E-Rate 2026

Tacoma School District 10 in Pierce County, Washington, is conducting an E-rate 2026 Category 2 procurement for networking equipment and infrastructure upgrades across 58 schools and 5 additional buildings. The district is seeking quotes for specific networking hardware including 2 Aruba 6405 switches, 1,680 wireless access points (Aruba AP 635 and AP 655 models), 25 Tripp Lite UPS units, 220 long-range and 950 short-range fiber transceivers, and various Aruba CX series switches. An optional fiber cabling replacement project is also included for Lincoln High School. The procurement follows a detailed evaluation matrix that weights pricing at 25 percent, with additional criteria including technical response quality (20%), infrastructure compatibility (15%), total cost of ownership (15%), vendor experience (10%), support and service (10%), and references (5%). Key procurement dates include a non-mandatory site walk on December 18, 2025, a mandatory wiring walk-through on December 19, 2025, a question submission deadline of January 6, 2026, and a proposal submission deadline of January 15, 2026, at 2:00 PM via the Bonfire electronic bid management system. Contract dates for non-recurring services will run from April 1, 2026, through December 31, 2027, with potential extensions up to 36 months.

Funding for this procurement is contingent upon approved E-rate funding from the Services, List, and Devices (SLD) program and requires matching fund appropriation. Service providers must offer the lowest corresponding price for non-residential customers and provide comprehensive services including installation, testing, training, asset tagging, inventory management, and a one-year warranty. Proposing vendors must submit completed Service Provider Qualification Forms, Service Provider Assurance Forms, prevailing wage and suspension/debarment certifications, and applicable cabling requirements forms. The district reserves the right to award contracts in whole, in part, or by individual item to single or multiple vendors based on the most cost-effective solution. While no specific set-aside designations are mentioned, contractors must comply with Washington State regulations, including prevailing wage requirements, Department of Labor & Industries registration, and other statutory compliance measures. The procurement allows for potential scaling back of projects if required funds are not available, and contractors must demonstrate financial stability, technical competence, and adherence to federal and state contracting regulations.