5-RFP-27-002, High Bandwidth Metropolitan Area Network Services.pdf

INDIANAPOLIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS

RFP-27-002

Request for Proposals For:

High Bandwidth Metropolitan Area Network Services

Proposal Due Date and Time:

November 12, 2026 @ 11:00 AM ET

Nicole Kenney, Procurement Specialist cont917nk@myips.org

317.509.7483 Indianapolis Public Schools Procurement Department

120 E Walnut Street Indianapolis, IN 46204 mailto:cont917nk@myips.org

Section One - RFP Overview I. Introduction

Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) is soliciting competitive proposals through this Request for Proposals (RFP) in accordance with applicable Indiana Code, IPS policies, and IPS administrative guidelines. The district is seeking proposals from qualified telecommunications providers to deliver High Bandwidth Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) Services. This solicitation package is being posted for potential respondents on https://indigo.bonfirehub.com as well as publicly advertised in accordance with Indiana Code. Only electronic proposal submissions will be accepted through the Indigo Procurement Portal (https://indigo.bonfirehub.com).

II. Summary of Key Dates & Milestones

The following timeline is only an illustration of the RFP process. Some dates are binding as described within this document and others are subject to change. At the conclusion of the evaluation process, all respondents will be informed of the award.

Activity Date

Issue of RFP, Post 470 Newspaper 9/18, 9/25

September 17, 2026

Deadline to Submit Written Questions October 8, 2026 at 4:00 PM ET

Target Response to Written Questions October 15, 2026 by 5:00 PM ET

Deadline to Submit Proposal November 12, 2026 at 11:00 AM ET

Target Board Approval December 2026

Installation & Testing Completion Deadline June 15, 2027

Contract & Billing Effective Start Date July 1, 2027

III. Background & Scope of Services

The intended initial contract term runs from July 1, 2027, through June 30, 2032, with options for extensions in 12-, 24-, 36-, 48-, or 60-month increments through June 30, 2039.

The network must connect up to sixty-two (62) campus locations to the central IPS administrative facility at the John Morton-Finney Center for Educational Services (JMFCES). All proposed services must be 100% installed, tested, and fully operational on or before June 15, 2027, to allow cutover prior to the billing/contract start date of July 1, 2027.

https://indigo.bonfirehub.com

Universal Service Funding (E-Rate) & Billing Requirements

This solicitation requests proposals for a contract partially funded by the Schools and Libraries

Universal Service Fund (USF / E-Rate). Service providers must comply with all rules and regulations set forth by USAC and the FCC:

● SPIN Requirement: Respondents must have and maintain a valid Service Provider Identification

Number (SPIN).

● Lowest Corresponding Price (LCP): Providers must offer services based on LCP, defined as the lowest price charged to non-residential customers similarly situated for similar services.

● Invoicing Options: While IPS has historically filed BEAR forms, the vendor must be capable of directly billing USAC via SPIF form for the discounted portion if requested. Service Provider

Invoices (SPI) sent to IPS must be directed to accounting@myips.org on a monthly basis in arrears.

● Documentation & Audit Support: Vendors must provide service records, invoices, and compliance documentation within 48 hours of an IPS request at vendor expense.

● Performance Surety Separation: Charges for performance bonds (10% requirement for 5-year term) are ineligible for E-Rate reimbursement and must be listed separately.

Technical & System Specifications

● Demarcation & Speeds: Service provider-owned and maintained demarcation providing standard IEEE Ethernet interface at each site. Minimum site bandwidth is 1 Gbps, with scaling capability up to 40 Gbps. Anticipated baseline mix: 5–10 Gbps for school sites, 1–4 Gbps for administrative sites.

● Power Backup / Conditioning: Vendor electronics placed within IPS facilities must include power conditioning and uninterruptible power supply (UPS) hardware capable of maintaining at least 8 continuous hours of backup power.

● Service Level Agreements (SLA): 24/7/365 availability. Immediate emergency outage response required within 2 hours; non-emergency support within 48 hours. Real-time portal/dashboard for monitoring circuits, ticket tracking, and order progress is required.

● Personnel Security & Badging: On-site vendor staff must wear IPS HR-issued contractor badges.

Vendors must certify annual drug screening and national expanded criminal history checks for all deployed personnel.

Location Schedule (Campus Locations)

Current & Alternate Core/Head-End Sites

Location Name Type Address Zip Code

JMFCES

(Head End/Core)

Admin 120 E. Walnut St 46204

Campus Locations for Implementation by June 15, 2027

School / Facility Name School # Address Zip

Code

Benjamin Harrison (CFI) 2 725 N New Jersey 46202

Washington Irving 14 1250 E Market 46202

Thomas D. Gregg 15 2302 E Michigan 46201

Frederick Douglass 19 2020 Dawson 46203

Charity Dye (CFI) 27 545 E 19th 46202

Henry Wadsworth

Longfellow

28 510 Laurel 46203

James A. Garfield 31 307 Lincoln 46225

Eleanor Skillen 34 1410 Wade 46203

William McKinley 39 1733 Spann Ave. 46203

James Whitcomb Riley 43 150 W 40th 46208

Riverside 44 2033 Sugar Grove Ave 46202

Daniel Webster 46 1450 S Reisner 46221

Thomas A Edison 47 777 S White River Pkwy

W Dr

46221

Louis B. Russell Jr. 48 3445 Central Avenue 46205

William Penn 49 1720 W Wilkins 46221

James Russell Lowell 51 3426 Roosevelt Avenue 46218

Brookside 54 3150 E 10th 46201

Eliza A. Blaker 55 1349 E 54th 46220

Francis W. Parker 56 2353 Columbia Avenue 46205

George W. Julian 57 5435 E Washington 46219

Ralph Waldo Emerson 58 321 N Linwood Avenue 46201

Merle Sidener 59 2424 Kessler Blvd E Dr 46220

William Bell 60 3330 N. Pennsylvania 46205

Clarence L Farrington 61 4326 Patricia 46222

Wendell Phillips 63 1163 N. Belmont 46222

Raymond F. Brandes 65 4065 Ashbury 46227

Stephen Foster 67 653 N Somerset Avenue 46222

Joyce Kilmer Academy 69 3421 N Keystone Avenue 46218

Mary E. Nicholson (CFI) 70 510 E 46th 46205

Theodore Potter 74 1601 E 10th St 46201

Carl Wilde 79 5002 W 34th 46224

Christian Park 82 4700 English Avenue 46201

Floro Torrence 83 5050 E 42nd 46226

Joseph J. Bingham (CFI) 84 440 E 57th 46220

George Washington Carver 87 2411 Indianapolis

Avenue

46208

Anna Brochhausen 88 5801 E 16th 46218

Ernie Pyle 90 3351 W 18th 46222

Rousseau McClellan 91 5111 Evanston Avenue 46205

George H. Fisher 93 7151 E 35th 46226

George Buck 94 2701 N Devon 46219

Meredith Nicholson 96 3651 N Kiel Avenue 46224

Arlington Woods 99 5801 E 30th 46218

HL Harshman 101 1501 E 10th 46201

Francis Scott Key 103 3920 Baker Dr 46236

Charles Warren Fairbanks 105 8620 Montery Rd 46226

Robert Lee Frost 106 5301 Roxbury Rd 46226

Lew Wallace 107 3307 Ashway Dr 46224

Jonathan Jennings 109 6150 Gateway Dr 46254

Margaret McFarland 112 3200 E Raymond 46203

Paul I. Miller Admin 2251 S Sloan Avenue 46203

Cold Spring School 315 3650 Cold Spring Rd 46222

Crispus Attucks 718 1140 Dr Martin Luther

King Jr

46202

George Washington 721 2215 W. Washington St. 46222

John Marshall Admin 10101 E 38th 46236

Shortridge 714 3401 N Meridian 46208

Arsenal Technical 716 1500 E Michigan 46201

Broad Ripple 517 1115 Broad Ripple

Avenue

46220

Howe Middle School 520 4900 Julian Ave 46201

Northwest 523 5525 W 34th 46218

Manual High School 715 2405 Madison Ave 46225

Emma Donnan 72 1202 E Troy Ave 46203

Arlington Middle School 522 4825 North Arlington

Avenue

46226

Warehouse Admin 3875 Culligan Ave 46218

IPS Food Center Admin 4125 Producers Drive 46218

IV. Contact & Communication Protocol

All communication, unless stated otherwise in this document, should be directed to the Procurement Specialist on the title page of this RFP. If communication is had with any other district employee, including district board members, the respondent may disqualify themselves from further consideration. No Respondent shall rely upon, take any action, or make any decision based upon any verbal communication with any other district employee, representative, or school board member.

V. Questions & Answer Period

All questions must be submitted through the Messages section of the RFP posting on the Indigo Procurement Portal by the deadline listed in the Summary of Key Dates and Milestones. If the public Q&A feature is enabled, all responses will be posted directly within the portal for all potential respondents to view. Only written responses posted in the system are considered official and binding.

Respondents may not rely on verbal communications, informal conversations with district personnel, or information obtained from media or social media sources.

If any revisions or clarifications to this RFP are required, an Addendum will be issued through the Bonfire portal. IPS may extend the proposal deadline if necessary to accommodate the release of new information.

VI. Proposal Due Date & Time

Respondents must submit a response before the proposal due date and time outlined in the Summary of Key Dates and Milestones. Proposals must be submitted electronically through the Indigo Procurement Portal. Proposals not submitted by the deadline cannot be considered; nor will sending it via email or hand delivery be viable alternatives. The district accepts no obligations for costs incurred by respondents in anticipation of being awarded.

Section Two - RFP Preparation & Submission

I. Proposal Submission Requirements – Requested Information

Vendors must submit a complete proposal through the Indigo Procurement Portal by the deadline listed in the Summary of Key Dates and Milestones. Late submissions will not be considered. Any confidential information must be clearly marked and submitted only through the designated “Confidential Information” upload field. IPS is not responsible for protecting information that is improperly labeled or submitted outside of this field.

● Specification Agreement & Contract Forms A-E

● Total Cost of Ownership – Pricing Proposal

● Quality & Technical Architecture

● Technical Service & Support

● Vendor Capability & 2-3 References with Contact Information

● Contractual Terms - propose any redlines with proposal if required.

● Implementation Plan

II. Access to Public Records Act (APRA)

Respondents are advised that materials contained in proposals are subject to the Access to Public Records Act (APRA), IC 5-14-3 et seq., and, after the contract award, the solicitation file may be posted on the Indigo Bonfirehub website and may be viewed and copied by any member of the public, including news agencies and competitors. The responses are deemed to be “public records” unless a specific provision of IC 5-14-3 protects it from disclosure. Respondents claiming a statutory exception to the APRA must indicate which specific provision applies to which specific part of the response.

Please note citing “Confidential” on an entire section or within the body of a written response is not sufficient or acceptable. Confidential information should ONLY be uploaded in the Confidential Information Section of RFP on the Indigo Bonfirehub website. If the Respondent does not identify the statutory exception, the district will not consider the submission confidential. Furthermore, the district takes no responsibility for disclosing confidential information that is improperly submitted by a Respondent.

Section Three - Proposal Evaluation & Award

I. Proposal Evaluation Overview

Proposals will be evaluated based on the established criteria listed below. IPS reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to waive any informalities or irregularities. The district may defer awarding a contract for up to 90 days from the due date, during which time the offer must remain firm. This RFP does not constitute a binding offer. The district may request written clarifications from any respondent at its discretion and will ensure that all requests are handled fairly and consistently.

Any clarifications provided will become part of the respondent’s official proposal.

II. Evaluation Process & Criteria

A complete review of all information submitted in the RFP package will be utilized by the district evaluation team to determine if the respondent meets the minimum requirements and is considered a responsive and responsible respondent. All respondents who meet the minimum requirements will then be evaluated based on the contents of the proposal based on the criteria below. All proposals will be ranked based on their combined scores.

Evaluation Category Weight Key Elements Assessed

Specification Agreement & Forms

Pass / Fail Compliance with RFP terms and completion of mandatory Attachment A forms.

Total Cost of Ownership (Price)

35 Inclusive cost of all services, products, taxes, fees, and surcharges.

Quality & Technical Architecture

30 Capacity, upgradability, security, scalability, adaptability, reliability, and SLA uptime.

Technical Service & Support

15 Local service presence within 50 miles of downtown Indianapolis, response times, and SLA rebates.

Vendor Capability & References

10 Minimum 5 years experience, local staff, financial strength, and regional reputation.

Disaster Recovery & Contractual Terms

10 Agreement with standard IPS contract provisions, back-up infrastructure, and redundancy.

Implementation Plan 5 Feasibility of turnkey delivery, testing, and operational cutover by June 15, 2022.

Diversity Business Prime Bonus

Bonus 5 Diversity business prime respondent credit (bringing total possible to 105%).

III. RFP Award & Contracting Overview

Respondents will receive notice of the district’s intent to award the RFP through the website. All RFP award recommendations are subject to approval by the IPS Board of School Commissioners. Upon board approval, the respondent(s) awarded will complete necessary documentation to finalize and electronically sign the complete contract prior to commencement.

It is necessary for all awarded respondents to complete the following information upon award:

● Provide any proposed changes to the district’s standard contract terms and conditions.

● Provide a Certificate of Insurance per district contract terms and conditions.

● Confirm IPS Vendor ID or Register a New Profile in Finance System:

https://myipsinvendors.munisselfservice.com/Vendors/default.aspx o Completed W9 o Banking information and valid bank document

Respondents not awarded have up to three business days (from the date of the award) to submit, in writing, a formal protest of the award. The district will only consider protests from prime respondents. All RFP protests should be sent via email to the attention of the IPS Procurement Manager via purchasing@myips.org by 4:00 PM EST on the third business day to be considered.

https://myipsinvendors.munisselfservice.com/Vendors/default.aspx mailto:purchasing@myips.org