6130-egba-voice/telecom RFP: RN-15-0142

The State of Colorado's Governor's Office of Information Technology (OIT) issued Request for Proposals RN-15-0142 on behalf of all executive branch state agencies, institutions of higher education, and local governments, including Denver County and Denver City, seeking comprehensive telecommunications and voice services across three service categories: Category I (Voice Services including local calling, domestic and international long distance, toll-free services, ISDN/PRI/DSS services, and hosted interactive voice response), Category II (Audio and Web Teleconferencing Services), and Category III (Digital Subscriber Line Services). Bidders may propose for one or all three categories and must be facilities-based carriers licensed by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission for intrastate services and the Federal Communications Commission for interstate and international services. The scope of services encompasses voice support for the state's current infrastructure of 171 T-1 lines, 29 ISDN-PRI connections, 1,480 total 1FB lines, 221 1MB lines, and 140 DSL connections, with annual usage including approximately 8.1 million outbound switched minutes, 4.7 million inbound switched minutes, 7.7 million inbound dedicated minutes, 3.1 million outbound dedicated minutes, and 11.1 million audio conferencing minutes. Mandatory requirements include P.001 Grade of Service capability, positive answer supervision, network redundancy documentation, operator services with foreign language translation, coverage throughout Colorado, service implementation by July 1, 2015, and 24/7/365 customer support with one-hour emergency response times. The RFP required written inquiries by May 8, 2015, with responses published May 14, 2015, and proposal submissions by May 30, 2015, with a Notice of Award anticipated June 15, 2015, and a signed contract required by July 1, 2015. Proposals must be submitted in one original hardcopy, five additional hardcopies, and electronic copies (standard and redacted versions), with all cost sections segregated in Exhibit E format. Offerors will be evaluated on technical functional merit, management capability and experience, and price/cost as primary award criteria, and selected proposals must remain firm for a minimum of 180 calendar days from the award date.

The RFP contains no specific set-aside designations or restrictions on organization types based on disadvantaged enterprise status. The State of Colorado is the current incumbent provider maintaining PBX systems, key systems, and standard business lines throughout the state with existing billing through OIT's system. Offerors must comply with state cyber security policies, E-Verify requirements, and performance monitoring through Colorado's statewide contract management system, with the contract governed by a Model Personal Services Contract template that includes requirements for contractor insurance (workers' compensation, general liability minimum $1,000,000 per occurrence, automobile liability $1,000,000 combined single limit, and professional liability $1,000,000 per occurrence and aggregate), confidentiality and data security compliance, and records maintenance. The initial contract period runs from July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016, with potential for four additional one-year renewal terms at the State's discretion, and the State reserves the right to award one or more contracts. No specific budget or award value is identified in the solicitation documents, as contract value will be dependent on actual usage rates and negotiated service selections; however, historical usage data is available for bidder analysis based on the current network infrastructure and minute usage volumes detailed in Exhibit A.