Telecom and SaaS Cost Savings Audit

The City of Asheville, North Carolina is requesting proposals for a comprehensive Telecom and SaaS Cost Savings Audit, with proposals due November 2, 2026 at 4:00 PM and questions due October 13, 2026 at 5:00 PM EDT. The City anticipates a single vendor award with project kickoff in December 2026 or January 2027.

The scope encompasses an audit of approximately 2,000 active cellular lines (900 with Mobile Device Management installed) across Verizon and AT&T, covering phones, tablets, and Cradlepoint devices, as well as AWS and Azure SaaS platforms. The audit will establish accurate inventory, ensure licensing compliance, eliminate redundancies, and identify cost-optimization opportunities. Vendors will work primarily from City-provided documentation (historical invoices, spend data, contracts, and administrator exports in Google Sheets or PDF formats) without requiring software installation. Cellular service implementation is limited to modifications approved in writing by City IT leadership; SaaS optimization is restricted to recommendations only.

Current annual telecom spend is approximately $55,000 monthly; SaaS annual spend totals $112,324.25 (AWS $100,000 and Azure $12,324.25). No budget ceiling is established. Vendors may propose fixed-fee, contingency-based percentage-of-savings, or hybrid pricing models, and must specify their pricing methodology, baseline measurement periods, and savings validation approach. An IT Change Freeze runs November 20 through January 4; vendors must acknowledge this scheduling constraint in their bids.

Vendors must submit acknowledgment of Addendum No. 1 with proposals or face non-responsiveness determination. Upon selection, contractors must provide insurance, North Carolina registration, and E-Verify certification. The contract term is flexible, with work and savings realized prior to termination remaining payable thereafter. A pre-proposal meeting is not mandatory but is highly encouraged. All RFP documents and updates are available at www.ashevillenc.gov/bids. Direct inquiries to Steven Frey at SFrey@ashevillenc.gov.