Exclusive Data & Telecommunications Contractor Services

The Seattle Convention Center, a public facilities district located in King County, Washington, has issued Request for Proposals (RFP 550-0526-1) seeking an exclusive data and telecommunications contractor to provide comprehensive event networking services for the facility and its clients. The scope of work includes professional installation, operation, and maintenance of state-of-the-art wired and wireless networking infrastructure; internet circuits of at least 10 Gbps for both the Arch and Summit facilities; managed network services with 99.95% availability targets; managed WiFi services with multiple SSIDs for different user categories; and on-site staffing consisting of a minimum of two full-time managers and two network technicians. Based on 2025 performance data, the contractor must support approximately 206,729 wireless connections, 2,005 wired connections, and 958,495 GB of monthly data transfers. Proposers must submit five required components through the Seattle Convention Center's Euna Procurement portal by May 28, 2026 at 3:00 PM PDT: a letter of submittal, certifications and assurances, technical proposal, management proposal, and detailed capital investment breakdown. The question period runs from May 4 through May 15, 2026 at 5:00 PM PDT, with a pre-proposal conference scheduled for May 13, 2026 at 2:00 PM, followed by an optional facility site walk. Evaluation will be weighted at 90 points for the technical proposal, 70 points for the management proposal, and 40 points for the capital investment proposal, with potential bonus points from interviews and reference checks. The contractor must maintain Commercial General Liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence, Professional Liability Insurance of $1,000,000 per claim, and Business Auto Liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence, and must comply with certifications and assurances requirements including independent pricing determination and non-collusion attestations.

The RFP documents do not identify specific set-asides or restrictions on organizational types eligible to respond, nor do they reference disadvantaged enterprise designations. No incumbent vendor information is specified in the available RFP materials. The contract structure compensates the successful proposer through a fixed 35 percent commission on all invoiced data, telecommunications, miscellaneous services, and labor performed by the contractor or subcontractors, with any service discounts requiring advance SCC approval. Based on 2025 gross contractor revenue of approximately $6.2 million, the awarded contract value could reasonably be expected to generate substantial revenue; however, the contractor bears all operational costs including internet service provider fees, equipment procurement, staff salaries, and expenses. The contractor must also contribute a percentage share of monthly exhibitor services system costs, currently $22,680.72, calculated by the ratio of telecommunications revenues to total exhibitor services revenues. The contract performance period will run from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2033, with the SCC retaining the right to extend the contract for three additional one-year periods, for a maximum total term of ten years.