26-021 RFP - erate cable remediation

The Houston County School District in Georgia issued Request for Proposals 26-021 for cable plant infrastructure remediation services, with proposals due January 8, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time. This procurement seeks a qualified vendor to remediate the cable plant infrastructure across approximately 2,000 cable drops distributed across 47 primary school and administrative locations throughout the district. The scope of work includes removing unused network cabling, implementing effective cable management, ensuring all cables are correctly connected, consolidating cables to new patch panel port locations, relabeling wall jacks, and providing all necessary labeling materials and labor for cable removal and offsite recycling. The project encompasses four-pair category copper cables (Cat5, Cat5e, or Cat6) that terminate on Cat5e and Cat6 punch-down style patch panels or modular keystone patch panels. Contractors must complete all work within nine months of the project start date (contingent upon funding commitment notification), with remediation coordinated through the district's Director of Technology and work commencing after April 1, 2026. Successful bidders must demonstrate a minimum of three years' experience in low voltage cabling services, provide references from at least three school districts with a minimum of 20 schools each, possess a valid SPIN and FCC registration for USAC participation, maintain 24/7 service availability, and hold a valid Georgia business license. Proposals are evaluated on a 100-point scale: eligible cost (45 points), proposed solution (35 points), business qualifications (10 points), and demonstrated E-Rate experience (10 points), with pricing submitted on a per-drop basis using the provided Financial Proposal form. The initial contract term runs one year from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, with automatic annual renewals for up to two additional years (24 months total), with either party able to opt out with 60 days' notice.

No specific set-aside designations or restrictions limiting response to particular organization types were identified in the procurement documents. The contract is contingent upon receipt of a Funding Commitment Decision Letter (FCDL) from the SLD awarding the requested E-Rate discounts in full, with the district invoicing only for matching funds while the vendor invoices the SLD for the nondiscount portion under the SPI method. The facility utilizes a mixture of Ortronics Series II equipment and various keystone manufacturers, requiring contractor familiarity with these existing systems and equipment types. MTC was awarded this contract with a total evaluation score of 99.75 points, compared to the competing bidder AiOS's score of 96.43 points, with MTC quoting $45.00 per drop compared to AiOS's $41.68 per drop. All records must be retained for ten years from final service delivery for E-Rate compliance and audit purposes. The award demonstrates the district's prioritization of overall value and E-Rate experience alongside cost considerations in the vendor selection process.