1551-20260205074713 CSD

The Columbia School District in Mississippi is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a wireless access point replacement project funded through the E-Rate program for Fiscal Year 26-27. The procurement seeks qualified vendors to furnish, install, and configure enterprise-class wireless access points (Ruckus or equivalent) with SmartZone onsite controllers or equivalent management licensing across all E-Rate-eligible campuses, including necessary cabling installation. Deliverables include Wi-Fi 7 indoor and outdoor access points to replace existing infrastructure, installation of additional access points only where necessary to eliminate coverage gaps identified during the mandatory site walkthrough, reuse of existing CAT6 cabling where possible, comprehensive post-installation testing, and complete as-built documentation and asset inventory spreadsheets in Excel format suitable for E-Rate documentation. Required qualifications include possession of a Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN), provision of at least three references preferably from school districts, warranty of all materials and workmanship for a minimum of five years, and submission of brand new equipment only (no refurbished or gray-market equipment). Evaluation criteria include price (25%), prior experience with the district (20%), personnel qualifications and professionalism (15%), management integration with current network (15%), company providing all services without subcontractors (5%), bid documentation including Excel spreadsheets (10%), and preference for Mississippi-based companies attending the site visit (10%). Critical dates include a mandatory pre-bid conference and site walkthrough on February 24, 2026 at 10:00 AM at the Columbia School District Central Office, with proposals due by 10:00 AM local time on March 10, 2026, and proposal opening scheduled for 10:30 AM on March 10, 2026.

The contract term begins July 1, 2026 and extends through June 30, 2027, contingent upon E-Rate funding approval by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) and receipt of a Funding Commitment Decision Letter (FCDL). There are no specific set-asides for disadvantaged enterprises identified in this procurement, though the evaluation criteria include a 10-point preference for Mississippi-based companies that attend the mandatory site visit. The district reserves the right to award to a single vendor providing a complete turnkey solution with all components, installations, and configurations completed without subcontractors, effectively restricting the award to companies capable of performing all work in-house. The procurement requires integration with the district's existing network infrastructure, with vendors expected to reuse existing CAT6 cabling where applicable and ensure seamless management integration with current systems. No specific budget range or award value is disclosed in the RFP documentation; however, project funding is entirely dependent upon E-Rate approval, and failure to secure such funding will render the contract null and void. The district reserves the right to terminate any resulting contract with thirty days' written notice and may reject any or all proposals at its sole discretion.