RFP_32701-04678_AMD_3.pdf

This amendment document updates the Request for Proposals schedule for RFP #32701-04678, issued by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, for a Wireless-as-a-Service provider to implement comprehensive wireless connectivity across eleven Tennessee state parks. The RFP seeks a vendor to deliver end-to-end network services including site surveys, network design, equipment installation, network management dashboards, 24/7 technical support, and guest internet access for campground areas. The pre-response conference is scheduled for October 28, 2025, with a Notice of Intent to Respond deadline of October 29, 2025. Written questions and comments are due November 4, 2025, with the state providing responses by January 13, 2026, followed by a second round of questions due January 23, 2026 and state responses by February 11, 2026. The technical response deadline is February 25, 2026, with state completion of evaluations by March 17, 2026. Mandatory site visits for qualified respondents are scheduled for March 27, 2026, followed by cost proposal submission on March 31, 2026, with opening and scoring on April 1, 2026. Optional negotiations are scheduled for April 6-8, 2026, with the state releasing notice of intent to award on April 9, 2026. The contractor signature deadline is April 24, 2026, and the performance bond deadline is April 30, 2026. The initial contract term is sixty months with two optional thirty-month renewal periods, not exceeding one hundred twenty months total.

Evaluation will be based on general qualifications (10 points), technical qualifications and approach (60 points), and cost proposal (30 points), with only the top three technically-scored respondents advancing to cost proposal submission. The RFP explicitly welcomes responses from minority-owned, women-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, and small business enterprises. Respondents must hold valid Tennessee Electrician and Contractor licenses and maintain specified insurance coverage. The contract includes a maximum liability cap of $10 million and a required performance bond of $5 million, which can be structured as either a comprehensive bond or annual renewals. Pricing must accommodate seasonal rate adjustments and allow for per-site or per-facility expansion, with all costs submitted as a complete, all-inclusive proposal covering equipment installation, maintenance, network upgrades, user support, and management services. Vendors must demonstrate robust business continuity and disaster recovery capabilities with 120-hour Recovery Point Objectives and 48-hour Recovery Time Objectives, along with comprehensive IT security standards including SOC 2 Type 2 annual compliance audits, annual penetration testing, and $10 million in cyber liability insurance.