MA 2027-C1 INT City of Somerville, Somerville, MA (BEN 156440)

The City of Somerville, Massachusetts is requesting proposals for broadband internet access services and leased on-premises equipment under E-Rate Funding Year 2027-28, with proposals due November 12, 2026 via the Bonfire e-procurement portal and a mandatory site visit required. Questions close October 9, 2026 at 2:00 PM CDT, with answers posted by October 14, 2026.

The scope covers broadband internet access at a primary hub location (City of Somerville Town Hall, 93 Highland Ave, Somerville, MA 02143) and service extension to eleven secondary sites including schools and community facilities throughout Somerville. The applicant requires minimum bandwidth of 10 Gbps and 26 IP addresses. Offerors must provide detailed incremental pricing for all supported port-level charges between 10 Gbps and 25 Gbps, with Static IP address costs identified as a separate line item. Installation and construction costs, if applicable, must be clearly separated from service charges. Proposals must include the complete cost to connect to and work with the applicant's existing LAN and deliver all services to an existing network closet inside each specified site. Pricing proposals must be held firm for the duration of the E-Rate funding year or until project completion.

Service providers must maintain valid FCC Form 498 ID and FCC Registration Number with Green Light status and comply with all FCC and USAC E-Rate program requirements. A comprehensive Service Level Agreement must commit to 99.9–99.99% network availability with specified response times and restoration commitments. Documentation retention extends ten years from the last date of service, and service providers must invoice USAC within 120 days of service completion using Form 474 unless the applicant requests Form 472 reimbursement.

Contract term options include month-to-month, one year with up to four voluntary annual renewals, 36 months with up to two voluntary annual renewals, or 60 months. Service commencement is requested for July 1, 2027. E-Rate funding from the Universal Service Fund's Schools and Libraries Program is the primary financial source. Pricing must separate E-Rate eligible costs from ineligible costs to support the applicant's non-discounted share liability determination under the FCC Funding Commitment Decision Letter.