WAN Services Request

The Pelham City School District in Georgia is issuing a Request for Proposal for Wide Area Network (WAN) services to connect four facilities: the Board of Education office and three instructional sites (elementary, middle, and high schools). The District seeks dark fiber service as its preferred solution but will evaluate lit (managed) fiber proposals that comply with E-rate program requirements. The procured services must deliver a minimum of 10 Gbps connectivity between the Board of Education office and each instructional facility, with connections extending to the Main Distribution Frame in each location; vendors may propose either one pair of single mode fiber (dark fiber) or managed fiber service meeting the bandwidth requirements. Deliverables include all installation costs, equipment charges, and applicable taxes and fees structured at the line-item level using a provided Excel format, with pricing separated into E-rate eligible and ineligible components. The contract term is 36 months beginning July 1, 2026, with an initial 12-month period followed by two automatic renewal periods. Evaluation criteria prioritize E-rate eligible costs (45 points), service requirements (30 points), business requirements (15 points), vendor score (5 points), and proposal score (5 points). The Questions and Answers deadline is October 19, 2025, and proposals must be submitted electronically to rfp@fundingtechnology.com by 5:00 p.m. EST on October 29, 2025, with no bidders' conference scheduled.

Vendor qualifications requirements include a current valid E-Rate SPIN number, FCC licensing as a telecommunications carrier, proof of E-Verify participation, financial stability documentation, and Georgia business licensure; vendors without existing infrastructure must provide specific monetary guarantees for service availability on the desired start date of July 1, 2026. The District currently operates dark fiber lit at 10 Gbps and leases two fiber strands between each facility, representing the existing infrastructure that proposed solutions must integrate with and potentially replace. The RFP does not indicate any set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises or restrictions on organizational types eligible to respond, though all vendors must meet the specified qualification criteria and comply with Georgia Code requirements. No incumbent vendor or current contractor is identified in the procurement documents. The District will support eligible costs through E-Rate funding, though specific budget or award value ranges are not disclosed in the available materials. The District reserves the right to request additional information from respondents within 48 hours and to make an award without further discussion.