rfpPelhamWAN26.pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

RFPPELHAMWAN26, Fiber Optic WAN Service Deadline 10/29/2025

The Pelham City School District is requesting proposals from qualified vendors for dark fiber Wide Area Network service. The District’s strong preference is for dark fiber service. The District is requesting pricing for a 36-month service term.

Vendor qualifications are detailed in Section 1.7 of the RFP. All prospective vendors must have a current, valid E-Rate SPIN and provide proof of participation in the Federal E-Verify program.

Proposals must include verification of existing infrastructure or provide service start date financial guarantees. Proposals without adequate guarantees may be disqualified.

Questions must be submitted via: rfp@fundingtechnology.com and contain the subject line:

“RFPPELHAMWAN26 Q&A”. To ensure impartiality, only material questions not covered in the RFP and submitted via this email will receive a response.

Vendors must subscribe to the establishing 470 in the EPC in order to be notified of updates.

The Q&A deadline is October 19, 2025. Proposals are due by 5:00pm EST on October 29, 2025.

Bids received after this date and time will not be evaluated.

All proposals must adhere to the guidelines defined in Section 2 of the RFP and must be submitted electronically to: rfp@fundingtechnology.com with the subject line: “RFPPELHAMWAN26 Proposal”. Submissions will receive e-mail acknowledgement of receipt. All proposals shall be considered legally binding.

The District will evaluate complete and conforming responses from eligible vendors and will weigh the options according to the guidelines set forth in this RFP as well as all applicable procurement rules and policies, including those set forth by USAC and the E-Rate program.

Communications outside of the defined process will incur score deductions during the evaluation and may constitute grounds for disqualification of responses.

Thank you for your interest in working with the Pelham City School District.

Table of Contents

1. PCSD WAN SERVICE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL………

1.1 Introduction/Project Overview……………

1.2 Overview of Pelham City Schools

1.3 Confidentiality Requirements

1.4 Relevant Dates………………………

1.5 Retention of Responses

1.6 Communication

1.7 Vendor Qualifications

1.8 Assessment

1.9 Evaluation Criteria ……………………

1.10 Terms and Conditions

1.11 Miscellaneous Requirements & Information

1.12 Addenda & Opening of Proposals

1.13 Request for Clarification or Additional Information

2. RESPONSE GUIDELINES

2.1 Proposal Contents

2.2 Proposal Format

2.3 Pricing

2.4 Submission…………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………..…7

3. WAN SERVICE REQUIREMENTS

3.1 Objective………………

3.2 Current Environment

3.3 Service Requirements

3.4 Locations

4. APPENDICES & ATTACHMENTS

APPENDIX A – STATEMENT OF ELIGIBILITY AND COMPLIANCE…

APPENDIX B – CONTRACTOR AFFIDAVIT

APPENDIX C – CERTIFICATE OF ELIGIBILITY

APPENDIX D – SAMPLE SERVICE AGREEMENT

APPENDIX E – REFERENCES

ATTACHMENT A –PRICING FORMS………………………………………………………………………….…………………………14

1. PCSD FIBER WAN SERVICE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

1.1 Introduction/Project Overview

The Pelham City School District (PCSD or the District) is seeking qualified responses for wide area networking services to connect the District’s instructional and administrative facilities (see the pricing attachment RFPPELHAMWAN26A for specific location detail).

The District strongly prefers dark fiber service, but in accordance with E-rate program rules, will evaluate proposals for lit (managed) fiber service that meets the stated requirements.

1.2 Overview of Pelham City Schools

Pelham City Schools is a district in Southwest Georgia. The school system includes 3 instructional facilities as well as the Board of Education Office. The BoE facility, located in Pelham, Georgia, supports these schools and over 100 faculty and 1500 students in grades PK-12.

1.3 Confidentiality Requirements

This RFP has been published to solicit proposals for these services and is considered confidential. No portion of this RFP may be used, reproduced, or disclosed.

1.4 Relevant Dates

Q&A Deadline: 5:00pm EST, October 19, 2025

Proposal Deadline: 5:00pm EST, October 29, 2025

Service Start: July 01, 2026

1.5 Retention of Responses

Any proposals or submission artifacts become the property of the PCSD and the release of any such information shall be performed in accordance with Georgia Open Record law. Any proprietary information in a submission must be identified as such. A submission will not be considered proprietary in its entirety.

Proposals will not be available publicly until after a winning bid has been selected.

1.6 Communication

Questions must be submitted via email to: rfp@fundingtechnology.com with the subject line:

“RFPPELHAMWAN26 Q&A”.

Only material questions will receive responses. Questions submitted via any other channels or without the appropriate subject line will not be considered received and will not be addressed.

Proposals must be submitted to: rfp@fundingtechnology.com with the subject line:

“RFPPELHAMWAN26 Proposal”.

No other form of communication related to this RFP is permitted, including communication with the PCSD mailto:rfp@fundingtechnology.com board members or staff. Failure to adhere to these policies will result in score deductions the evaluation and may result in immediate disqualification.

1.7 Vendor Qualifications

1.7.1

Service Providers must be an FCC licensed Telecommunications Carrier for WAN service and possess a valid, unencumbered SPIN for the Universal Service Administration Company (USAC), as well as an FCC registration number. Vendors must be able to provide a copy of the most recent USAC Form 473 (SPAC).

1.7.2

Prospective Service Providers for Internet, WAN or other telecommunications services must have adequate, existing infrastructure to provide the proposed services or clearly state the intention to build or lease the necessary infrastructure. All proposals from prospective vendors without existing infrastructure must provide specific, monetary guarantees that new services will be available on the desired service start date. The District cannot and will not submit duplicative or contingency funding requests. In the event of service start delays, vendors must provide for the costs of any interim services.

Proposals without adequate guarantees will not be considered.

1.7.3

Service Providers must be financially stable and responsible. The PCSD reserves the right to request all the following as proof of financial stability: a bank reference documenting positive standing with a financial institution, positive credit references from other vendors or an accredited credit bureau or a certificate of insurance noting liability coverage that is sufficient to cover potential liability associated with the services covered in this RFP.

1.7.4

A signed copy of the Statement of Eligibility and Compliance found in Appendix A.

1.7.5

Service Providers must be fully licensed to do business in the State of Georgia and remain in compliance with any and all legal requirements set forth by the Georgia Public Service Commission and the Federal Communications Commission of the United States.

1.8 Assessment

The PCSD and/or its designated agent will compile all responses. The proposals will be reviewed after the deadline to ensure adherence to the requirements identified in this RFP. Proposals will be evaluated for completeness and the vendor or service provider will be evaluated to ensure qualification as set forth in Section 1.7. Only complete, conforming proposals from qualified vendors will be considered in the evaluation of proposals.

PCSD reserves the right to invite vendors to present the proposed solution to the vendor selection team.

The District reserves the right to withdraw this RFP at any time with no liability to prospective respondents. Prospective vendors assume responsibility for any and all costs associated with the proposal.

1.9 Evaluation Criteria

Proposals from qualified vendors that meet the stated requirements will be evaluated. The evaluation will consider each of the following: Cost (Eligible and Total Cost), Service Requirements, Vendor Qualifications and Prior experience with Pelham City.

Cost of E-rate eligible services will be the most heavily weighted factor.

The Service Requirements portion of the score will include all technical requirements set forth in the RFP and any subsequent Q&A. The proposal score will evaluate the quality of the proposal and adherence to communications guidelines.

The total scores will be calculated as follows:

Factor Points

E-rate Eligible Cost (most heavily weighted) 45

Service requirements 30

Vendor score 5

Proposal score 5

Business Requirements 15

Total Points 100

1.10 Terms and Conditions

1.10.1 Conflicts of Interest

Any relationship between a responding vendor and the Pelham City Board of Education or its staff must be disclosed at the time of submission.

1.10.2 Lawful Compliance

All qualified vendors must comply with all local, state and federal laws governing procurement and the provisioning of products or services.

1.10.3 Pricing and Payments

All pricing submitted with a proposal will be considered accurate and constitute a legally binding offer.

The PCSD reserves the right to request a best and final offer at any time from qualified vendors that have submitted qualified proposals. Payment will occur per a mutually agreed to payment schedule.

1.10.4 Proposal Cost

All costs associated with developing a proposal are the sole responsibility of the Offeror. Under no circumstances will the District provide reimbursement for such expenses, including those related to attending any required pre-proposal conference.

1.10.5 Proposal Withdrawal

A proposal that has been submitted may be withdrawn prior to the RFP submission deadline. Such a request must be made in writing and signed by an authorized representative of the vendor. A copy of the request should be submitted via email to: rfp@fundingtechnology.com with the RFP ID in the subject line and a hard copy mailed to the PCSD, addressed to the attention of RFPPELHAMWAN26.

1.10.6 Right to Reject

The PCSD reserves the right to reject all proposals when it is in the best interest of the District, including cases in which it is deemed that a service provider is not capable of meeting all service requirements. The PCSD also reserves the right to make an award without further discussion. Therefore, responses should be submitted with the best viable offer.

1.10.7 Georgia Code TITLE 20 – EDUCATION

As mentioned in section 1.10.2, all contracts must comply with Georgia law, including Georgia CODE TITLE 20 – EDUCATION CHAPTER 2 – ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ARTICLE 10 CONTRACTS AND PURCHASES BY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. The PCSD is soliciting a multi-year agreement. However, the terms of the service agreement must comply with § 20-2-506 of ARTICLE 10 covering the authority to enter into multi-year agreements including the contingency on funding availability in future years.

1.11 Miscellaneous Requirements & Information

There are no additional requirements outside of those identified elsewhere in this RFP.

1.12 Addenda & Opening of Proposals

The PCSD reserves the right to amend this RFP prior to the proposal due date. All amendments and supplemental information, including material Q&A, will be posted to the USAC EPC Portal in the event of E-Rate eligible products or services.

1.13 Request for Clarification or Additional Information

The PCSD reserves the right to request additional supporting information to facilitate the evaluation and scoring of a proposal. Such a request will be submitted via email along with a courtesy phone notification.

All responses must be made in writing and typically be received within 48 hours of the request for additional information.

2. RESPONSE GUIDELINES

Vendors should provide a thorough description of the proposed solution, which must meet the requirements established in this RFP. The proposal should include all the necessarily detail in a clear, concise form so that the submission can be scored during the evaluation process without the need for any additional details.

All proposals must be signed by a vendor representative with legal authorization to enter the vendor into a legally binding agreement. Proposals must include all the required components referenced in this RFP, including the line item detail and price summary digital files, E-Verify certification and, when applicable, sample contract.

Whenever possible information should be summarized in the form of tables, diagrams or other visual representations. Emphasis should be placed on concise language and limited to information that is relevant to the services and requirements identified in this RFP.

As noted in Section 2.2, the proposal and Appendices should be submitted in digital format. All of the proposal contents should be included in a single file except for the pricing information, which should be included in separate file(s) in order to ensure pricing confidentiality.

2.1 Proposal Contents

A proposal should include at least each of the following sections.

2.1.1 Executive Summary

The Executive Summary should include a brief statement covering the service provider’s understanding the services or products included in the RFP and how the proposed services meet the stated requirements.

The Executive Summary should include the company’s name and address as well as contact information for the proposal point of contact and legal representative.

2.1.2 Table of Contents

The Table of Contents should accurately identify all the sections and content contained within the proposal.

2.1.3 Vendor Qualifications

The Vendor Qualifications summary should include the following basic information: Company name and legal form, full address, accounts receivable contact information, account executive or service manager contact information, helpdesk contact information, project manager contact information, Federal Tax ID, E-Rate SPIN, and a recent D&B report (if applicable).

Furthermore, the Vendor Qualification section should address the following:

a. The existence of any pending litigation that might impact the ability of the Vendor to provide the services detailed in the proposal

b. A brief company history and description of the size of the organization, mission, locations, revenue and/or market share.

c. A brief description of the Vendor’s commitment to K-12 education and K-12 clients

d. References for 1-3 similar clients in the K-12 market

e. A list of all personnel that would be assigned to the project(s) covered in this RFP (if applicable)

f. A description of why the vendor is qualified to provide the products or services in this RFP

2.1.4 Solutions Qualifications

The Solutions Qualifications section should address the following:

a. Detailed service specifications, including relevant technology and performance descriptions, and a clear understanding of the service requirements.

b. What is the SLA for network performance and reliability?

c. What is the SLA for identifying, communicating and addressing service or equipment outages?

d. A description of the Vendor’s support services

e. A description of problem severity levels and associated response times.

f. Statistical information on typical service outages or degradation

g. A description of service change process.

h. A description of the service installation process and timeline

i. A description of any potential risks or concerns associated with the design, technology, service levels or implementation timelines.

j. A description of what is in and out of scope from a support perspective, including any associated hardware

k. A statement on network security and how the security of the District’s data will be ensured during transmission

l. For Internet Services, Identification of any demarcation points and DNS services

2.1.5 RFP Exceptions

If there are any discrepancies between the requirements defined in this RFP and the Vendor’s proposal, those should be clearly stated.

2.1.6 Appendices

The following Appendices must be included in the proposal.

a. Completed Statement of Eligibility and Compliance

b. Completed Contractor Affidavit

c. Certificate of Eligibility

d. Sample Service Agreement

e. Client References (optional: insurance cert, bank refs, vendor refs)

f. Pricing Attachment A (RFPPELHAMWAN26A.xlxs)

2.2 Proposal Format

Proposals and attachments must be submitted in digital format. Zip files containing multiple files are acceptable and preferred for larger files.

2.3 Pricing & Terms

Pricing must be at the line-item level and must adhere to the format provided in the pricing schedule file (RFPPELHAMWAN26A). All pricing for installation and any additional equipment required to provide the service must be included and the form must be returned in Excel or csv format.

The District is requesting pricing for a 36-month agreement. Service agreements should provide for an initial 12-month period and two subsequent automatic renewals or otherwise conform with Georgia Code regarding multi-year agreements for public entities.

Furthermore, the District requires the option to upgrade any single location or multiple locations to a higher service level during the life of the agreement at the prices quoted in the proposal.

It is expected that all the proposed solutions will require additional charges, including but not limited to, Georgia USF, Federal Universal Service Charges, and other eligible taxes. In the Cost Proposal, the vendor is required to indicated whether their proposed pricing includes all estimated taxes and fees.

If the cost provided by the vendor does not include the estimated taxes and fees, the vendor must provide the expected percentage for these additional charges.

2.4 Submission

All proposals must be submitted via: rfp@fundingtechnology.com and include the subject line:

“RFPPELHAMWAN26 Proposal”. Proposals submitted through other means will not be considered.

3. WAN SERVICE REQUIREMENTS

3.1 Objective

The District is evaluating pricing and service options for wide area fiber connectivity between the District’s facilities. The objective is to provide reliable, secure and cost-effective connectivity for teachers and students at these schools.

3.2 Current Environment

The current service is a dark fiber service (currently lit by the district at 10Gbps) with the BoE serving as the District’s network hub. All the modulating equipment is owned and operated by the District.

The District currently leases 2 fiber strands (one pair) between each facility.

3.3 Service Requirements

The District desires a solution that will provide 1 pair (2 strands) of single mode fiber or a minimum 10Gbps of capacity between the BoE and each instructional facility for lit fiber (see pricing attachment RFPPELHAMWAN26A). While the preferred service option is dark fiber, in accordance with program rules, the District will consider lit fiber services that meet the requirements for each facility. However, the District does have a strong preference for dark fiber service and evaluation will be weighted accordingly.

All proposed solutions must include connectivity all the way to the MDF in each facility. The District’s strong preference is for a solution wherein fiber from the switches at the schools terminate into the District’s Alcatel switch with each segment lit at 10gbps.

For lit service, the service provider should actively perform network monitoring and notify the District at the point of any disruption of service. At no time shall it take longer than thirty (30) minutes to send notification from the time the outage occurs. Support services shall available 24 hours per day, 365 days per year and the network shall be available 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.

If the lit fiber solution includes oversubscribed connections, it must clearly be stated in the response and a technical justification must be provided.

For lit fiber, any required equipment and installation costs should be clearly identified in the proposal.

The proposed design for any solution, binding SLAs, required equipment and all associated costs will be weighed in the evaluation.

3.4 Service Locations

See “Locations” worksheet in RFPPELHAMWAN26A.xlsx for details.

Appendix A

STATEMENT OF ELIGIBILITY AND COMPLIANCE

I certify that I have read and understand the terms and conditions herein. I further state that I am and/or my company is capable, able to, and will provide the requested products and/or service described herein.

I am the owner or agent of the company stated below and am authorized and empowered to contract. By my signature on this RFP response, I/we guarantee and certify that all items included in my bid meet or exceed specifications.

I certify that this bid is made without prior understanding, agreement, or connection with any corporation, firm or person submitting a bid for the same materials, supplies, equipment, or services and is in all respects fair and without collusion or fraud. I understand collusive bidding is a violation of State and Federal Law and can result in fines, prison sentences, and civil damage awards. I agree to abide by all conditions of the RFP and certify that I am authorized to sign this bid for the Service Provider.

SUBMITTED BY_______________________________________ DATE __________________

TITLE___________________________________EMAIL: _____________________________

COMPANY NAME____________________________________________________________

ADDRESS________________________________CITY______________ST_____ZIP________

TELEPHONE NUMBER____________________FAX NUMBER__________________________

COMPANY WEBSITE __________________________________________________________

SIGNATURE _________________________________________________________________

Appendix B

CONTRACTOR AFFIDAVIT

By executing this affidavit, the undersigned contractor verifies its compliance with O.C.G.A. § 13- 10-91, stating affirmatively that the individual, firm or corporation which is engaged in the physical performance of services on behalf of Pelham City Schools has registered with, is authorized to use and uses the federal work authorization program commonly known as E-Verify, or any subsequent replacement program, in accordance with the applicable provisions and deadlines established in O.C.G.A. § 13-10-91. Furthermore, the undersigned contractor will continue to use the federal work authorization program throughout the contract period and the undersigned contractor will contract for the physical performance of services in satisfaction of such contract only with subcontractors who present an affidavit to the contractor with the information required by O.C.G.A. § 13-10-91(b). Contractor hereby attests that its federal work authorization user identification number and date of authorization are as follows:

(Federal Work Authorization User Identification Number)

(Date of Authorization)

(Organization Name)

I hereby declare under penalty of perjury that the forgoing is true and correct. Executed on

____________, 2025 in ________________________(city), and _____(state).

Signature of Authorized Officer or Agent

Name(s) and Title(s) of Authorized Representative(s)

SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN BEFORE ME ON THIS THE ____ DAY OF __________, 2025.

___________________________________ NOTARY PUBLIC

My Commission Expires:______________________

Appendix C

CERTIFICATE OF ELGIBILITY

(Certificate Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility)

The Pelham City School District is a recipient of Federal monies. As such we require that participating vendors not be debarred, suspended, ineligible or excluded from doing business with the Federal government or any agency thereof.

The prospective participant certifies, by submission of the bid, that neither it, nor its principals, is presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or excluded from participation in this transaction by any Federal department or agency.

Organization Name

Name(s) and Title(s) of Authorized Representative(s)

Appendix D

SAMPLE SERVICE AGREEMENT

A sample service agreement must be provided by the prospective Service Provider.

Appendix E

REFERENCES

References should be for client school districts or else clients with similar requirements and service levels.

1. School or Company Name _____________________________________________

Description of Service(s) ______________________________________________

Service Start Date __________________________________

Contact Person ____________________________________

Contact Phone _____________________________________

Contact Email ______________________________________

2. School or Company Name _____________________________________________

3. School or Company Name _____________________________________________

Attachment A

PRICING FORMS

Pricing information must be included with a proposal as one or two separate files. The files can be in Excel or CSV formats and must include the headers exactly as detailed below. Please utilize the pricing worksheet in RFPPELHAMWAN26A.xlsx. Additional columns may be added following the last of the required columns. The table may be copied and pasted if a bid includes both lit and dark options.

The Z-location field is intended to capture the physical termination point of the fiber. A second Z-location (Z2) is provided in cases such a physical ring where each facility is connected to more than one other facility. The X-location identifies the District’s logical gateway. Bids should identify the underlying network technology being proposed.