RFP - Offsite AU data center rack space_ REV 2.pdf

Auburn University Request for Proposal

Offsite Data Center Rack Space

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section I: Request for Proposal

Section II: Instructions to Proposers

Section III: Form of Proposal

Section IV: Evaluation Criteria

Section V: Calendar of Events

Section I. Request for Proposal

A. Intent and Scope for Auburn University Offsite Data Center Rack Space

The objective of this RFP is to identify a service provider(s) capable of providing datacenter colocation rack space. Auburn University (AU) is seeking to enter into an agreement with a commercial data center for computer rack space to house the university’s enterprise business computing, storage hosting, and high-performance research computing servers and appliances. The objective is to identify the capabilities and level of service that will meet the current anticipated demand and have the flexibility to expand as required to meet the evolving demand.

• Background

Auburn University’s enterprise business computing, storage, and high-performance computing (HPC) systems are currently housed in university-owned and operated data center facilities. While the university data centers are adequate for enterprise IT, the power and cooling capacity of the university data centers are not sufficient to support HPC growth and the intense power and cooling that is needed. With this RFP, the university is seeking proposals from commercial data center service providers to provide rack space that will house the university’s HPC servers and appliances as well as enterprise IT systems.

• Requirements

1. Minimum of 5 contiguous and dedicated computer cabinets configured as follows:

a. 19” internal mounting racks

b. 42U in height and 40” in depth

c. Redundant PDUs per cabinet

d. Lockable cabinets

2. Uninterruptable power and cooling adequate to support a redundant 30kW power load for each computer cabinet.

3. Dissipate heat generated by computer systems installed in cabinets such that internal ambient temperature of each cabinet does not exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Neither the university’s enterprise IT workloads nor its HPC workloads can be reduced to manage the heat load.

a. RFP response must include an explanation of power and cooling solutions the data center service provider proposes to deploy for the data cabinets to manage the power and heat load.

4. RFP response must include an explanation of minimum monthly charges to hold reservations for unpopulated racks as well as charges based on power consumption as we bring hardware online.

5. 24x7x365 secure access to facility by designated AU employees or representatives.

6. Remote hands support by qualified personnel to assist AU with scheduled and unscheduled maintenance and troubleshooting. Qualifications of remote hands support should be included in the service provider’s response.

7. The colocation data center shall be a hardened Tier IV level facility (uptime of 99.995%) with redundant power and cooling, fire protection, and monitored/controlled physical access and security.

8. Network connectivity available from multiple nationally recognized commercial fiber optic network service providers capable of delivering a minimum of 10, 40, and 100 Gbps service.

a. Bidder’s response should identify network service providers available at the data center.

9. Service Level Agreement (SLA) for proposed Data Center colocation services to include guaranteed uptime for power and cooling, response time for outages, outage credits, etc.

10. Preferred data center location in Southeast U.S.

• Term of Contract o This contract will be awarded for an initial term of three (3) years with the option to renew for two (2) additional one (1) year terms.

The University will entertain a longer initial term if the price is lower.

o Service to be billed monthly.

B. Proposal Overview and Definitions

• Proposals will be received until 10:30 AM CDT on the specified date.

• Throughout the remainder of this Request for Proposal, all entities involved will be referred to as follows:

o Auburn University will be referred to as “University” or “AU”.

o Commodity/Service Provider will be referred to as “Contractor” or “Supplier”.

o This document will be referred to as “RFP”.

Section II. Instructions to Proposers

A. Proposal Response

• Proposals should be submitted to the Procurement & Business Services Sourcing Event Portal on or before the time and date set for closing.

• Pursuant to the provisions of the State of Alabama Competitive Bid Law rules and regulations adopted there under, sealed bids will be received on the items noted herein by Procurement and Business Services of Auburn University, until the date and time stated.

• All bids are to be "F.O.B. Destination - Freight Prepaid and Allowed."

• Alabama law (Section 41-4-116, code of Alabama 1975) provides that every bid submitted and contract executed shall contain a certification that the vendor, contractor, and all of its affiliates that make sales for delivery into Alabama or leases for use in Alabama are registered, collecting, and remitting Alabama state and local sales, use, and/or lease tax on all taxable sales and leases into Alabama. BY SUBMITTING THIS

BID, THE BIDDER IS HEREBY CERTIFYING THAT THEY ARE IN FULL

COMPLIANCE WITH ACT NO. 2006-557, they are not barred from bidding or entering into a contract pursuant to 41-4-116, and acknowledges that the awarding authority may declare the contract void if the certification is false.

Bidder certifies that neither it, nor any of its employees who will provide or perform services under this contract have been debarred, suspended or declared ineligible as defined in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR 48 C.F.R. Ch. 1 Subpart 9.4). Bidder will immediately notify the University if the Bidder or any of its employees who will provide or perform services under this contract is placed on the Consolidated List of Debarred, Suspended, and Ineligible Bidders.

• AU reserves the right to award in whole or in part, by line item, or make multiple awards, where such action serves Auburn University’s best interest.

• Suppliers may withdraw proposals at any time prior to the time and date set for opening.

• The University reserves the sole and exclusive right to reject or accept any or all proposals and to waive any informality in proposal. The best interest of the University and their subsequent facilities shall be considered as the number one determining factor in selecting or not selecting a Proposer.

• No department, school, or office at the University has the authority to solicit official proposals other than Procurement and Business Services. All solicitations are performed under the direct supervision of the Director of Procurement and Business Services and in complete accordance with the University policies and procedures.

• The University reserves the right to conduct discussions with proposers, and to accept revisions of proposals, and to negotiate price changes. The University will make reasonable efforts to protect proprietary information but all records are subject to State of Alabama open records laws.

• Suppliers submitting proposals which meet the selection criteria and which are deemed to be the most advantageous to the University may be requested to give an oral presentation to a selection committee. Procurement and Business Services will schedule the presentations.

• The University is committed to the development of Small Business and Small Disadvantaged business (SB & SDB) suppliers. If subcontracting is necessary, the contractor will make every effort to use SB & SDB in the performance of this contract.

Reporting will be required throughout the duration of the contract indicating the extent of SB & SDB participation.

• The Suppliers shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the University, its officers, agents, and employees from any claims, damages, and actions of any kind or nature arising from or caused by the use of any materials, goods, equipment, or services furnished by the Supplier, provided that such liability does not attribute to the sole negligence of the University.

• The successful supplier will have to attest to the following: By signing this contract, the contracting parties affirm, for the duration of the agreement, that they will not violate federal immigration law or knowingly employ, hire for employment, or continue to employ an unauthorized alien within the state of Alabama, Furthermore, a contracting party found to be in violation of this provision shall be deemed in breach of the agreement and shall be responsible for all damages resulting therefrom.”

• Read and comply with all instructions, specifications, General Terms and Conditions, and Bid Conditions.

B. Insurance

• All insurance guidelines can be found on the Auburn University Risk Management & Safety website. https://cws.auburn.edu/rms/pm/minimuminsurance

• By submitting responses, each respondent certifies that it understands this RFP and has full knowledge of the scope, nature, quality of the work to be performed, the detailed requirements of the services to be provided, and the conditions under which the services are to be performed. Each respondent also certifies that it understands that all costs https://cws.auburn.edu/rms/pm/minimuminsurance relating to preparing and responding to this RFP will be solely the responsibility of the respondent.

• Respondents are cautioned to read the information contained in this RFP and on Auburn University’s Risk Management & Safety website carefully and to submit a complete response to all requirements and questions as directed.

• The Contractor shall, at its own expense, procure and maintain, without interruption during the entire term of this contract, insurance of the kinds and limits listed hereunder.

Insurance Services Office, Inc. (ISO), or industry equivalent, Certificates of Insurance and Additional Insured Endorsements issued by the contractor’s insurance carrier shall be furnished to Auburn University before beginning work and shall name Auburn University, its Board of Trustees, Trustees Individually, Employees, and Agents as Additional Insureds for ongoing and completed operations on the General Liability, Automobile Liability and Umbrella Liability policies. The insurance coverages required under this contract are minimum insurance limits required and are not intended to limit the responsibility or liability of the Contractor. If any subcontractor is used to fulfill this contract, they or the Contractor on their behalf, shall carry the same coverages and limits of insurance outlined herein. It shall be the Contractors responsibility to ensure compliance of this requirement.

• Contractor must provide proof of insurance through the issuance of a certificate of insurance and showing coverage and limits as specified below. Contractor must also provide an endorsement or confirmation in writing that the university has been added as an additional insured by endorsement for ongoing and completed operations. Certificates and endorsements must be filed with the university department who initiated the contract as well as Risk Management & Safety (send to aurmi@auburn.edu) before the Contractor is permitted to begin work. Contractor shall maintain limits and coverages as follows:

• General Liability o Limits: Throughout the term of this Agreement, Contractor will maintain in force

Comprehensive General Liability including Product Liability insurance, with minimum limits of 1 million dollars per occurrence, 2 million dollars in the aggregate. Coverage must be written on an occurrence form. All insurers must be licensed to do business in the State of Alabama, and possess a minimum A.M.

Best Rating of A-, size VII. If the Contractor carries higher limits (including Excess Liability Coverage), such limits must be shown on the certificate.

o Additional Insured Status: Contractor is required to add the Institution to its General Liability insurance policies by endorsement with the following wording:

Auburn University, its Board of Trustees, Trustees individually, Administrators, Faculty, Staff and Agents, are hereby added to this policy as additional insured for ongoing and completed operations.

o Primary Coverage: Auburn University requires that all policies of insurance for general liability related to this project/activity/agreement be on a primary basis, as respects any other insurance coverages and/or self-insurance carried by the university. Any insurance and/or self-insurance maintained by Auburn University shall be excess and non-contributory. The primary coverage must be noted on the certificate of insurance or the endorsement.

o Other Conditions: A waiver of subrogation shall be granted in favor of Auburn University and its Board of Trustees, Trustees individually, administrators, faculty, staff, and agents. Furthermore, the Contractor’s insurance policies must be underwritten by a carrier rated at least A- in A.M Best Key Rating Guide, and provide that coverage shall not be suspended, voided or canceled, except with 30 days prior written notice to the University, except when cancellation is for non-payment of premium; then ten 10 days prior written notice may be given. For any insurers who refuse to provide the required notice, the Contractor or its insurance broker shall agree to notify the University of any cancellation, suspension or non-renewal within 7 days of receipt of insurer’s notification to that effect.

o These insurance requirements shall not be construed as limiting in any way the extent to which Contractor may be held responsible for the payment of damages to any persons resulting from its operations or the activities of any person or persons for whom it is liable.

• Errors and Omissions (E&O), Technology E&O / Technology Products E&O, and Cyber Liability o The following insurance is required for contracts for information technology (IT) products and services, such as system integration, programming, and data management:

Errors and Omissions (E&O), Technology E&O / Technology Products E&O with a minimum limit of 3 million dollars

Cyber Liability with a minimum limit of 3 million dollars; including Liability for network security failures or privacy breaches, including loss or unauthorized access, use or disclosure of University Data, whether by Contractor or any of subcontractor or cloud service provider used by Contractor;

Costs associated with a privacy breach, including notification of affected individuals, customer support, forensics, crises management / public relations consulting, legal services of a privacy attorney, credit monitoring and identity fraud resolution services for affected individuals (any sublimits for claims associated with this item shall be no less than 50% of the main policy limit);

Expenses related to regulatory compliance, government investigations, fines, fees assessments and penalties;

Liability for technological products and services;

PCI fines, fees, penalties and assessments;

Cyber extortion payment and response costs;

First and Third Party Business Interruption Loss resulting from a network security failure;

Costs of restoring, updating or replacing data;

Liability losses connected to network security, privacy, and media liability.

o Additional Insured: Auburn University and its Board of Trustees, Trustees individually, administrators, faculty, staff, and agents must be named as an additional insured under E&O, Technology E&O / Technology Products E&O and Cyber Liability coverage sections. Further, an appropriate endorsement deleting the Insured vs. Insured exclusion must be evidenced, so as not to impede a claim by Auburn University and its Board of Trustees, administrators, faculty, staff, and agents for a wrongful act of Contractor.

o Other Conditions: Contractor will be responsible for any and all deductibles, self-insured retentions, or waiting period requirements. A waiver of subrogation shall be granted in favor of Auburn University and its Board of Trustees, Trustees individually, administrators, faculty, staff, and agents. All insurance carrier(s) must carry an A.M. Best rating of at least A-, Class VIII.

o If coverage is written on a claims-made basis, then:

the retroactive date shall be prior to the commencement of work, and Contractor shall purchase an Extended Reporting Period for at least a two year period in the event that coverage is cancelled or non-renewed at any time during and up until the project completion signing date.

Section III. Form of Proposal

A. Proposal Format

• Proposals should be submitted in Excel® and/or Adobe PDF® formatting only.

o If there is any information or required submittals, which due to size limitations cannot be incorporated following the preferred formatting, please note for the evaluator where the information can be found in the response.

B. Tabular / Paginated Format

• Tab 1: Cover Letter o The supplier shall provide a cover letter describing a brief history of the Proposer and its organization. The letter will list the Principal or Officer of the organization who will be the University’s primary point of contact for clarifications or during negotiations.

• Tab 2: Executive Summary and RFP Response o A one-to-two-page executive summary of the respondent’s proposal, including brief descriptions of the company’s expertise procuring a contract the size and scope described in the RFP, and how the proposer plans to address the University’s requirements.

o A response to each item under the heading Requirements in Section I of this RFP indicating proposer’s Acceptance, Conditional Acceptance (with explanation), or Non-Acceptance of each item.

• Tab 3: Pricing o Pricing provided must cover all items as defined in Section I of this RFP.

o Separate pricing shall be provided for the following items:

1. Price to hold reservations for 5 unpopulated, contiguous, and dedicated computer cabinets as specified in Section I of this RFP.

2. Price based on power consumption as we populate the reserved cabinets and bring computer hardware online.

3. Price for each additional dedicated computer cabinet should the University need additional computer cabinets during the term of the agreement. The University would only begin incurring costs for the additional computer cabinet(s) if/when the need arises.

• Tab 4: Experience o The supplier shall provide a listing of other projects/customers similar in size and scope to the services described in the RFP. Auburn University may conduct reference checks with any project/customer on the list provided. This list must include the name of the customer and the name, telephone number, and email address of an appropriate contact for each customer. If applicable, please list examples of services rendered in the state of Alabama, particularly within institutions of higher learning.

Section IV. Evaluation Criteria

• In awarding the contract, the University may take into consideration the skill, facilities, capacity, experience, ability, responsibility, previous work, reputation, financial standing of the bidder or respondents, and the amount of other work being carried on by the bidder. The inability of any bidder to meet the requirements mentioned above may be cause for rejection of proposal.

• Selection shall be made in the best interest of the University. An Agreement will be awarded to the successful respondent who, in the opinion of the University, has best demonstrated competence and qualification for the type of services required at fair and reasonable prices/compensation and whose proposal is deemed to be in the best interest of the University.

• Where contract negotiations with a respondent do not proceed to an executed contract within a time deemed reasonable by the University (for whatever reasons), the University may reconsider the proposals of other respondents and, if appropriate, enter into contract negotiations with one or more of the other respondents. Proposals shall remain valid and current for the period of 90 days after the closing date and time for submission of proposals.

• The respondent and University agree that time is of the essence in all respects concerning the award of contract and performance hereunder.

• Individuals from the Auburn University Office of Information Technology will form the evaluation committee for this RFP. The University shall determine the award after evaluating each response on the following points.

1. Pricing – 50%

• Supplier having the lowest overall cost in dollars.

2. RFP Requirements – 25%

• Supplier’s response to requirements outlined in Section I.

3. History and Past Performance – 25%

• Relevant experience

• Demonstration of the supplier’s prior successful experience with the specified activities

• References

Section V. Calendar of Events_ Revised

Task Date

RFP Bid Issued Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Mandatory Pre-Bid Conference (via Zoom)

11:00 a.m. CST, Thursday, February 15, 2024 https://auburn.zoom.us/j/86596377105

Deadline for Questions Monday, February 19, 2024

Responses to Q&A Wednesday, February 21, 2024

RFP Bid Opening Wednesday, March 6, 2024 @ 10:30 a.m. CST

Contract Negotiations & Executed Contract

TBD

https://auburn.zoom.us/j/86596377105