Network Maintenance RFQ_4.3.2025.pdf

Request for Quotes

State Contract ITT72: Category 7 and Category 9

Date: April 3, 2025

Project: Request for Quotes (“RFQ”) for Network Systems Maintenance, Support and Related Professional Services

Project Number: MSBA- NetworkMaintenance25

RFQ Contact Person: Siobhan Tolman, Procurement and Contracts Manager

SECTION I. SUMMARY

The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) is seeking quotes from firms who provide Network Systems Maintenance, Support and related Professional Services.

Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Women Business Enterprise (WBE), Veteran Business

Enterprise (VBE), Minority and Women Business Enterprise (M/WBE), Service-Disabled

Veteran-Owned Business Enterprise (SDVOBE), Veteran-Owned Business Enterprise (VBE), Minority Nonprofit Organization (M/NPO), Women Nonprofit Organization (W/NPO), Minority and Women Non-Profit Organization (M/W/NPO), Disability-Owned Business Enterprise, or

LGBT Business Enterprise, firms are encouraged to submit Responses.

A. OBJECTIVES

It is the intent of the RFQ to select a Provider to provide Network Systems Maintenance, Support and related Professional Services. This includes technical services to help implement, troubleshoot and support the network systems infrastructure and environment, consulting services, commissioning new systems as needed, and support related equipment purchases for our office located at 10 Post Office Square, 4th floor, Boston MA. The MSBA will be relocating from their current office to a new office at 10 Post Office Square with an estimated date of June

2025. We invite you to submit a quotation for the associated cost, under the state contract ITT72, categories 7 and 9.

B. SCOPE OF WORK

The provider should, at a minimum, provide the following:

Ongoing requirements include:

• Managed services support for remote troubleshooting, diagnosis and administration of

MSBA networking equipment

• 24/7 Network Alarm Monitoring & Remote Diagnostics

• 24/7 On-Site Support with Guaranteed Response Times

• Ability to open service requests and be a point of contact for third-party carrier issues

• Cisco Smartnet Management & Coordination

• Real-Time and Historical Reporting

• Priority access to a Cisco Certified support group

• Failover/Emergency backup options and Support/Service Capabilities

• Installation and training

• General related tasks as deemed appropriate

Ad hoc requirements include:

• Professional Services and/Consulting including Commissioning services of newly established MDF room and office space including network, infrastructure, and related equipment.

• Equipment purchases.

Devices included in this scope include:

• High Availability Dual Fortigate Security Appliance (Includes VPN, Firewall, Internet

Filter, Wifi Controller features)

• 4 Cisco Ethernet Switches

• Wifi Access Points (~10)

• Avigilon (or similar) Door Security Appliance

• Barracuda Backup Appliance reseller support

SECTION II. GENERAL INFORMATION

All terms, conditions, requirements, and procedures included in this RFQ should be met for a

Response to be qualified as responsive. The MSBA reserves the right to determine whether a

Response is non-responsive and to waive or permit cure of any and all non-material errors or omissions. The MSBA reserves the right to modify, amend or cancel the terms of this RFQ at any time. All Responses must be submitted in accordance with the specific terms of this RFQ.

A. SPECIFICATIONS

1. Respondent Communication. All communication regarding this RFQ must be in writing via email to the RFQ Contact Person, Siobhan Tolman, Procurement and

Contracts Manager. Any Provider that intends to submit a quote is prohibited from contacting any employee of the MSBA or Member of the BOD other than the Contact

Person regarding this RFQ. Failure to observe this rule may result in disqualification.

Furthermore, no other individual MSBA employee or representative is authorized to provide any information or respond to any question or inquiry concerning this RFQ and the MSBA shall not be bound by any such unauthorized provision of information or response. Respondents should notify in writing via email the Contact Person for this

RFQ in the event it is incomplete, or the Respondent is having trouble obtaining any required attachments electronically through COMMBUYS or from the MSBA’s website.

2. Best Value Selection and Negotiation. The MSBA intends to select the response that demonstrates the “Best Value” overall, including proposed alternatives that will achieve the procurement goals of the MSBA. The MSBA and the selected Respondent may negotiate a change in any element of contract performance or cost identified in the original

RFQ or the selected Respondent’s Response which results in lower costs or in a more cost effective or better value than was presented in the selected Respondent’s or contractor’s original Response.

3. COMMBUYS: This RFQ has been distributed electronically using the COMMBUYS system. RFQ Attachments that are referenced are available either as separate files along with the RFQ, or in the COMMBUYS Attachments section.

Respondents are solely responsible for obtaining and completing the required attachments that are identified in this RFQ; for regularly checking COMMBUYS for any addenda or modifications that are subsequently made to this RFQ or attachments; and for obtaining, reviewing and appropriately responding to any such addenda or modifications to the RFQ or attachments. The MSBA accepts no liability and will provide no accommodation to Respondents who fail to check for, obtain, review and appropriately respond to addenda or modifications to the RFQ and attachments, and then submit inadequate or incorrect Responses. Respondents are advised to check

COMMBUYS to ensure that they have the most recent RFQ files. Respondents may not alter (manually or electronically) the RFQ language or any RFQ component files.

Modifications to the body of this RFQ, specifications, terms and conditions, which change the intent of this RFR are prohibited and may disqualify a Response.

All Responses must be submitted electronically through the Commonwealth’s procurement website, COMMBUYS.

Respondents may also contact the COMMBUYS Helpdesk at

COMMBUYS@state.ma.us or the COMMBUYS Helpline at 1-888-627-8283 or 617-

720-3197 (during normal business hours, 8AM – 5PM Monday – Friday).

B. PROCUREMENT CALENDAR

The following is the tentative time schedule for the MSBA’s selection of a Respondent. All dates are subject to modification by the MSBA with notice.

Issuance of RFQ – April 3, 2025

Question Deadline – April 9, 2025, 5:00 PM E.S.T.

Response to Questions Posted – April 11, 2025

RFQ Response Deadline – April 17, 2025, 12:00 PM E.S.T.

Award of Contract – Anticipated April/May 2025

Questions concerning this RFQ may be submitted to the RFQ Contact Person in writing via email at the contact information below. No telephone Calls concerning this RFQ are permitted.

https://www.commbuys.com/bso/ mailto:COMMBUYS@state.ma.us

Siobhan Tolman, Procurement and Contracts Manager

ATTN: MSBA- NetworkMaintenance25

E-Mail Address: siobhan.tolman@massschoolbuildings.org

SECTION III. RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS

A. CONTENT OF THE RESPONSE

All Responses to this RFQ should include the following information:

1. Services and Resources to be provided as it relates to the scope of work described in

Section 1. (B.).

a. Please provide a detailed description illustrating the services and resources provided to meet the requirements of this RFQ as stated above. This should include service guarantees where appropriate.

2. Qualifications and Experience of the Respondent firm and key personnel.

a. Please provide a summary of the qualifications of the firm including related experience, technical background of key personnel, and availability of resources.

3. Cost Proposal.

a. Please include a detailed breakdown of the pricing for ongoing network maintenance systems, support and related services. Please also include a cost structure for Professional/Consulting services including Commissioning services as well as any additional costs noted related to this scope.

B. INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMISSION

Responses to this RFQ must be submitted electronically by the submission deadline or the response will not be considered. Hard copy submissions will not be accepted. Responses received after this deadline date and time will not be evaluated.

All Responses must be submitted electronically through the Commonwealth’s procurement website, COMMBUYS.

Respondents may also contact the COMMBUYS Helpdesk at COMMBUYS@state.ma.us or the COMMBUYS Helpline at 1-888-627-8283 or 617-720-3197 (during normal business hours, 8AM – 5PM Monday – Friday).

The MSBA is posting this RFQ under State Contract ITT72: Category 7 and Category 9.

Vendors that are listed under more than one contract category on State Contract ITT72 only need to provide one submission to this RFQ. Please include applicable categories in your submission.

https://www.commbuys.com/bso/ mailto:COMMBUYS@state.ma.us

SECTION IV. EVALUATION PROCESS

A. PHASE ONE REVIEW

The Selection Team will review the responses to this solicitation and select the response that provides the best value to the MSBA based upon the specified criteria below.

1. Services and Resources Provided

2. Qualifications and Experience of the Respondent and key personnel

3. Cost Proposal

During the selection process, the Selection Team reserves the right to take any or all of the following actions if it deems them to be in the interests of the MSBA:

a) Reject any and all responses:

b) waive any minor informalities in responses received or request Respondents to correct them;

c) request additional information from Respondents and seek clarification from a

Respondent provided the Selection Team determines it is not prejudicial to the interests of the other Respondents to do so. Action by the Selection Team in this regard should not be construed to imply acceptance or rejection of a response.

SECTION V. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

A. DURATION AND RENEWAL OPTIONS

The MSBA intends to select one Respondent to provide the services solicited in this RFQ for a three-year term with two options to renew, at the MSBA’s discretion, for one year each, under the same terms and conditions.