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3.2 INFO TECH SOL
| 3.2 | Information Technology Solution |
| Offerors must provide a full response to each item number without cross referencing other sections of the proposal. Offerors must use the table format and maintain numbering provided by the STATE to respond to each item number. Attachments, documents, or samples must be clearly referenced where in the response they can be found in the applicable item number. | |
| No. | |
| 1 | The STATE is requesting bulk internet service. The STATE expects the physical connection to be provided by Gigabit Ethernet uplink ports at 100G. |
| Offeror must describe their ability to provide the following Internet solution: |
| a. Dedicated 100G physical uplink ports terminating in the backbone nodes (Bismarck, Fargo, or both) that provide the STATE with direct or indirect access to one or multiple Tier 1 ISPs |
| i. If the solution is indirect access to a Tier 1 ISP the Offeror must describe their ability to connect the Tier 1 provider directly to the STATE. The STATE must be able to directly exchange routes (IPv4 & IPv6) with the Tier 1 provider. |
| c. All Internet links must be provided from physically diverse POPs. |
| d. All Internet paths must be physically diverse both in and out of state. |
| e. Must be capable of border gateway protocol (IPv4 BGP / IPv6 BGP) to one or multiple routers per POP and support the existing IP address space owned by the STATE and its affiliated organizations. |
| Offeror Response: |
2 Offerors must describe their current network, including bandwidth, names of principal suppliers (e.g., interexchange carriers, fiber optic transport providers, etc.) and identify peering/connection points to NAPs, Metropolitan Area Exchanges (MAE-'s) and other major ISP's.
Offeror must include current utilization and metrics for expansion.
Offeror Response:
| 3 | Offerors must provide information regarding the current utilization of your network, including average and peak utilization data. Describe your current plans for upgrading the network as well as the criteria used to decide when an upgrade is necessary. |
| Offeror Response: |
| 4 | Offeror must describe in detail options to provide additional capacity throughout the term of the contract, including utilizing circuits at 400 gigabit interface physical speed with allocated bandwidth at increments less than 400 gigabit. |
| Offeror Response: |
| 5 | Offeror must describe their ability to deliver sub 10G internet service to STATE co-location facilities. |
| Offeror Response: |
| 6 | If an Offeror is proposing POPs in Bismarck and Fargo Offeror must describe in detail how diversity is provided by separate east and west bound paths. |
| Offeror Response: |
| 7 | Offeror must describe in detail the proposed connectivity to the STATE's POP locations. |
| a. 600 E Blvd Ave, Bismarck |
| b. 4202 Coleman St, Bismarck |
| c. 1320 Albrecht Blvd, Fargo |
| d. 3901 Great Plains Dr S, Fargo |
| e. 3701 Campus Rd, Grand Forks |
| f. 122 S 5th St, Grand Forks |
| g. 24 2nd Avenue SE, Minot |
| Offeror Response: |
| 8 | Offerors must describe detail the POP facilities including, but not limited to: |
| a. Power (i.e. battery/UPS, redundancy, generator, etc.), |
| b. Air-conditioning, |
| c. Building cable entrance and cabinet cross-connect policy, |
| d. Physical access, and |
| e. Any other requirement that is necessary for the STATE to operate and interconnect STATE facilities to and from the provider’s POP. |
| Offeror Response: |
| a. |
| b. |
| c. |
| d. |
| e. |
| 9 | The STATE may require co-location services. The STATE currently has approximately 7 full size cabinets in Bismarck and Fargo co-location facilities. Offerors must describe detail their co-location services including, but not limited to: |
| a. Rack space, |
| b. Power (i.e. battery/UPS, redundancy, generator, etc.), |
| c. Air-conditioning, |
| d. Building cable entrance and cabinet cross-connect policy, |
| e. Physical access, and |
| f. Any other requirement that is necessary for the STATE to operate and interconnect STATE facilities to and from the provider’s POP. |
| Offeror Response: |
| a. |
| b. |
| c. |
| d. |
| e. |
| f. |
| 10 | Offerors must describe in detail the level of physical hardening for the POP and co-location facilities. |
| Offeror Response: |
| 11 | The STATE requires protection from Distributed Denial-of-Service Prevention (DDoS) that impact the performance or availability of the internet link. Offeror must describe in detail the proposed DDoS services. |
| Offeror Response: |
| 12 | Offeror must describe in detail any DDoS portals and reporting available to the STATE. |
| Offeror Response: |
| 13 | Describe in detail their ability to provide any alternate connectivity as detailed below: |
| a. A long-haul solution (i.e. Lightwave) that would provide diverse transport, cost savings, and/or improved performance from any of the core backbone node cities to a larger national ISP hub. |
| b. Partnerships or peering arrangements with Google, Microsoft, and/or content engine services (Netflix) that would be of value to the STATE in performance and/or cost savings. |
| c. Any other partnerships or peering arrangements that would be of value to the STATE in performance and/or cost savings. |
| Offeror Response: |
| a. |
| b. |
| c. |
| 14 | Offerors must provide a network map and a conceptual diagram detailing information such as route diversity, bandwidth, and hop counts. |
| Offeror Response: |
| 15 | Offerors must describe in detail the network redundancy in their network. |
| Offeror Response: |
| 16 | The Offeror must describe any CPE hardware necessary to terminate the proposed solution. |
| Offeror Response: |
| 17 | If available, Offeror must provide historical Service Level Metrics for a minimum of the previous twelve (12) months. |
| Offeror Response: |
18 Service Level Agreements Offerors must complete Service Level Metrics tab and describe in detail their metrics such as, but not limited to availability, latency, packet loss, jitter, guaranteed/mean time to repair, provisioning time and change request time.
Offeror Response:
19 Service Level Agreement Monitoring & Reporting Offerors must describe in detail the monitoring & reporting capabilities and frequency such as, but not limited to Network Availability per site/access line, network performance, network utilization, trouble tickets, scheduled outages and unscheduled outages. Offerors should include examples of monitoring and reporting capabilities.
Offeror Response:
20 Service Level Credits Offerors must describe their process for issuing credits to the STATE if a service level would not be met.
Offeror Response:
| 21 | Offeror must describe in detail any reporting capabilities. |
| Offeror Response: |
| 22 | Offeror must describe in detail their customer services portal including, but not limited to: |
| a. Ordering |
| b. Performance Monitoring |
| c. Incident Management |
| d. API Access |
| e. Any other capabilities. |
| Offeror Response: |
23 e-Rate The STATE participates in the e-Rate Program. Offerors must be an eligible telecommunications/internet access service provider under the Universal Services Support for Schools and Libraries program. The awarded Offeror will be required to carry the e-Rate funded portion of the cost until the STATE receives the Funding Decision Commitment Level letter each funding year. The unfunded costs may be billed as negotiated.
Offeror Response:
| 24 | The Offeror shall have an established Network Operations Center (NOC). The NOC must provide 24x7x365 staffed support for monitoring, trouble reporting, and problem resolution. The NOC will provide direct support for all service related issues including, but not limited to, network monitoring and trouble resolution. The Offerors NOC must be located in the United States. Offerors must describe in detail their NOC (equipment, personnel, features, location, etc.) in the proposal. |
| Offeror Response: |
| 25 | Maintenance Procedures |
| Offeror must describe in detail their procedure for providing planned and unplanned maintenance service (to be approved by the STATE) that would include: |
| a. Maintenance procedures |
| a. Critical |
| b. Non-Critical |
| b. How Public Safety endpoints are managed relating to any outages or service impacts |
| c. Trouble reporting procedures, |
| d. Procedures for replacement and/or repair of equipment and/or facilities |
| e. Telephone numbers for voice, |
| f. E-mail addresses, |
| g. Outage notification process |
| h. Escalation procedures. |
| Offeror Response: |
| a. |
| a. |
| b. |
| b. |
| c. |
| d. |
| e. |
| f. |
| g. |
| h. |
| 26 | Offeror must acknowledge that ALL costs are included in the cost proposal and be clearly defined in Cost Proposal Attachment 3. |
This includes any items that are optional. If the cost is not clearly defined in the Cost Proposal then that feature, item, etc. is included as a part of the solution at no cost.
Offeror Response:
| 27 | Offeror must acknowledge that due to changing technologies the vendor may be requested to add additional products and/or services to the contract. |
| Offeror Response: |
| 28 | Offeror must describe in detail their ability to provide additional connectivity options or services throughout the term of the contract. |
| Offeror Response: |
| 29 | Offeror must describe in detail their ability to provide the STATE with a looking glass server. |
| Offeror Response: |
| 30 | Offerors are invited to provide any other information that may be relevant to this RFP process. For example, would the vendor provide any additional services, or assist the STATE in evaluating its existing and future needs. |
| Offeror Response: |
| Contract and Schedule | |
| 31 | The Awardee shall be required to sign a contract substantially similar to the contract attached to this RFP (Attachment 2). Offeror must acknowledge that the STATE and the awarded Offeror will execute one contract for the services necessary to deliver the proposed solution. |
| Offeror also must acknowledge that the proposal includes a copy of the Contract – Attachment 2 completed according to the instructions in the attachment. Per the instructions in Section 4.3 – Technical Proposal, Subsection 3 Contract Provisions of the RFP. |
| Offeror Response: |
| 32 | Offerors must describe in detail a proposed transition plan to be completed by June 30, 2027. The transition plan will be negotiated upon intent to award. |
| Offeror Response: |
3.3 Offeror Background
| 3.3 | Offeror Background |
| Offerors must provide a full response to each item number without cross referencing other sections of the proposal. Offerors must use the table format and maintain numbering provided by the STATE to respond to each item number. Attachments, documents, or samples must be clearly referenced where in the response they can be found in the applicable item number. | |
| No. | |
| 33 | Offeror must describe in detail the following: |
| a. Account representation, |
| b. Process for handling customer inquiries and response time, |
| c. Billing procedures, and |
| d. Reporting capabilities. |
| Offeror Response: |
| a. |
| b. |
| c. |
| d. |
| 34 | Offeror must provide information on the point of contact for questions relating to the proposal: |
| a. name, |
| b. title, |
| c. phone number, |
| d. e-mail address |
| Offeror Response: |
| a. |
| b. |
| c. |
| d. |
| 35 | Offeror must provide a narrative of the dedicated contract representative and include: |
| a. name, |
| b. title, |
| c. phone number, |
| d. e-mail address |
| Offeror Response: |
| a. |
| b. |
| c. |
| d. |
| 36 | The Offeror must provide the following general background information: |
| a. Name, address, telephone number, fax number and e-mail address of the Offeror including all d/b/a’s or assumed names or other operating names of the Offeror and any local addresses and phone numbers. |
| b. Number of years in business. |
| c. The location(s) including address and telephone numbers of the offices and other facilities that relate to the Offeror’s performance under the terms of this RFP |
| Offeror Response: |
| a. |
| b. |
| c. |
| 37 | Offeror must indicate if they intend to use subcontractors, the offeror must identify in the proposal the names of the subcontractors and the portions of the work the subcontractors will perform. |
| Offeror must provide a statement that the offeror will ensure that the subcontractor has or will obtain any required licenses and registrations, including registration with the North Dakota Secretary of State. |
| Offeror Response: |
| 38 | Offeror must provide three (3) non-STATE references for similar projects. The Offeror must include the following contact information for each reference: |
| a. person's name, |
| b. telephone number, and |
| c. e-mail address. |
| d. A narrative of the project |
| The Offeror must verify the accuracy of all contact information. |
| The STATE reserves the right to contact other state and local government agencies and entities regarding engagements they may have had with the Offeror’s company in the past, in addition to the references provided in the proposal. |
| Reference checks shall be completed on Offeror who are determined to be reasonably susceptible for award. The STATE will factor information received during the reference checks into the evaluation scoring. |
| Offeror Response: |
| Reference 1 |
| a. |
| b. |
| c. |
| d. |
| Reference 2 |
| a. |
| b. |
| c. |
| d. |
| Reference 3 |
| a. |
| b. |
| c. |
| d. |
| 39 | Offeror must provide one (1) reference for a similar project for every proposed subcontractor. The subcontractor must include the following contact information for each reference: |
| a. person's name, |
| b. telephone number, and |
| c. e-mail address. |
| d. A narrative of the project |
| The Offeror must verify the accuracy of all contact information. |
| The STATE reserves the right to contact other state and local government agencies and entities regarding engagements they may have had with the Offeror’s company in the past, in addition to the references provided in the proposal. |
| Reference checks shall be completed on Offerors who are determined to be reasonably susceptible for award. The STATE will factor information received during the reference checks into the evaluation scoring. |
| Offeror Response: |
| Reference 1 |
| a. |
| b. |
| c. |
| d. |
| 40 | The Offeror must provide resumes for all key personnel of the Offeror who will be involved in providing the goods and/or services contemplated by this RFP. The personnel listed must be the people that will perform/provide goods and services for the STATE. The following information must be included in the resumes: |
| a. Full name, |
| b. Role, |
| c. Education including degrees, relevant certifications, and the institution from which they were obtained, |
| d. Years of experience and employment history particularly as it relates to the requirements of the RFP, |
| e. Description of the type of work the individual shall perform, |
| f. A detailed description of relative experience in the items listed in this RFP. |
| Offeror Response: |
| 41 | If the Offeror is proposing any subcontractors, Offeror must provide resumes for all subcontractors who will be involved in providing the goods and/or services contemplated by this RFP. The personnel listed must be the people that will perform/provide goods and services for the STATE. The following information must be included in the resumes: |
| a. Company Name, |
| b. Full name, |
| c. Role, |
| d. Education including degrees, relevant certifications, and the institution from which they were obtained, |
| e. Years of experience and employment history particularly as it relates to the requirements of the RFP, |
| f. Description of the type of work the individual shall perform, |
| g. A detailed description of relative experience in the items listed in this RFP. |
| Offeror Response: |
| 42 | STATE may require Offeror’s staff and subcontractors assigned by Offeror to perform work to submit to a criminal history record check in accordance with N.D.C.C. 54-59-20 and 12-60-24. STATE shall have the right to reject any individual assigned to perform work if, in its sole discretion, it determines that the results of the criminal history record check make the individual unacceptable. |
| Upon request by the STATE, the Offeror shall supply written verification that Offeror has conducted a background check on its staff and subcontractors assigned to perform work under this contract. |
| Offeror Response: |
| 43 | Offeror must indicate if they are submitting a proposal as a joint venture, offeror must submit a copy of the joint venture agreement that identifies the parties involved and its rights and responsibilities regarding performance and payment. |
| Offeror Response: |
| 44 | Assigned contract representatives may be required to meet with the STATE on a regular basis, or when deemed necessary. The STATE may also require other support staff or team members identified on bidder’s escalation lists to be available for these meetings. Please verify that your company can and will make these staff members available to meet with the STATE, given adequate notice. |
| Offeror Response: |
SERVICE LEVEL METRICS
| Service Level Metrics | | | |
| Offerors must complete the table and describe in detail their metrics. Please add rows/columns if necessary. | | | |
| Performance Measure | Measure Description | Description of How it is Measured | Service Credit(s) if Measure is not met |
5.3 Proposal Eval Worksheet
PROPOSAL EVALUATION WORKSHEET
| The proposal evaluation worksheet will to be used by evaluators in scoring responsive technical proposals. STATE has assigned each evaluation criterion and the relative weight. A worksheet used in the evaluation process is included in the procurement file. |
| INSTRUCTIONS FOR EVALUATORS: STATE has assigned each evaluation criterion a specific number of points. The questions under each evaluated area help you measure the quality of the offeror’s response. Do not assign points to individual questions: instead, award a total score for each evaluation criterion. Make a brief comment and give the initial score of the proposal evaluation worksheet. |
| CONFLICT OF INTEREST: Each evaluator must review the list of offerors submitting proposals and determine if they or any immediate family members have a conflict of interest with regard to an offeror, in accordance with N.D.A.C. § 4-12-04-04. By signature on a proposal evaluation worksheet, evaluator is confirming no conflict of Interest exists with the offeror being evaluated. N.D.A.C. § 4-12-04-04 Link - http://www.legis.nd.gov/information/acdata/pdf/4-12-04.pdf |
| RATING SCALE FOR ASSESSING OFFEROR RESPONSES: STATE intends this rating scale to establish guidelines within that range to ensure members of the RFP evaluation committee perform their evaluation with consistency. You may assign any value for a given criteria from 0 to the maximum number of points. A zero value typically constitutes no response or an inability of the offeror to meet the criterion. In contrast, the maximum value should constitute a high standard of meeting the criterion. |
| EVALUATION WORKSHEET INSTRUCTIONS FOR EVALUATORS: RATING SCALE: STATE intends this rating scale to establish guidelines within that range to ensure members of the RFP evaluation committee perform their evaluation with consistency. You may assign any value for a given criteria from 0 to the maximum number of points. A zero value typically constitutes no response or an inability of the offeror to meet the criterion. In contrast, the maximum value should constitute a high standard of meeting the criterion |
EXAMPLE: “Product Support, Customer Service, Experience and Qualifications” is an evaluation criterion receiving a maximum of 20 possible points. The rating scale would be as follows:
| EXAMPLE RATING SCALE (20 POINT Maximum) | |
| POINT VALUE | EXPLANATION |
| 0 | None - Not addressed or response of no value |
| 1-5 | Fair - Limited applicability |
| 6-10 | Good - Some applicability |
| 11-15 | Very Good - Substantial applicability |
| 16-20 | Excellent - Total applicability |
COST PROPOSAL: Offerors are required to submit cost proposals as directed in the RFP. The pricing will not be disclosed to the evaluation committee until after the initial evaluation of proposals is completed.
| PROPOSAL EVALUATION WORKSHEET |
| TECHNICAL PROPOSAL EVALUATION CRITERIA AND SCORING |
| RFP Number and Title |
| Name of Offeror |
| Name of Evaluator |
| Date |
| SECTION A: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTION |
| FIFTY-FIVE (55) of the total possible evaluation points will be assigned to this criterion. |
| RATING SCALE | |
| POINT VALUE | EXPLANATION |
| 0 | None - Not addressed or response of no value |
| 1-14 | Fair - Limited applicability |
| 15-27 | Good - Some applicability |
| 28-41 | Very Good - Substantial applicability |
| 42-55 | Excellent - Total applicability |
IMPORTANT. Proposals will be evaluated against Proposals will be evaluated against the overall response to the table in Section 3.2 Information Technology Solution. Do not assign points to individual questions, instead, award a total score for each evaluation criterion. Evaluators must provide comments to support scoring.
| SECTION B: OFFEROR BACKGROUND |
| FIFTEEN (15) of the total possible evaluation points will be assigned to this criterion. |
| RATING SCALE | |
| POINT VALUE | EXPLANATION |
| 0 | None - Not addressed or response of no value |
| 1-4 | Fair - Limited applicability |
| 5-8 | Good - Some applicability |
| 9-12 | Very Good - Substantial applicability |
| 13-15 | Excellent - Total applicability |
IMPORTANT. Proposals will be evaluated against Proposals will be evaluated against the overall response to the table in Section 3.3 Offeror Background. Do not assign points to individual questions, instead, award a total score for each evaluation criterion. Evaluators must provide comments to support scoring.
| CRITERION | MAX POINTS | SCORE |
| A. Information Technology Solution | 55 | 0 |
| B. Offeror Background | 15 | 0 |
| TOTAL TECHNICAL PROPOSAL EVALUATION SCORE | | 0 |