MLK JR PA Proposal FINAL.pdf

Request for Proposal (RFP) for Public Address (PA) System at Martin Luther King, Jr Charter School of Excellence (MLK JR)

Inquiries and requests regarding this RFP should be directed to:

John Breish, Director of Operations Martin Luther King, Jr Charter School of Excellence 285 Dorset Avenue Springfield, MA 01108

(413) 214-7806 ext. 118 jbreish@mlkcs.org

A mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held on Monday, November 9, 2026 @ 10 AM at Martin Luther King Jr Charter School of Excellence.

Martin Luther King, Jr Charter School of Excellence 285 Dorset Avenue Springfield, MA 01108

Enter through Door #1

Sealed bids must be delivered no later than 4:00 PM on Monday, December 7, 2026, to:

Martin Luther King, Jr Charter School of Excellence ATTN: John Breish, Director of Operations 285 Dorset Avenue Springfield, MA 01108

Please note that all proposals must be received at the designated location by the stated deadline. Late proposals will be returned unopened and shall be considered void and unacceptable. After the deadline, proposals will be evaluated for this RFP. All proposal information is considered public unless explicitly stated otherwise.

A detailed schedule of events and deadlines is provided within this document for reference.

MLK Jr is abiding by the state and local competitive bidding guidelines set forth by the State of Massachusetts.

Martin Luther King, Jr Charter School of Excellence reserved the right to reject any and all bids and proposals and to award in part or in total whichever is deemed to be in the best interest of the school.

mailto:jbreish@mlkcs.org

Section 1 – GENERAL INFORMATION

1.1 – Background

Through high expectations, a structured academic environment, and positive character development, Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence ensures that every student in kindergarten through grade 5 is equipped to think critically, communicate clearly, and are empowered with a strong ethical foundation to be set on the path for success in college, career, and life. The school incorporates Dr. King’s commitment to the highest standards in scholarship, civic participation, and the ideal of the beloved community.

The PA system is dated and unreliable. Many speakers are not working. We are seeking to replace the PA system throughout the entire campus location.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence invites vendors to submit proposals in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Request for Proposal (RFP). Responses from all prospective vendors should address pricing, service descriptions, and warranties included.

1.2 – Intent of RFP

It is the intent of this Request for Proposal (RFP) to provide bidders with sufficient information to prepare a proposal for the district to purchase new PA system mentioned in section 1.1. Our goal is to acquire a new PA system that will fit the requirements necessary for the school. The PA system will be used for general announcements, emergency announcements, and bells. Two-way communication is preferred. The speaker’s locations for the school are specified in the appendix. Some locations have an existing speaker, and some locations do not.

Location Speakers Strobe Lights

Horns Notes

40 Rooms 40 0 0 All 40 rooms denoted by the brown/copper color on the floorplan have 1 speaker each.

Hallways 24 Need 0 Total # of speakers in the Hallways.

See the brown circles on the floorplan below

Strobe Lights Needed

Gym 2 2 Strobe Light(s) Needed

Music Room 1 1 Strobe Light(s) Needed

Cafeteria 2 2 Strobe Light(s) Needed

Outside Yes Horns needed

Requirements for all school locations:

● New wiring and speakers/horn at the locations specified in the appendix

● New strobe lights next to the speakers at locations specified in the appendix

● Disposal of existing equipment

● The ability to define and save different bell times (full days, half days, late arrival days, etc.)

● The ability to broadcast announcements from any phone in the building (with an access code) or from a cell phone, including remotely.

● The ability to send announcements or bells to either internal speakers, external speakers, or both

● The ability to add speakers in the future should the school expand into adjacent, unfinished areas of the building.

The district currently uses a Zoom VoIP system. The new PA systems need to be flexible, so they work with our current system or a different VoIP system if the school changes in the future.

1.3 – Evaluation Criteria

Selection will be based upon technical quality, project management, costs, and system features. The evaluation criteria will consider the following factors:

1. Product quality/appropriateness/compatibility/performance

2. Bidder's qualifications/experience

3. Bidder's total proposed price

4. Bidder's support/service

5. Bidder's warranty/maintenance

6. Proposed product/solution meeting Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence present needs as well as future needs through enhancements and upgrades.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence reserves the right to seek clarification of any or all bidders in order to assist in the evaluation process.

To assist Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence, the award evaluation criteria are based on, but not limited to, the following:

1. All specification terms and conditions as outlined in the RFP are complied with and met.

2. Suitability of proposed solution with respect to the district’s needs and objectives.

3. Bidder participation and responsibility are clearly defined.

4. Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence participation and responsibilities clearly defined.

5. Hardware and peripheral product quality and content including, but not limited to, durability, performance, integration, serviceability, warranty, maintenance, meets or exceeds industry standards, and fulfillment of criteria specified in this RFP.

6. Bidder's service and support hours are clearly defined.

7. Due to the technical nature of the equipment, the bidder has addressed all applicable future system use, future expansion possibilities, and possible upgrading.

8. Price of proposal includes, but not limited to, individual system pricing, upgrades/downgrades, pricing, installation support, warranty support, training, and any other relevant options with associated pricing.

9. Experience and/or references of the company submitting the proposal.

10. Submission of satisfactory reference checks with proposal; submitted on company letterhead.

11. Installation procedures are clearly defined if applicable.

12. Bidder agrees to provide an on-site proof of concept at no cost to Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence if requested.

13. Acknowledgement in writing that any software will be properly licensed for Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence.

1.4 – Reservation of Rights

Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion (for this provision and all other provisions contained in this RFP), to accept or reject, in whole or in part, any or all bid proposal with or without cause, to waive any irregularities or informalities in this RFP process or any bid proposal, and to award the contract to other than the low bidder, if such action will best serve the district’s interests.

1.4 – Contract Negotiation

Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence reserves the right to negotiate with any company/ supplier submitting a response to alter, clarify, or further enhance the company's proposals and/or any contract arising out of the acceptance of the response. In the evaluation of the proposal, the pricing submitted will be considered the best and final pricing. The pricing of all parts and labor must be valid for twelve (12) months from the date the bid is received by the district.

1.5 – Performance and Labor and Material Payment Bonds

At or prior to delivery of the signed Contract, Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence will require the Contractor to secure and post a Labor and Material Payment Bond and a Performance Bond including bonding for all subcontractors, each in the amount of 100% of the Contract Sum including bonding for all subcontractors.

Surety shall be a company incorporated in the United States and must appear on the U.S. Treasury Department's approved surety list and be adaptable to Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence. The Contractor shall obtain such bonds in a manner consistent with Massachusetts law.

1.6 – Prevailing Wage

The state of Massachusetts requires projects over $10,000 financed by State funds to pay laborers a prevailing wage.

Details can be found at this link:

https://maoig.gov/wp-content/uploads/Procurement-Charts.pdf

1.7 – Bid Withdraw

A Bidder may withdraw its Bid Proposal by written request from an authorized Bidder representative, at any time prior to the due date of bid proposals.

No bidder may withdraw a bid within 60 days following the opening of bids.

1.8 – Restriction on Communication

From the issue date of this RFP until a Contractor is selected and the contract is awarded a prospective https://maoig.gov/wp-content/uploads/Procurement-Charts.pdf

Contractor shall not communicate about the subject of this RFP or a Contractor’s bid proposal with Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence, its Board of Directors, or any individual member, administrators, faculty, staff, students, or employees, except for additional requests for clarification in accordance with the RFP.

1.9 – Release of Claims

Each Bidder by submitting its Proposal releases Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence from any and all claims arising out of, and related to, this RFP process and selection of a Contractor.

1.10 – Proposal Costs

Respondents of this RFP are responsible for any and all costs incurred by them or others acting on their behalf in preparing or submitting a bid proposal, or otherwise responding to this RFP, or any negotiations incidental to its bid proposal or this RFP.

1.11 – Execution of Contract

The Contractor to whom the contract is awarded shall, within ten (10) calendar days after Notice of Award and receipt of the contract from Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence, execute and deliver required copies to Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence.

At or prior to delivery of the executed Contract, the Contractor to whom the contract is awarded shall deliver to Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence those Certificates of Insurance required by the Bid Documents and such Labor and Materials Payment Bonds and Performance Bond as are required by Martin Luther King, Jr.

Charter School of Excellence and any other documents required by this RFP.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence, shall approve the Bonds and Certificates of Insurance provided before the Contractor may proceed with the Work/Project. Failure or refusal to provide Bonds, Certificates of Insurance or any other documents required by this RFP in a form(s) satisfactory to Martin Luther King Charter School shall subject the Contractor to loss of time from the allowable construction period equal to the time of delay in furnishing the required material.

Section 2 – Proposals/Bids

2.1 – Format

Please include the following information in your bid response:

● Executive Summary

● Bidder information, qualifications, and references

● Itemized pricing of materials, software, delivery, installation, maintenance, and warranty per building and total cost of bid

● Descriptions and/or brochures for all hardware/software/systems used in your proposed solution

● Example of maintenance contract and warranty

Please deliver three hard copies (paper) proposal in a sealed package clearly marked with MLKJR_CS PA System Sealed Bid. An email copy should also be sent to Melissa Garber at melissa@garbercg.com.

2.2 – Taxes

Installation services for the tangible personal property purchased by Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence is not subject to sales taxation. Moreover, Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence is exempt from taxation on all tangible personal property purchased by Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence for its use and consumption; however, this exemption would not apply to any materials required under the Bid Documents that are deemed to be a component of a construction/ improvement project to Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence Sites/Facilities. All prices submitted on the Bid proposal Form shall be inclusive of any and all applicable taxes.

2.3 – Permits and Fees

All prices submitted on the Bid proposal Form shall be inclusive of any and all applicable/required permits and fees.

2.4 – Familiar Disclosure Affidavit

Each bid proposal must be accompanied by a sworn and notarized statement disclosing any familial relationship that exists between Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence or any employee of the bidding organization and any member of the Board of Directors or the Superintendent of Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence.

A bid proposal that does not include this sworn and notarized disclosure statement will not be considered.

2.5 – Company Experience and/or References

Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence reserves the right to fully investigate the qualifications of any bidder(s) based on references supplied and publicly available information.

Bidder(s) are encouraged to supply evidence of experience on projects of similar nature and/or magnitude listing:

customer name, address, contact names, and telephone/fax numbers. The bidder(s) may also supply third party ratings to demonstrate their success in the IT marketplace.

mailto:melissa@garbercg.com

2.6 – Confidential Material

Any material that is to be considered as confidential in nature must be clearly marked as such and will be treated as confidential by Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence to the extent allowable.

2.7 – Supplemental/Supporting Materials

Please include descriptive literature/brochures, if available, in the proposal. All user/owner/technical reference manuals should be included with and submitted upon delivery of equipment.

Section 3 – TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

3.1 – General Requirements

Paging System:

We are asking you to bid on the recommended specifications and if you need to add or bid on different specifications you will be required to submit a written letter with your response that will guarantee the paging solution you bid will function fully or all equipment will be returned to you at no cost (refund) to Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence.

Paging System Solution Summary:

● Please provide a summary of your company and the paging solution you are bidding and provide the manufacturer(s) and model number(s) of the system.

● Describe your company's years of experience with this paging system solution including installation and service.

● List schools, businesses, and/or organizations where you have installed paging systems and provide references with the organization’s name, contact name, address, and phone number.

Paging System Hardware:

Include all the equipment, listing all hardware in itemized quantities and pricing, including, but not limited to:

● Paging System Unit (Head End Kit/Server) Manufacturer and model

● Battery Backup for paging system (if applicable)

● Amplifier Manufacturer and model

● Internal speakers

● External speakers

● Strobe lights

● Bell System with ability to generate scheduled tones and volume control for internal and external speakers

● SIP Paging adapter for paging connection to our Zoom phone system

Paging System Cabling:

● Type of cable and length used for paging system, speaker’s connections, and strobe light connections

● Wiremold/ Raceway Assembly Kit(s)

3.2 – Technical Information

• Ceilings are classified as drop-ceilings (acoustic tile). The mounting heights are approximately 11 feet.

• The vendor is required to supply their own Power over Ethernet (PoE) switches for the new speakers, in addition to installing entirely new home-run cabling. Modern IP-System: Each speaker operates as a network device (similar to a computer) connected to a PoE (Power over Ethernet) switch.

• The building exterior made of Brick (for outside horns)

• Rack Space: There is adequate 'U' space available in the existing server rack located in Room 59 for the new equipment.

• Desired zones include: Gym, Cafeteria, Playground, Unfinished area and Main Office.

• After the removal of the old speakers, there will be holes or areas with discolored paint. Vendor is responsible for patching holes; School is responsible for final touch-up paint.

• System should offer both a mobile app and a web-based interface.

• UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) Required.

• The strobes are designed for ADA compliance or for high noise areas (such as a gym, cafeteria and music room).

• Can the strobes be multi-colored? (For example, green for "All Clear," red for "Lockdown," and amber for "Weather Alert.")

• Two-way communication is preferred. Would like the speaker to serve as a microphone (Talkback).

3.2.1 Current Network

Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence, has a wide area network partially funded by E-Rate funds. We receive our Internet service from Comcast Communications and Verizon.

3.3 – Financial

Please provide quotes detailing your solution for Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence The quote should include all necessary hardware, cabling, and software needed to complete a full installation. This should include all initial costs and any annual costs required with one (1) and three (3) year options. Please also provide any additional costs associated with transitioning from the district’s Zoom VoIP systems to another VoIP system, if required.

3.4 – Warranty

Please provide the details and cost of a one (1) year and three (3) year warranty including parts and/or labor.

Warranty terms on the hardware and any associated software or labor should be clearly defined.

3.5 – Delivery and installation

Any delivery and installation charges must be clearly defined as separate line items.

3.6 – Bidder Suggested Options and/or Alternatives

Any suggested options or alternatives that Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence, should consider for our PA system needs must be included in the proposal bid. The bid can also include any alternate technologies you feel would benefit our district and that we should take into consideration.

In order to remain fair and to ensure the integrity of the bid process, if an alternative option is of interest to Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence all RFP responders will be informed so that they may update their bid to provide supplemental information on the alternative solution as well.

Section 4 – Project Delivery

The winning bidder will designate a single point of contact that will manage the installation and provide the district with a weekly status report on the progress.

Normal district hours of operation between July 1 and August 13 are Monday through Friday, 7am – 3:30 pm.

Work and system testing will ideally be completed during these hours of operation. Work sites must be cleaned up prior to the start of each school day.

The existing PA systems must function during normal hours of operation until the new systems are ready for operation.

Testing will be coordinated with district personnel, and a punch list will be developed of any issues.

Documentation of all systems and diagrams will be made available to IT and Building and Grounds personnel.

User manuals will be made available to secretarial staff.

The winning bidder will provide two (2) hours of user training and two (2) hours of maintenance/troubleshooting training.

Once all testing and training has been completed, the winning bidder will be required to perform one (1) additional trip to make any changes the school may have after final acceptance.

Section 5 – SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

This schedule may change based on the results of the responses. The final schedule will be established prior to the start of the project.

Bid Release Monday, November 2, 2026

Mandatory Pre-Bid Meeting Monday, November 9, 2026 @ 10 AM

Final questions due Monday, November 23, 2026

Responses to final questions due Thursday, November 30, 2026

Bid due Monday December 7, 2026 @ 4 PM

Award decision Monday, January 4, 2026 @ 4 PM

Present award decision to school board for approval January 17, 2027

Project start Thursday, July 1, 2027

Project completion Friday, July 30, 2027

Paging System Bid Summary information

• Please deliver one hard copy (paper) of the proposal in a sealed package clearly marked with MLKJR CS PA System Sealed Bid by the deadline previously stated. An email copy must be sent to Melissa Garber @ melissa@garbercg.com.

• Each price should reflect the quantity of one (1). For example, “Paging Unit Model =$xx.xx”. This will be an indication Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence that we can then order our desired quantity of that item on a per unit basis for the quoted price.

• In addition to the itemized pricing, provide a total cost per school, and the overall total price of the proposal.

• Include ALL license and/or support fees to cover the first one (1) to three (3) years of operation.

• The pricing of all parts and labor listed in the bid must be valid for twelve (12) months from the date it is received by the district.

• We intend to issue a Purchase Order for the paging systems on one large order.

• We require the new paging system and speakers to be delivered, installed, and fully functioning by July 30, 2027.

• Please indicate in your response summary that you can honor the completion date of July 30, 2027.

• Specify the estimated equipment delivery dates and the amount of installation hours with the ability to perform the work between July 1 and July 30 between 7:00 AM and 3:30 PM and/or weekends to complete the project.

• Provide as much information as necessary to support your response. If you cannot meet the general requirement specifications, you must explain the deviations in your summary.

• Your response must include a summary information page as the first page and clearly marked as “Executive Summary”.

• Any questions that you desire a formal response must be submitted via email to John Breish jbreish@mlkcs.org.

mailto:melissa@garbercg.com mailto:jbreish@mlkcs.org

Appendix A: Floor Plan

Appendix B: MLK PA Decibel Needs

Room # Current Speaker and Clock Combo

Current Speaker/No

Clock

Sound Needs

1 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

2 0 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

3 0 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

4 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

5 0 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

6 2 0 Needs to be audible above 105 dB

7 2 0 Needs to be audible above 105 dB

8 1 0 Needs to be audible above 105 dB

8A 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

9 0 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

10 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

11 0 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

12 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

13 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

14 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

15 0 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

16 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

16A 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

16B 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

16C 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

17A 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

17B 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

18 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

18A 0 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

18B 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

20 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

21 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

22 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

23 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

24 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

25 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

26 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

27 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

28 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

29 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

30 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

31 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

32 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

33 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

34 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

35 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

36 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

37 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

38 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

Room # Current Speaker and Clock Combo

Current Speaker/No

Clock

Sound Needs

39 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

40 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

41 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

42 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

43 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

44 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

45 0 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

46 0 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

47 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

48 0 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

49 0 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

50 0 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

51 0 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

52 0 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

53 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

54 0 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

55 0 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

56 0 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

57 0 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

58 0 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

59 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

60 1 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

61 2 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

61A ‘Kitchenette’ 0 0 Needs to be audible above 90 dB

Student Entrance Hallways 0 2 Needs to be audible above 105 dB

Main Entrance Outer Hallway 0 2 Needs to be audible above 105 dB

Main Entrance Inner Hallway 0 0 Needs to be audible above 105 dB

Nurse’s Hallway 0 2 Needs to be audible above 105 dB

Yellow Hallway outside 10-12 0 2 Needs to be audible above 105 dB

Kindergarten Hallway Outside 25-29 0 4 Needs to be audible above 105 dB

Hallway outside 59-60 0 2 Needs to be audible above 105 dB

Hallway Outside 30-35 0 4 Needs to be audible above 105 dB

Hallway Outside 36-46 0 7 Needs to be audible above 105 dB

Hallway Outside 47 0 1 Needs to be audible above 105 dB

Warehouse 0 0 Needs to be audible above 105 dB

Appendix C: Prevailing Wage Information https://netorg493434-my.sharepoint.com/personal/melissa_garbercg_com/Documents/Garber%20Consulting%20Group/Contr acts%20&%20Invoices/MLK%20JR/Paging%20RFP/Prevailing%20Wage,%20October%202,%202027.

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