RFP for Cisco Equipment and Cisco Smartnet Support Services.docx

Contra Costa County

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

For Cisco SmartNet Equipment Maintenance And Support Services

Solicitation #: RFP_F-Contr-0000000067

Release Date: May 01, 2025 Proposal Due Date: May 23, 2025, No later than 3:00 P.M. PDT

Contact: Des Gebre, Sr. Buyer

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY

PURCHASING SERVICES

40 MUIR ROAD, 2ND FLOOR

MARTINEZ, CALIFORNIA 94553

General Information:

The Department of Information Technology (County) is requesting proposals from qualified retailers, wholesalers or VARS to provide Cisco SmartNet equipment maintenance and support services.

Proposal Submission:

Proposal Submission:

Proposals will not be accepted after the date and time stated above. Incomplete proposal or proposals that do not conform to the requirements specified herein will not be considered. Issuance of the RFP does not obligate the County to award a contract, nor is the County liable for any costs incurred by the proposer in the preparation and submittal of proposals for the subject work. The County retains the right to award all or parts of this contract to several bidders, to not select any bidders, and/or to re-solicit proposals. The act of submitting a proposal is a declaration that the proposer has read the RFP and understands all the requirements and conditions.

Questions:

All questions regarding the RFQ will be accepted through the Bidnetdirect.com site only. The deadline for submitting questions for this RFQ is on or before May 16, 2025, no later than 3:00 PM PDT. All questions will be answered and disseminated to those registered on the Bidnetdirect.com website. Contact customer service if you need technical assistance with any part of the bid process; call 800-835-4603, Option 2.

Pre-Bid Conference:

There is no pre-bid conference for this RFP.

Table of Contents

Page

· Exhibit C – Customer References

· Exhibit D – Anti-Collusion Statement

Section I: Introduction

A. Purpose

The County is hereby requesting proposals from qualified retailers, wholesalers or VARS to provide Cisco SmartNet equipment maintenance and support services as further described in detail under Section IV, Scope of Work (SOW).

B. Background Contra Costa County is situated within the Northern East Bay Area of California. Most of the county’s population is located along the urban corridors of state highways 4 and 24 and interstates 80 and 680. Contra Costa County is comprised of 716 square miles of land and 88 square miles of waterway with its population exceeding 1,000,000 residents. Contra Costa County also owns, operates, and maintains bridges, dams, 660 miles of road and 150 miles of streams, channels and other drainage facilities as well as maintains 93 County buildings. For more information on the County of Contra Costa, visit our website at: http://www.contracosta.ca.gov/.

C. Period of Agreement The initial term of any agreement awarded as a result of this RFP will be for three (3) years with two (2) one-year optional annual renewals upon the mutual agreement of the contractor and the County. Should the Contract expire, service shall continue on a month-to-month basis until a new Agreement has been executed or either party terminates upon thirty (30) days written advance notice.

D. Calendar of Events

RFP Release date

May 01, 2025

Last date to submit written questions

May 16, 2025, no later than 3:00 P.M. PDT

RFP due date

May: 23, 2025, no later than 3:00 P.M. PDT

E. Correspondence As of the issuance of this RFP, vendors are specifically directed not to contact County personnel for meetings, conferences or technical discussions related to this RFP. Questions to this RFP must be submitted via Bidnet Direct medium. Failure to adhere to this policy may result in disqualification of the vendor.

F. Addenda Knowledge All bidders shall acknowledge receipt of any amendments to this bid event by returning a signed hard copy with the bid. Failure to acknowledge receipt of any amendments may render the proposal to be non-responsive. Changes to this bid event shall be issued only by the County. See attachment B.

Section II: Requirements and Qualifications

The following are minimum qualifications that the vendor must meet for their proposal submittal to be eligible for evaluation.

The Evaluation Committee may choose to determine if a vendor meets minimum qualifications by reading that single document alone, so the submittal should be sufficiently detailed to clearly show how the minimum qualifications are met without looking at any other material. Minimum qualifications are scored on a pass/fail basis. Those that are not clearly responsive to these minimum qualifications may be rejected by the County without further consideration.

A. Proposer shall have at least five (5) years of experience in the business of offering Cisco equipment and SmartNet support services.

B. The proposer shall adhere to all current applicable federal, state, and local laws, codes and ordinances.

C. Bidder shall be an authorized reseller

D. The expected delivery date shall not be later than July 1, 2025

E. The proposer shall have enough staff to carry the project on needed time.

Section III: Instructions to Responders

All proposals shall include the following information, organized as separate section of the proposal. The proposal should be concise and to the point.

A. Format Respondents shall submit proposals which are concise and which specifically respond to the specifications posted in this RFP. Each proposal shall be submitted with a cover letter signed by an authorized person and the following documents:

a. Cover Letter – Signed by an authorized representative of the company

b. Proposal – within a maximum of 15 pages, no smaller than 12-point font, describe specific capabilities, experience, approaches and proposed methodologies that demonstrate a clear understanding of the nature of the work to be performed described in Section IV under Scope of work

c. Statement of Experience – See Exhibit A

d. Price Proposal – See Exhibit B

e. Customer References – See Exhibit C

f. Anti-Collusion Statement – See Exhibit D

g. Addenda Acknowledgement – See Attachment A

h. Federal, State, and local permits and licenses

i. Certificate of Insurance with Endorsement Letter

B. Proposal Submission

a. Response to this RFP MUST be submitted electronically through the Bidnet Direct web site – NO EXCEPTION

b. Late submittals WILL NOT be accepted – NO EXCEPTION

c. Fax submittals WILL NOT be accepted – NO EXCEPTION

C. Customer References Respondents shall provide a minimum of three (3) letters of references. Each letter must include the name of the firm, description of services provided, date(s) of services and contract amount for projects similar to the services requested in this RFP. See Exhibit C.

D. Licenses and Permits Respondents shall possess all licenses, registrations and permits required by the State of California and the County of Contra Costa. Such licenses and permits are to be submitted to the County with the proposal or prior to the contract signing date.

E. Proposal Expenses Respondents shall be fully responsible for all costs incurred in the development and submission of this RFP.

F. Proposer Responsibility The bidder assumes sole responsibility for the complete effort required in submitting a bid proposal in response to this RFP. No special consideration will be given after bid proposals are opened because of a proposer’s failure to be knowledgeable as to all of the requirements of this RFP.

G. Interpretation Should any discrepancies, omissions, or doubt as to their meaning be found in the RFP specifications or requirements, the Respondent shall notify the County in writing through the Bidnet Direct website. The County will send written instructions or addenda to all participants in the RFP process. The County shall not be responsible for oral interpretations.

H. Reservation The County reserves the right to do the following at any time and for its own convenience, at its sole discretion:

· To reject any and all proposals without indicating any reasons for such rejection

· Terminate this RFP and issue a new Request for Proposals anytime thereafter

· Extend any or all deadlines specified in the RFP, including deadlines for accepting proposals by issuing an Addendum at any time prior to the deadline for receipt of responses to the RFP

· Procure any services specified in the RFP by other means

· Disqualify any Respondent on the basis of any real or perceived conflict of interest or evidence of collusion that is disclosed by the proposal or other data available to the County. Such disqualification is at the sole discretion of the County

· Reject the proposal of any Respondent that is in breach of or in default under any other agreement with the County

· Reject any Respondent deemed by the County to be non-responsive, unreliable, unqualified or non-responsible

I. Truth and Accuracy of Representation False, misleading, incomplete, or deceptively unresponsive statements in connection with a proposal shall be sufficient cause for rejection of the proposal.

J. Sub-Contract and Assignment The Contract binds the heirs, successors, assigns and representatives of Contractor. Prior written consent of the County, subject to any required state or federal approval, is required before the Contractor may enter into subcontracts for any work contemplated under the Contract, or before the Contractor may assign the Contract or monies due or to become due, by operation of law or otherwise.

K. Addenda No one is authorized to amend any of these documents in any respect by an oral statement or to make any representation or interpretation in conflict with their provisions. Any changes to these documents will be issued in writing via Addenda to be posted on Bidnet Direct website.

L. Addenda Acknowledgement All addenda shall include an acknowledgement of receipt that must be returned. The addenda must be signed and attached to the final response. Failure to attach any addendum may result in the rejection of the response. See Attachment D.

M. Non-Collusion By submitting a signed proposal, Offeror certifies that there has been no collusion with any other Offeror. Reasonable grounds for believing Offeror has an interest in more than one proposal will result in rejection of all proposals in which the Offeror has an interest. Any party to collusion may not be considered in future proposals for the same or similar work. See Exhibit D attached.

Section IV: Scope of Work

Contra Costa County utilizes Cisco networking equipment and solutions across various departments, with Cisco technology serving as the backbone for the County's core networking infrastructure, telecommunications systems, and internet security framework. To maintain the reliability, performance, and security of this critical infrastructure, the County leverages Cisco SmartNet support services.

Contra Costa County’s Department of Information Technology (DoIT) is seeking a qualified vendor to provide Cisco SmartNet maintenance and support services as outlined in this RFP. The selected vendor will play a key role in supporting the County’s network infrastructure, which is essential to core operations such as networking and voice communications. These services are required for a three-year period, from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2028, with the ability to be invoiced annually.

Please see attachment-A, Cisco Equipment list and Cisco SmartNet Support Services required.

Section V: Evaluation and Selection Process

A. Selection Process All Proposals will be evaluated according to the following criteria and point value. Within the content of the information required by the RFP, Proposers are welcome to submit any and all supporting information which describes their ability to meet and exceed the criteria. An evaluation committee will conduct the evaluation of proposals. The Committee will discuss each proposal and establish consensus. Each member of the committee shall score the proposals independent of the other members, after which, scores will be combined/averaged. Once a contract award has been made, the County will notify all firms accordingly. Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

1. Company qualification and experience with similar projects

2. Project understanding, methodology, approach, and implementation plan

3. Technical competence and service capability

4. On time delivery

5. Cost

6. Client References

B. Best and Final Offer (BAFO) The County, at its sole discretion, may request Best and Final Offer (BAFO) from the finalists.

C. Unit Price vs. Extended Price Bidders are advised that in the evaluation of cost, if applicable, it will be assumed that the unit price quoted is correct in the case of a discrepancy between the unit price and an extension.

D. Award Agreement Upon completion of the review period, the County shall notify those Proposers who will be considered for further evaluation and negotiation. All Proposers so notified may be contacted for an interview and negotiate in good faith in accordance with direction from the County. Any delay caused by Proposer's failure to respond to direction from the County may lead to a rejection of the Proposal.

If the County determines after further evaluation and negotiation, to award the Agreement, a Professional Services Contract shall be sent to the successful Proposer for the Proposer's signature. No proposal shall be binding upon the County until after the Agreement is signed by duly authorized representatives of both Proposer and the County.

E. Proposals are Public Records California Government Code Section 6250, the Public Records Act, defines a public record as any writing containing information relating to the conduct of the public’s business prepared, owned, used or retained by any state or local agency regardless of physical form or characteristics. The Public Records Act provides that public records shall be disclosed upon request and that any resident has a right to inspect any public record unless the document is exempted from disclosure.

Unless otherwise compelled by a court order, the County will not disclose any proposal while the County conducts its deliberative process in accordance with the procedures identified in this RFP. However, after the County either awards an agreement to a successful Proposer, or rejects all proposals, the County shall consider each proposal subject to the public disclosure requirements of the California Public Records Act. Each Proposer is hereby informed that, upon submittal of its proposal to the County in accordance with this RFP, the proposal becomes the property of Contra Costa County.

F. Protest

1. Protest Policy Any bidder or proposer who is aggrieved in connection with the solicitation or award of a contract may protest to the Purchasing Agent or designee. The protest shall be submitted in writing to the Purchasing Agent or designee, within five (5) business days after such aggrieved person or company knows or should have known of the facts giving rise thereto. Failure to submit a timely protest shall bar consideration of a protest.

2. Grounds for Protest The protest shall state all grounds claimed for the protest and include supporting documentation. Failure to clearly state the grounds for the protest and provide supporting documentation shall be deemed a waiver of all protest rights.

3. Protest Procedures In the event a dispute arises concerning the proposal process prior to the award of the contract, the party wishing resolution of the dispute shall submit a request in writing to the attention of:

Cindy Shehorn, Purchasing Manager Contra Costa County Public Works Department 40 Muir Road, 2ND Floor Martinez CA, 94553

Section VI: Invoicing and Billing

A. Payment Terms Contractor shall submit a correct and complete invoice(s) to the County after the County accepted the deliverables. Payment terms are Net 30 days or best offer, after receipt of correct invoice. Bidders are requested to provide a detailed price quote for (3) years, summarizing annual costs for years 1 – 3, and confirm the capability to invoice the County annually.

All bidders MUST accept the payment terms of Contra Costa County.

B. Rates Proposer shall submit costs for total project. Please see Exhibit B.

C. Pricing Price shall be firm fixed for the duration of the contract.

D. Delivery Date:

The expected delivery date shall not be later than July 1, 2025.

E. Delivery Items shall be electronically deliverable.

Exhibit A: Statement of Experience

SECTION A____________________________________________________________________________ Business Name: __________________________________________ Phone #: _____________________ Address: _____________________________________________________________________________ City: __________________________________________________ State: ________ ZIP: _____________ Federal Tax ID #: ____________________________ Business License #: ___________________________ Business Status:

_____Non Profit Corporation _____Corporation State of Incorporation:_____________________ _____General Partnership _____Limited Partnership _____Sole Proprietorship Other: __________________________ Name and title of an Officer or owner authorized to sign this proposal and any contract with the County that may result.

Name: __________________________________________________ Title: ________________________

SECTION B____________________________________________________________________________ Number of years in business under present business name: ____________________________________ Other Business Name(s): ________________________________________________________________ Number of years under prior name if any: ___________________________________________________

SECTION C____________________________________________________________________________ Number of years of experience in providing required, equivalent, or related projects: _______________ SECTION D____________________________________________________________________________ Similar services/projects completed during the last five years?

Period Services $ Amount Paid Location Agency Name 1 - __________________________________________________________________________________ 2 - __________________________________________________________________________________ 3 - __________________________________________________________________________________ 4 - __________________________________________________________________________________ 5 - __________________________________________________________________________________

SECTION E____________________________________________________________________________ Have you, or your agency failed or refused to complete a contract? _____ YES ______ No If yes, explain: _________________________________________________________________________

SECTION F____________________________________________________________________________ Is your firm authorized to do business in the State of California? _____Yes ________No

SECTION G____________________________________________________________________________ Is your firm a State of California registered small business? ______Yes ______No

SECTION H____________________________________________________________________________ Is your firm local Business? ______Yes ______No

SECTION I_____________________________________________________________________________ Explain any litigation similar to the services requested by this proposal involving you, or your agency, or any principal officer(s) thereof:

SECTION J___________________________________________________________________________ Has your company filed any written declaration for bankruptcy protection, a potential merger or acquisition, office closure, pending lawsuits, financial loss that might affect your ability to perform under the contract? _________ Yes _________ No (if yes, please explain): _____________________

SECTION K____________________________________________________________________________ License Provisions Has your company changed names or license numbers in the past 10 years? If so, please state reason for change. Yes_____ No_____

Reason ________________________________

SECTION L____________________________________________________________________________ List the names and titles of the key personnel who would be assigned to the Project.

SECTION M____________________________________________________________________________ List all required business and professional licenses that pertain to this Project:

License Number Type Expiration Date

SECTION N____________________________________________________________________________ Do you and your agency agree to provide additional information as required by the County to make an informed determination of qualifications? ______ Yes _____ No By signing this Statement of Experience, you are certifying that all information provided on this form and contained within your proposal are true, and you acknowledge that if the proposal contains any false statements, the County may declare any contract or agreement made as a result of the proposal to be void.

Signature: ________________________________________________ Date: ______________________ Authorized Name: ____________________________________Title: _____________________________

Exhibit B: Proposal Price

Please see Exhibit B-1

I have read, understood, and agreed to the terms and conditions of all contents of this RFP. The undersigned agrees to furnish the service stipulated in the RFP as stated.

Exhibit C: Customer References

Government Agency:

Contact Person:

Address:

Tel. Number:

City, State, Zip:

Email Address:

Services Provided / Date(s) of Service:

Government Agency:

Contact Person:

Address:

Tel. Number:

City, State, Zip:

Email Address:

Services Provided / Date(s) of Service:

Government Agency:

Contact Person:

Address:

Tel. Number:

City, State, Zip:

Email Address:

Services Provided / Date(s) of Service:

Firm Name: _____________________________________________________________

Authorized Name: _______________________________ Title: ___________________

Authorized Signature: ____________________________ Date: __________________

Exhibit D: Anti-Collusion Statement

By signing this form, the Bidder agrees that this quote is made without any other understanding, agreement, or connection with any person, corporation, or firm submitting a quote for the same purpose and that the quote is in all respects fair and without collusion or fraud, IT IS AGREED BY THE UNDERSIGNED BIDDER, THAT THE SIGNING AND DELIVERY OF THE QUOTE REPRESENTS THE BIDDER'S ACCEPTANCE OF THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE FORGOING SPECIFICATIONS AND PROVISIONS, AND IF AWARDED, THIS CONTRACT WILL REPRESENT THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE BIDDER AND THE COUNTY.

NAME OF FIRM: ______________________________________________________________

[Sign in ink in the space provided below]

SIGNED BY: _________________________________________________________________

TITLE: ______________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS: __________________________________________________________________

CITY & STATE: _______________________________________________________________

TELEPHONE: _________________________________________________________________

Exhibit E: CCC Business Opportunities Registration

Place Holder

See Attached

Attachment A: List of Cisco SmartNet Maintenance Equipment and Support Services

Attachment B: Addenda Acknowledgement

TO BE RETURNED WITH REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

RFP No.: _______________ Title: ________________________________________________

ADDENDUM ACKNOWLEDGEMENT (Please initial for addendums received)

Company Name: _____________________________________________________________

Contact Name: _______________________________________________________________

Email Address: ____________________________________________ Phone No.: _________

Address:____________________________________________________________________

Authorized Signature: _________________________________________________________

Date: _______________________________________________________________________

Attachment C: CCC General Conditions

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