ITB-SMCPS-2026-IT-OTRS - Ciena Equipment for Optical Transport/Route/Switch (E-Rate)

The Board of Education of St. Mary's County on behalf of St. Mary's County Public Schools (SMCPS) is requesting sealed bids for optical transport equipment including Ciena 3924 Service Delivery Switches and Ciena 5164 Service Aggregation Switches or equivalent hardware, with bids due March 4, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. via the eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA) website. Questions are due January 23, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. The procurement is E-Rate eligible and encourages Minority Business Enterprise participation.

The scope covers 22 line items encompassing 50 units of Ciena 3924 switches, 8 units of Ciena 5164 switches, optical transceivers in multiple configurations and ranges (10 GIG, 40 KM, 80 KM, and 100G QSFP28), perpetual software licenses, cloud-hosted Ciena Navigator access, and annual support. All solutions must bundle accessories, perpetual licensing, support, and software management components. Equipment will serve 28 SMCPS building locations. SMCPS will provide installation; vendors are responsible for equipment furnishing only, though they may optionally quote installation labor on separate bid attachments.

Vendors must hold a valid Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN) and FCC Registration Number and disclose any prior FCC red-lighting or audits by USAC, FCC, DOJ, or related entities within the past two to five years. Vendors must demonstrate five years of continuous operation in optical transport equipment installation and evidence of two similar projects completed in school environments. Performance and payment bonds are required for projects exceeding $100,000. Insurance includes commercial general liability of $1 million per occurrence / $2 million aggregate, business auto liability of $1 million, workers' compensation per statutory requirements, and Technology Errors & Omissions/Cyber liability of $3 million per claim / $3 million aggregate. Pricing must be F.O.B. Destination with no exceptions and include all labor, supplies, materials, equipment, and services for complete installation and configuration.

The contract award covers an initial one-year term with options to renew for four additional one-year periods. SMCPS reserves the right to award in whole or in part, make multiple awards, and reject all bids. Award is contingent on funding availability. Bid opening is scheduled for March 4, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. via Google Meet.