294-20260121131942 tcsd

The Tate County School District (TCSD) in Coldwater, Mississippi, is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a network upgrade project funded through the E-Rate program for Fiscal Year 2026-27. The procurement seeks a single qualified vendor to provide a complete turnkey solution for the installation and configuration of network equipment, including Aruba Instant virtual cluster-compatible access points (HPE Aruba AP-735 or equivalent), associated cabling, and infrastructure upgrades across multiple school buildings. All equipment must be new, out-of-box condition with full manufacturer warranties, with access points warranted for a minimum of five years. Vendors must possess a Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN) and have at least one full-time Aruba Certified Professional on staff. The mandatory vendor site visit meeting is scheduled for February 4, 2026, at 10:00 AM at the district's central office, with proposals due by 10:00 AM local time on February 17, 2026. Proposals will be evaluated on a 100-point scoring system weighted as follows: pricing of eligible equipment, services, and warranties (25%); prior experience with the district (15%); personnel qualifications and professionalism (10%); management integration with current network (15%); company providing all services without subcontractors (15%); bid documentation including Excel spreadsheets (10%); and preference for Mississippi-based companies attending the site visit meeting (10%). The project completion date is scheduled for June 30, 2027, with the contract term running from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027.

The RFP includes a preference for Mississippi-based companies that attend the mandatory site visit meeting, which provides an advantage in the evaluation scoring. Vendors must submit one original and two copies of proposals and statements of qualifications, along with electronic copies on a jump drive and through the district's electronic bid server. The contract award is contingent upon E-Rate funding approval by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC); if funding is not obtained or appropriated by the school board, the contract will terminate without penalty to the district. No incumbent vendor or budget range is specified in the RFP documentation. The district reserves the right to select a single proposer outright, reject any or all proposals, and waive formalities and irregularities. The procurement requires vendors to demonstrate the capacity to manage integration with the district's current network infrastructure without relying on subcontractors for any portion of the project scope.