Dispatch network RE-design

The South Florida Regional Transportation Authority is requesting proposals for a dispatch network redesign assessment and consolidated network design under RFP 26-011, with proposals due November 3, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. EDT and a pre-proposal meeting on October 13, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. EDT via video conference. The project is subject to Federal Transit Administration funding and compliance requirements, including Davis-Bacon prevailing wage requirements for construction work exceeding $2,000, Buy America provisions, DBE participation requirements, and federal debarment and suspension certifications.

The scope encompasses assessment of existing Dispatch and Positive Train Control networks; redesign, documentation, configuration, and testing of an enterprise network spanning six data centers (Indianapolis, Chicago, Ashburn, Seattle, West Palm Beach, and Pompano Beach) and forty-nine wayside locations; establishment of a testing and staging laboratory; development of a detailed migration and cutover plan for replacing AT&T end-of-life copper services with fiber lines; and installation of new network equipment. Deliverables include topology diagrams, IP address management plans, equipment inventories, configuration files in Microsoft Visio and Project formats, and operational support materials. The contractor must provide a one-year service warranty on all Cisco network configuration services with one-business-day response and two-business-day remediation initiation for warranty requests.

The contract term is six months from Notice to Proceed. Payment is milestone-based across seven phases: Project Kickoff (10%), Discovery and Assessment (20%), Draft Network Redesign (20%), Final Design Review (15%), Laboratory Build and Testing (15%), Configuration Development (10%), and Final Documentation with Cutover Support (10%). Pricing is lump-sum with optional hourly rates for Senior Network Engineer, Project Manager, and Network Engineer positions, plus a not-to-exceed travel and lodging allowance of $5,000; all pricing must include labor, engineering, project management, equipment, software, documentation, testing, overhead, insurance, taxes, and profit.

The evaluation methodology allocates 40 points to Qualifications and Experience, 25 points to Project Approach, 15 points to Project Schedule, and 20 points to Cost. Proposers must submit a technical proposal not exceeding twenty single-sided pages, three project references, Contractor Qualification Certification, Drug Free Workplace Certificate, Truth-in-Negotiation Certificate, E-Verify affidavit, and Human Trafficking Affidavit. Questions are due October 20, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. EDT. Insurance requirements include Commercial General Liability ($1 million per occurrence/$2 million aggregate), Workers' Compensation, Business Automobile Liability ($1 million), Umbrella/Excess Liability ($4 million), and Cyber/Professional Liability and Cyber Insurance ($1 million each). A Payment and Performance Bond is required. Liquidated damages are capped at ten percent of contract value. Proposals remain irrevocable for 180 days after the due date.