C1 Internet Access and Data Transport & C2 Wireless and MIBS

The Eastern Upper Peninsula (EUP) E-Rate Consortium is conducting a competitive procurement for Internet Access and Data Transmission (C1) services and Wireless equipment with Managed Internal Broadband Services (MIBS) (C2) on behalf of 19 school districts and educational institutions across Michigan's Upper Peninsula, including entities in Chippewa County. The procurement consists of two separate Forms: Form 470 #260000269 for C1 Internet Access and Data Transmission services and related equipment, and Form 470 #260021365 for C2 Managed Internal Broadband Services and security appliances. The C1 services are requested for a one-year initial term from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, with two optional 12-month extensions through June 30, 2029, while C2 equipment and services are requested for a five-year initial term from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031, with an optional five-year extension. The scope includes internet bandwidth ranging from 50 Mbps to 2 Gbps per district, data transport circuits to Lake Superior State University, and network infrastructure equipment including Fortinet FortiGate routers (FG-90G and FG-100F models), Meraki and Cisco switches, wireless access points, uninterruptible power supplies, internal cabling, racks, and five-year Meraki licensing agreements. Deliverables encompass hardware procurement, software and licensing costs, perpetual operation and management of internal broadband equipment, replacement and repair services, and as-built documentation. Proposals are evaluated based on cost (30% weighting), specification compliance (25% weighting), flexibility of implementation and use (25% weighting), and experience and support (20% weighting). The deadline for submitting questions is February 20, 2026, at 4:00 PM Eastern Time, with sealed proposals due March 20, 2026, at 2:00 PM Eastern Time at 315 Armory Place, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan 49783, consisting of two hard copies and one electronic copy on memory stick or digital format. Proposals must remain valid for at least 180 days from submission, and all vendors must hold an active Universal Service Fund (USF) Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN) for E-rate eligible products and services.

Respondents must comply with all E-Rate program requirements administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company and must clearly identify which goods and services are E-rate eligible versus ineligible. Bidders are required to submit familial disclosure affidavits and Iran Economic Sanctions Act certifications with their proposals, confirming no familial relationships exist between contractor owners or employees and school district superintendents or board members, and that the bidding entity is not Iran-linked as defined under Michigan law, with false certifications carrying penalties including contract termination, three-year bidding ineligibility, and civil penalties up to $250,000 or twice the bid amount. Selected vendors must not be debarred, suspended, or proposed for debarment by any federal entity. The consortium member school districts are exempt from taxation under Michigan's Revised School Code, and vendors should not include taxes in their pricing unless they can demonstrate otherwise. Existing equipment currently deployed includes 493 wireless access points, 107 switches, and 51 security appliances across the district, which will remain operational during the procurement and installation phase of new equipment. The consortium will not pay taxes and will evaluate bids on cost-effectiveness; while the procurement is contingent upon the consortium receiving E-rate Funding Commitment Letters, the consortium reserves the right to proceed in the absence of such funding and to reject any or all proposals. Budget ranges are not explicitly stated in the solicitation documents, though identified cost line items for equipment include routers at $1,600.14 to $2,009.48, switches from $528.68 to $4,694.66, wireless access points from $497.92 to $843.96, UPS systems at $389.48 to $718.19, and a five-year Meraki licensing package at $436,008.65, with the Sault Ste. Marie Area Schools representing one of the largest cost centers in the consortium.