Forest Hills Public Schools

Wireless RFP 2021

Request for Proposal (RFP)

December 2020

Wireless RFP 2021

December 2020 Prepared by Plante Moran

TABLE OF CONTENTS

GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1 General Requirements

2 Wireless Network Specifications

APPENDICES (PROVIDED SEPARATELY)

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GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

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1 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

1.1 INTENT

It is the intent of Forest Hills Public Schools (hereinafter referred to as the “District”) to solicit proposals from qualified vendors for wireless network equipment and services. This solution will consist of the following components:

A. Equipment

B. Installation services

C. Warranty services

The District intends to seek E-rate funding for this project. Vendors must provide their Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN) within your proposal submission.

It is desired that vendors propose on all of the services being requested in this Request for Proposals (RFP).

Vendors may partner with another provider to supply a complete and turnkey solution. If your response contains proposed services or equipment from multiple providers, all responding parties must be clearly identified and a synopsis of the partner relationship as well as the party that will serve as the prime vendor/contact for the District must be detailed. The District reserves the right to proceed with the provider deemed most suitable.

1.2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The District is seeking a long-term relationship with a wireless network vendor to provide both District-wide Wireless equipment and services to Forest Hills Public Schools for 2021 and 2022. In addition, the District is seeking E-rate funding for FY2021 for this project where applicable.

This RFP outlines the performance, operational, and administrative requirements the District is seeking for the District-wide Wireless RFP. Detailed specifications for this project are included in Section 2 of the RFP.

1.3 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

EVENT DATE

RFP issued December 7, 2020

Deadline for submittals of questions related to this RFP December 11, 2020

Deadline for proposals & public proposal opening

January 14, 2021 @ 10AM ET, details to follow for public opening.

Anticipated award date February/March 2021

Implementation schedule Secondary – May-August 2021 Elementary – May-August 2022

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1.4 PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

Late proposals will not be accepted. Proposals shall be submitted as follows by the deadline indicated in Section 1.3, Schedule of Events:

• (1) Printed signed original

• (1) Unbound printed copy

• (1) Thumb drives consisting of only 2 files:

o One single PDF file of the submitted printed signed complete proposal o Appendix A in Excel format

Mark with company name and deliver to:

Attn: Susan Case 6590 Cascade Rd SE Grand Rapids, MI 49546

All proposals must be in a sealed package and contain the wording “District-wide Wireless RFP” on the package. The wording “ORIGINAL” is to appear on the outside of the binder containing the original signed proposal. If a bid bond or cashier’s check is used, an original copy of the bid bond must be submitted in the binder marked Original. Proposals may not be delivered via facsimile or email.

All Proposals MUST include the Vendor Response Forms provided in Appendix A.

Proposals shall be accompanied by a sworn and notarized statement disclosing any familial relationship that exists between the Vendor or any employee of the Vendor and any member of the Board of Education or superintendent. The District shall not accept a proposal that does not include this sworn and notarized disclosure statement. The Non-Familial Form must accompany your bid proposal (see Appendix A).

In accordance with the Iran Economic Sanctions Act, Michigan Public Act No. 517 of 2012, all vendors must execute the “Iran Linked Business Affidavit” and include it in their proposals (see Appendix A). Said forms are included in the Vendor Response Forms. The District will not accept a proposal that does not include this sworn and notarized disclosure statement. The form must accompany your bid proposal (see Appendix A).

1.5 INTENT TO PROPOSE

Each vendor that intends to submit a proposal in response to this RFP should communicate its intent via email to gina.mancinelli@plantemoran.com with the subject line “[Insert your vendor name] – Forest Hills Public Schools District-wide Wireless RFP - Intent to Propose.” Please refer to Section 1.7, RFP Clarifications and Addenda, for the contact information to address specific questions related to this RFP.

The response shall include the name of the Vendor, the name of the contact person, and that person’s email address.

mailto:gina.mancinelli@plantemoran.com

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1.6 VENDORS’ CONFERENCE

A pre-proposal vendors’ conference will not be held for this project.

1.7 RFP CLARIFICATIONS & ADDENDA

Please note that any addenda will be posted by the District to the bid site that housed the original RFP.

Vendors are responsible for checking the site regularly to make themselves aware of any new addenda.

When making requests for clarification, please identify the relevant section number (e.g., Section 2.3.1).

Requests for clarification shall be submitted by email only to:

Shae Sultes Shae.Sultes@plantemoran.com

1.8 PROPOSAL FORMAT

To facilitate the comparison of vendor proposals, it is required that each proposal be organized into the following sections:

1.8.1 Executive Summary

The executive summary should, at a minimum, include the following:

A. Executive letter highlighting how the proposed solution achieves the objectives of the District: This letter is to be signed by an officer of the organization submitting the proposal

B. Organizational overview: A brief overview of the organization

C. Provide features of the District-wide Wireless solution to identify:

1. How the solution aligns with the requested technical requirements

2. Any functional or technical requirements that the proposed solution cannot achieve

3. Any assumptions and/or District resources required to complete the solution

1.8.2 Vendor Response Forms

Vendor Response Forms are supplied in this RFP (Appendix A). In addition to requesting information on your company and the proposed solution, along with other required forms, you must clearly indicate whether you either comply or take exception to any of the sections in this RFP. All vendors MUST submit the Comply/Exception Form from Appendix A. Where applicable, an explanation to the exception must be provided.

1.8.3 Project Plan

The Vendor will include an overview of its project plan in its response.

mailto:Shae.Sultes@plantemoran.com

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1.8.4 Project Team

Indicate the level of qualification of the staff who will be assigned to this project. Qualification will be based on certifications and years of experience with the materials proposal in similar configurations. Names of staff need not be provided; however, the response in this section will indicate the minimum level of experience that will be provided. If necessary, please include additional categories to address additional levels of staff or staff with different certifications and years of experience.

1.8.5 Product Information

The Vendor must include copies of the technical specifications and/or data sheets for each of the products being proposed.

1.8.6 Electronic Copy

An electronic format of the forms in Appendix A in a Microsoft Excel format MUST be included with your response. A PDF version of all other materials must also be included.

1.8.7 Equipment Listing (BOM)

A bill of material must be included with the bid response identifying equipment models and quantities.

1.8.8 Additional Information

Additional information may be provided at the Vendor’s discretion.

1.9 BID BONDS

Every bid shall be accompanied by either a cashier’s check on a solvent bank or by a bond executed by a surety company authorized to do business in the state of Michigan. A 5% bid bond or cashier’s check shall be required. Such check or bond shall name the District as recipient. The amount of such bid bond or cashier’s check shall be forfeited as liquidated damages, costs, and expenses incurred by the District if the Vendor, after given an award as successful vendor, shall fail within thirty (30) days after the notice of such award to enter into appropriate contract with the District.

1.10 PERFORMANCE AND PAYMENT BONDS

The District MAY require the selected vendor(s) to provide a performance bond upon award of the contract.

The associated cost of the performance bond is to be shown as a separate line item — do NOT include this cost in your base bid. This bond shall be equal in amount to the total price to the District of purchased hardware, software, cabling, and services. The surety of the bond shall remain in effect for one (1) year after all acceptance of the entire project has been executed by the District. In the event that the Vendor(s) fails to perform its obligations under any agreement between the Vendor(s) and the District, the bond shall be paid to the District. The Vendor(s) further agrees to save and hold harmless the District and agents from all liability and damages of every description in connection with any subsequent agreements. Payment bonds

Wireless RFP 2021 Page 8 of 30 shall be required under the following conditions: project award exceeds $50,000 and project involves construction, alteration, or repair to the buildings.

1.11 INSPECTION OF WORKSITE

If necessary, vendors can request access for site visits from Forest Hills Public Schools by contacting the individual identified in Section 1.7, RFP Clarifications & Addenda. We do not believe on-site access and review will be required prior to the project and, therefore, requests may be denied.

1.12 MODIFICATION OF RFP

Vendors may not modify the RFP text to affect the terms, conditions, or specifications found in this document; this is forbidden and will subject the bid response to rejection. In the event any text is modified, the original text as issued will apply. This clause does not apply to the vendor response areas of the RFP where it is expected that vendors will enter their text.

1.13 CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

As a public entity, the District is subject to the Michigan Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Information contained in proposals may be subject to FOIA requests.

1.14 RIGHT TO REQUEST ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The District reserves the right to request any additional information that might be deemed necessary after the completion of this document.

1.15 RIGHT OF REFUSAL

The District reserves the right to reject any or all proposals in their entirety, evaluate suggestions or exceptions, waive irregularities, or select certain equipment from various vendor proposals, based on the best interests of the District. The District reserves the right to reject any or all proposals for a specific section. The District reserves the right to award specific buildings to one or more vendors.

1.16 PROPOSAL PREPARATION COSTS

The Vendor is responsible for any and all costs incurred by the Vendor or its subcontractors in responding to this RFP.

1.17 SYSTEM DESIGN COSTS

The successful vendor shall be responsible for all design, information gathering, and required programming to achieve a successful implementation. This cost must be included in the base bid.

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1.18 PERMITS

The successful vendor shall be responsible for complying with all local, state, and federal codes applicable to this installation. This includes the electrical permit required by the state of Michigan for low voltage installations. Include all costs associated with permitting in your base bid.

1.19 PRICING ELIGIBILITY PERIOD

All vendor proposal bids are required to be offered for a term not less than 120 calendar days in duration. A claim of mistake in computation of a proposal shall not void the proposals after they are opened and accepted.

1.20 ADDITIONAL CHARGES

No additional charges, other than those listed on the price breakdown sheets, shall be made. Prices quoted will include verification and coordination of order, all costs for shipping, delivery to all sites, unpacking, setup, installation, operation, testing, cleanup, and training.

1.21 TURNKEY SOLUTION

All prices quoted must include all the cables, connectors, etc., that will be necessary to make the system specified fully operational for the intent, function, and purposes stated herein.

1.22 FEDERAL OR STATE SALES, EXCISE, OR USE TAXES

Forest Hills Public Schools is a tax-exempt entity for all purposes, except if the project makes enhancements and/or additions to real property.

1.23 PURCHASE QUANTITIES

The District reserves the right to adjust upward or downward by 25%, the quantities of items purchased without altering the unit purchase price upon award and throughout the contract period.

1.24 AGREEMENT REQUIREMENTS

The District intends to use the agreement contained in Appendix C for this project. Please review this attached agreement and indicate whether the terms of the agreement are acceptable. Include all contract exceptions in your proposal, if any.

The District considers this RFP legally binding and will require that this RFP and the resulting vendor proposal be included as addenda to any subsequent agreements between the Vendor(s) and the District. It should be understood by the Vendor(s) that this means that the District expects the Vendor(s) to satisfy all requirements and reports listed herein. Exceptions should be explicitly noted in the vendor proposals. Lack of listing all exceptions will be considered acceptance of all of the specifications as presented in this RFP.

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1.25 SURVIVAL CLAUSE

All duties and responsibilities of any party that, either expressly or by their nature, extend into the future, shall extend beyond and survive the end of the contract term or cancellation of the Agreement.

1.26 FORCE MAJEURE CLAUSE

See proposed Agreement in Appendix C.

1.27 INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

The Vendor shall supply equipment, wiring, technology, training, and other related services adequate to accomplish the requirements as set forth in the RFP and the Vendor response to the RFP. Parties agree that where there is a conflict between terms of the Agreement and the information presented in the referenced documents, the Agreement shall take precedence. The parties also agree that where there is not a conflict between the Agreement and the information presented in the referenced documents, all terms, conditions, and offers presented in the Vendor’s proposal shall herein be referenced to the Agreement and shall be binding upon all parties to the Agreement.

1.28 RISK DURING EQUIPMENT STORAGE AND INSTALLATION

Delivery shall be made in accordance with the implementation schedule referenced as part of the Agreement. It will be possible to allow for minor variances from this implementation schedule as mutually agreed upon by both parties and confirmed by prior written notice. NOTE: Equipment that will be installed in 2022 shall not be purchased until that year. The equipment shall be installed and placed into good working order by representatives of the Vendor. During the time period where the equipment is in transit and until the equipment is fully installed in good working order, the Vendor and its insurer shall be responsible for the equipment and relieve the District of responsibility for all risk of loss or damage to the equipment. In addition, the Vendor shall hold the District and agents harmless from any risk of loss or damage arising out of occurrences during the installation of the equipment.

1.29 SHIPPING OF EQUIPMENT

All shipping and insurance costs to and from the site shall be included in the Vendor’s proposal. All payments to shipping agents and for insurance fees shall be made directly by the Vendor. The District shall make no payments to any firm concerning the shipment, installation, and delivery of equipment that is not a part of the Agreement and for which exact payments are not described. The Vendor shall be responsible for all arrangements for the shipment and receipt of equipment to the District’s prepared site. The Vendor shall provide all properly trained representatives to unpack all items of equipment and place this equipment in the proper locations. The Vendor shall also be responsible for removal of all debris and packing materials from the site resulting from the installation of the equipment.

1.30 NON-WAIVER OF AGREEMENT RIGHTS

It is the option of any party to the Agreement to grant extensions or provide flexibilities to the other party in meeting scheduled tasks or responsibilities defined in the Agreement. Under no circumstances, however, Wireless RFP 2021 Page 11 of 30 shall any parties to the Agreement forfeit or cancel any right presented in the Agreement by delaying or failing to exercise the right or by not immediately and promptly notifying the other party in the event of a default. In the event that a party to the Agreement waives a right, this does not indicate a waiver of the ability of the party to, at a subsequent time, enforce the right. The payment of funds to the Vendor by the District should in no way be interpreted as acceptance of the system or the waiver of performance requirements.

1.31 MANUFACTURER

The name of a model, manufacturer or brand in this RFP shall not be considered as exclusive of other brands. Brands and models specified in this RFP are strongly preferred. The District expects all supplies, materials, equipment or products bid by a Vendor to meet or exceed the Specifications set forth in this RFP.

Further, it is the District’s intent that this RFP permit competition. Accordingly, the use of any patent, proprietary name or manufacturer’s name is for demonstrative purposes only and is not intended to curtail competition. Whenever any supplies, material, equipment or products requested in this RFP are specified by patent, proprietary name or by the name of the manufacturer, unless stated differently, such specification shall be considered as if followed by the words “or comparable equivalent,” whether or not such words appear. The District in its sole and absolute discretion, shall have the right to determine if the proposed equivalent products/brands submitted by the Vendor meet the Specifications contained in this RFP and possess equivalent and/or better qualities. It is the Vendor’s responsibility to notify the District in writing if any Specifications or suggested comparable equivalent products/brands require clarification by the District prior to the Due Date for Proposals. Any and all deviations from Specifications must be noted on the Proposal Form.

1.32 GENERAL INDEMNIFICATION

See proposed Agreement in Appendix C.

1.33 PATENTS, COPYRIGHTS, AND PROPRIETARY RIGHTS

See proposed Agreement in Appendix C.

1.34 NONDISCRIMINATION BY VENDORS OR AGENTS OF THE VENDOR

See proposed Agreement in Appendix C.

1.35 SUBCONTRACTORS

See proposed Agreement in Appendix C.

1.36 EFFECT OF REGULATION

See proposed Agreement in Appendix C.

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1.37 PROJECT MANAGEMENT STAFF DESIGNATION

The Vendor understands that the successful installation, testing, and operation of the system that is the subject of this document shall be accomplished by a cooperative effort. To most effectively manage this process, the Vendor shall designate a single representative to act as project manager, who shall have the authority to act on behalf of the Vendor on all matters pertaining to the Agreement.

In the event that an employee of the Vendor is, in the opinion of the District, uncooperative, inept, incompetent, or otherwise unacceptable, the Vendor agrees to remove such person from responsibility in the project. In the event of such a removal, the Vendor shall, within fifteen (15) days, fill this representative vacancy as described above. Regardless of whom the Vendor has designated as the representative, the Vendor organization remains the ultimate responsible party for performing the tasks and responsibilities presented in the Agreement.

1.38 ASSIGNMENTS

The District and the Vendor each binds themselves, their partners, successors, and other legal representatives to all covenants, agreements, and obligations contained in the Agreement.

1.39 VENDOR AS INDEPENDENT VENDOR

It is expressly agreed that the Vendor is not an agent of the District but an independent contractor. The Vendor shall not pledge or attempt to pledge the credit of the District or in any other way attempt to bind the District.

1.40 INSURANCE

1.40.1 Workers’ Compensation Coverage

The Vendor shall procure and maintain, during the life of the Agreement, Workers’ Compensation Insurance, including Employer’s Liability Coverage, in accordance with all applicable statutes of the state of Michigan.

1.40.2 Commercial General Liability Insurance

The Vendor, at the Vendor’s sole cost and expense, shall procure and maintain, during the life of the Agreement, Commercial General Liability Insurance on an “Occurrence Basis” with limits of liability not less than one million dollars ($1,000,000) per occurrence and/or aggregate combined single limit, Personal Injury, Bodily Injury, and Property Damage. Coverage shall include the following features: (A) Contractual Liability; (B) Products and Completed Operations; (C) Independent Vendors Coverage; (D) Broad Form General Liability Extensions or equivalent; (E) Deletion of all Explosion, Collapse, and Underground (XCU) Exclusions, if applicable; (F) Per contract aggregate.

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1.40.3 Motor Vehicle Liability

The Vendor, at the Vendor’s sole cost and expense, shall procure and maintain, during the life of the Agreement, Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance, including applicable No-fault coverages, with limits of liability of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence combined single limit Bodily Injury and Property Damage. Coverage shall include all owned vehicles and all hired vehicles.

1.40.4 Additional Insured

The following shall be named Additional Insureds: Forest Hills Public Schools, including all elected and appointed officials; all employees and volunteers; and all boards, commissions; and/or authorities and their board members, employees, and volunteers.

This coverage shall be primary to the Additional Insureds and not contributing with any other insurance or similar protection available to the Additional Insureds, whether other available coverage is primary, contributing, or excess.

1.40.5 Notice of Cancellation or Change

Workers’ Compensation Insurance, Commercial General Liability Insurance, and Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance, as described above, shall include an endorsement stating the following: “Sixty

(60) days Advance Written Notice of Cancellation or Non-Renewal shall be sent to: Julie Davis, Forest Hills Public Schools., 6590 Cascade Rd SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 (313) 432-3000.

1.40.6 Proof of Insurance Coverage

The Vendor shall provide the District, at the time the Agreements are returned for execution, Certificates of Insurance, and/or policies, acceptable to the District, as listed below:

A. Two (2) copies of Certificate of Insurance for Worker’s Compensation Insurance;

B. Two (2) copies of Certificate of Insurance for Commercial General Liability Insurance;

C. Two (2) copies of Certificate of Insurance for Vehicle Liability Insurance;

D. Original Policy, or binder pending issuance of policy, for Owners and Contractors Protective Liability Insurance;

E. If so requested, certified copies of all policies shall be furnished.

1.40.7 Continuation of Coverage

If any of the above coverage expires during the term of the Agreement, the Vendor shall deliver renewal certificates and/or policies to Forest Hills Public Schools at least ten (10) days prior to the expiration date.

1.40.8 Failure to Comply

Failure to comply with the insurance requirements contained in the Agreement shall constitute a material violation and breach of contract and may result in termination of the Agreement.

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1.41 WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE

The District has presented detailed technical specifications of the particular purpose for which the network and technology is intended. The District has provided detailed descriptions and criteria of how the system can be defined to accomplish this particular purpose. The District has also defined the exact procedures and techniques to be employed in testing whether the system has achieved the defined performance of this particular purpose. Given this advanced preparation concerning, and documentation about, the District’s particular purpose, the Vendor, at the time the Agreement is in force, has reason and opportunity to know

(1) the particular purpose for which products are required, and (2) that the District is relying on the Vendor’s experience and knowledge of these products to provide those that are most suitable and appropriate. Therefore, the Vendor warrants that the system is fit for the purposes for which it is intended as described in this document.

1.42 WARRANTY

See Section 2.7, Warranty, for warranty requirements.

1.43 FINAL ACCEPTANCE OF THE SYSTEM

The system proposed shall be defined to be finally accepted by the District after all components of this RFP and all approved change orders have been installed completely, plus the items identified in Section 2. The District or the District’s Representative shall be the sole judge of whether all conditions for final acceptance criteria have been met.

1.44 STANDARD FORMS AND CONTRACTS

Any forms and contracts the Vendor(s) proposes to include as part of any agreement resulting from this bid between the Vendor(s) and the District must be submitted as part of the proposal. Any forms and contracts not submitted as part of the bid and subsequently presented for inclusion may be rejected. This requirement includes, but is not limited to, the following types of forms: subcontractor, franchise, warranty agreements, maintenance contracts, and support agreements.

1.45 NONCOLLUSION COVENANT

The Vendor hereby represents and agrees that it has in no way entered into any contingent fee arrangement with any firm or person concerning the obtaining of the Agreement. The Vendor certifies that its proposal is made without any previous understanding, agreement, or connection with any person, firm, or corporation making a proposal for the same services and is, in all respects, fair, without outside control, collusion, fraud, or otherwise illegal action.

1.46 ADVERTISEMENT

The laws of the state of Michigan, the District purchasing policies, and the legal advertisement for vendors and purchases are made a part of any agreement entered into in the same respect as if specifically set forth in that agreement.

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1.47 SELECTION CRITERION

The District intends to enter into a long-term relationship with a well-established vendor whose products, features, design philosophy, and support policies come closest to meeting the District’s needs. The selected vendor must be a well-established, financially stable firm committed to technology in K-12; will have a commitment to attracting and retaining an excellent staff of technical and product support personnel; and will have a proven track record of support from installation planning through implementation and ongoing use. There should also be evidence of responsiveness to clients’ suggestions for improvements. Finally, there must be a good fit between Vendor’s staff and the District’s staff to assure a good working relationship.

The vendors will be evaluated based on the following selection criteria:

CRITERIA WEIGHTING

Cost 30%

Compliance to Technical Specifications 20%

Compliance to Proposal Requirements 15%

Ability to Support Implementation 20%

Prior Experience 15%

1.48 SPECIAL NOTES

Failure to include in the proposal all information outlined above may be cause for rejection of the proposal.

The District reserves the right to accept the Vendor’s replacement of any component if it is considered equal or superior to the specifications. Such acceptance will be in writing.

1.49 PAYMENT TERMS

See proposed Agreement in Appendix C.

1.50 CRIMINAL BACKGROUND SCREENING

The District is committed to assuring a safe environment for students, employees, and district visitors.

Accordingly, the District requires criminal background certification compliance from vendors and subcontractor who perform work at any district facility. Each vendor or subcontractor shall certify that all legally required criminal history and criminal record checks, electronic finger print scans (Michigan and FBI), and/or any other background check requirements are conducted in accordance with applicable provisions within Sections 380.1230, 380.1230a-h, 380.1236a of the Michigan Revised School Code, and all other applicable federal and state laws concerning background checks. These results must be sent directly to the District. Additionally, the Vendor must certify that no owner, employee, agent, representative, vendor, and/or other personnel of the Vendor will be on any district premises if they are a registered

Wireless RFP 2021 Page 16 of 30 criminal sexual offender under the Sex Offenders Registration Act, Public Act 295 of 1994, or have been convicted of a “Listed Offense” as defined under Section 722 of the Sex Offenders Registration Act, MCL

28.722. The Vendor shall also require employees, if and as applicable, to comply with the reporting requirements of Section 1230d of the Revised School Code and shall promptly forward any information so obtained to the District.

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2 WIRELESS NETWORK SPECIFICATIONS

2.1 PROJECT SCOPE/OVERVIEW

The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to acquire the services of an experienced and qualified Vendor to design, procure, install, and warranty a wireless network solution for the District’s network, including testing and documenting the equipment provided.

Detailed specifications/requirements for the solution are provided later in this section.

It is District’s intent that this RFP promote competition. Accordingly, the use of any patent, proprietary name, or manufacturer’s name is for demonstrative purposes only and is not intended to curtail competition. Whenever any supplies, material, devices, or products requested in this RFP are specified by patent, proprietary name, or the name of the manufacturer, unless stated differently, such specification shall be considered as if followed by the words “or comparable equivalent,” whether or not such words appear. The District, in its sole and absolute discretion, shall have the right to determine if the proposed equivalent devices/brands submitted by the Vendor meet the specifications contained in this RFP and possess equivalent and/or better qualities. It is the Vendor’s responsibility to notify the District in writing if any specifications or suggested comparable equivalent devices/brands require clarification by the District on or before the deadline for written requests for clarifications.

The total base proposal must include all associated costs, including, but not limited to, shipping, handling, insurance, installation, equipment, cabling, and services costs.

2.2 CURRENT ENVIRONMENT

The District maintains a Ruckus wireless network solution with a pair of virtualized SmartZone controllers located in the District’s headend at Northern High School. Ruckus R500 access points are deployed at the Secondary level while R710s are deployed for the Elementary buildings. The District currently uses both protected SSIDs for staff and student devices, as well as a guest SSID for visitors. A total of 12 SSIDs are used throughout. A variety of authentication mechanisms are maintained including 802.1x integrated by CloudPath for BYOD and dynamic PSK for select guest access. Logging and troubleshooting is performed through SmartCell Insight which resides within a virtual machine on the District’s network.

The wired network consists of Extreme Networks switching equipment at all locations. The District’s core network provides 10Gbps connectivity over a private fiber wide area network (WAN) to each District building. Within each building, the main distribution frame (MDF) provides 10Gbps connectivity to each intermediate distribution frame (IDF) over single-mode fiber. Data access is provided at 1Gbps over copper medium with power over ethernet (PoE) available in each network access switch.

2.2.1 Power over Ethernet (PoE) Considerations

Power over Ethernet (PoE/PoE+) network switching equipment will be provided by the District, however, additional capacity will be needed to augment the existing access layer network. The requested models and quantities are included in Appendix A.

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2.2.2 Current Cabling Infrastructure

Two Category 6 cables are provided for each wireless access point. The age of the access point cabling is approximately 6 years old. New Category 6 cable runs are not required as part of this RFP.

2.3 GENERAL EXPECTATIONS

2.3.1 Lift Equipment

The vendor is responsible for providing lift equipment where necessary to remove and install access points in areas with high ceilings. The vendor must coordinate with each building to validate requirements for floor coverings or proper lift delivery.

2.3.2 Acceptable Manufacturers

The District prefers wireless network products from Ruckus, or comparable equivalent. The District also strongly prefers network switches from Extreme Networks to integrate with the existing wired network.

The acceptance of a solution will be at the discretion of the District. There is a strong preference for solutions that have been proven to be both functional and cost effective in a K-12 education environment.

2.3.3 New Materials

All equipment quoted by the Vendor shall be new. The solution requests that the Vendors propose a completely new solution that balances cost, performance, and technology. Solutions using equipment that has either reached, or an announcement has been made for, end-of-life, end-of-support, or end-of-sales will not be entertained.

All products proposed in the response must be in “customer shipping or production” status at the time of the bid. The Vendor may not use products based on future releases of hardware and/or software in their bid. If the Vendor is unable to provide the proposed product(s) or feature(s) by the proposed delivery date, the Vendor will provide a resolution of equal or greater value to the District, at no additional charge to the District, including services required to implement the solution.

2.3.4 Technical Staff/Trained Personnel

The Vendor shall indicate the level of qualification of the staff that will be assigned to this project.

Qualification will be based on certifications, training, and years of experience with the materials bid in similar configurations. Names of staff need not be provided; however, the response in this section will indicate the minimum level of experience that will be provided. If necessary, please include additional categories to address additional levels of staff or staff with different certifications and years of experience.

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The vendor should also have demonstrated experience in integrating their wireless solution with an Extreme Networks switching environment.

2.3.5 Specifications Sheets

The Vendor must provide specification sheets (soft copies) for all products proposed. An electronic copy of these specification sheets will suffice.

2.3.6 Mandatory and Nonmandatory Requirements

Unless specifically stated otherwise using terms such as “optional,” “desired,” or “nonmandatory,” the requirements in this section are to be considered as mandatory requirements.

2.3.7 Additional Components for Completeness of Solution

If the proposed solution requires any additional components from the District to meet the functional requirements of the solution not included in the proposal, the Vendor must:

a. Identify optimal requirements and their purpose

b. Identify the estimated cost to the District for these components

c. Specify exceptions to any of the requirements using the form in Appendix A:

Comply/Exception Form

Failure to disclose additional components and estimated costs that are required to deliver the described functionality but not included as a part of your proposal will be grounds for disqualification of your proposal, or the Vendor will be responsible for providing the missing components at no additional cost to the District.

2.3.8 Options Pricing

Vendors are encouraged to provide pricing for alternate equipment to allow the District flexibility in identifying the solution that addresses their current and future needs. Pricing for options must be specified in Appendix A.

2.3.9 Pre-Installation Walkthrough / Site Review

The selected Vendor shall be responsible for performing building walkthroughs with the District’s Representative to confirm AP locations and any unique installation issues. The Vendor is responsible for identifying and documenting any items that are outside the project scope or listed in the specifications as unit price items. All items not noted shall become the Vendor’s responsibility to install at no additional cost.

2.3.10 Site Cleanliness

The Vendor will ensure all work areas are free from debris caused by work performed under this project scope. At the end of each day, the site must be left in a clean and neat condition prior to completing work for that day with debris properly disposed of in an efficient manner. Materials must

Wireless RFP 2021 Page 20 of 30 be consolidated into an agreed upon space that is not obstructing any pathways within the respective buildings. Vendor may be asked to wear protective foot coverings or supply drop cloths to minimize impact to newly finished or cleaned surfaces. Failure to properly clean may result in another contractor performing the cleanup work and back charging it to the vendor.

2.4 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

2.4.1 Scope of Work

It is the intent of the District to replace their existing wireless network with a new solution that provides fully compliant 802.11AX infrastructure and the ability to support growing demand by both teachers and students. The wireless network must have the ability to be centrally managed and provide a single pane of glass into the monitoring and management of the wireless network infrastructure. The wireless network infrastructure must be capable of providing both sufficient security for protected access and ease of use for guests of the District. This includes the procurement, installation, configuration, and testing of the new devices to ensure proper operation.

2.4.2 Wireless Network Architecture & Controller

The WLAN architecture will be able to support a wide variety of end-user devices, including, but not limited to, Microsoft Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, Apple iOS, ChromeOS and other popular mobile computing devices.

The solution must be capable of classifying, prioritizing, or restricting traffic by user, group of users, SSID, application, source/destination IP, protocol, and Class of Service. In addition, the solution must be capable of providing wireless intrusion prevention (WIPS) to protect the wireless network from malicious attacks.

Additionally, the solution will provide the ability to enforce policy based on a user’s Active Directory identity.

The wireless controller should not be in path of end-user traffic and should only provide network authentication and access point management. Regardless of the deployment model of the wireless controller, if the controller becomes unreachable to the wireless access points, wireless network functionality should still be maintained based on the last known configuration provided by the wireless controller.

As part of the base bid, the wireless controller should be delivered as a virtualized appliance that will reside on a District-provided virtualized host. If a physical wireless controller architecture is proposed, it should provide dual 10Gbps connectivity to the core. Regardless of the deployment model, a single pane of glass for management should be provided for the wireless solution. The management solution must be web browser based and compatible with all major web browser platforms (e.g., Chrome OS, Safari, Microsoft Edge).

It is to be noted that the WLAN solution must accommodate growth requirements and be expandable to provide, at a minimum, 25% growth in usage without having to add additional hardware or licensing.

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As part of the base bid, the Vendor must demonstrate that the system is designed with maximum potential to retain original investment and minimize additional cost when upgrading with new equipment and new technologies in the future. It is imperative that investment protection is preserved when technology upgrades are performed.

If a Ruckus solution is proposed, the Vendor should evaluate if the existing SmartZone virtual controllers can be used and provide the cost for any necessary upgrades or maintenance that may be needed to support the new environment. In addition, the Vendor must note if additional controllers are needed to adequately support the wireless access point counts.

2.4.3 Redundancy & Reliability

The WLAN infrastructure, when implemented, will be critical for end users in order to access network resources for their daily activities. As such, the redundancy and reliability features of the proposed solution will be a crucial to the ongoing operations of the network. The solution(s) (hardware and software) and required integration services to provide the redundancy features should be clearly identified so as to provide the ability to withdraw this option without affecting other aspects of the project.

i. Cost-effective solutions for the redundancy will be an important consideration. Solutions that do not require procurement of active AP licenses for both the primary and redundant systems will be preferred.

ii. The solution will have the capability to support system redundancy. Any central resources used, such as centralized controller or cloud management console, must have redundancy capabilities. The redundancy capability should be included in the base bid (equipment and services). The Vendor will describe how the redundant system for the WLAN management will work.

iii. When redundancy is incorporated into the design, the systems (primary and redundant) will have the ability to load-balance the traffic. In the normal mode of operation, the primary and redundant controller (or other central resource) will operate in a load-balancing manner. In the event of a malfunction of the one of the controllers, the secondary controller shall automatically assume full operational responsibility of the WLAN management. The Vendor will identify the failover time and whether end users will lose any feature/functionality and connectivity during the failover period.

iv. During the failover mode, it is desirable that end-user connectivity for data services is not interrupted or is automatically restored. If end users are required to take any actions to restore data services connectivity (re-associate, re-authenticate, re-log in, etc.), the Vendor must identify those actions in the bid.

v. It is desirable that the solution economically provides remote site survivability (i.e., if the controllers are housed at a centralized location or in the cloud, and communications to the primary and secondary controllers are lost, users already authenticated to the network must continue to have access to network resources.).

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2.4.4 Guest Wireless Access

The solution must include a captive portal guest access solution for obtaining wireless access to a guest SSID. The guest wireless network must be segmented from protected networks throughout the wireless network architecture. The Vendor will provide guidance to ensure guest access is segmented throughout the entire network. The guest wireless network must also maintain an option to restrict access through usage of a unique per-user PSK to authenticate guests to the wireless network.

2.4.5 Logging & Monitoring

The solution must include a logging and monitoring solution, as a virtual image, that can aggregate both current and historical data to assist in the process of analyzing wireless network performance and troubleshooting issues. Insights provided by this tool must include, but are not limited to, the following:

i. Operational status of wireless network components

ii. Inventory of all wireless network components

iii. Network traffic insights for both access point and connected device-level

iv. Searching for client connection and traffic patterns based on either user or device identifiers (e.g., MAC address, username)

v. Customizable dashboards to view select performance or operational data and metrics

vi. Automatic notifications if activities exceed or do not meet certain thresholds

This solution must be able to retain data for a minimum of 12 months. If a Ruckus solution is proposed, the Vendor should evaluate if the existing SmartCell Insight can be used and provide the cost for any necessary upgrades or maintenance that may be needed to support the new environment.

2.4.6 Wireless Access Point Specifications

The wireless access points must meet (or exceed) the following specifications for operation:

Wi-Fi Standards 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax

MIMO 4x4 SU-MIMO 4x4 MU-MIMO

Spatial Streams 4 streams SU/MU MIMO 5GHz 4 streams SU/MU MIMO 2.4GHz

Radio Chains and Streams 4x4:4 (2.4GHz & 5GHz)

Channelization 20, 40, 80, 160 MHz

Antenna Integrated adaptive omni-directional antennas

Wireless Security WPA-PSK, WPA-TKIP, WPA2, WPA3, 802.11i, WIPS

Network Standards 802.1q (with VLAN to SSID mapping), 802.1x (authenticator & supplicant), Wireless RFP 2021 Page 23 of 30

LED Indicators 1 power indicator, 1 status indicator

Power 802.3af/at/bt (PoE/PoE+)

Physical connectivity (ports) 2x Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 (auto-sensing), LLDP

Product Certifications Wi-Fi CERTIFIED a, b, g, n, ac, 6 (ax), Passpoint, UL2043 plenum rating

Enclosure Indoor-rated protective cage for gymnasiums and pools

Mounting Wall and acoustic ceiling mounts included

2.4.7 Wireless Access Point Performance

i. The access points will be capable of supporting RSSI (Receive Signal Strength Indicator) levels in all identified areas to support high-speed video, data, and voice. The estimate is based on RSSI strength of -55dBm or better in both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies.

ii. The access points will have the ability to automatically scan the RF environment and re-configure themselves for optimal channel and transmission power in the event access points are added in the area or an existing access point becomes nonoperational. Power levels of the neighboring access points may be increased and decreased dynamically to mitigate any co-channel interference.

iii. Where multiple APs are used in a building, the solution will be capable of supporting intelligent load balancing between radios.

iv. It is desired but not mandatory that the solution has the ability to provide automatic remediation against rogue access points and denial of service attacks. The system administrator will be notified via alerts when rogues are detected.

v. All equipment proposed in the solution must comply with the FCC’s safety standards for RF emission.

2.4.8 Wireless Access Point Removal

The vendor is responsible for removal of existing access points at all locations. All current access points are mounted to acoustic ceiling tile grids or secured to walls. Removal of access points must occur at a time approved by District IT staff to not to cause any significant disruption to building staff. The vendor is not required to remove existing cabling.

2.4.9 Wireless Access Point Installation

The vendor is responsible for installation of access points at all locations. All access points will be mounted to acoustic ceiling tile grids or secured to walls in cases where it is not feasible to secure to ceiling tiles. Exact locations will be determined during pre-install walkthroughs. Cabling for access points is existing.

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2.5 NETWORK SWITCHES

Additional network switchports are required as part of the refresh of the existing wireless network. The District has standardized on Extreme Networks equipment. The Vendor is responsible for providing all relevant equipment and installations services to make the switches fully operational. Specifications for the switches are provided below:

Manufacturer Extreme Networks (or comparable equivalent)

Model X450G2-48p-G4 (or comparable equivalent)

Power Supply 1 x 1100W, NEMA 5-15R Plug

Accessories Stacking cables, Fan Modules

2.6 IMPLEMENTATION

2.6.1 Implementation Timing

It is the intent of the District to start and complete the deployment of the equipment and integration services requested in the RFP at the secondary buildings during Summer of 2021 and elementary buildings during Summer of 2022 in accordance with guidelines for E-Rate. No equipment may be billed until after July 1, 2021, however, equipment installation may begin as soon as April 1, 2021.

Portions of Northern High School will be under construction during Summer of 2021. Vendors must coordinate appropriate timing with the District and construction to implement access points in those spaces.

2.6.2 Project Plan

The Vendor shall provide a full installation schedule showing the workflow using a graphical representation (e.g., Gantt chart or similar tool). The Vendor’s installation schedule should indicate the size of each crew working in the building on a daily basis along with timelines for building project completion. All punch list items associated with this project must be complete by the noted completion date.

2.6.3 Work Hours

Any work scheduled inside buildings, or on the building premises, must be coordinated with the District. Arrangements must be made through the District for additional work hours, if needed.

The installation schedule for school year working hours is 4:00 P.M.