RFP 013_25 Network Infrastructure _ Addendum .pdf

Clayton County Public Schools Division of Business Services

& Strategic Improvement

1058 Fifth Avenue• Jonesboro, Georgia 30236 • (770) 473-2700

DR. ANTHONY W. SMITH RAMONA BIVINS

Superintendent of Schools/CEO CFO/Chief of Business Services

& Strategic Improvement

ADDENDUM # 1

RFP 013-25 Network Infrastructure

Solicitation Released: September 26, 2024

Where any original item, term, or requirement is not specifically amended, voided or superseded by this addendum, it will remain in effect. This clarification is being provided to all known respondents.

1. Clayton County Public Schools (CCPS) has received questions pertaining to this RFP.

The questions and their resulting answers are attached hereto.

2. The Pre-Proposal Conference Agenda and the Sign-In Sheet pertaining to this RFP are attached hereto as Exhibit 1.

3. CCPS has corrected the page number for Page 40, Page 61, Page 62 and Page 63 for this RFP. The correct page number for Page 40, Page 61, Page 62 and Page 63 are attached hereto as Attachment 1.

Drexal Paulk, MBA, CPM, CPPO, CPPB Issue Date Director, Department of Purchasing

This sheet must be completed, signed, and returned with any proposal to acknowledge receipt of this Addendum. Failure to do so may result in the rejection of any proposal submitted.

The above addendum is hereby acknowledged:

Signature

Title

Company Name

Date

10/17/2024 | 11:54:40 AM EDT

QUESTION 1: Regarding the current equipment that will be deinstalled-does the district plan to liquidate/resell the equipment, and if so should that be included as part of our response?

ANSWER 1 Compliant with E-rate equipment transfer rules, the district will recycle the equipment using its current E-waste procedures. The selected proponent will be required to palletize and inventory all deinstalled equipment.

QUESTION 2: Page 64 1.3 Technicians and System maintenance teams must be able to arrive at Clayton County Public School’s Data Center located at 1380 Arnold Street, Jonesboro, GA 30236 with sixty (60) minutes of request. Is this specific to regular business hours or is this a requirement of nights/weekends as well?

ANSWER 2 This would include nights and weekends as well.

QUESTION 3: Is the district willing to consider awarding installation separate from the equipment?

ANSWER 3 No. The district is looking for a complete turnkey solution.

QUESTION 4: Is installation to occur during standard business hours?

ANSWER 4 No. The installation/deinstallation would need to take place after hours so it will not disrupt the classroom curriculum.

QUESTION 5: Is this a 1 for 1 swap of existing hardware and will new hardware be installed in the same locations as the existing hardware, following the same cabling/port assignments as existing switches? Or is any of this hardware for growth or expansion?

ANSWER 5 This should be 1 for 1 swap with the new equipment being installed in the same locations as the existing hardware and following the same cabling/port assignments. There may be a small amount of hardware added for growth (10 switches or less).

QUESTION 6: Are the existing cables labeled? If not is labeling existing cabling a requirement?

ANSWER 6a Most of the cabling is already labeled.

ANSWER 6b If the cabling is not currently labeled, then it should be labeled as part of the installation to ensure proper port placement.

QUESTION 7: What is the model of Meraki wireless access points are you currently using?

ANSWER 7 The majority (5,634) of our access points are Meraki MR44. There are also

20 MR84 models at one location. There are MR86 outdoor access throughout the district, 62 in total.

QUESTION 8: The requested access layer uplink modules support 25G transceivers, however, the cost proposal only lists 1G and 10G optics. Are any 25G optics required?

ANSWER 8 No, 25G optics are not required.

QUESTION 9: This hardware part and license will be End-Of-Sale as of 8/8/2025 and will be

End-Of-Support on 08/08/2030, even with an active dashboard license.

MS355-48X-HW or Equivalent LIC-MS355-48X-5Y or Equivalent

The recommended replacement part for this switch is the C9300X-48HX-M. Several of the below parts are compatible with C9300X-48HX-M, but they are not compatible with the MS355-48X-HW.

MA-CBL-40G-50CM or Equivalent MA-PWR-1100-WAC or Equivalent MA-PWR-CORD-US or Equivalent MA-CBL-120G-50CM or Equivalent MA-CBL-120G-3M or Equivalent MA-CBL-SPWR-30CM or Equivalent MA-CBL-SPWR-150CM or Equivalent MA-MOD-8x10G or Equivalent

Are the parts specified for use with the switches in the RFP, or are they being ordered for use with existing switches? In other words, is this the specific quantity of modules, power supplies, etc. for this RFP, or is this list in addition to the modules, power supplies, etc. needed for the switches in the RFP?

ANSWER 9a MS355-48X-HW & LIC-MS355-48X-5Y were not requested on this RFP.

Please refer to Attachment B, Cost Proposal Form for the requested part numbers and quantities.

ANSWER 9b Please refer to Attachment B, Cost Proposal Form for the requested part numbers and quantities.

QUESTION 10: What is the model of Meraki wireless access points are you currently using?

ANSWER 10 The majority (5,634) of our access points are Meraki MR44. There are also

20 MR84 models at one location. There are MR86 outdoor access throughout the district, 62 in total.

QUESTION 11: The requested access layer uplink modules support 25G transceivers, however, the cost proposal only lists 1G and 10G optics. Are any 25G optics required?

ANSWER 11 No, 25G optics are not required.

QUESTION 12: Is there any high-level network diagram or tables showing the following:

MDF, IDFs

Qty of switches or stack of switches in MDF, IDFs.

Fiber links between MDF and IDFs.

ANSWER 12 No.

QUESTION 13: Regarding Uninterruptable Power Supplies (UPSs):

• What are the runtime requirements?

• What are the input power specifications (120 or 208/220/240)?

• How many of the quoted switches will be served by the UPS?

• Will any other devices outside of the switches be connected to the UPS?

ANSWER 13a UPS/Battery backup is included as a separate category since the USAC sometimes classifies the basic power supply for a switch as a battery backup. The district is not seeking separate UPSs.

ANSWER 13b UPS/Battery backup is included as a separate category since the USAC

ANSWER 13c UPS/Battery backup is included as a separate category since the USAC

ANSWER 13d UPS/Battery backup is included as a separate category since the USAC

QUESTION 14: Regarding cabling: Will we be providing all new cables and patch cords or do you intent to continue using any/all of the cables and patch cords currently in place?

ANSWER 14 The existing patch cables can be used.

QUESTION 15: The RFP states “Technicians and System Maintenance teams must be able to arrive at Clayton County Public School’s Data Center located at 1380 Arnold Street, Jonesboro, GA. 30236 within sixty (60) minutes of a request.” Is the 60 minute response time a requirement for normal business hours only, or is 24x7 onsite support within a 1 hr. SLA a requirement?

ANSWER 15 24x7 onsite support within a 1 hour SLA is the requirement.

QUESTION 16: When listing major satellite offices do you need the full address or just location city and state.

ANSWER 16 The full address would be preferred.

QUESTION 17: In section 14.7 will the financial documents be keep confidential or do they become public record?

ANSWER 17 CCPS will notify the vendor of the Open Records Request before releasing any confidential documents.

QUESTION 18: Can we get an diagrams noting number of closets per school and number of switches per closet?

ANSWER 18 This information will be provided to the winning Proponent.

QUESTION 19: Section 14.7.2 Can we provide the audit summary and not the full reports?

ANSWER 19 Yes.

QUESTION 20: Can we get an diagrams noting number of closets per school and number of switches per closet?

ANSWER 20 This information will be provided to the winning Proponent.

QUESTION 21: Will the 157 fiber switches be equipped with dual power supplies?

ANSWER 21 Yes.

QUESTION 22: Will the fiber switches require North America AC Type A power cables, or is there another type of power cable required? If another type is needed, please specify?

ANSWER 22a The required power cable is included with the fiber switch that was requested in the RFP.

ANSWER 22b Not applicable.

QUESTION 23: Will the C9300X-48HXN-M switches require North America AC Type A power cables as well or other , please specify?

For the C9300X-48HXN-M switches, will some be configured with dual power supplies and others with single power supplies?

ANSWER 23a The required power cable is included with the switch that was requested in the RFP.

ANSWER 23b Yes.

QUESTION 24: Regarding point 1.3 in the RFP - Attachment A Scope of Work - page 64, which requires technicians and system maintenance teams to arrive on-site within 60 minutes of a request:

• Is this level of support required only during the implementation phase and until project completion, or does it also extend to a post-implementation period?

• If this support is required post-implementation, could you please clarify for how many months or years this service level should be maintained?

ANSWER 24a This level of support is required during the implementation phase and until project completion.

ANSWER 24b Not applicable.

QUESTION 25: Will CCPS consider prompt payment discounts as part of the evaluation process?

ANSWER 25a No.

QUESTION 26: See Page 33 XXIII. Miscellaneous Provisions b.v. Contractor’s Affidavit of

Compliance. Please specify which document this references.

ANSWER 26 The Contractor Affidavit and Agreement, Form 1, on Page 36 in this RFP.

QUESTION 27: Page 40 of the RFP shows page 44 of 87. Also, pages 61, 62, and 63 of the

RFP show numbered pages of 68, 69, and 70 respectively.

May we update the page numbers accordingly or does CCPS plan to reissue?

ANSWER 27a Page 40, Page 61 through Page 63 have been corrected and attached hereto as Attachment 1.

ANSWER 27b Pages 61, Page 62 and Page 63 have been corrected and attached hereto as Attachment 1.

QUESTION 28: The following documents do not have a separate Upload Requirement in the

Bonfire Portal:

Page 45 Certificate of Debarment

Page 46 Non-Collusion

Page 47 CCPS Conflict of Interest

Pages 61-63 Appendix G – page number issue noted in Question 7.

Will the Portal be updated, or just include in our proposal response?

ANSWER 28a Upload Page 45, Page 46 and Page 47 with the RFP.

ANSWER 28b Page 61, Page 62 and Page 63 have been corrected and attached hereto as Attachment 1.

ANSWER 28c No.

QUESTION 29: Please confirm that there are no Bonding requirements.

If there are no Bonding requirements, Please confirm that CCPS does not require a Bonding capacity Letter submitted with the Financial Data?

ANSWER 29 The Bonding and Insurance requirements for any Agreement that may be awarded pursuant to this RFP are set forth in Appendix B, General Terms and Conditions. Proponent must provide a copy of a current certificate of insurance evidencing any existing commercial general liability policies issued for Proponent.

EXHIBIT 1

RFP 013-25

NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE

PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE

Thursday, October 3, 2024 at 10:00 A.M.

Join Zoom Meeting

RFP 013-25 Network Infrastructure Pre-Proposal Conference

Meeting ID: 927 2385 8875 Passcode: 971922

One tap mobile

+14703812552, 92723858875# US (Atlanta) Clayton County Public Schools

Purchasing Department 1098 Fifth Avenue

Jonesboro, GA 30236

Agenda

1. Opening Remarks Rose Tookes Purchasing Buyer

Introduction of CCPS Staff Purpose of the Meeting Procurement Process Required Forms Submission of Written Questions

2. Overview and Scope of Work Robert Lacy

Coordinator of Technical Services

3. Questions and Answers Robert Lacy Rose Tookes

4. Conclusion and Adjournment Rose Tookes

Responses to this RFP will be received by Clayton County Public Schools (CCPS), Purchasing Department, 1098 Fifth Avenue, Jonesboro, Georgia, 30236 until 3:00 P.M., Eastern Standard Time (EST) on Tuesday, November 19, 2024.

All questions or inquiries pertaining to the project are due no later than 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 10, 2024. Submit questions to: purchasing@clayton.k12.ga.us. All replies will be made in writing via addendum to the CCPS website. Oral responses are not authoritative. It shall be the responsibility of each Proponent to monitor the website and obtain a copy of any addendum issued for this RFP.

mailto:purchasing@clayton.k12.ga.us

Clayton County Public Schools 1098 Fifth Avenue

Jonesboro, GA 30236

Questions

Please print your question (s) below. Any question not answered today will be answered by addendum as stated below*

Name: Title:

Company/Firm:

Email Address:

*Attendees will be permitted to ask questions during the pre-proposal conference, however, any oral responses to questions are not authoritative and may not be relied upon for any matter. It shall be the responsibility of each Proponent to monitor the CCPS website and obtain a copy of any addendum issued for this RFP. Please do not contact the end user department for questions.

Attendance Sheet

Name Title Company Name Contact Information

Luke Stebick

N/A

Converge Technology Solutions

Ashley Dilbeck N/A AiOS Group

Chris Minton N/A 1 Accord Technologies

Rick Daniels N/A 1 Accord Technologies

Jared Morris N/A 1 Accord Technologies N/A

Robert Young N/A MGT Impact Solutions N/A

Andrew Chitty N/A MGT Impact Solutions N/A

Daniel Lee N/A MGT Impact Solutions N/A

Joshua McElroy N/A MGT Impact Solutions N/A

Ernest Foy N/A GA Technology Solutions N/A

Matt Steele N/A GA Technology Solutions N/A

Paul Onushko N/A Extreme Networks

Paul Hughes N/A Extreme Networks

Davida Nelums N/A International Global Solutions

Name

Title

Company Name

Contact Information

Brennan Geis N/A CDW N/A

Patrick Govan N/A CISCO N/A

Eric Peterson N/A CISCO N/A

Karen Allen E-Rate Consultant Allen & Allen Consulting, LLC N/A

Alex Jerrold N/A Verinext N/A

Katie Simpson N/A PC Solutions and Integration N/A

Tony Lester N/A PC Solutions and Integration N/A

Andrew Chitty N/A MGT Impact N/A

Robert Lacy Coordinator, Technical Services

CCPS

N/A

Bill Pitts Director, Technical Operations

CCPS

N/A

Rose Tookes Purchasing Buyer CCPS

(770) 473-2700

Page 40 of 87 RFP 013-25 Network Infrastructure

Initial Here “Proponent must return each and every page of the Proposal.”

ATTACHMENT 1

RFP 013-25 NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE

CCPS, Req. Form 5, 08/2016

PROPONENT REPRESENTATIONS AND DECLARATIONS

This Acknowledgement of Representations and Declarations and Agreement must be properly signed and notarized, and returned with Proponents response to this RFP.

1. Anti-Lobbying Provision. All respondents, including agents, personnel, representatives, lobbyists, attorneys and proposed partner(s), subcontractor(s) or joint venturer(s), will refrain, under penalty of the respondent’s disqualification, from direct or indirect contact for the purpose of influencing the selection or creating bias in the selection process with any person who may play a part in the selection process.

2. Certification of Independent Price Determination/Non-Collusion. Collusion and other anticompetitive practices among offerors are prohibited by city, state and federal laws. All Respondents shall identify a person having authority to sign for the Respondent who shall certify, in writing, as follows:

“I certify that this bid/proposal is made without prior understanding, agreement, or connection with any corporation, firm, or person submitting a bid or offer for the same supplies, labor, services, construction, materials or equipment to be furnished or professional or consultant services, and is in all respects fair and without collusion or fraud. I understand collusive bidding is a violation of city, state and federal law and can result in fines, prison sentences, and civil damages awards. By signing this document, I agree to abide by all conditions of this solicitation and offer and certify that I am authorized to sign for this Respondent/Offeror.”

3. Prohibition on Kickbacks or Gratuities/Non-Gratuity. The undersigned acknowledges the following prohibitions on kickbacks and gratuities:

a. It is unethical for any person to offer, give or agree to give any employee or former employee a gratuity or an offer of employment in connection with any decision, approval, disapproval, recommendation, preparation or any part of a program requirement or a purchase request, influencing the content of any specification or procurement standard, rendering of advice, investigation, auditing or in any other advisory capacity in any proceeding or application, request for ruling, determination, claim or controversy or other particular matter pertaining to any program requirement or a contract or subcontract or to any solicitation or proposal therefor.

b. It is unethical for any employee or former employee to solicit, demand, accept or agree to accept from another person a gratuity or an offer of employment in connection with any decision, approval, disapproval, recommendation, preparation or any part of a program requirement or a purchase request, influencing the content of any specification or procurement standard, rendering of advice, content of any specification or procurement standard, rendering of advice, investigation, auditing or

(Page 1 of 4)

RFP 013-25 Network Infrastructure Page 61 of 86

Initial Here “Proponent must return each and every page of the Proposal.”

APPENDIX G

E-RATE SUPPLEMENTAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Signed copy to be returned with Letter of Acceptance.

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 established a fund by which Schools and Libraries across the Country could access discounts on eligible telecommunications products and services. The program is commonly known as the E-Rate Program. The eligibility for discounts on internet access, telecommunications products and services, internal connection products, services and maintenance is determined by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Funding is made available upon application approval by the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) of the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), which was established by the Act. The amount of discount is based on the numbers of students receiving free and reduced-price meals.

1. E-RATE CONTINGENCY

The project herein is contingent upon the approval of funding from the Universal Service Fund’s Schools and Libraries Program, otherwise known as E- rate. Even after award of contracts(s) and/or E-Rate funding approval is obtained, the district may or may not proceed with the project, in whole or in part. Execution of the project, in whole or in part, is solely at the discretion of the district.

2. SERVICE PROVIDER REQUIREMENTS

The District expects the Service Providers to make themselves thoroughly familiar with any rules or regulations regarding the E-Rate program.

a. Service Providers are required to be in full compliance with all current requirements and future requirements issued by the SLD throughout the contractual period of any contract entered into as a result of this RFP.

b. Service Providers are responsible for providing a valid SPIN (Service

Provider Identification Number).

c. Service Providers are responsible for providing a valid Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Registration Number (FRN) at the time the bid is submitted.

d. Service Providers are responsible for providing evidence of FCC Green Light

Status at the time the bid is submitted. Any potential bidder found to be in Red Light Status will be disqualified from participation in the bidding process and will be considered non-responsive.

e. Products and services must be delivered before billing can commence. At no time may the Service Provider invoice before July 1, 2025.

RFP 013-25 Network Infrastructure Page 62 of 86

f. Prices must be held firm for the duration of the associated E-Rate Funding Year(s) or until all work associated with the project is complete (including any contract and USAC approved extensions).

g. Goods and services provided shall be clearly designated as “E-Rate Eligible”.

Ineligible goods and services shall be clearly called out as 100% ineligible or shall be “cost allocated” to show the percentage of eligible costs per SLD guidelines.

h. Within two (2) weeks of award, the awarded Service Provider must provide the district a bill of materials using a completed USAC “Bulk Upload Template”, if applicable and requested by the district. Subsequent schedules of values and invoices for each site must match the Bulk Upload template or subsequent service substitutions.

i. In the event of questions during an E-Rate pre-commitment review, post-commitment review and/or audit inquiry, the awarded Service Provider is expected to reply within three (3) days to questions associated with its proposal.

j. The awarded Service Provider is required to send copies of all forms and invoices to the District prior to invoicing USAC for pre-approval. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in the district placing the vendor on an “Invoice Check” with the USAC.

k. Services providers must comply with the FCC rules for Lowest Corresponding

Price ("LCP").

l. Service provider shall retain all documentation related to the purchase, payment, delivery and/or installation, including Forms 474 and receipt of payment from USAC, for all products and services provided to the applicant. Related documentation must be retained for a period of 10 years from the last date of service.

3. SERVICE PROVIDER ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

a. The Service Provider acknowledges that no change in the products and/or services specified in this document orders will be allowed without prior written approval from the district and a USAC service substitution approval with the exception of a Global Service Substitutions.

b. The Service Provider acknowledges that all pricing and technology infrastructure information in its bid shall be considered as public and non-confidential pursuant to §54.504 (2) (i) (ii).

c. The Service Provider acknowledges that its offer is considered to be the lowest corresponding price pursuant to § 54.511(b). Should it not be the lowest corresponding price, the service provider must disclose the conditions leading to

RFP 013-25 Network Infrastructure Page 63 of 86 the applicant being charged in excess of lowest corresponding price.

d. This offer is in full compliance with USAC’s Free Services Advisory. There are no free services offered that would predicate an artificial discount and preclude the applicant from paying its proportionate non-discounted share of costs. The service provider agrees to provide substantiating documentation to support this assertion should the applicant, USAC, or the FCC request it.

e. The annual E-Rate Funding Year begins on July 1 and expires on June 30 of each calendar year. Regardless of the contract “effective date”, E-Rate eligible goods and/or services requested in this RFP shall be delivered no earlier than the start of the 2025 funding year (July 1, 2025). We amend our rules for Category Two non-recurring services to permit applicants to seek support for Category Two eligible equipment purchase on or after April 1, 2025, three (3) months prior to the start of the funding year on July 1, 2025.

4. INVOICING

a. The Service Provider agrees to bill and receive a portion of the payment for the provisions of goods and services described herein directly from USAC via the Form 474 Service Provider Invoice (SPI). The district will only be responsible for paying its non-discounted share of costs and does not intend to use the BEAR process (Form 472). Alternatively, should the district decide that it is in the best interest of the district to file a Form 472, the District will inform the Service Provider of its intent.

b. All Service Provider invoicing to USAC must be completed within 120 days from the last day of service. Should the Service Provider fail to invoice USAC in a timely manner, the district will only be responsible for paying its non-discounted share.

I, the undersigned, as an authorized agent of (Service Provider Name), hereby certify that I have read the E-Rate Supplemental Terms and Conditions, am fully compliant and intend to cooperate with the E-Rate process as outlined above.

Signature: Title:

Phone Number: E-mail:

Service Provider Name:

Service Provider Identification Number(“SPIN”):

FCC Federal Registration Number(FRN):