Offsite Data Center Rack Space

Auburn University's Procurement and Business Services has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for Offsite Data Center Rack Space, seeking a commercial data center service provider to supply a minimum of 5 contiguous and dedicated computer cabinets with specific technical requirements. The required infrastructure must include 19" internal mounting racks, 42U height, 40" depth, redundant PDUs, and lockable cabinets capable of supporting a redundant 30kW power load per cabinet with heat dissipation not exceeding 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The procurement is specifically for enterprise business computing, storage hosting, and high-performance research computing servers and appliances. Evaluation criteria will weight pricing at 50%, RFP requirements at 25%, and history/past performance at 25%. Key dates include a mandatory pre-bid conference via Zoom on February 15, 2024, and proposal submissions due by March 6, 2024, at 10:30 AM CST through the JAGGAER Sourcing Event Portal. The contract will be an initial three-year term with options to renew for two additional one-year terms. The selected provider must offer a hardened Tier IV level facility with 99.995% uptime, redundant power and cooling, fire protection, controlled physical access, and network connectivity from multiple commercial fiber optic providers.

The university emphasizes commitment to small business and small disadvantaged business (SB & SDB) participation, encouraging diversity in potential contractors. Potential vendors must comply with various state and federal regulations, including E-Verify requirements and immigration law compliance. The data center must provide 24x7x365 secure access, remote hands support, and a comprehensive Service Level Agreement covering uptime, response times, and outage credits. Proposers are required to provide detailed pricing for holding reservations for unpopulated racks, power consumption as hardware is brought online, and pricing for additional cabinets if needed. While no specific budget range is explicitly stated, the technical requirements suggest a substantial investment in enterprise-level data center infrastructure. Payment terms are set at 0% 0, Net 30, with the contract to be awarded in US Dollars. The procurement uses commodity codes 81112000 for data services and 81161800 for data voice or multimedia network equipment rental or leasing services, indicating a comprehensive approach to data center colocation needs.