to meet requirements, if not all requirements are met or possible to meet, higher weight will be provided to those solutions that meet the most requirements.

b. Compatibility with existing solutions: Vanguard will review each proposal and consider the total impact on staff and current processes and systems. Higher points will be awarded to bids that can integrate well with existing solutions at the main Vanguard building with the least number of existing technologies reworked or replaced.

c. Solution Features: This score determines how closely the solution works with the requested services, requirements and QoS outlined above. Higher scores will go to those meeting the most requirements

d. Business Impact, Simplicity: This score is determined by how simple the solution is to manage and support including existing staff requirements and processes.

e. Bonus Features and Scalability: This is given for any bonus features that may be included in a solution proposed that may be ‘important’ to Vanguard but are not described in the requirements above. Extra points will be awarded for the solution that is considered more scalable for Vanguard's future growth concerns.

f. Vendor Qualifications/Prior Experience: Experience with proposed solution and integration with Vanguards existing solutions in required section is stated above.

Evaluation Criteria Breakdown

Cost/Budget Proposals that advance to this stage will be scored based on the lowest cost proposal that advances to this stage. Total points earned on the cost/budget criteria is 550 points. Points will be determined by following the formula explained here:

· The points assigned to each vendor's cost proposal will be based on the lowest proposal price.

· The Offeror with the lowest Proposed Price will receive 100% of the price points.

· All other proposals will receive a portion of the total cost points based on what percentage higher their proposed price is compared to the lowest proposed price. An Offeror whose Proposed Price is more than double (200%) the Lowest Proposed Price will receive no points. The formula is: (Cost Points x (2-Proposed Price/Lowest Proposed Price).

g. Cost: Vanguard will review each detailed breakdown of costs and summary of costs. An award will be primarily, but not solely on lowest cost per quality point ranking. Vanguard reserves the right to reject any bid that exceeds the total funds that have been awarded by USAC for this project.

Please provide a total cost, or, any assumptions or exclusions, or, detailed cost breakdown — Itemized pricing by category, such as:

· Labor/personnel (hours/rates for roles like project manager, developers, consultants)

· Materials, equipment, or third-party services

· Overhead/administrative fees

· Software/tools/licenses

· Contingency allowances

· Training/turn-over/onboarding costs Mandatory Site Visit and Walkthrough Vendors must have a representative come on site for a mandatory walkthrough of each site to ensure their proposed solution will work for Vanguard’s network requirements. All walkthroughs will be conducted on the same day which will be scheduled on March 6th, 2026 at 1:00PM MST. All walkthroughs will begin promptly at 1:00PM MST and starting with Vanguard’s main facility location on the north entrance of: 2650 Decker Lake Ln, West Valley City, UT 84119. Please note that all 3 sites are within 0.25 miles.

Questions Any and all questions should be asked through the Utah Procurement Proposal Place (U3P) by 3/9/2026 @ 5PM. Existing questions will be answered on or before 3/11/2026.

Appendix

Figure 1a. 1st floor Vanguard Main building map with existing Ruckus access points

Figure 1b. 1st floor Vanguard Main building map with proposed access point placements

Figure 1c. 2nd floor Vanguard Main building map with existing Ruckus access points

Figure 1d. 2nd floor Vanguard Main building map with proposed access point placements

Figure 2. 3rd floor Lakepoint building map with existing and proposed Ruckus access points

Figure 3a. Main floor Middle Location building map with proposed access point placements

Figure 3b. Main floor Middle School building map with cable raceway trays and J hooks

Figure 3c. Middle School Cable trays used in the main floor ceilings image3.png image7.png image4.png image8.png image5.png image1.png image6.png image2.png