GenNET Backup Equipment

The Genesee Intermediate School District (GISD) in Flint, Michigan, is seeking bids for GenNET Backup Equipment through a Request for Proposal (RFP) 2019-01, targeting the procurement of comprehensive backup storage infrastructure for its regional educational network. The project involves acquiring server backup storage hardware for two sites: an offsite location and the GISD Data Center, including two server configurations with specific technical requirements such as 4c8T Intel CPUs, 32GB ECC memory, 240GB SSDs, RAID 6 compatibility, and 10Gb network adapters. The procurement aims to replace the current backup infrastructure while increasing retention capacity, with a total hardware requirement of 34 qty 8TB drives for the offsite location (approximately 174TB) and 26 qty 8TB drives for the data center (approximately 131TB). The pre-bid meeting was held on July 16, 2019, with sealed bids due by July 25, 2019, at 2:00 P.M. Bidders must submit one original and two copies of their proposal, along with an electronic copy, and include a 5% bid bond. The district reserves the right to accept or reject any bid and may split the award between multiple vendors, with the anticipated contract award at their August 6, 2019 board meeting.

The procurement does not specify explicit set-aside designations or restrictions on responding organizations. The project supports GenNET, a collaborative network owned by 21 local Genesee County school districts and the GISD, spanning over 450 miles of fiber and connecting more than 200 buildings. The current backup environment consists of two 36-bay SuperMicro SuperServers with approximately 101TB usable storage at each site, running Windows Server Standard 2012R2. Vendors must complete a Familial Relationship Disclosure and certify they are not an "Iran Linked Business" to be considered eligible. The district will handle server operating system installation, software configuration, and site replication, focusing solely on purchasing backup hardware compatible with existing Veeam backup software. While specific budget ranges are not explicitly stated, the comprehensive nature of the hardware procurement suggests a significant investment in updating the network's backup infrastructure. The district emphasizes flexibility in hardware configurations, provided the total storage capacity meets the specified requirements, and offers an 8x5 next business day warranty for the new equipment.