Solicitation%20Notice%20for%20RFQ%2033101-26006FAS5%20E-Rate%20Category%202%20(FY26-FY31).pdf

This is a Solicitation Notice issued by the State of Tennessee's Department of General Services on behalf of the Department of Education, seeking qualified service providers for E-Rate Category 2 services under RFQ #33101-26006FAS5. The procurement encompasses internal connections, basic maintenance of internal connections, and managed internal broadband services for Local Education Agencies (LEAs), Tennessee Public Charter Schools, and State Special Schools throughout the state. Services include networking equipment, cabling, routers, switches, wireless access points, firewalls, caching systems, and managed broadband solutions. The solicitation was issued on October 20, 2025, with a pre-response conference scheduled for October 27, 2025, and a proposal deadline of December 12, 2025. The contract term spans fiscal years 2026 through 2031 (six years). Interested vendors can access the complete solicitation document through the Tennessee state procurement website or by contacting Jordan Jackson, Sourcing Account Specialist, at the Central Procurement Office, located at Tennessee Tower, 3rd Floor, 312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue, Nashville, TN 37243, via telephone at 615-253-7825, or by email at jordan.t.jackson@tn.gov.

This procurement is structured as a Request for Qualifications in which the State will not evaluate cost during the initial selection process; instead, respondents must submit catalog pricing that will serve as a ceiling for subsequent mini-bid processes conducted by individual educational entities. Qualifying vendors must achieve a minimum combined score of 75 points based on mandatory requirements, general qualifications, and technical qualifications to be considered for inclusion on the approved vendor list. All services are funded through the Federal Communications Commission's Universal Service Schools and Libraries Support Mechanism (E-Rate program), which provides federal support for telecommunications and technology services to schools and libraries. The procurement anticipates multiple awards to qualified respondents, allowing LEAs and charter schools flexibility in selecting technology solutions tailored to their specific institutional needs. No specific set-aside designations or organizational restrictions are explicitly outlined in the solicitation documents.