For more information, please visit our online supplier portal, located at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/meridenct

City of Meriden

Purchasing Department

142 East Main St. Room 210

Meriden, CT 06450

RFP026-37 NETWORK UPGRADE & SERVICING

Project ID: RFP026-37

RELEASE DATE: December 19, 2025

RESPONSE DEADLINE: January 21, 2026, 11:00 am

Please refer to the project timeline in this document for all important deadlines.

Request For Proposal #RFP026-37

Title: RFP026-37 Network Upgrade & Servicing

Table Of Contents

1. LEGAL NOTICE

2. INFORMATION TO PROPOSERS

3. SCOPE OF SERVICES

4. EVALUATIONS/QUALIFICATIONS

5. VENDOR SUBMISSION FORMS

Attachments:

A - Professional Services Agreement-Sample

LEGAL NOTICE

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The City of Meriden is accepting electronic proposals for:

RFP026-37 Network Upgrade & Servicing

The City of Meriden is seeking electronic proposals from qualified vendors for the supply, installation & configuration of network infrastructure equipment using Cisco Meraki solutions..

Proposals shall be submitted as electronic responses per specifications obtained via the City eProcurement Portal: https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/meridenct and on the State of Connecticut

Department of Administrative Services website (https://webprocure.proactiscloud.com).

Proposals may be received up to but not later than 11:00 am, Wednesday, January 21, 2026 via the City eProcurement Portal located at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/meridenct. The City eProcurement

Portal Clock is the official clock for the determination of all deadline dates and times. Without exception, responses will not be accepted after the submission deadline regardless of any technical difficulties. Please submit electronic responses via the City eProcurement

Portal: https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/meridenct by way of the eProcurement Portal, responses will be locked and digitally encrypted until the submission deadline passes.

The right is reserved to reject any or all proposals, in whole or in part, to award any item, group of items, or total proposal, and to waive informality or technical defects, if it is deemed to be in the best interest of the City of Meriden. No proposer may withdraw its proposal within sixty (60) days of the date of the opening.

The City of Meriden is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Disadvantaged, minority, small, and women business enterprises are encouraged to respond.

Rawle Dummett Purchasing Officer Dated: December 19, 2025 https://procurement.opengov.com/po1tal/meridenct https://webprocure.proactiscloud.com/

INFORMATION TO PROPOSERS

1. SUMMARY

The City of Meriden seeks proposals from qualified vendors for the supply, installation & configuration of network infrastructure equipment using Cisco Meraki solutions. This project will include 13 Cisco Meraki MR-series access points (9 indoor, 4 outdoor), a Cisco Catalyst C9300 switch, Tripp Lite 42U Rack Enclosure

Server Cabinet, structured cabling, and a lockable rack. All equipment supports 802.11ax, POE, WPA3 encryption, and cloud management. Devices will deliver symmetrical 1 Gbps+ connectivity throughout the building and adjacent plaza. All site surveys, design recommendations, and physical installation of equipment at designated locations within city facilities is to be included. Keep in mind the historical preservation of the building when installing equipment and wiring/patch panel (48 port) (CAT6). Allow room for future expansion in wire molding/conduit. Fiber will be LC to LC, patch panel will be installed per second RFP simultaneously.

Configure two redundant fiber pairs. The configuration of network equipment to Meriden Meraki cloud to ensure seamless integration with existing systems. Include our Meriden Guest, Meriden Local and a new SSID for Eduroam. All installed hardware will support and deliver wireless speeds that meet or exceed the program’s minimum requirement of 1 gigabit-per-second symmetrical download and upload speeds. The core network will be powered by a Cisco Catalyst C9300M PoE switch with 10G uplink capability, ensuring ample throughput to all indoor and outdoor access points. We are projecting a minimum of 3,000 individuals that will be utilizing this community wireless system.

2. TIMELINE

Release Project Date: December 19, 2025

Pre-Proposal Meeting (Mandatory): January 6, 2026, 10:00am

142 East Main St-Rm 30 (Engineering

Conference Room), Meriden, CT 06450

Question Submission Deadline: January 14, 2026, 4:00pm

Response Submission Deadline: January 21, 2026, 11:00am

3. PROPOSAL PROCEDURES

The City will only be accepting electronic submissions of proposals. Please submit electronic responses via the

City eProcurement Portal: https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/meridenct. By way of the eProcurement

Portal, responses will be locked and digitally encrypted until the submission deadline passes. Proposals are due for submission no later than 11:00 am, Wednesday, January 21, 2026.

4. PROPOSALS/QUALIFICATIONS

A. Proposals shall be submitted in two sealed parts: Qualifications/Technical; Part A and Fees/Proposal;

Part B.

B. Proposals must be made out and signed in the corporate, or other, name of Proposer, and must be fully and properly executed by an authorized person.

C. Proposals received later than the time and date specified will not be considered.

D. Amendments to or withdrawal of proposals received later than the date and time set forth in the proposal opening will not be considered.

5. EXAMINATION OF DOCUMENTS

Proposers are to examine all documents and visit the site in order to make a thorough examination of the conditions so that they may familiarize itself with all of the existing requirements, conditions, and difficulties that will affect the execution of the work in order to determine the amount of work necessary to carry out the true intent of the specifications and work shown on the drawings.

The City of Meriden and its agents do not have any responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or sufficiency of any proposal document obtained from any other source other than from the City eProcurement Portal:

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/meridenct. Obtaining documents from any other source(s) may result in obtaining incomplete and inaccurate information. Obtaining documents from any other source may also result in failure to receive any addenda, corrections, or other revisions to the documents that may be issued.

No request shall be honored if such request is made less than seven (7) calendar days prior to the date fixed for the opening of proposals. Any and all such interpretations, and any supplementary instructions, will be in the form of a written addenda to the specifications which, if issued, will be made available via the City eProcurement Portal, located at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/meridenct for addenda. Failure of any proposer to receive any such addenda shall not relieve any proposer from any obligations under its proposal as submitted.

Proposers shall submit all inquiries regarding this proposal via the City eProcurement Portal, located at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/meridenct. Please note the deadline for submitting inquiries. All answers to inquiries will be posted on the City eProcurement Portal. Proposers may also click “Follow” on this document to receive an email notification when answers are posted. It is the responsibility of the proposer to check the website for answers to inquiries.

6. AWARD OF CONTRACT

The Purchasing Officer reserves the right to reject any or all proposals or parts thereof for any reason, to negotiate changes to proposal terms and to waive minor inconsistencies with the RFP. The Purchasing Officer reserves the right to make a selection on the basis of qualifications, experience in providing similar services elsewhere, the proposal’s responsiveness to the Request For Proposals requirements; and to negotiate a contract with the Consultant(s).

The contract will not be awarded to any corporation, firm, or individual which/who is in arrears to the City of

Meriden by debt or contract, or who is in default as security or otherwise by any obligation to the City of

Meriden.

The right is reserved to reject any or all proposals, in whole or in part, to award any item, group of items, or total proposal, and to waive informality or technical defects, if it is deemed to be in the best interest of the City of Meriden.

7. TAXES

The City of Meriden is exempt under Connecticut General Statutes from the payment of the excise taxes imposed by the federal government and the Sales and Use Tax of the State of Connecticut; such taxes should not be included in the proposal price. Upon request, exemption certificates will be furnished to the successful proposer.

8. FAIR EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES

The Contractor shall agree that neither it or its subcontractors, except in the case of a bona fide occupational qualification or need, to refuse to hire or employ or to bar or to discharge from employment any individual or to discriminate against such individual in compensation or in terms, conditions or privileges of employment

Because of the individual's race, color, religious creed, age, sex, gender identity or expression, marital status, national origin, ancestry, present or past history of mental disability, intellectual disability, learning disability, physical disability, including, but not limited to, blindness or status as a veteran. The aforementioned terms are obtained from Connecticut General Statutes Section 46a-60, et seq., entitled “Discriminatory employment practices prohibited,” as amended.

9. NON-COLLUSION STATEMENT

Each proposer submitting a bid to the City of Meriden for any portion of the work contemplated by the documents on which bidding is based shall execute and attach thereto the sworn Non-Collusive Statement, to the effect that the proposal has not colluded with any other person, firm, or corporation in the submission of the proposal/qualifications.

10. FORM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF MERIDEN AND CONSULTANT

The Agreement for the work will be via Purchase Order and Standard Professional Agreement.

11. CITY OF MERIDEN CODE OF ETHICS

The City of Meriden has adopted a Code of Ethics located in Chapter 21 of the Code of the City of Meriden, sections 21-1 through 21-15, inclusive, which are expressly incorporated herein by reference. The terms of the

Code of Ethics shall constitute a part of any contract or agreement entered into by the City of Meriden as a result of this bid as if those terms were fully set forth in such contract or agreement.

Proposers are specifically advised that the Code of Ethics prohibits public officers and employees, as well as their immediate families and businesses, with which they are associated from participating in any transaction which is incompatible with the proper discharge of official duties or responsibilities. Proposers are also advised that the Code of Ethics contain provisions with respect to paid contractors and former employees and officials.

PROPOSERS SHOULD NOTE THAT PROPOSALS, CONTRACTS, AND AGREEMENTS ENTERED

INTO OR AWARDED IN VIOLATION OF THE CODE OF ETHICS ARE VOIDABLE BY

RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MERIDEN.

Copies of the Code of Ethics may be obtained from the office of the City Clerk or may be found online on the

City of Meriden’s website.

12. ASSIGNMENT OF CONTRACT

No contract may be assigned without the written consent of the Purchasing Officer or designee.

13. PERMITS

The Contractor shall be responsible for obtaining any and all necessary permits required by the City of Meriden prior to the commencement of work. The Contractor may contact the City of Meriden Building Department for permit information at (203) 630-4091. For all other required permits, contact the City of Meriden Engineering

Department at (203) 630-4018.

14. PRICE AND PAYMENT

The City of Meriden is exempt from the payment of the excise taxes imposed by the Federal government and the Sales and Use Tax of the State of Connecticut under Connecticut General Statutes; accordingly, such taxes shall not be included in the pricing.

The City of Meriden, unless stated otherwise in the documents or Contract, will make payment to the

Contractor not less than thirty (30) days following completion of services.

15. INSURANCE

The successful consultant shall be required to provide a Certificate of Insurance denoting general liability, automobile liability, workers compensation liability, and other coverage required by the City’s Risk Manager.

16. LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS

The successful firm(s) shall ensure that any appropriate licenses or certifications required by the State of

Connecticut are maintained for the duration of the project. The firm must meet all municipal, state and federal affirmative action and equal employment opportunity practices.

17. TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The selected consultants must have the capability to provide the City of Meriden with expertise in performing other functions, such as, but not limited to, preparation of permit applications, liaison functions and clerical assistance. The following are some potential services which the selected Consultant may be required to provide.

It is also understood that the selected consultant will be required to complete all direct or indirect responsibilities associated with the assigned task so that the intent and desired goal of the City can be achieved.

These services may include, without limitation, reviewing drawings and specifications, providing individuals or sub-consultants with specialized knowledge, assisting in the preparation of legal proceedings, appearance before

Courts or Commissions, providing expert opinions, or conclusions as well as performing investigations of technical matters.

SCOPE OF SERVICES

PROJECT DETAILS

1. Scope of Work

The selected vendor will provide:

Equipment Supply

• Wireless Access Points:

Cisco Meraki model, utilizing the latest technology.

• Internal WAPs:

Two units on the second floor.

Three units on the first floor.

Four units in the basement.

• External WAPs:

Four units, one located at each corner of the building.

• Switches:

48-port Cisco 9300 switch(dual power supply units) configured in the Meriden Meraki cloud platform, including: Two 10G base LR single- mode ports.

• Rack:

Eaton Tripp Lite Series 42U SmartRack Deep and Wide Rack Enclosure Cabinet with doors & side panels. Mfg

# SR42UBDPWD CDW # 2110390

• UPS:

Two APC Smart-UPS 3000VA

2. Installation Services

All site surveys, design recommendations, and physical installation of equipment at designated locations within city facilities. Keep in mind the historical preservation of the building when installing equipment and wiring/patch panel (48 port) (CAT6). Allow room for future expansion in wire molding/conduit. Fiber will be

LC to LC, patch panel will be installed per second RFP simultaneously. Configure two redundant fiber pairs.

3. Configuration and Setup

Configuration of network equipment to Meriden Meraki cloud to ensure seamless integration with existing systems. Include our Meriden Guest, Meriden Local and a new SSID for Eduroam.

4. Projected Equipment Purchases

This project includes 13 Cisco Meraki MR-series access points (9 indoor, 4 outdoor), a Cisco Catalyst C9300 switch, Tripp Lite 42U Rack Enclosure Server Cabinet, structured cabling, and a lockable rack. All equipment supports 802.11ax, POE, WPA3 encryption, and cloud management. Devices will deliver symmetrical 1 Gbps+ connectivity throughout the building and adjacent plaza.

5. Projected Wi-Fi Speeds that will be Delivered to End Users

All installed hardware will support and deliver wireless speeds that meet or exceed the program’s minimum requirement of 1 gigabit-per-second symmetrical download and upload speeds. The core network will be powered by a Cisco Catalyst C9300M PoE switch with 10G uplink capability, ensuring ample throughput to all indoor and outdoor access points. We are projecting a minimum of 3,000 individuals that will be utilizing this community wireless system.

6. Vendor Qualifications:

Vendors must demonstrate:

• Experience in providing network solutions using Cisco Meraki products.

• A proven track record with similar projects in municipal settings.

• Compliance with all relevant Federal, State, and local procurement regulations.

• The ability to adhere to the City’s ethical standards and conflict of interest policies.

7. Proposal Requirements

Proposals should include:

• Vendor qualifications and experience.

• Detailed description of proposed equipment and services.

• Implementation timeline and milestones.

• Pricing structure for all phases of the project.

• References from similar projects completed by the vendor.

8. Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on:

• Technical capability and experience with Cisco Meraki solutions.

• Cost-effectiveness of the proposed solution.

• Vendor’s understanding of project requirements.

• Quality and comprehensiveness of support services offered.

9. Award Process

The City reserves the right to accept or reject any proposal. The contract will be awarded based on a thorough evaluation process, considering both technical merit and cost factors.

EVALUATIONS/QUALIFICATIONS

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. Technical capability and experience with

Cisco Meraki solutions.

Points Based 30

(30% of Total)

2. Cost-effectiveness of the proposed solution. Points Based 30 (30% of Total)

3. Vendor's understanding of project requirements.

Points Based 20

(20% of Total)

4. Quality and comprehensiveness of support services offered.

Points Based 20

(20% of Total)

VENDOR SUBMISSION FORMS

1. NON-COLLUSIVE BID STATEMENT/AFFIDAVIT*

Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• Non-Collusive_Bid_Statement...

*Response required

2. TECHNICAL PROPOSAL*

Do NOT provide pricing information here!

*Response required

3. PRICE PROPOSAL*

*Response required

4. Additional Information https://government-project.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/185261/2b03e8dc-d8b5-4042-ba95-941f22f50926_Non-Collusive_Bid_Statement.pdf