Network Equipment E-Rate Funding

Mar Lee School, a public K-8 institution located in Marshall, Michigan, within Calhoun County and McBride Village, issued a Request for Proposal for network equipment upgrades funded through the E-Rate program administered by the Universal Service Administration Company (USAC). The procurement seeks sealed bids for a comprehensive network infrastructure replacement project that includes 10 supplemental Aerohive AP230 wireless access points with licenses and three-year support, 5 replacement Cisco 2960X switches with three-year support, network cabinet installation with new cabling, and UPS installation in the main distribution frame, along with site surveys, installation services, and related cabling and infrastructure upgrades. Respondents were required to possess valid Service Provider Identification Numbers (SPIN) demonstrating non-red-light E-Rate status and agree to participate in USF funding by filing Form 474 Service Provider Invoices. The RFP required vendors to submit company information, references from five similar projects, current client lists, equipment manufacturer certifications, and evidence of successful project completion of comparable size and complexity. Written questions and inquiries were due February 8, 2019, at 5:00 PM EST, with sealed bids required by February 15, 2019, at 5:00 PM EST. An optional technical walkthrough was offered on January 23, 2019, at 3:00 PM EST, with complete evaluation scheduled for February 19, 2019, and final award notification on February 22, 2019. Quoted prices were required to remain effective through June 30, 2020, with the contract term running through the E-Rate funding year from July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2020.

The procurement was restricted to E-Rate eligible service providers and contingent upon E-Rate funding approval and final board authorization, with the school retaining discretion to proceed with all or partial project elements. Mar Lee School's existing technology environment includes a 1 GB fiber connection, Fortigate firewall, one Cisco Catalyst 3550 switch, four Cisco Catalyst 2960 switches, and 15 Aerohive AP230 wireless access points, all of which required integration consideration from responding vendors. No specific budget range or award value was disclosed in the RFP; however, pricing was to exclude sales tax, and vendors were authorized to bill the school only for the non-discounted portion following E-Rate reimbursement. All proposals and supporting documentation became the property of Mar Lee School without restrictions, and all responses were governed by Michigan law. The procurement did not identify set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises or other restricted organization categories in the available documentation.