9230-26-R-RFIN-00012

Jackson State University's Office of Purchasing and Travel has issued an Invitation for Bids (IFB 25-27) for the procurement of GPU-accelerated high-performance computing (HPC) workstations to support the university's computational research cluster. The procurement encompasses five computing nodes consisting of two high-end nodes and four intermediate-level nodes, with detailed technical specifications requiring dual-socket server architectures featuring latest-generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors (Sapphire Rapids or newer) containing a minimum of 64 cores, 768 GB minimum DDR5 ECC registered memory, professional NVIDIA GPU accelerators with minimum 80 GB ECC VRAM, and comprehensive NVMe SSD storage (2 TB primary, 2 TB scratch, and 8 TB data storage) with Linux Ubuntu Desktop Edition as the operating system. Bidders must submit written inquiries by March 4, 2026, with responses to inquiries posted by March 11, 2026, and sealed bids are due by March 18, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. CST at the Office of Purchasing and Travel, 100 Capitol Street, Jackson, MS 39201, with bid opening occurring on the same date and time. The anticipated intent to award is April 1, 2026, with submission to the Mississippi Department of Finance MAGIC portal anticipated by April 15, 2026 if cost exceeds $500,000. Bids must be submitted on a firm, fixed-price basis with FOB Destination shipping terms, excluding federal excise taxes and state sales/use taxes, and bidders must specify delivery timeframes with a maximum of 14 calendar days if not stated. The contact buyer is Brenda Nash Jefferson at (601) 971-9906 or brenda.l.nash-jefferson@jsums.edu.

The procurement does not specify any set-aside designations or restrictions on bidder types based on disadvantaged enterprise status or organizational classification. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the procurement documents. Jackson State University reserves the right to accept or reject all or any part of any bid and will award to the lowest responsible bidder meeting specifications. Bidders must comply with all Mississippi state purchasing regulations, equal employment opportunity provisions, and Executive Order 11246, and must certify that they are not delinquent in franchise tax payments to Mississippi and have not violated antitrust laws. The contract is not assignable by the vendor without written consent from Jackson State University and may be canceled by either party with 30 days' written notice. While the specific budget range is not disclosed in the procurement documents, the submission to the Mississippi Department of Finance MAGIC portal is required if the total cost exceeds $500,000, suggesting the procurement may fall within that threshold. Payment will be made within 45 days or fewer from receipt of goods and an uncontested invoice.