PHILIP D. MURPHY

Governor State of New Jersey

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

DIVISION OF PURCHASE AND PROPERTY

PROCUREMENT BUREAU

33 WEST STATE STREET

P. O. BOX 230

TRENTON, NEW JERSEY 08625-0230

ELIZABETH MAHER MUOIO

State Treasurer

TAHESHA L. WAY

Lt. Governor

AMY F. DAVIS, ESQ.

Acting Director https://www.njstart.gov

December 19, 2025

To: All Interested Bidders

Re: Bid Solicitation # 25DPP01033 T1316 – Telecommunications Equipment and Services

Bid Amendment #9

The following constitutes Bid Amendment #9 to the above referenced Bid Solicitation:

· The Quote Submission Due Date has been extended from Thursday, January 8, 2026 to Thursday, February 12, 2026;

· Answers to electronic Bidder questions submitted during the first electronic Question and Answer period;

· “T1316 - ATTACHMENT 3 – State-Supplied Price Sheet” has been deleted and replaced with “REVISED T1316 - ATTACHMENT 3 – State-Supplied Price Sheet 12/19/2025”;

· A second electronic Question and Answer period has been opened until 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on January 8, 2026. Questions that will be considered will be limited only to subject matter related to the following:

· The revisions to the Revised Bid Solicitation Sections listed below. Refer to “T1316 Revised Bid Solicitation 12/19/2025;” and

· The revised State-Supplied Price Sheet entitled, “REVISED T1316 – ATTACHMENT 3 – State-Supplied Price Sheet 12/19/2025; and

· A revised Bid Solicitation entitled, “T1316 Revised Bid Solicitation 12/19/2025.”

· Please note that for all additions, deletions, clarifications, and modifications to the Bid Solicitation, Bidders should refer to “T1316 Revised Bid Solicitation 12/19/2025.” The following revisions are included in the Revised Bid Solicitation:

· Section 1.1, Purpose and Intent;

· Section 1.2, Background;

· Section 3.13.12, State of New Jersey Security Due Diligence Third-Party Information Security Questionnaire;

· Section 3.14, Technical Quote;

· Section 3.15, Price List and/or Catalog;

· Section 3.23, State-Supplied Price Sheet Instructions;

· Section 3.24, Sample Invoice;

· Section 4.0 Scope of Work;

· Section 4.1 Internet Protocol Private Branch Exchange (IP PBX);

· Section 4.2.1.1 Unified Communications as a Service (UCAAS);

· Section 4.2.1.2 Contact Center as a Service (CCAAS);

· Section 4.2.2.4 Fax;

· Section 4.3.1 Ancillary Equipment with Labor;

· Section 4.3.2 Ancillary Equipment without Labor;

· Section 4.4.1 Labor Categories;

· Section 4.5.3 Dialing Plans;

· Section 4.5.4 911 Compliance;

· Section 4.5.7 System Documentation;

· Section 4.5.9 Equipment Delivery;

· Section 4.10 Warranty;

· Section 4.11 Post-Warranty Maintenance;

· Section 4.12.3 Price Updates During Contract Term;

· Section 4.12.4 E-Rate Program;

· Section 4.13.1 Billing and Payment Instructions;

· Section 6.6 Privacy.

It is the sole responsibility of the Bidder to be knowledgeable of all of the additions, deletions, clarifications, and modifications to the Bid Solicitation and/or the New Jersey Standard Terms and Conditions relative to this Bid Solicitation as set forth in all Bid Amendments.

All other instructions, terms, and conditions of the Bid Solicitation shall remain the same.

Bid Solicitation #25DPP01033 T1316 – Telecommunications Equipment and Services

Answers to Questions

Where applicable, each question references the appropriate Bid Solicitation section.

Note: Some questions may have been paraphrased in the interest of readability and clarity.

Section Reference Question (Bolded) and Answer

A: Please be advised that all Quotes shall be submitted electronically through NJSTART.

A: Yes. Prior to the Quote Opening Deadline, a Bidder should review the documents comprising the submitted Quote to ensure that all of the required documents have been completed and attached. Oftentimes a Quote is deemed non-responsive because a Bidder fails to attach a required form or attaches a blank form. To review a submitted a Quote, a Bidder should log into NJSTART and review each document attached to the Quote submission. Instructions on how to review a submitted Quote can be found in the Quick Reference Guide entitled How to Review a Submitted Quote, which is available on the NJSTART Vendor Support Page under Vendor Reference Guides.

A: It is recommended that users utilize Microsoft Edge to view PDFs. Certain PDF forms cannot be opened in the Chrome or Firefox built in PDF viewers that are enabled by default. If using Chrome or Firefox it is recommended that the file is downloaded instead by clicking the download button in the upper right-hand corner of the browser after an error message is received. An alternative option is to disable the built in PDF viewers in Chrome or Firefox.

A: As stated in Bid Solicitation Section 2.2, Exceptions to the State of NJ Standard Terms and Conditions (SSTC): “Questions regarding the State of New Jersey Standard Terms and Conditions and exceptions to mandatory requirements MUST be posed during the Electronic Question and Answer period and shall contain the Bidder’s suggested changes and the reason(s) for the suggested change(s).” Moreover, as stated in Bid Solicitation Section 3.11, Bidder proposed terms or conditions that conflict with those contained in the State of New Jersey Standard Terms and Conditions may render a Quote non-responsive.

A: The State is intending to award a contract to all responsive Bidders.

A: 1. The Bidder should provide the information that it feels is sufficient for the Evaluation Committee to determine the Bidder’s qualifications. Bidders should refer to Bid Solicitation Section 8.9 Evaluation Criteria for specific evaluation criteria.

Q: 2. It appears that this is a blanket bid for price discounts and that individual projects/purchases will be scoped and priced reflective of the referenced price discounts. Can you please confirm?

A: 2. Yes, the State is seeking Quotes for price discounts and individual projects/purchases will be scoped and priced reflective of the referenced price discounts. Final pricing to agencies are based on actual scope in accordance with price discounts submitted on the State-Supplied Price Sheet.

Q: 3. Is it the intent of NJOIT to stay on the current vendor platform or to update/forklift to another platform in each category? (IP PBX, UCaaS, CCaaS)

A: 3. The State currently uses multiple platforms to support voice telecommunications requirements, including Centrex, Stand-alone PBX systems, an NJOIT hosted VoIP system that is built upon an Avaya infrastructure, and Microsoft Teams. Migrations involving these platforms will continue to occur, but this is not a Bid for a forklift migration or upgrade. Migrations will occur as end users are ready, and to the awarded equipment/service chosen at various times throughout Contract term, based upon end user requirements.

Q: 4. Section 4.4.1- Only four subcategories of labor are listed. Can other be added to our response?

A: 4. No other subcategories of labor can be added.

Q: 5.Section 4.5.8 Training- Is on-site training required or remote based training satisfactory?

A: 5. Remote based training is acceptable.

Q: 6. Section 4.10 Warranty- Is the audit of all software and firmware to ensure they are at the appropriate patch and release level a chargeable service?

A: 6. No, it is part of Warranty coverage.

Contract Amount Q: Is there a budget for this project?

A: This information is kept confidential until notice of award is issued.

A: The State does not accept this proposed modification. Terms and conditions on publicly bid procurements must be consistent for all potential Bidders, and cannot be based on a single vendor’s terms. It is clearly stated in Section 1.4 of the Bid Solicitation that the New Jersey Standard Terms and Conditions (SSTCs) take precedence over any third partythird-party documents. In the event of any conflict between the terms of a document incorporated by reference, the terms and conditions of the Bid Solicitation and the SSTCs shall prevail.

A: The State has opened a second round of the Question & Answer period, but only for sections of the Bid Solicitation that were changed by this Bid Amendment. Please see the cover page for the restrictions related to the second Question & Answer period.

A: The State will not provide a 30-day extension for the Q&A period.

A: The State has changed the Quote submission due date to January 8, 2025.

A: Yes, Bidders can make suggested changes to requirements of the Bid Solicitation but only during the Question and Answer Period. Please see the answer to Question #14.

A: The State declines to alter or modify the Questions and Answer process and format. The State does not accept attachments and or redlined documents during the Questions and Answer process. All questions during the Question and Answer period must be submitted via the Q&A tab on the Bid Solicitation in NJSTART.

A: As stated within Section 3.11, Bidder Additional Terms Submitted with the Quote, a Bidder may submit additional terms as part of its Quote. However, any Bidder proposed terms or conditions that conflict with those contained in the State of New Jersey Standard Terms and Conditions will render a Quote non-responsive. It is incumbent upon the Bidder to identify and remove its conflicting proposed terms and conditions prior to Quote submission. Quotes including Bidder proposed additional terms that do not conflict with the Standard Terms and Conditions may be accepted, rejected, or negotiated, in whole or in part, at the State’s discretion.

A: All suggested changes to the Terms and Conditions must have been submitted within the Question and Answer period. The State has opened a second round of the Question & Answer period, but only for sections of the Bid Solicitation that were changed by this Bid Amendment. Please see the cover page for the restrictions related to the second Question & Answer period.

A: There will be no post-Quote opening negotiations or discussions regarding the Contract Terms beyond those outlined in Bid Solicitation Section 8.11 Negotiation. Pursuant to Bid Solicitation Section 3.11 Bidder proposed terms or conditions that conflict with those contained in the State of New Jersey Standard Terms and Conditions will render a Quote non-responsive. It is incumbent upon the Bidder to identify and remove its conflicting proposed terms and conditions prior to Quote submission. If a Bidder intends to propose terms and conditions that conflict with the State of New Jersey Standard Terms and Conditions, those Bidder proposed terms and conditions shall only be considered if submitted and agreed to pursuant to the electronic question and answer procedure.

A: All answers to the questions received during the electronic Question and Answer period are provided within this Bid Amendment.

A: Pursuant to Bid Solicitation Sections 2.1 and 2.3, all answers to the Questions and Answers submitted will be through the Bid Amendment process and uploaded to NJSTART. Any clarifications or changes to the Bid Solicitation will be issued via NJSTART through the same Bid Amendment process.

A: Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 52:34-13.2, all Contracts primarily for services shall be performed within the United States. The State does not accept this proposed modification. Terms and conditions on publicly bid procurements must be consistent for all potential Bidders, and cannot be based on a single vendor’s terms.

A: The State declines to alter or modify the Bid Solicitation Section 3.11 Bidder Additional Terms Submitted with the Quote.

A: Any submission requirement designated as a “must” or “shall” within the Bid Solicitation is mandatory and must be made part of the bid submission. Failure to submit mandatory Quote submission requirements will deem the Bidder’s Quote non-responsive. Other requested information designated as a “should” will also be utilized to evaluate the Quote. Unless it is a mandatory submission requirement, the State may request that a Bidder submit a missing form after Quote Opening. The Bidder should review the requirement for Section 3.13 and submit all forms required according to the instructions.

A: The Source Disclosure Certification (N.J.S.A. 52:34-13.2) is required for Contracts that are “primarily for the performance of services.” This is a Contract primarily for products and not services accordingly the form would not be required.

A: The Source Disclosure Certification (N.J.S.A. 52:34-13.2) is required for Contracts that are “primarily for the performance of services.” This is a Contract primarily for products and not services accordingly the form would not be required.

A: This is not a question and cannot be answered as posed.

A: The requirements of Bid Solicitation Section 3.13.8 Subcontractor Utilization Plan apply only to Subcontractors.

See Bid Solicitation Section 9.2, Definitions:

Subcontractors, “An entity having an arrangement with a Contractor, whereby the Contractor uses the products and/or services of that entity to fulfill some of its obligations under its State Contract, while retaining full responsibility for the performance of all Contractor's obligations under the Contract, including payment to the Subcontractor. The Subcontractor has no legal relationship with the State, only with the Contractor.” If the Bidder intends to utilize subcontractors, then a Subcontractor utilization plan is required.

Dealers/Distributors, “A Company authorized by a Bidder or Contractor as having the contractual ability to accept and fulfill orders and receive payments directly on behalf of the Contractor that is awarded a Contract. Any authorized Dealer/Distributor must agree to all terms and conditions contained within the Bid Solicitation and must agree to provide all products and services in accordance with the Contract specifications, terms, conditions and pricing." If a Bidder is intending to utilize dealers/distributors, then a Subcontractor utilization form is not required.

A: This question is incomplete as stated. The State does not know what is intended by “State approved subcontractor” and the State cannot guess at or speculate as to the “intended” question.

A: 1. Bidders can utilize approved Subcontractors from the Bidder’s Subcontractor Utilization Plan for any portion of the Bidder’s responsibilities under the Contract. The Subcontractor’s requirements would remain the same as for the awarded Bidder.

Q: 2. Is there a requirement that all data be stored within the United States?

A: 2. The security provisions are set forth in Bid Solicitation Section 6 Data Security Requirements.

A: There is no specific set-aside percentage goal for this specific Contract.

Q: Subcontracting & Small Business Set-Aside (Section 5.8 & Section 3.8)

A: This is not a question and cannot be answered as posed.

Q: Is there a defined percentage goal or dollar amount set aside for MBE / SBE Utilization on this contract? Is this considered in evaluation / scoring?

A: There is no defined percentage goal or dollar amount set-aside requirement for MBE/SBE utilization of this Contract. Set-aside utilization will not be considered in the evaluation/scoring of this Bid Solicitation.

A: Any section not applicable to your organization can be marked as “N/A” with a brief explanation.

A: The State expects Bidders to provide attestations of compliance for their own environments, not third-party cloud providers.

A: The State of New Jersey Security Due Diligence Third-Party Information Security Questionnaire is a requirement for Hosted Services, Section 4.2. Please refer to the revised Bid Solicitation entitled, “T1316 Revised Bid Solicitation 12/19/2025.”

A: No, no other documents can be submitted in lieu of the State of New Jersey Security Due Diligence Third-Party Information Security Questionnaire. The Questionnaire requests information on specific control policies that align with State policy.

A: The State of New Jersey Security Due Diligence Third-Party Information Security Questionnaire is a requirement for Hosted Services, Section 4.2. Please refer to the revised Bid Solicitation entitled, “T1316 Revised Bid Solicitation 12/19/2025.”

A: It should read “End User Trouble Reporting Process.” Section 3.14 has been amended accordingly. Please refer to the revised Bid Solicitation entitled, “T1316 Revised Bid Solicitation 12/19/2025.”

A: Section 4.1 (IP PBX) awards will only be made to OEMs, and the use of Resellers is permitted. Section 4.2 (Hosted Services) awards will only be made to Hosted Services Providers, and the use of Resellers is not permitted. Hosted Services Providers can quote up to three (3) UCaaS and CCaaS solutions. Section 4.3 (Ancillary Equipment) awards will be made to OEMs and/or Distributors. Bidders awarded Section 4.3 are not permitted to utilize Resellers. Ancillary Equipment Bidders can quote up to five (5) brands per Price Line represented on the Price Sheet.

A: Any requirement designated as a “must” or “shall” within the Bid Solicitation is mandatory and must be made part of the bid submission. Failure to submit mandatory Quote submission requirements will deem the Bidder’s Quote non-responsive. Bidders can submit the information in a manner deemed appropriate by the Bidder including in its Technical Quote. Quotes missing mandatory requirements may be deemed non-responsive. Not submitting requested information (“should”) may impact the technical evaluation score.

A: Pursuant to Bid Solicitation Section 3.14, Bidders who propose Hosted Services must include their Service Level Agreement(s) with their Quote. Bidders must remove any terms and conditions in a Service Level Agreement that conflict with the terms and conditions of this Bid Solicitation or the State Standard Terms and Conditions.

A: No, the State will not consider that as a clarification of the Time-to-Respond and Time-to-Repair requirements. Per Section 3.14, Bidders that quote Hosted Services must include a description of the SLAs associated with those services. Time-to-Respond and Time-to-Repair commitments should be part of those SLAs. The Time-to-Respond and Time-to-Repair requirements that are listed in Section 4.10, Warranty, are for equipment categories.

A: 1. As per Section 5.7(B) of the State of New Jersey’s Standard Terms & Conditions, repeated performance issues could lead to termination of a Contractor’s contract.

Q: 2. Can vendors propose alternative SLA structures based on industry standards

A: 2. Yes, for Hosted Services. As per Section 3.15, Bidders who propose Hosted Services must include their SLAs associated with that/those services.

Section 4.10, Warranty, of the Bid Solicitation has been amended. This section is specific to Equipment Categories, and alternatives to those associated performance related requirements, however, will not be accepted.

Post-Warranty Maintenance requirements of the Bid Solicitation have also been amended. Please see the revised Bid Solicitation entitled “T1316 Revised Bid Solicitation 12/19/2025.” These requirements are specific to Equipment Categories, and SLA structures associated with the proposed Maintenance Plan options are at the discretion of the Contractor.

A: Yes, the reference to “firm, fixed pricing” is referring to the defined term “Firm Fixed Price.” However, for consistency purposes, the State has updated the Bid Solicitation to reflect Firm Fixed Price in Section 3.15 Price List and/or Catalog.

A: The State declines to alter or modify the Terms of the Bid Solicitation Section 3.15 Price List And / Or Catalog.

A: Yes, the Pricing Catalog should be submitted as a separate attachment.

A: Yes, Bidders can Bid on one line item. Bidders should carefully read Section 3.23 for instructions to complete the State-Supplied Price Sheet. Each tab of the State-Supplied Price Sheet has specific instructions for each category.

A: No, the State will not accept different labor rates per category.

A: The State declines to accept the proposed interpretation related to taxes and fees. The pricing of the State-Supplied Price Sheet is firm fixed and all-inclusive. Per Section 9.2, the definition of Firm Fixed Price is, “A price that is all-inclusive of direct cost and indirect costs, including, but not limited to, direct labor costs, overhead, fee or profit, clerical support, equipment, materials, supplies, managerial (administrative) support, all documents, reports, forms, travel, reproduction and any other costs.”

A: For Hosted Service, Bidders shall provide their Price List Percent Discount in the Percent Discount Cell on the corresponding Price Sheet Tab(s). For Equipment, Bidders shall provide their Price List Discounts for equipment and maintenance in the Percent Discount Cells on the corresponding Tabs.

A: When filling out the State-Supplied Price Sheet for Tab 3 and Tab 4 only, Bidders may bid up to five (5) Brands per each description listed. Bidders shall place the discount for each Brand in the “Percent (%) Discount” column that is associated with every brand that is being offered.

A: Please see the response to Question #48.

A: 1. No. Bidders Quotes shall not include tiered discounts for higher volume purchases. During Contract Term, however, Contractors are encouraged to offer options that will afford incremental discounts. The percent discount on the price sheet is the minimum, and Contractors can offer better discounts/pricing at the time of quoting a Using Agency.

Q: 2. How often can vendors update their pricing catalogs during the contract term?

A: 2. As per revised Section 4.12.3(A), the State will permit the Contractor to update their pricing catalogs every three (3) months during the Contract term.

A: 1. Yes, Bidders must provide hourly rates for all labor categories quoted.

Q: 2. Can vendors propose alternative labor categories if they align with the contract requirements?

A: 2. Bidders cannot propose alternative labor categories.

A: 1. Yes. Please see amended Section 4.12.3

Q: 2. What is the process for modifying pricing post-award?

A: 2. Please see amended Section 4.12.3 for directions about modifying pricing post-award.

A: The following Section 4.5 sub-sections apply to Hosted/Cloud solutions:

· 4.5.1 – If on-site equipment is provided by the Contractor as a component of their Hosted/Cloud service

· 4.5.2 – If on-site equipment is provided by the Contractor as a component of their Hosted/Cloud service

· 4.5.3 – If Hosted/Cloud service has outbound dialing capability. Please see amended Section 4.5.3

· 4.5.4 – If Hosted/Cloud service has outbound dialing capability. Please see amended Section 4.5.4

· 4.5.6 – As may be required for Hosted/Cloud service

· 4.5.7 – Applies for Hosted/Cloud services as per amended Section 4.5.7

· 4.5.8 – If required by Hosted/Cloud service end user

· 4.5.9 – If on-site equipment is provided by the Contractor as a component of their Hosted/Cloud service

· 4.5.10 – If on-site equipment is provided by the Contractor as a component of their Hosted/Cloud service

A: No, OEM/Bidder is not permitted to use resellers/dealers/distributors under Section 4.2, 4.3, or 4.4.

A: The current call volume and total number of DIDs including Toll Free numbers is not required for this Bid Solicitation.

A: The estimated quantity of users for IPPBX, UCaaS & agent count for CCaaS is not required for this Bid Solicitation.

A: 1. The State does have embedded legacy PBX systems that will require replacement at some point in time. If, during the Contract term a replacement is needed, end users will decide which awarded system/service/Contractor will be utilized for that replacement.

Q: 2. Does the State have a preferred cloud provider (AWS, Azure, Google) for UCaaS and CCaaS solutions?

A: 2. The State does not have a preferred cloud provider.

Q: 3. Can the State provide a breakdown of the expected number of users and locations for hosted services?

A: 3. The State does not have an expected number of users and locations for hosted services.

A: Yes. Bidders who submit a quote for IP PBX and UCaaS can include, as an option, local and long-distance bundles.

A: No, Bidders shall not include annual term commitments in their Quotes. The discounts submitted on the State-Supplied Price Sheet are considered the minimum discount to be offered to the State, and does not preclude a Contractor to offer a better discount after the contract award to the Using Agency on a project by project basis.

A: No. Room based and managed videoconferencing solutions are not within the scope of this Bid Solicitation. Video as part of collaboration solutions associated with IP PBX and UCaaS offerings are permitted.

A: The reference to Section 4.3.1 has been removed. However, Labor is required. Please refer to the revised Bid Solicitation entitled, “T1316 Revised Bid Solicitation 12/19/2025.”

A: Awarded Contractors will not need to provide data circuits, as data circuits exist.

A: Using agencies will determine their voicemail transcription requirements on a per site basis during the Contract term.

A: Yes. Each of the platforms listed in the response to Question 6(3) has its own version of voicemail.

A: All relevant security requirements can be found in Section 6.

A: Using agencies will determine their call accounting requirements on a per site basis during the Contract term.

A: Using agencies will determine their attendant console requirements on a per site basis during the Contract term.

A: Using agencies will determine their automated provisioning requirements on a per site basis during the Contract term.

A: Using agencies will determine their mass notification requirements on a per site basis during the Contract term.

A: The State does have embedded analog devices such as elevator phones and monitoring devices, which are typically supported by Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS).

A: Using agencies will determine their audio conferencing requirements on a per site basis during the Contract term.

A: Using agencies will determine their audio conferencing requirements on a per site basis during the Contract term.

A: Using agencies will determine their audio conferencing requirements on a per site basis during the Contract term.

A: The State does not currently subscribe to a singular Web Meeting solution.

A: The State currently utilizes audio conferencing capabilities associated with the systems listed in the answer to Question 6(3), as well as Verizon’s hosted audio conferencing service.

A: Using agencies will determine their auto attendant requirements on a per site basis during the Contract term.

A: Using agencies will determine their wireless requirements on a per site basis during the Contract term.

A: Using agencies will determine their analog device requirements on a per site basis during the Contract term.

A: The number of potential sites and their addresses are not required for this Bid Solicitation.

A: Using agencies will determine their survivability and mobile device requirements on a per site basis during the Contract term.

A: Using agencies will determine their voicemail requirements on a per site basis during the Contract term.

A: This information is kept confidential until after Contract award.

A: The State uses a variety of solutions and will work with the awarded Contractor to implement the best solution for a particular application.

A: This information is kept confidential until Contract award.

A: Using agencies will determine their systems integration requirements on a per site basis during the Contract term.

A: Using agencies will determine their phone requirements on a per site basis during the Contract term.

A: Using agencies will determine their softphone requirements on a per site basis during the Contract term.

A: PSTN connectivity will be determined on a per application basis.

A: The State has a Voice Services Contract for ISDN PRI, and a Data Services Contract that includes many different services which are subscribed to on an as needed basis, i.e., Private Line, Ethernet, IP, SONET, OTN, Wavelength and Internet. Technical details are kept confidential, and will be discussed after Contract award on an as needed basis. Using agencies will determine their concurrent call requirements on a per site basis during the Contract term.

A: Using agencies will determine their connectivity requirements to existing PBX’s on a per site basis during the Contract term.