·         Bidder must agree to participate in USF Program (AKA “E-rate”) for the corresponding funding year.

·         Please include the correct Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN) on your bid.

·         By submitting a bid, bidder certifies that the bidder does have a valid (non-red light status) SPIN for the E-rate program at the time of submission. Should the Applicant discover that the bidder is on red light status, or if the FCC classifies the bidder as on red-light status before work is performed and invoices are paid, the contract will be null and void and the applicant will have no payment obligations to the bidder.

·         Bidder is expected to provide the lowest corresponding price per E-rate rules.  See http://www.usac.org/sl/service-providers/step02/lowest-corresponding-price.aspx for details.

·         Bidders for all services and products (except for tariffed telecommunications services or month-to-month services which do not have a related contract) must also submit a contract for products or services.

·         Contracts must not prohibit SPIN changes.

·         Bidder must agree to provide the Applicant the choice of discount methods (SPI or BEAR).

·         Bidder will be automatically disqualified if the District determines that the bidding company has offered any employee of the District any individual gift of more than $20 or gifts totaling more than $50 within a 12 month period.

·         All contracts awarded will be contingent upon E-rate funding and final board approval.  The applicant may choose to do all or part of the project upon funding notification.

·         All contracts awarded under this IFCB bidding process may be voluntarily renewed by the applicant, upon written notice to the provider, for five consecutive one year terms.

·         E-rate rules require applicants to evaluate the cost of eligible goods and services, and to cost-allocate out the amount for ineligible services from their funding request. If your company will be bidding local phone service, please identify the amount to be cost-allocated out for the ineligible services - DID lines, voice mail, caller ID, inside wire maintenance, 900 call blocking, or other bundled ineligible services.

·         E-rate rules require applicants to evaluate the cost of eligible goods and services, and to cost-allocate out the amount for ineligible services from their funding request. If your company will be bidding internet access service, please identify the amount to be cost-allocated out for the ineligible services – email service, web hosting, content filtering, or other bundled ineligible services.

·         NETWORK UPGRADE/CATEGORY 2 – VENDORS WISHING TO SUBMIT BIDS FOR THE CATEGORY TWO PROJECTS MUST ATTEND ONE OF TWO MANDATORY SITE VISITS.  BIDS RECEIVED FROM VENDORS WHO DID NOT ATTEND EITHER MEETING WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.

·         DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR: Vendors are required to submit bids via the template “Internal connections – Template V15 – 1” or “Basic Maintenance Template V15 – 1” or “Managed Internal Broadband Services (MIBS) Template” for each individual school that is receiving equipment and a separate template for all shared equipment.  Please name each template for the name of the school and project.  Example:  “Smith Elementary School Wireless Project” or “Wireless project shared equipment for all schools.”  Vendors that do not submit bids in the required template format will be disqualified from the process.

·         Service providers are required to bid the entire project – Project A, Project B and/or Project C. Bids for individual components of any projects will be disqualified.

·         If the Applicant is requesting bids for equipment with specific make and model numbers listed, the Applicant will also accept bids for functionally equivalent equipment.

 

Long Distance – Approx. 48 lines.

Internet Access – Applicant is considering upgrading from 100 Mb to 300 Mb bandwidth. Please also include bids for 150 Mb, 200 Mb and 250 Mb bandwidths. The terminating address for this circuit is 17000 Highway 154, Harleton, TX 75651. The area code and prefix for the service address (or terminating point) are (903) 777. E-rate rules require applicants to evaluate the cost of eligible goods and services, and to cost-allocate out the amount for ineligible services from their funding request. If your company will be bidding internet access service, please identify the amount to be cost-allocated out for the ineligible services – email service, web hosting, content filtering, or other bundled ineligible services.

There is another document available for download (Harleton C2 list) that details the equipment the applicant would like to purchase for the Elementary, Junior High and High School campuses. There are three projects - Project A, Project B and Project C. Applicant will accept bids for functional equivalents when a preferred make/manufacturer is listed.

We would also like for providers bidding on Category Two projects to also submit your bids in normal format – a word/excel/PDF as you normally would. The winning Category Two vendor(s) will be required to complete, for each school and all shared equipment, the 2016 USAC C2 Templates when they become available.  Once available, the templates will be due in a 14 day time period.