RFP_4161RC_-_District_Internet_Services.pdf

1 An Equal Opportunity School District Rev. 47 - 9/25/25

THE SCHOOL BOARD OF MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA

PURCHASING DEPARTMENT

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) WITH INVITATION TO NEGOTIATE

REQUIRED RESPONSE FORM (Pgs. 1 & 2)

RFP # 4161RC

DATE: NOVEMBER 7, 2025

TITLE: DISTRICT INTERNET SERVICES

This proposal must be submitted to The School Board of Marion County, Florida (District or School Board), Purchasing Department, 2091 NE 35th Street, Ocala, Florida 34479, no later than 2:00 PM, Monday, December 8, 2025, and plainly marked RFP 4161RC – District Internet Services. Proposals are due and will be opened at that time. School Board Approval Date: February 24, 2026

CONFIDENTIAL, PROPRIETARY, OR TRADE SECRET MATERIAL

The District takes its public records responsibilities, as provided under Chapter 119, Fla. Stat. (2025) and Article 1, Section 24 of the Florida Constitution, very seriously. If Proposer considers any portion of the documents, data or records submitted in response to this solicitation to be confidential, trade secret or otherwise not subject to disclosure pursuant to Chapter 119, Fla. Stat. (2025), the Florida Constitution or other legal authority, Proposer must also simultaneously provide District with a separate redacted copy of its complete response. That redacted copy must contain the District solicitation name, RFP number, and the name of the Proposer on the cover, which must be clearly titled “Redacted Copy.” The Redacted Copy must be provided to the District at the same time Proposer submits its response to the solicitation and must only exclude or obliterate those exact portions that are claimed to be confidential, proprietary, or trade secret. In compliance with § 119.07(1)(e), Fla. Stat. (2025), Proposer must “state the basis for the exemption” that Proposer “contends is applicable to the record, including the statutory citation to an exemption created or afforded by statute.”

Proposer will be responsible for defending its determination that the redacted portions of its response are confidential, proprietary, trade secret or otherwise exempt from disclosure. Further, Proposer shall protect, defend, and indemnify the District for any and all claims arising from or related to Proposer’s determination that the redacted portions of its response are confidential, proprietary, trade secret or otherwise exempt from disclosure.

The District will have no responsibility or duty to verify whether any redacted material is exempt from Chapter 119, Fla. Stat. (2025). Proposer must have and retain full exemption verification responsibility.

If the Proposer fails to submit a Redacted Copy with its response, District is authorized to produce the entire documents, data or records submitted by Proposer in its response to a public records request for such records.

I have read and understand my responsibilities regarding any purported confidential, proprietary or trade secret material contained in this proposal.

Is there any confidential, proprietary, or trade secret information contained within this submitted proposal? (Y/N) _____

I have included a redacted copy with my submitted response (Y/N) _____

Signature of Proposer Signing Agreement

RFP #4161RC, DISTRICT INTERNET SERVICES

2 An Equal Opportunity School District Rev. 47 – 9/25/25

REQUIRED RESPONSE FORM (continued)

PROPOSAL CERTIFICATION

I certify that I am submitting the following information as my company's proposal. I further understand that by virtue of executing and returning with this proposal this REQUIRED RESPONSE FORM, I certify full, complete and unconditional acceptance of the contents of Pages 1 through 37 inclusive of this Request for Proposal, as well as all appendices and contents of any subsequent Addendum released hereto. Proposal must be signed by an officer or employee having legal authority to bind Proposer. I, the undersigned Proposer, have not divulged, discussed, or compared this proposal with any other Proposer. Proposer further certifies that Proposer has not colluded with any other proposer or entity in the preparation of this Proposal in order to gain an unfair advantage in the award of this proposal. Proposer’s execution of this document will initiate employee investigations’ procedures in accordance with § 1012.32, Fla. Stat. (2025).

PROPOSER (firm name): ___________________________________________________________________

STREET ADDRESS: _______________________________________________________________________

PRINTED NAME OF AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE: __________________________________________

SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE: _____________________________________________

TITLE: ______________________________________________ DATE: ______________________________

CONTACT PERSON: ______________________________________________________________________

CONTACT PERSON'S ADDRESS: ___________________________________________________________

TELEPHONE: ________________________________ TOLL FREE: ________________________________

FAX: ________________________________________________

E-MAIL ADDRESS: ________________________________________________________________________

INTERNET URL: __________________________________________________________________________

PROPOSER TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER: ___________________________________________

NOTE: Entries must be completed in ink or typewritten. An original manual signature is required.

3 An Equal Opportunity School District Rev. 47 – 9/25/25

THE SCHOOL BOARD OF MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL 4161RC

FOR DISTRICT INTERNET SERVICES

INDEX

1.0 INTRODUCTION

2.0 INSTRUCTIONS TO PROPOSER

3.0 TIME SCHEDULE

4.0 AWARD

5.0 TERM OF CONTRACT / RENEWAL

6.0 RFP INQUIRIES

7.0 CONE OF SILENCE

8.0 PROHIBITION AGAINST CONTRACTING WITH SCRUTINIZED COMPANIES

9.0 SCOPE OF SERVICES, SPECIFICATIONS, ETC.

10.0 EVALUATION COMMITTEE MEETINGS

11.0 PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION

12.0 PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS

13.0 EVALUATION CRITERIA

14.0 CANCELLATION OF AWARD / TERMINATION / FUNDING OUT

15.0 DEFAULT

16.0 LEGAL REQUIREMENTS

17.0 FEDERAL AND STATE TAX

18.0 CONFLICT OF INTEREST

19.0 INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

20.0 INDEMNIFICATION / HOLD HARMLESS AGREEMENT

21.0 PUBLIC RECORDS LAW

22.0 PERMITS AND LICENSES

23.0 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

24.0 COST INCURRED IN RESPONDING

25.0 SUB-CONTRACTS

26.0 INDULGENCE

27.0 JOINT PROPOSAL

28.0 PUBLIC ENTITY CRIMES

29.0 USE OF OTHER CONTRACTS

30.0 ASSIGNMENT OF CONTRACT AND/OR PAYMENT

31.0 POSSESSION OF FIREARMS / DRUG FREE WORKPLACE

32.0 AGREEMENT

33.0 POSTING OF RFP TERMS & CONDITIONS / SPECIFICATIONS

34.0 POSTING OF RFP RECOMMENDATION / TABULATIONS

35.0 BACKGROUND SCREENING REQUIREMENTS

36.0 PRESS RELEASES AND PUBLICITY

37.0 FEDERAL FUNDS

ATTACHMENTS

A. Drug-Free Workplace Certification Form B. Acknowledgment of Addenda C. Division of Corporations Registration Requirements D. Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion – Lower Tier

Covered Transaction (with Instructions for Certification) E. Reference Form F. Statement of No Bid

4 An Equal Opportunity School District Rev. 47 – 9/25/25

THE SCHOOL BOARD OF MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL 4161RC FOR: DISTRICT INTERNET SERVICES

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 This is a Request for Proposal (RFP) to The School Board of Marion County, Florida (“District or School Board”).

1.2 The District desires to engage a firm to provide an internet connection with a committed Information Rate (CIR) 40 Gbps of Internet Access, with incremental increase of CIR 10 Gbps, scalable to CIR 100 Gbps over the life of the contract.

1.3 All terms and conditions of this RFP, any addenda, Proposer's submissions and negotiated terms, are incorporated into the contract by reference as set forth herein.

1.4 Document files may be examined, during normal working hours; thirty (30) days after proposals have been opened or once a notice of an intended decision is made, whichever comes first.

1.5 Unless otherwise indicated in the proposal document, any solicitation downloaded from sources other than www.myvendorlink.com may not be the official and final version, and may result in the rejection of a quote/submittal/bid/proposal if not based upon an accurate rendition of the solicitation.

2.0 INSTRUCTIONS TO PROPOSER

2.1 All proposals must be received no later than 2:00 PM, on Monday, December 8, 2025. If a proposal is transmitted by U.S. Mail or other reliable delivery medium, the Proposer(s) will be responsible for its timely delivery to the Purchasing Department, 2091 NE 35th Street, Ocala, Florida 34479. Proposer(s) must mark each envelope with the RFP number and Title of the RFP. Proposals cannot be emailed.

2.2 Any proposal received after the stated time and date will not be considered and will be returned unopened to the Proposer(s).

2.3 It is required that four (4) individually bound copies of the proposal (marked as copy) be submitted with one (1) individually bound original proposal (marked as original). Please provide one (1) exact electronic copy of the proposal in PDF format on a thumb drive as well. Please ensure the required proposals are sealed in one package and clearly labeled "District Internet Services" on the outside of the package. The legal name, address, Proposer's contact person, and telephone number must also be clearly annotated on the outside of the package.

2.4 All proposals must be signed by an officer or employee having full, current authority to legally bind Proposer(s).

2.5 Any corrections of unit prices must be initialed by Proposer(s), including corrections made using opaque correction fluid or any other usual and generally acceptable method of correction.

2.6 Proposer should become familiar with any local conditions which may affect the services required.

Proposer(s) must carefully examine the RFP terms to become thoroughly familiar with any and all conditions and requirements that may in any manner affect the work to be performed under the contract.

No additional allowance(s) will be permitted due to lack of knowledge of such conditions.

2.7 Proposals not conforming to the instructions provided herein will be subject to disqualification at the sole option of the District.

5 An Equal Opportunity School District Rev. 47 – 9/25/25

2.8 Any proposal may be withdrawn prior to the date and time the proposals are due. Any proposal not withdrawn will constitute an irrevocable offer, for a period of ninety (90) consecutive calendar days, to provide the District with the services specified in the proposal.

2.9 DELIVERY OF RFP’s: Proposers must follow District's security access procedures if hand-delivering any RFP, which are as follows:

District supports and complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and will take all reasonable steps to accommodate individuals using District’s services, programs and activities. Where applicable, all goods and/or construction must meet the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as adopted in January 1992. Requests for reasonable accommodations must be made at least two (2) business days in advance of the event or stated requirement.

A. Proceed to the Purchasing Department located at 2091 NE 35th Street, Ocala, Florida 34479.

B. Parking lot is located on the north side of building.

C. Enter building through the front door.

D. Present RFP to Purchasing Department receptionist for official date/time stamping.

E. Pre-Bid Meetings and Openings will be held in the Purchasing Conference Room, located at 2091 NE 35th Street, Ocala, Florida 34479.

3.0 TIME SCHEDULE

3.1 District will attempt to use the following time schedule for selection of Proposer(s):

All written questions and inquiries are due November 21, 2025 Proposals due not later than 2:00 PM December 8, 2025 Evaluation Committee Meeting December 12, 2025 @ 9:00 AM, Purchasing

Conference Room Proposer Interviews (if needed) December 16, 2025 Interview Evaluation Committee Meeting (if needed) December 16, 2025 @ 1:00 PM, Purchasing

Conference Room Submit Evaluation Results to School Board February 6, 2026 School Board Approval Date February 24, 2026

3.2 Notification of any changes to the time schedule will be made via www.myvendorlink.com.

3.3 Proposers responding to this solicitation, or persons acting on their behalf, may not contact, between the release of the solicitation and the end of the 72-hour period following the agency posting the notice of intended award, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and state holidays, any employee or officer of District concerning any aspect of this solicitation, except in writing via www.myvendorlink.com. Violation of this provision may constitute grounds for rejecting a response.

4.0 AWARD

4.1 District reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals.

4.2 District reserves the right to waive any irregularities and technicalities and may, at its sole discretion, request a clarification or other information to evaluate any or all proposals.

4.3 District reserves the right, before awarding the contract, to require Proposer(s) to submit evidence of qualifications or any other information District may deem necessary.

4.4 District reserves the right, prior to School Board approval, to cancel the RFP or portions thereof, without

6 An Equal Opportunity School District Rev. 47 – 9/25/25 penalty.

4.5 District reserves the right to: (1) accept the proposals of any or all of the items it deems, at its sole discretion, to be in the best interest of District; and (2) District reserves the right to reject any and/or all items proposed or award to multiple Proposers.

4.6 The proposal with the highest rating will be ranked first; however, nothing herein will prevent the District from making multiple awards and to deem all proposals responsive and to assign work to any firm deemed responsive.

4.7 District reserves the right to further negotiate any proposal, including price, with the highest rated Proposer. If an agreement cannot be reached with the highest rated Proposer, District reserves the right to negotiate and recommend award to the next highest Proposer or subsequent Proposers until an agreement is reached.

5.0 TERM OF CONTRACT / RENEWAL

5.1 The term of this contract will be from date of School Board approval through June 30, 2031, and may, by mutual agreement between District and the awardee(s), be renewable for up to five (5) additional, one

(1) year periods. Services and billing will not start earlier than July 1, 2026. If needed, the contract will be extended beyond the contract expiration date. Once School Board has approved, the final results will be posted on www.myvendorlink.com. All prices must be firm for the term of this contract. The awardee agrees to this condition by signing their proposal.

6.0 RFP INQUIRIES

6.1 Any questions concerning conditions and specifications must be submitted in writing and received through www.myvendorlink.com. The deadline to submit questions is November 21, 2025. Answers to questions will be provided through VendorLink as well. District staff is not authorized to interpret any portion of this RFP or give information as to the requirements of the RFP in addition to that contained in the written documents.

6.2 If necessary, any addenda will be posted on www.myvendorlink.com.

6.3 Copies of addendum will be made available for inspection at District's Purchasing Department where proposal documents will be kept on file.

6.4 No addendum will be issued later than three calendar days prior to the date for receipt of proposals except an addendum withdrawing the request for proposals or one, which includes postponement of the date for receipt of proposals.

6.5 No verbal or written information which is obtained other than by information in this document or by addendum to this RFP will be binding on District.

7.0 CONE OF SILENCE

7.1 A cone of silence is hereby established for this Request for Proposal (RFP) pursuant to Board Policy 6324. The cone of silence is designed to protect the integrity of the procurement process by shielding it from undue influences prior to the recommendation of contract award. The cone of silence commences at the time of advertisement of the RFP. Competitive procurements are advertised on the Purchasing Department website, www.myvendorlink.com website, or in a local, regional, or statewide publication of wide distribution. The cone of silence terminates at the time the Board acts on a written recommendation from the Purchasing Department regarding contract award; or at termination of selection

7 An Equal Opportunity School District Rev. 47 – 9/25/25 process; provided, however, that communications are permitted when the Board receives public comment at the meeting when the recommendation is presented. Violation of this policy by a particular bidder, proposer, respondent, and/or representative may, at the discretion of the District, result in rejection of said bidder, proposer, respondent, and/or representative's bid, proposal, or offer and may render any contract award to said bidder, proposer, or respondent voidable. Likewise, a violation may also result in the bidder, proposer, or respondent being debarred as further described in Board Policy 6322.01.

The cone of silence prohibits any communication regarding this ITB between:

A. a potential vendor, service provider, bidder, lobbyist, or consultant and the staff of the District, including school principals; and

B. a potential vendor, service provider, bidder, lobbyist, or consultant and any one (1) or more of the

School Board members or member-elects.

Unless specifically provided otherwise in this RFP, the cone of silence does not apply to the following:

A. Communications between a potential vendor, service provider, bidder, lobbyist, or consultant and the District's Purchasing Department.

B. Communications between a potential vendor, service provider, bidder, lobbyist, or consultant and the District's staff attorney or Board attorney.

C. Communications at duly noticed pre-bid meetings and site visits prior to bid opening or post-bid-opening meetings and site visits, which are administered by the Purchasing Department, prior to issuance of a written recommendation of contract award.

Any bidder who is adversely affected by the recommended award may file a protest within the time prescribed in §120.57(3), Fla. Stat. (2025). Failure to post bond with School Board or to adhere strictly to the requirements of statutes and state board rules pertaining to protests will result in summary dismissal by the Purchasing Department.

8.0 PROHIBITION AGAINST CONTRACTING WITH SCRUTINIZED COMPANIES

8.1 PROHIBITION AGAINST CONSIDERING SOCIAL, POLITICAL, OR IDEOLOGICAL INTEREST IN GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING. Bidders are hereby notified of the provisions of §287.05701, Florida Statutes, as amended, that the School Board will not request documentation of or consider a Bidder's social, political, or ideological interests when determining if the Bidder is a responsible Bidder. Bidders are further notified that the School Board’s governing body may not give preference to a Bidder based on the Bidder's social, political, or ideological interests except as expressed in §287.135(2), Fla. Stat. (2025) where, "A company is ineligible to, and may not, bid on, submit a proposal for, or enter into or renew a contract with an agency or local governmental entity for goods or services of: (a) Any amount if, at the time of bidding on, submitting a proposal for, or entering into or renewing a contract, the company is on the Scrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel List, created pursuant to §215.4725, Fla. Stat. (2025), or is engaged in a boycott of Israel; or (b) one million dollars or more if, at the time of bidding on, or submitting a proposal for, or entering into or renewing such contract, the company: 1.) is on the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Sudan List or the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in the Iran Petroleum Energy Sector List, created pursuant to §215.473, Fla. Stat. (2025), or 2.) is engaged in business operations in Cuba or Syria."

§215.473, Fla. Stat. (2025) defines a company to include "all wholly owned subsidiaries, majority-owned subsidiaries, parent companies, or affiliates of such entities or business associations that exists for the purpose of making profit." By submitting a response to this solicitation, a respondent certifies that it and

8 An Equal Opportunity School District Rev. 47 – 9/25/25 those related entities of respondent as defined above by Florida law above are not on the Scrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel List, created pursuant to §215.4725, Fla. Stat. (2025), and are not engaged in a boycott of Israel. In addition, if this solicitation is for a contract for goods or services of one million dollars or more, by submitting a response to this solicitation, a respondent certifies that it and those related entities of respondent as defined above by Florida law are not on the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Sudan List or the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in the Iran Petroleum Energy Sector List, created pursuant to §215.473, Fla. Stat. (2025), and are not engaged in business operations in Cuba or Syria. Any respondent awarded a Contract as a result of this solicitation will be required to recertify the aforementioned certifications at each renewal of the Contract. The School Board may terminate any contract resulting from this solicitation if respondent or any of those related entities of respondent as defined above by Florida law are found to have submitted a false certification or any of the following occur with respect to the company or a related entity: (i) it has been placed on the Scrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel List, or is engaged in a boycott of Israel, or (ii) for any contract for goods or services of one million dollars or more, it has been placed on the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Sudan List or the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in the Iran Petroleum Energy Sector List, or it is found to have been engaged in business operations in Cuba or Syria. Notwithstanding the preceding, the School Board reserves the right and may, in its sole discretion, on a case by case basis, permit a company on such lists or engaged in business operations in Cuba or Syria to be eligible for, bid on, submit a proposal for, or enter into or renew a contract for goods or services of one million dollars or more, or may permit a company on the Scrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel List to be eligible for, bid on, submit a proposal for, or enter into or renew a contract for goods or services of any amount, should the School Board determine that the conditions set forth in §287.135(4), Fla. Stat. (2025) are met.

9.0 SCOPE OF SERVICES, SPECIFICATIONS, ETC.

The School Board solicits Proposers to submit proposals for the installation and services as outlined in this request for proposals for the internet connection with a Committed Information Rate (CIR) 40 Gbps of Internet Access, with incremental increase of CIR 10 Gbps, scalable to CIR 100 Gbps over the life of the contract.

9.1 Current Service:

20 Gbps optical internet services at one location Data Center Operations, 420 SE Alvarez Avenue, Ocala, FL 34471, that serves all District sites

Public facing static IP’s (full class C – CIDR / 24) Public facing static IP’s (CIDR / 29) Routing services for all public facing IP’s

9.2 Summary:

Provide a CIR 40 Gbps optical internet service at one location, Data Center Operations, with upgrade capability to a CIR of 100 Gbps. Service must be available to the district before July 1, 2026.

Construction build-out and Circuit testing must be completed by June 1, 2026.

The new projected forecast for a new Technology / Data Center Operations building located at

2091 NE 35th Street, Ocala, FL 34479, is September 1, 2026. Please include all potential costs for this move in section 9.8 Cost Summary, specifically in the chart row labeled 'Other.'

9.3 Site Handoffs:

Proposer’s equipment must fit into a standard data rack and be AC powered only.

For 40 Gbps internet access an optical multimode fiber (QSFP+) will be required.

Site handoff shall not be accomplished with EtherChannel / port link aggregation.

The final design must be approved by MCPS Technology Department.

9 An Equal Opportunity School District Rev. 47 – 9/25/25

9.4 Required specifications for Internet Service:

Provide a CIR 40 Gbps optical internet services at one location (Data Center Operations Site) with upgrade capability to a CIR of 100 Gbps.

Public facing static IPV4 IP addresses (full class C or CIDR / 24) Public facing static IPV4 IP addresses (CIDR / 29) Transport / routing for the CIDR / 24 for the translation to inside IP’s (layer 3).

Transport / routing for the CIDR / 29 for routing between School Board and proposer’s equipment

(layer 3).

No port filtering or bandwidth throttling on the CIDR / 24 and CIDR / 29 networks.

Proposer’s on-site equipment must be compatible with School Board handoff equipment.

100% completion by June 1, 2026 to allow testing during the month of June.

Provide 27 X 7 access to a call center for selected School Board personal and email address for notification / communication of outages.

Provide Web utilization, throughout reports, and additional traffic analysis.

Services requested will be effective no earlier than July 1, 2026. The District reserves the right to adjust the service start date.

Contract Year 1 pricing effective July 1, 2026 and end June 30, 2031, with the option to renew 5 additional years. This will align the billing and contract dates with the E-rate funding cycle. Billing cannot start earlier than July 1, 2026.

Any additional bandwidth upgrades requested by the School Board to the awarded proposer must be implemented within ninety (90) days.

9.5 Service Availability Guarantee

Internet service must remain available for 99.999% of uptime.

Response and communication time for outages is one hour or less to the District.

Mean Time to Restore (MTTR) intervals 2-4 hours.

Service credit applied to School Board billing for any outage greater than 4 hours.

Complete and Submit with RFP Proposal the Service Interruption Length Credit. Proposers

Required to Provide Standard SLA Credit:

Service Interruption Length Credit – Monthly Recurring Charge (MRC)

4 hours to < 8 hours ______ % of MRC

8 hours to < 16 hours ______ % of MRC

16 hours to < 24 hours ______ % of MRC

24 hours ______ % of MRC

9.6 Maintenance:

Any scheduled maintenance at the Proposer’s demarcation point to which the School Board circuit is connected must be scheduled per the School Board’s or Proposer’s request and mutually agreed upon by both Parties. School Board must receive at least 48 hours in advance of the scheduled service maintenance.

When emergency maintenance is performed to promptly respond to and resolve emergency issues associated with the services, School Board will be contacted by the proposer during the emergency maintenance occurrence.

9.7 Add-on Services:

Please list any additional services that are available.

10 An Equal Opportunity School District Rev. 47 – 9/25/25

9.8 Cost Summary – Please complete the Cost Summary charts for District Internet Services, as it is essential for the RFP response. Incomplete or missing information will lead to disqualification from the evaluation process.

*The Total field refers to the total cost of years one through five.

Costs

Total

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Internet to Data Center $ $ $ $ $ $

Hardware $ $ $ $ $ $

Installation $ $ $ $ $ $

Maintenance $ $ $ $ $ $

Project Management $ $ $ $ $ $

Miscellaneous $ $ $ $ $ $

Other (specify) $ $ $ $ $ $

Total: $ $ $ $ $ $

**The Optional Renewal Total field refers to the total cost of years six through ten.

Costs

Optional Renewal:

Total

Optional Renewal:

Year 6

Optional Renewal:

Year 7

Optional Renewal:

Year 8

Optional Renewal:

Year 9

Optional Renewal:

Year 10

Internet to Data Center $ $ $ $ $ $

Hardware $ $ $ $ $ $

Installation $ $ $ $ $ $

Maintenance $ $ $ $ $ $

Project Management $ $ $ $ $ $

Miscellaneous $ $ $ $ $ $

Other (specify) $ $ $ $ $ $

Total: $ $ $ $ $ $

Indicate speed upgrade costs and other charges below.

Speed Monthly Cost Yearly Cost Other Costs

50 Gbps $ $ $

60 Gbps $ $ $

70 Gbps $ $ $

80 Gbps $ $ $

90 Gbps $ $ $

100 Gbps $ $ $

11 An Equal Opportunity School District Rev. 47 – 9/25/25

9.9 UNIVERSAL SERVICE (E-RATE) REQUIREMENTS:

To warrant consideration for an award of contract resulting from this Request for Proposals, vendors must agree to participate in the Universal Service Support Mechanism for Schools and Libraries (commonly known as the “E-rate” program) as provided for and authorized under the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996 (47 U.S.C. § 254 “Universal Service”). Vendors acknowledge that any contractual relationship resulting from this solicitation of proposals may be partially or entirely dependent upon the successful receipt of Universal Service Fund (“E-rate”) subsidies. To ensure compliance with all applicable E-rate regulations, program mandates and auditing requirements, vendors must comply with the following:

• E-rate Knowledge Vendor shall have, at a minimum, a working knowledge of how the E-rate Program works and what it requires the Vendor to do.

• E-rate Registration Vendor shall submit with its proposal a valid Service Provider Identification Number (“SPIN”) and a valid Federal Communications Commission Registration Number (“FCCRN”).

• E-rate Participation Vendor agrees to participate in the E-rate Program and to cooperate fully and in all respects with the District, the Universal Service Administrative Company (“USAC”), the Federal Communications Commission, and any other agency or organization with a role, now or in the future, in administering the E-rate Program. Vendor’s cooperation is necessary to ensure that the District receives all of the E-rate funding for which it has applied and to which it is entitled in connection with Vendor’s services and/or products.

• Recourse Against Vendor for Failure to Cooperate Vendor agrees that if the District is unable to receive funding for which it applied or is otherwise entitled to receive due to the Vendor not cooperating and/or providing requested documentation, Vendor will be liable to the District for the amount that the District was unable to collect from USAC due to Vendor’s failure to cooperate and/or provide requested documentation.

• Lowest Corresponding Price The Lowest Corresponding Price Rule (“LCP Rule”), 47 CFR § 54.511 (b), prohibits Vendor from ever charging the District more for E-rate eligible goods or services than it charges similarly situated non-residential customers for similar goods or services, unless it can prove that the lowest corresponding price (“LCP”) is not “compensatory.”

• The District is not obligated to ask for the LCP; it must receive it.

• Upon request, Vendor agrees to provide to the District, in electronic form, all of the information necessary to determine what the LCP is or, at a particular time, was.

• If, at the time of delivery, the LCP is lower than the agreed-upon price, Vendor must charge the LCP. If it is determined that the Vendor did not charge the LCP, Vendor agrees to correct the billing and return any monies to the District that were paid due to the Vendor’s violation of the LCP Rule.

• Promotional rates that Vendor offers for a period of more than 90 days must be included among the comparable rates upon which the LCP is determined.

• There is a rebuttable presumption that rates offered within the previous three years are still compensatory.

• Vendor may not avoid the LCP Rule by arguing that none of its non-residential customers are identically situated to the District or that none of its contracts cover goods or services identical to those sought by the District.

• The FCC will permit Vendor to charge the District more than the LCP only when it can prove to the agency that the LCP is not “compensatory” – i.e., that it will face demonstrably and significantly higher costs to provide its goods and/or services to the District than it would to provide similar goods and/or services to similarly situated non-residential customers. Some factors that could affect the cost of service are volume, mileage from facility, and length of contract.

• E-rate Documentation Vendor shall provide to District staff and/or the District’s E-rate consultant, as directed and within a commercially reasonable period of time, all of the information and documentation that the Vendor has or

12 An Equal Opportunity School District Rev. 47 – 9/25/25 that Vendor reasonably can acquire that the District may need to prepare its E-rate applications and/or to document transactions eligible for E- rate support.

• Invoicing Procedures Vendor shall itemize, price, and invoice separately any materials or services that are ineligible for E-rate funding. Vendor should include relevant information on all invoices to the District for E-rate eligible equipment and/or services:

• Date of invoice

• Date(s) of service

• Funding Request Number (“FRN”)

• Vendor’s signature on invoice attesting to the accuracy and completeness of all charges

• Detailed description of services performed and materials supplied that matches District’s contract specifications, Form 470 and Form 471 descriptions of same

• Clear, concise breakdown of amount(s) to be billed to USAC (discounted portion of eligible charges) and amount(s) to be billed to the District (non-discounted amount of eligible charges)

• Invoice on Vendor’s letterhead or on a Vendor-generated form

• District’s Billed Entity Number

• District’s Federal Communications Commission Registration Number

• Proper E-rate discount percentage as set forth by the applicable FRN and USAC funding commitment decision letter (“FCDL”)

• E-rate Discounted Invoicing and Reimbursement Processes Vendor shall, at the District’s request, either (a) invoice the District only for the non-discounted amounts due on E- rate-approved transactions and simultaneously invoice USAC for the balance [Discounted Invoice Process] or (b) invoice the District in full for eligible products and services [Reimbursement or “BEAR” Process].

Discounted Invoice Process

• Invoicing Within fourteen (14) days from the date that Vendor delivers to the District E-rate approved materials or services, when delivery of such services triggers a payment obligation under Vendor’s contract with the District, Vendor must invoice the District for its share of the pre- discount cost of those materials or services.

• Timely Filing Vendor shall be solely responsible for timely filing invoices with USAC. Accordingly, Vendor understands and agrees that District will NOT be liable to Vendor and Vendor shall have no recourse against the District for any discounted amount that Vendor submits late to USAC for payment, if USAC refuses to pay the invoice due to late filing.

• Invoice Rejection Vendor understands and agrees that District shall not be liable to Vendor and Vendor shall have no recourse against the District for any discounted amount that Vendor submits to USAC for payment if Vendor is at fault for USAC’s refusal to pay; if the District is at fault, the District shall not be liable to Vendor and Vendor shall have no recourse against the District for the amount at issue until the District has exhausted its administrative remedies.

• District Approval Before Vendor may submit an invoice to USAC for a service it provided or, in appropriate circumstances, will be providing to the District, Vendor must first submit a copy of that invoice to the District for its review and approval. The District shall not unreasonably delay or withhold approval of Vendor’s USAC invoices.

As Vendor is solely responsible for timely filing invoices with USAC, it understands that it must submit invoices to the District sufficiently in advance of any USAC filing deadline to ensure that there will be adequate time remaining for it to meet the USAC filing deadline after the District has had a reasonable opportunity to review and approve them.

Reimbursement Process

• Service Provider Annual Certification Form Requirement Vendor will, In accordance with E-rate Program rules, file a FCC Form 473 annually with USAC. Vendor understands that unless and until it files this form for a particular funding year, USAC will not process any

13 An Equal Opportunity School District Rev. 47 – 9/25/25

FCC Form 472 (“BEAR”) request from the District to reimburse it for the payments it has made already to Vendor for the non-discounted portions of its invoices for that year.

• Recourse Against Vendor for Failure to File its Annual Certification Form Vendor agrees that if the District cannot collect a reimbursement payment from USAC because of Vendor’s failure to file a Form 473, Vendor will be liable to the District for the amount that the District was unable to collect from USAC due to Vendor’s failure to file that form.

Delayed E-rate Funding Commitment Vendor understands that, due to circumstances beyond the District’s control, the District may not receive an E-rate funding commitment by the beginning of the E-rate funding year, July 1, for the services it intends to purchase from Vendor during that funding year.

E-rate Audit and Document Retention Requirement Vendor shall retain secure, easily retrievable electronic copies of all bids, quotes, records, correspondence, receipts, vouchers, delivery information, memoranda and other data relating to Vendor’s services to the District. All such records shall be retained for ten (10) years following completion of services and shall be subject to inspection and audit by the District. In all subcontractor agreements for services, Vendor shall include a provision requiring the subcontractor to retain the same electronic records and allowing the District the same right to inspect and audit them as set forth herein.

In addition to the foregoing, Vendor will create, implement and enforce an internal E-rate audit process that ensures that Vendor complies with all E-rate program rules and regulations. This process must include the following:

• Separating ineligible project management and other professional services costs, if any, from other charges

• Where labor is involved, maintaining detailed, signed individual timesheets

• Ensuring that ineligible charges are not submitted to USAC

• Invoicing to USAC that is consistent with the contract and the applicable Forms 470 and 471

• Ensuring that services or products are not provided to the District without District’s express written permission or official purchase authorization

• Ensuring that District-approved substitute services or products are prominently noted on invoices submitted to USAC and the District

• Ensuring, where applicable, that non-recurring services are provided prior to September 30th and recurring services provided prior to June 30th of the relevant E-rate funding year

• Creating and retaining supporting documentation sufficient to evidence that what was approved per the FCDL and provided to the District was actually provided to the District and when

• If E-rate eligible services and/or installation or equipment costs are included as part of a larger contract or service/equipment billing, support for the allocation of E-rate eligible amounts and reconciliation of that total to the total amount billed

• If E-rate eligible services or equipment are allocated to multiple sites, support for the allocation consistent with the amount and locations identified in the Form 471

• Documenting that E-rate funded services were provided within the allowable contract period and program year

• Charging proper FRN(s)

• Ensuring that invoices and USAC forms are submitted to the District in a timely manner

• Ensuring that USAC forms are filled out completely, accurately, and on time

• Maintaining a fixed asset list of E-rate-supported equipment provided to the District with detailed information for each item (model number, serial number, product description) and made available to the District in electronic format

• Contract Term Modification The District reserves the right to extend or abbreviate the term of the contract for as long or short a period of time as it deems necessary, if the receipt of E-rate funding for the products and/or services the contract covers depends on it. For example: (1) a contract term modification might be necessary to make the

14 An Equal Opportunity School District Rev. 47 – 9/25/25

Contract term coincide with an E-rate “program year;” or (2) a contract extension might be necessary if the District receives a “service delivery deadline extension.”

10.0 EVALUATION COMMITTEE MEETINGS

10.1 As stated in Section 3.1 and Section 12.5, a committee will convene to review and evaluate responsive proposals, for the purposes of making a decision as to an intended award. Per §119, Fla. Stat. (2025) this is an open public meeting. Notification will also be posted for review by interested parties at the District’s Purchasing Department, 2091 NE 35th Street, Ocala, Florida 34479, and website.

11.0 PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION

11.1 In order to maintain comparability and enhance the review process, it is requested that proposals be organized in the manner specified below. Include all information in your proposal. It is required that four

(4) individually bound copies of the proposal (marked as copy) be submitted with one (1) individually bound original proposal (marked as original). Please provide one (1) exact electronic copy of the proposal in PDF format on a thumb drive as well.

11.2 Title Page: Required response form (page 1 and 2 of the RFP) with all the required information completed and all signatures as specified; Name of the Proposer, Address, Signature, Title, Contact Person, Contact Person’s Address, Telephone and Fax number, email address and Taxpayer ID Number.

11.3 Table of Contents: Include a clear identification of the material by section and by page number.

11.4 Letter of Transmittal: Give the names of the persons who will be authorized to give and support information, both in writing and oral presentation, for your company. Provide their titles, addresses and telephone numbers.

11.5 Prepared Response: Prepare your response submission in the manner outlined in the Scope of Services.

11.6 Reference Form: The District requests that Proposer provide a minimum of three (3) references.

References should be current or former customers (within the past three years) that have utilized proposer for same/similar services. Proposer should list out the following details for each included reference: dates of service, contract term length, ETC., and provide Attachment E – Reference Form (located on page 36) to their listed references and request that it be completed and returned back in a timely manner so that it can be included in your submitted response to this RFP.

11.7 EEO Statement: The Marion County School District does not discriminate on the basis of race (including anti-Semitism), ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability (including HIV, AIDS, or sickle cell trait), pregnancy, religion, marital status, age (except as authorized by law), military status, ancestry, or genetic information, which are classes protected by State and/or Federal law (collectively, "protected classes") in its educational programs, services or activities, or in its hiring or employment practices as required by Title IX, Title VI, Title VII, Age Discrimination Act of 1967, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Florida Educational Equity Act of 1984. Provide statement of EEO Compliance.

11.8 Insurance: Provide proof of your company's insurance as required in this RFP or submit a letter of your intention to have the required insurance within ten (10) days of notification by the District.

12.0 PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS:

12.1 The Evaluation and Selection Panel is comprised of persons representing the Technology and

15 An Equal Opportunity School District Rev. 47 – 9/25/25

Information Services Division.

12.2 All proposals received by the submission deadline will be reviewed by the Purchasing Specialist or designee for responsiveness and distribute the responsive proposals to the Evaluation and Selection Panel members. The panel members will independently score and rank each proposal in accordance with the evaluation criteria listed in the Evaluation Criteria section below. The panel members will submit their individual scores and rankings of the proposals to the Purchasing Representative for compilation of the overall ranking of the proposals. The panel along with the contract administrator will convene at the published date and time to see the overall rankings and to discuss the proposals and any differences they may have. It is possible for the rankings to change during this meeting based on a better understanding of the facts presented in the proposals. A final consensus ranking will be made during this meeting.

12.3 The District reserves the right to invite the Proposers in for oral presentations. Prior to the presentations, the District will provide each Proposer with a standard set of questions to be addressed in their oral presentation. Only members of the proposed project team may make the oral presentations.

12.4 RFPs are received and publicly opened. Only names of Proposers are read at this time.

12.5 An Evaluation Committee, consisting of District personnel, will convene, review and discuss all proposals submitted. Purchasing personnel will participate in an advisory capacity only.

12.6 The Evaluation Committee will assign ratings in the evaluation and recommendation process in accordance with the evaluation criteria listed in Evaluation Criteria, Section 13.0.

12.7 The Evaluation Committee reserves the right to interview any or all Proposers and to require a formal presentation with the key people who will administer and be assigned to work on the contract before recommendation of award. This interview is to be based upon the written proposal received.

12.8 The Evaluation Committee reserves the right to negotiate further terms and conditions, including price with the highest ranked Proposer. If the Evaluation Committee cannot reach a mutually beneficial agreement with the first selected Proposer, the Committee reserves the right to enter into negotiations with the next highest ranked Proposer and continue this process until agreement is reached.

12.9 The Purchasing Department will prepare and submit an agenda item to the Superintendent of the District.

12.10 The Superintendent will recommend to the School Board, the award or rejection of any and/or all proposal(s).

12.11 The School Board will award or reject any or all proposal(s).

[THIS SPACE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]

16 An Equal Opportunity School District Rev. 47 – 9/25/25

13.0 EVALUATION CRITERIA

The Evaluation Committee will rank all proposals received which meet the submittal requirements. The following factors will be considered in ranking the proposals received:

RANKING VALUES

A. Price of eligible E-rate services, including installation/maintenance 30 of Proposer’s equipment and monthly services.

B. Service Level Agreement 10

C. Managed Services, Network Management and Performance Testing 10

D. Repair Response Times 15

E. Demonstrable Understanding of the Scope of Services, Specifications, Etc. 20

F. Customer Service and Billing Services 15

POINTS POSSIBLE 100

*Interviews if needed, will carry an additional point value of 10 points which will be added to the initial scoring.

14.0 CANCELLATION OF AWARD/TERMINATION/FUNDING OUT

14.1 In the event any of the provisions of this proposal are violated by the Proposer(s), the Superintendent or designee will give written notice to the Proposer(s) stating the deficiencies and unless the deficiencies are corrected within ten (10) days, recommendation will be made to the District for immediate cancellation.

Upon cancellation hereunder, the District may pursue any and all legal remedies as provided herein and by law.

14.2 School Board will terminate this Agreement if the vendor is placed on the State of Florida Forced Labor Vendor list.

14.3 The District, reserves the right to terminate any contract resulting from this RFP, at any time and for any reason, upon giving thirty (30) days prior written notice to the other party. If said contract should be terminated for convenience as provided herein, the District will be relieved of all obligations under said contract. The District will only be required to pay to the Proposer(s) that amount of the contract actually performed to the date of termination.

14.4 The awarded Proposer(s) of this RFP will have the option to terminate the contract upon written notice to the Purchasing Specialist. Such notice must be received at least ninety (90) days prior to the effective date of termination.

14.5 Cancellation of contract by awarded Proposer may result in removal from the District’s Bidders/Proposers list for a period of three (3) years.

14.6 Section 1011.14, Fla. Stat. (2025) prohibits School Board from creating obligations on anticipation of budgeted revenues from one fiscal year to another without year to year extension provisions in the agreements.

14.7 It is necessary that fiscal funding out provisions be included in all proposals in which the terms are for periods longer than one (1) year.

17 An Equal Opportunity School District Rev. 47 – 9/25/25

Such prior written notice will state:

A. That the lack of appropriated funds is the reason for termination, and B. Agreement not to replace the services being terminated with services similar to those covered in this proposal from another vendor in the succeeding funding period.

“This written notification will thereafter release the District of all further obligations in anyway related to the services covered herein”.

14.8 The Funding Out statement must be included as part of any agreement. No agreement will be considered that does not include this provision for “funding out”.

15.0 DEFAULT

15.1 In the event that the awarded Proposer(s) should breach this contract the District reserves the right to seek remedies in law and/or in equity.

16.0…