K12 E-Rate Internet Services

The South Carolina Department of Administration, Office of Technology and Information Services (OTIS) is soliciting proposals for statewide K-12 E-Rate Internet Services covering public schools and libraries across South Carolina's 46 counties, with proposals due November 17, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. and a pre-proposal conference on October 27, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. via Teams. This is a single-vendor award under the Federal Communications Commission's Universal Service Program for Schools and Libraries.

The contractor must provision and maintain approximately 220 circuits ranging from 10 Mbps to 50 Gbps, deliver managed router services, and comply with all FCC E-Rate program rules including Lowest Corresponding Price (LCP) requirements under 47 C.F.R. 54.500. The awardee must achieve 99.99% monthly service availability, maintain 24/7 network operations center monitoring, connect to at least three diversely connected upstream internet service providers following specified Tier models, and complete on-premises installations within 20 calendar days and off-premises installations within 45 calendar days. Pricing submission requires fixed prices with separate line items for Category 1 internet access and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) services; DDoS is E-Rate-ineligible. The contractor must maintain a valid Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN) and Federal Communications Commission Registration Number (FCCRN) and comply with USAC invoicing and documentation retention.

The initial contract term is five years beginning July 1, 2027, with two one-year renewal options extending through June 30, 2034. Dedicated staffing based in South Carolina is required: an Account Manager, a Project Manager with PMI certification, and Billing Administrators. Liquidated damages provisions apply for failure to meet June 30, 2027 implementation schedules. Contract funding depends on successful receipt of Universal Service Fund dollars through the E-Rate program. Award notification is expected December 8, 2026. Questions are due October 27, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.