District Wan

Deming Public Schools in Luna County, New Mexico, has issued Request for Proposals (RFP) #24-03 for a District Wide Area Network (WAN) connectivity project targeting five specific sites: Bell Elementary, Chaparral Elementary, Ruben S. Torres Elementary, Cody Road Administrative Offices, and Florida Administrative Offices. The procurement seeks Metro Ethernet internet connections with bandwidth options ranging from 200 Mbps to 500 Mbps per site, representing an upgrade from the current network configuration. Vendors must be capable of delivering services by July 1, 2024, with an initial one-year service agreement and potential continuation for up to three years. The proposal evaluation will be conducted on a 100-point scale, with points distributed across specifications (35 points), performance (25 points), and total cost (40 points), with a strong emphasis on E-rate eligible costs. Proposals are due by March 4, 2024, at 3:00 pm MST, and must be submitted through the E-rate program procurement process.

The solicitation includes specific preferences for local and veteran-owned businesses, offering an 8% preference for in-state or Native American resident businesses and a 10% preference for resident veteran businesses. A mandatory Campaign Contribution Disclosure Form must accompany all proposals, with submissions lacking this form being automatically disqualified. The district reserves the right to award some, all, or none of the proposed items based on budget constraints. While specific budget ranges are not explicitly detailed, the procurement is structured through the E-rate program, which typically provides significant funding support for educational technology infrastructure. Potential respondents must demonstrate the technical capability to provide reliable WAN connections, integrate with existing infrastructure, and meet the district's performance and connectivity requirements across the specified educational and administrative sites.