Amendment_3_for_RFQ_33101-26006FAS5_E-Rate%20_Category_2.pdf

This is Amendment #3 to a Request for Qualifications (RFQ #33101-26006FAS5) issued by the State of Tennessee Department of Education for E-Rate Category 2 services covering fiscal years 2026-2031. The amendment updates and confirms the RFQ schedule of events for the procurement. Key dates include the pre-response conference scheduled for October 27, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. Central Time; the Notice of Intent to Respond deadline of October 28, 2025 at 2:00 p.m.; the written Questions and Comments deadline of November 3, 2025 at 2:00 p.m.; and the RFQ response deadline of December 12, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. The state will complete technical response evaluations by January 22, 2026, with catalog pricing opened for apparent successful respondents on January 23, 2026. The Notice of Intent to Award will be released on January 26, 2026, with the protest period ending on February 2, 2026. The contractor signature deadline is February 5, 2026 at 2:00 p.m.

The amendment specifies that all revisions are effective upon release, and all other terms and conditions of the original RFQ remain in full force and effect. The procurement seeks qualified service providers to deliver internal connections, basic maintenance of internal connections, and managed internal broadband services to Local Education Agencies, Public Charter Schools, and State Special Schools. Services funded through the Federal Communications Commission's Universal Service Schools and Libraries Support Mechanism (E-Rate program) encompass networking equipment, cabling, routers, switches, wireless access points, firewalls, and caching systems. The state will not evaluate cost during the initial qualification phase; instead, respondents must submit catalog pricing that will serve as a ceiling for subsequent mini-bid processes where educational entities conduct competitive bidding among qualified providers.