Ethernet Communication Transport Service Contract for SDANG Statewide

The State of South Dakota Department of the Military is seeking a comprehensive Ethernet Communication Transport Service Contract for the South Dakota Army National Guard (SDARNG), specifically targeting a highly reliable Wide Area Network (WAN) solution utilizing MPLS Layer-3 VPN technology. The procurement will connect the core site at Camp Rapid with 34 remote SDARNG locations using Fast Ethernet services, with critical technical requirements including dedicated real-time queues configurable in 1Mbps increments and robust Quality of Service (QoS) management. The contract demands a stringent Service Level Agreement (SLA) guaranteeing 99.999% uptime, specific bandwidth commitments ranging from 25M to 500M, and low latency/packet loss metrics. Proposals are due by July 8, 2025, with potential contract award on August 1, 2025, and a potential term through July 31, 2030, including options for up to four one-year extensions. Evaluation criteria will focus on specialized expertise, technical competence, resources, past performance, project management techniques, and ability to handle project constraints. Vendors must submit an original and one copy of their proposal, including an electronic version, and can email inquiries to SFC Aaron Sterud at aaron.g.sterud.mil@army.mil with the subject line "RFP #25RFP14910" before the specified deadline.

While no specific set-aside designations are explicitly mentioned, the contract requires 24/7/365 network monitoring, technical support, and next-business-day on-site support for hardware replacement. The procurement includes unique provisions such as two additional Scalable Ethernet Internet Service circuits for Rapid City, Sioux Falls, and Watertown, with one location requiring a /28 block of 16 physical IP addresses. A distinctive feature allows the RED DALE DR location to operate on a month-to-month service that can be activated with 30 days' notice, providing flexibility in network deployment. The State reserves the right to reject any proposals and will negotiate with the highest-ranked offeror to refine the scope of services, terms, compensation, and performance schedule. Although specific budget ranges are not detailed in the documents, the comprehensive technical requirements and extensive network infrastructure suggest a significant investment in technological infrastructure for the South Dakota Army National Guard's communication systems.