DIA Weld County 6 Schools_front.docx

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) for Weld County School District 6 Direct Internet Access (DIA) School District: Weld County School District 6

The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to solicit proposals to establish a contract through fair and competitive negotiations for a second Direct Internet Access (DIA) circuit and BGP connection to our Network Operations Center (NOC) head-end site for the District. The proposal must be on a separate network from our other provider, Zayo Communications and not be connected to this network at any point.

The selected vendor will terminate the service in an existing network closet to be designated by the District.

DUE DATE

Proposals will be received via electronic mail until 2:00 PM MST on Friday, November 14, 2025. Responses should be sent to Scott Francies at sfrancies@greeleyschools.org. The School District Board of Education reserves the right to reject any or all proposals. The Board of School Trustees or their designee will, in the exercise of their sole discretion, determine which proposal(s) offer the best means of servicing the interests of the School District. The exercise of this discretion will be final.

TERM

Please provide pricing for the following terms for DIA contracts.

· DIA three-year contract

· DIA five-year contract

· DIA ten-year contract

PROPOSAL

The proposal should include all options for a 5 Gbps DIA fiber connection at the Network Operations Center. All proposals should include the annual cost for operation, maintenance, and any additional cost associated with the service.

SPECIFICATIONS

The District seeks an agreement which allows it to acquire and operate a single 5 Gbps DIA connection to it Network Operations Center (NOC). The minimum speed at installation time shell be 5Gbps, but capable of at least 10Gbps. This connection shall be a BGP connection with full routing table support at the District. The District has its own ASN and IP address assignments and will continue to use these with the new service.

The service address is included in Appendix A.

The District also requires the ability to increase the connection speed during the contract period without increasing the length of the contract.

Your response should describe all proposed handoffs. Please indicate and specify all service provider owned onsite equipment necessary to hand off service to the District’s LAN equipment. Service provider must provide this in the form of a network WAN diagram.

Each respondent must provide a proposed Service Level Agreement (SLA) with their response. The proposed SLA must include a description of the services provided, and where applicable, describe how these services will be measured. At a minimum, the SLA should describe that the vendor will make all reasonable efforts to ensure 99.99% network availability of each circuit, and it should provide frame/packet loss, network latency, and network jitter commitments. Additionally, each SLA should describe 24x7x365 trouble-reporting procedures, offer commitments with regard to the time to repair outages, and describe provisions offered in the event of chronic trouble. The services described in the SLA shall be maintained to the specifications of these commitments throughout the term of the contract, and the selected vendor shall remediate any deficiencies at no cost to the District.

We will consider multi-year contracts with or without voluntary extensions. All cost proposals must reflect the LCP (Lowest Corresponding Price), GSA pricing, and any available governmental unit discounts including existing state purchasing agreements or contracts. Any proposal referencing an existing state purchasing agreement or contract must include that information in the proposal. Bid prices must be complete for the services proposed and shall include all associated costs, even if the amounts are estimates based upon current applicable surcharges, or fees.

RESPONSE FORMAT

All bids must include the following information:

1. A description of services to be provided with detailed information regarding any required construction, including a timeline for completion of every phase of work necessary to demonstrate service delivery by January 2, 2026.

2. Complete pricing for the services described herein. Your proposal must clearly indicate non-recurring costs, recurring costs, and fees for the service being proposed, for each service tier for each site requested.

3. Proposed Service Level Agreement.

4. Three (3) reference sites where your company has performed a similar service, including business name, contact name and contact information. It is preferable that at least one reference should be for a district of similar size within 100 miles of the District.

The District’s review of information will be primarily focused on the substance of the details provided in response to the requirements herein including but not limited to pricing and terms, technical details, SLA, experience and references, and compliance with the requirements laid out in this document.

SPECIAL CONSTRUCTION

All upfront, non-recurring costs for deployment of new or upgraded facilities including, but not limited to: design and engineering, construction, project management, permitting, and implementation costs shall be bid as a separate cost from recurring lease costs. Construction must be complete and the network functional no later than January 2, 2026.

SUBCONTRACTORS

The vendor is responsible for the performance of any obligations that may result from this RFP, and shall not be relieved by the non-performance of any subcontractor. Any vendor’s proposal must identify all subcontractors and describe the contractual relationship between the vendor and each subcontractor. The vendor must list any subcontractor’s name and address that are proposed to be used in providing the required products or services.

The vendor should include the identification of the functions to be provided by the subcontractor and the subcontractor’s related qualifications and experience. Either a copy of the executed subcontract or a letter of agreement over the official signature of the firms involved must accompany each proposal. This assurance in no way relieves the vendor of any responsibilities in responding to this RFP or in completing the commitments documented in the proposal.

The combined qualifications and experience of the vendor and any or all subcontractors will be considered in the School District evaluation. Please include Subcontractor Form with proposal.

REFERENCES

The vendor must include a list of at least three (3) clients for whom the vendor has provided products and/or services that are the same or similar to those products and/or services requested in this RFP. Information provided should include the name, address, and telephone number of the client facility and the name, title, and phone/fax numbers of a person who may be contacted for further information. In addition, a brief description of services rendered for the reference should be included. Please include Reference Form in proposal.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

While cost will be the most heavily weighted factor, the evaluation will also focus on the substance of the details provided in response to the requirements herein including but not limited to technical details, contract terms, experience, references, and adherence to the response format provided.

PROPOSAL CLARIFICATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS, AND CONTRACT DISCUSSIONS

The School District reserves the right to request clarifications on proposals submitted. The School District also reserves the right to conduct proposal discussions, either oral or written, with vendors. These discussions could include request for additional information, request for cost proposal revision, etc. Additionally, in conducting discussions, the School District may use information derived from proposals submitted by competing Vendors only if the identity of the vendor providing the information is not disclosed to others. The School District will provide equivalent information to all vendors which have been chosen for discussions. Discussions, along with negotiations with responsible vendors may be conducted for any appropriate purpose.

TIMELINE

· Questions regarding proposal due to School District Friday, November 7, 2025 at 2:00 PM MST

· District responses to questions posted by Monday, November 10, 2025 at 2:00 PM MST

· Proposals Due by Friday, November 14, 2025 at 2:00 PM MST

REFERENCE FORM

The vendor must include a list of at least three (3) references for who the vendor has provided products and/or services that are the same or similar to those products and/or services requested in this RFP.

Reference 1

Organization Name

Mailing Address Street

Mailing Address City, State, Zip

Website Address

Contact Person

Telephone Number

Fax Number

E-mail

Brief Description

Reference 2

Organization Name

Mailing Address Street

Mailing Address City, State, Zip

Website Address

Contact Person

Telephone Number

Fax Number

E-mail

Brief Description

Reference 3

Organization Name

Mailing Address Street

Mailing Address City, State, Zip

Website Address

Contact Person

Telephone Number

Fax Number

E-mail

Brief Description

SUBCONTRACTOR FORM

Every subcontractor shall be bound by the applicable terms and provisions of the contract documents. Further information about the subcontractor may be requested prior to award. Identify all subcontractors used for this project. Include extra “Subcontractor Forms” if necessary.

Subcontractor 1

Organization Name

Mailing Address Street

Mailing Address City, State, Zip

Website Address

Contact Person

Telephone Number

Years in Business

Years installing similar systems

Project Function

Subcontractor 2

Organization Name

Mailing Address Street

Mailing Address City, State, Zip

Website Address

Contact Person

Telephone Number

Years in Business

Years installing similar systems

Project Function

Subcontractor 3

Organization Name

Mailing Address Street

Mailing Address City, State, Zip

Website Address

Contact Person

Telephone Number

Years in Business

Years installing similar systems

Project Function

By submitting a bid for Direct Internet Access, you acknowledge that you understand and comply with all conditions and terms governed by this bid. You understand and acknowledge that bids shall become the exclusive property of Weld County School District Six upon receipt and shall be subject to public inspection and copying in accordance with the Colorado Open Records Act, C.R.S. §§ 24-72-200.1 et seq. In issuing this RFP, the district is not seeking, and advises bidders not to submit, trade secrets or confidential commercial or financial information. The district shall have no obligation to withhold all or any part of a proposal in response to an open records request. You further certify that this bid is made without prior understanding, agreement or connection with any business or person submitting a competitive bid and without prior commitment or influence from any person or department from Weld County School District Six for this same material or service: and therefore, is in all respects fair and without collusion or fraud. Collusive bidding is a violation of State and Federal law and can result in fines, imprisonment, and civil damages. Bids received without this signed statement will be handled as non-responsive.

Further, by submitting a bid for Bid #WCSD6, you acknowledge and certify that if your product or service is “information and communication technology” (ICT) as defined by the Colorado Office of Information Technology, your product or service complies with all applicable provisions of §§24-85-101, et seq., C.R.S., and the Accessibility Standards for Individuals with a Disability, as established by the Office of Information Technology pursuant to Section §24-85-103(2.5). Any additional costs to add accessibility features will be the obligation of the bidder, and any addition or change to the price proposal will be disallowed.

Payment will be made to the vendor submitting pricing for this bid unless otherwise noted. It is the responsibility of the vendor to inform School District Six of this information prior to a purchase order being processed. If this information is not made available to Weld County School District Six prior to this time, it is the responsibility of the vendor submitting this bid to issue payment to another party.

Vendor Attestation – Technology Accessibility Compliance Colorado law includes accessibility requirements for state and local government entities, mandating that all digital products, services, and software procured by government entities meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA standards to ensure equitable access for individuals with disabilities.

By signing below, Contractor certifies, acknowledges, and agrees that the school district must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, C.R.S. §§ 24-85-101 et seq., and Colorado Office of Information Technology (OIT) rules 8 CCR 1501-11, which require all digital technology to be accessible to individuals with disabilities.

By submitting this RFP, Contractor warrants and represents that all its technology provided, including software, digital platforms, and web-based content, meet or exceed these accessibility requirements. Contractor further certifies that it has provided a current and complete Accessibility Conformance Report in the form of a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) or equivalent documentation verifying compliance. Contractor shall be liable for any statutory fine levied against the District as a direct result of a deficiency of the product to meet OIT accessibility requirements. Contractor is not liable for any statutory fine levied against the District as the result of the misuse or misapplication of the product by the District’s authorized users.

If awarded the contract, Contractor certifies that it shall:

· Maintain ongoing compliance with WCAG 2.1 AA or higher for the duration of the contract.

· Promptly addressing any identified accessibility deficiencies.

· Providing timely updates to ensure continued accessibility.

· Ensuring compatibility with assistive technologies commonly used by individuals with disabilities.

Failure to maintain compliance with state and federal law may result in immediate contract termination or other corrective actions as determined by the District. By submitting this RFP, Contractor agrees to indemnify, save, and hold harmless the District, against any and all costs, expenses, claims, damages, liabilities, court awards and other amounts (including attorneys’ fees and related costs) incurred by any of the Indemnified Parties in relation to Contractor’s failure to comply with §§24-85-101, et seq., C.R.S., or the Accessibility Standards for Individuals with a Disability as established by OIT pursuant to Section §24-85-103 (2.5), C.R.S.

VENDOR NAME __________________________________________________________________

AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE _________________________________________________________

PRINT AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE____________________________________________________

PHONE NUMBER __________________________ FAX NUMBER ________________________

EMAIL ADDRESS _________________________________________________________________

DATE __________________________________

Appendix A: Termination Addresses