Telecommunications Services for The Tampa Convention Center

The City of Tampa is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) to procure exclusive telecommunications and internet services for the Tampa Convention Center located at 333 South Franklin Street, Tampa, Florida 33602. The procurement seeks a qualified firm to provide reliable, high-performance, and redundant telecom/internet services supporting conventions, trade shows, meetings, hybrid events, banquets, sporting events, and downtown patrons and workers. Required deliverables and services include 24/7 onsite technical support; dedicated exhibitor support; attendee-friendly Wi-Fi with simple captive portal integration; enterprise-grade Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 6E or higher) with seamless coverage across exhibit halls, meeting rooms, and public areas; tiered bandwidth options; voice services with conferencing and voicemail capabilities; data services with redundant fiber entry points and backup power; high-capacity internet connectivity ranging from 50 Mbps to 500 Mbps; comprehensive network monitoring; and security protocols including WPA3 encryption and DDoS mitigation. The facility spans over 600,000 gross square feet with 200,000 square feet of exhibit space, 36,000 square feet of ballrooms, and 52 meeting rooms. Key qualifications required include a minimum of 5-10 years in business providing telecommunications/internet services, proven experience with convention centers or comparable high-density venues, at least three convention center or large-scale venue installations within the past five years, references from events with 10,000+ attendees, certified technical staff, and evidence of financial stability. Evaluation criteria are weighted as follows: cost to the City (20 percent), firm's relevant experience (15 percent), qualifications of project team (20 percent), responsiveness to scope of services (25 percent), criminal history screening practices (5 percent), and SLBE participation (15 percent). Critical dates include a mandatory pre-proposal conference and site visit on April 9, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.; a question submission deadline of April 16, 2026, at 4:00 p.m.; and a proposal submission deadline of April 30, 2026, by 3:00 p.m. through the OpenGov eProcurement Portal. The contract term is five years from the effective date of award with options for one additional five-year renewal period by mutual written agreement, plus unilateral extension options for up to three additional 30-day periods at the City's discretion.

The City will enter into a hybrid commission profit arrangement whereby the Successful Proposer receives gross sales revenue and remits a percentage commission to the City on a monthly basis by the 15th of each month, with annual certified accounting statements due by November 15th. The RFP includes a Small Local Business Enterprise (SLBE) participation set-aside component, with proposers earning between 5 and 15 evaluation points if they are City of Tampa certified SLBE firms utilizing certified SLBE subcontractors for meaningful work segments, or between 0 and 10 points if they are non-SLBE prime contractors with SLBE subcontractor participation. All proposed SLBE firms must be certified by the RFP opening date to be eligible for evaluation points. The Successful Proposer must demonstrate compliance with E-Verify, drug-free workplace standards, and non-discrimination provisions, and maintain Commercial General Liability insurance of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million general aggregate, Automobile Liability of $500,000 to $1 million, Workers' Compensation as required by Florida law, and Excess (Umbrella) Liability of at least $4 million for contracts valued at $2 million or more. The incumbent facility infrastructure includes approximately 241 wireless access points (primarily Mist 43E and 43E 2566 series models), 23 Juniper Networks EX3400 and EX4300 series switches, 14 uninterruptible power supply units, 75 Polycom SoundPoint IP 650 telephones, redundant firewall appliances, and AudioCodes media gateway equipment requiring integration. Historical gross sales data indicates annual telecommunications revenue ranging from $1,628,751 in FY 2022 to $2,245,631 in FY 2025, with 2026 projections of $2,100,146, providing insight into expected contract value and revenue potential for the Successful Proposer.