Sole Source for posting_7-17-26_ReadiTech Engineering_OIT SIGNED.pdf

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN

COMPETITION (SOLE SOURCE)

1. Identification of Agency and Contracting Activity

● Requesting Organization:Office of Information Technologyon behalf of Colorado

Broadband Office

● Project Title:Broadband Make-Ready Planning and Management

● Estimated Cost/Value:$400,000

● Vendor Name and Contact Information:ReadiTech Engineering,5353 West

Dartmouth Avenue, Suite 402, Denver, CO 80227, POC: John Monday, 701.344.9050, jmonday@readitech.com

2. Description of Supplies or Services Required The contractor will provide expert oversight for the engineering, coordination, and execution phases of rural broadband deployment. Key deliverables include:

● Advising on and managing the complex"make-ready"engineering and construction processrequired to prepare electric cooperative utilitypoles for fiber-optic attachment.

● Serving as the primary liaison between Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and Colorado electrical cooperatives to align technical specifications, safety protocols, and timelines.

● Mitigating logistical and regulatory bottlenecks to ensure compliance with the National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) and specific co-op grid reliability standards.

3. Identification of the Sole Source Contractor and Rationale The proposed contractor possesses a highly specific, intersecting skill set that is unavailable elsewhere in the marketplace.

The contractor’s unique qualifications are detailed below:

A. Deep Expertise in Colorado Electrical Cooperative Frameworks

Unlike investor-owned utilities, Colorado’s rural electrical cooperatives operate under localized governance models with distinct operational mandates. The contractor possesses years of direct experience managing infrastructure projectswithinthese specific Colorado co-ops, understanding their unique risk tolerances, engineering standards, and institutional cultures.

B. Specialized Knowledge of Make-Ready and ISP Requirements

“Make Ready is the single most common point of failure for Colorado Broadband Office deployment projects. Broadband deployment often stalls during the "make-ready" phase because of transferral of make-ready costs and competing ISPs and electric utilities needs.

● The ISP Needs:Speed-to-market, cost-effective attachments,and rapid sequencing.

● The Cooperative Needs:Grid reliability, strict safety clearances, and high-voltage line protection.

The contractor possesses rare dual-domain expertise, allowing them to address ISP and coop needs into actionable, compliant strategic plans that support broadband expansion without compromising grid integrity.

C. Extensive, Pre-Existing Industry Contacts

Navigating the cooperative space requires established trust. The contractor maintains a robust, active network of contacts across Colorado’s electrical cooperative executives, engineering managers, and field operations teams. These pre-existing relationships allow the contractor to address fast-track approvals, resolve gridlock, and negotiate pole-attachment friction points in days rather than months.

4. Impact of Non-Approval

If this sole source justification is not approved, the project will face:

● Increased Costs:The learning curve associated withnavigating localized Colorado co-op requirements would result in inefficient make-ready designs, leading to costly construction re-work.

● Funding Timeline Challenges:Many broadband initiativesare tied to strict federal or state grant deadlines. Delays resulting from an inexperienced coordinator could jeopardize the ability to capitalize on existing expiring federal funding.