E-rate Round 8 Last Mile and WAN Fiber Circuits - IFB

The Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology is requesting bids on fiber-based Metro Ethernet services for connectivity between site locations throughout Illinois under IFB 26-448DOIT-TELEC-B-52779, with bids due September 3, 2026, and a mandatory pre-submission webinar on August 4, 2026 at 2:30 PM Central Time. The procurement is issued in conjunction with the Universal Service Fund Schools and Libraries Program E-rate Form 470 pursuant to the DoIT Consortium. A 30% Business Enterprise Program goal applies to special construction work only; bidders performing no special construction must submit a letter stating this fact.

Bidders may respond on all circuits, single circuits, or multiple circuits across nine bandwidth tiers: 20 Mbps, 50 Mbps, 100 Mbps, 250 Mbps, 500 Mbps, 1 Gbps, 2 Gbps, 4 Gbps, and 10 Gbps. All-inclusive pricing is required for non-recurring special construction, non-recurring installation, monthly recurring charges, and additional monthly charges across over 1,000 circuits statewide, with service start dates of July 1, 2027 or July 1, 2028. Services must maintain 99.98% availability based on 30-day average and provide guaranteed symmetrical bandwidth with 7x24x365 operational availability. Vendors must obtain a valid Service Provider Identification Number, Federal Communications Commission Registration Number, and maintain FCC Green Light Status prior to bid submission.

The resulting contract carries an initial term of seven years with a maximum total term not to exceed ten years including renewals. Awards will be made on a circuit-by-circuit basis to multiple responsive and responsible bidders. Pricing evaluation uses Total Cost of Ownership over a six-year period weighted by bandwidth level. Vendors must comply with Illinois Procurement Code preferences, Illinois Human Rights Act requirements, environmental and drug-free workplace standards, and debarment disclosures. No bid or performance bonds are required. Bids containing zero-dollar monthly recurring prices for any bandwidth tier on a circuit render that circuit ineligible, though ineligibility on one circuit does not preclude award on others.