Ethernet Service Bartow Sites E-rate

The School Board of Polk County, Florida, issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking leased lit fiber and leased dark fiber services to establish a wide area network (WAN) connectivity infrastructure connecting the District Office hub location to 18 school sites in Bartow and Fort Meade. The procurement requires dedicated, symmetrical transport bandwidth of 10 Gbps with scalability to 100 Gbps, offering three distinct service options: fully managed leased lit fiber, traditional year-to-year leased dark fiber, and a long-term 20-year Indefeasible Right of Use (IRU) agreement. Respondents were required to provide detailed network diagrams, service level agreements, timelines, and maintenance plans, with a mandatory pre-proposal conference held on January 14, 2020, at 2:00 PM ET. Written questions were due by January 15, 2020, at 4:00 PM ET, and sealed proposals were due February 5, 2020, at 3:00 PM ET. The evaluation process would assess proposals on a 100-point scale, considering experience and qualifications (15 points), methodology (20 points), E-rate eligible recurring and one-time costs (25 points), E-rate ineligible costs (15 points), demonstrated scalability (10 points), and overall ability to meet district needs (15 points).

The procurement was specifically targeted at vendors registered with the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) and possessing a USAC-issued 498 ID, with E-rate funding anticipated for eligible costs including special construction charges, design and engineering, and project management. Respondents were required to submit three references from current or recent customers with equivalent or larger project experience, preferably from Florida K-20 institutions. WANRack, LLC, located in Lenexa, Kansas, was ultimately recommended for award for all items under the Leased Lit Fiber Service Option, with a contract period valid through June 30, 2030. The contract includes initial terms of 120 months for leased dark fiber and 240 months for IRU options, with optional renewal periods available in 24-month increments. While specific total contract value was not disclosed, the procurement included comprehensive pricing structures for various service options, including non-recurring costs, special construction costs, and monthly recurring costs for services ranging from 10 Gbps to 100 Gbps, with separate pricing sheets for optional contract extension years.