RFP_32701-04678_AMD_6.pdf

This is an amendment document issued by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation updating the Request for Proposals (RFP) #32701-04678 for a Wireless-as-a-Service (WaaS) provider for eleven Tennessee State Parks. The amendment revises the RFP schedule of events, establishing critical deadlines including a pre-response conference on October 28, 2025, a Notice of Intent to Respond deadline of October 29, 2025, written questions and comments deadlines on November 4, 2025, and January 23, 2026, with state responses on January 14, 2026, and February 27, 2026. The technical response deadline is March 13, 2026, with state completion of evaluations by April 2, 2026, followed by scheduled site visits on April 14, 2026. The cost proposal submission deadline is April 24, 2026, with state opening and scoring occurring on April 27, 2026. Optional negotiations are scheduled for May 4-6, 2026, and the state anticipates releasing a notice of intent to award on May 8, 2026, with a protest period ending May 15, 2026. The contract will be sent to the selected contractor on May 18, 2026, with a contractor signature deadline of May 20, 2026, and a performance bond deadline of May 22, 2026.

The RFP seeks comprehensive wireless connectivity implementation across eleven state parks with services including site surveys, network design, equipment installation, network management dashboards, 24/7 technical support, and guest internet access. The initial contract term is 60 months with two optional 30-month renewal periods, not to exceed 120 months total. The procurement welcomes responses from minority-owned, women-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, and small business enterprises. Vendors must hold valid Tennessee Electrician and Contractor licenses and maintain specified insurance coverage, including a required performance bond of $5 million. The evaluation criteria allocate 10 points for general qualifications, 60 points for technical qualifications and approach, and 30 points for cost proposal, with only the top three technically-scored respondents invited to submit cost proposals. Vendors must demonstrate 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.