IFB B50817 ¿ Storage Expansion and Upgrade

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) is soliciting sealed bids through Invitation for Bids (IFB) B50817 for storage expansion and upgrade services for its Information Technology Department. The procurement encompasses code upgrades to existing IBM Enterprise Storage Systems, installation of six IBM Storage Scale System Utility Nodes, one IBM FlashSystem 7300 NVMe Control Enclosure, two IBM FlashSystem 7000 High Density Expansion Enclosures with 54 additional 20TB drives, and associated infrastructure components at two locations: MARTA Headquarters (2424 Piedmont Road, Atlanta, GA) and Candler Park Data Center (1484 Dekalb Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA). Deliverables include professional services for system integration, configuration, installation, and testing, with all onsite work to be completed within a three-month period during regular business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time), excluding national holidays. Bidders must submit sealed bids by March 17, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. local time, with public bid opening scheduled for March 18, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. at MARTA Headquarters. Contractors must comply with E-Verify requirements, maintain comprehensive insurance coverage including Commercial General Liability ($2,000,000 per occurrence/$4,000,000 aggregate), Cyber Liability ($5,000,000), Errors & Omissions Liability ($5,000,000), and adhere to NIST and CIS security standards. Bidders must submit firm offers irrevocable for 150 days from the bid opening date, bid on all line items to be considered for award, and pricing must include all materials, labor, equipment, software, and facilities necessary for complete delivery and installation with one-year warranty coverage.

The IFB contains no identified set-asides or restrictions limiting bidder eligibility based on disadvantaged enterprise status or organizational type, allowing all qualified contractors to compete. No incumbent contractor information is specified in the procurement documents, though the project requires integration with existing IBM Enterprise Storage Systems and maintenance of existing IBM maintenance agreements post-warranty expiration. The contract term is three years from the Notice to Proceed date with no renewal options specified, and payment is contingent upon delivery and acceptance of goods and completion of services approved by MARTA, with invoices submitted via MARTA's Self-Invoicing Portal and paid within 45 days of receipt and acceptance. While a specific budget range or award value is not disclosed in the available documentation, pricing shall encompass all associated costs for design, procurement, delivery, installation, implementation, maintenance, and repair or replacement of all materials and equipment.