·         All Questions and Bids must be submitted using the on-line IFCB system. If the IFCB system is down before the deadline, please email your bid to info@crwconsulting.com or fax it to 918.445.0049. Bids or questions submitted in this fashion will be disqualified if the on-line system is active at the time of submission.

·         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.

·         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. This does not apply to the recent FCC exemptions of the Gift Rule for the COVID pandemic.

·         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. Please include this language in your final contract.

·         All applicable fees, surcharges, and taxes must be identified on the bid or your bid will be disqualified. E-rate rules require the applicants to evaluate the price of eligible goods and services that will be listed on the 471 application during the competitive bidding process. If the applicant discovers that fees, taxes or surcharges apply but are not listed on the bid (after the time of bid awards) those charges will be the responsibility of the bidding company.

·         LEASED WIDE AREA NETWORK CIRCUIT DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR: Any and all installation charges must be identified on your bid. If you submit a bid indicating that installation charges may apply without listing those charges, we will consider your bid incomplete and disqualify your bid.

·         LEASED WIDE AREA NETWORK CIRCUIT DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR: Vendors must bid all connections. If vendors submit a bid missing any connection, we will consider your bid incomplete and disqualify your bid.

·         SELF PROVISIONED NETWORK DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR: Vendors must bid all connections. If vendors submit a bid missing any connection, we will consider your bid incomplete and disqualify your bid.

·         CATEGORY ONE DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR: Vendors who wish to bid on category one projects must attend one of two mandatory site visits. Vendors who submit a bid but have not attended a meeting will be disqualified.

·         DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR CATEGORY ONE NETWORK EQUIPMENT: Vendors must complete and include the C1 Cover Page with their bid. Bids received without the cover page will be disqualified.

·         The winning vendor will be required to complete the USAC approved Item 21 template for the project within 7 working days after notification that the vendor has won the bid.

·         DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR INTERNAL CONNECTIONS: Vendors must complete and include the C2 Cover Page with their bid. Bids received without the cover page will be disqualified.

·         DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR INTERNAL CONNECTIONS: Bids from companies that include equipment barred by the Federal Communications Commission due to national security risks (such as ZTE or Huawei) will be disqualified.

·         DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR INTERNAL CONNECTIONS: Service providers are required to bid the entire hardware project/upgrade.  Bids for individual components of the project/upgrade will be disqualified.

·         DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR INTERNAL CONNECTIONS: It will be the bidder’s responsibility to provide documentation about the compatibility requirements listed in this IFCB. Vendors that submit bids without documentation demonstrating the required compatibility listed in this IFCB will have their bids disqualified, unless that vendor has bid the preferred make/model number listed.

·         DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR INTERNAL CONNECTIONS: Vendors who wish to bid must attend one of two mandatory site visits. Vendors who submit a bid but have not attended a meeting will be disqualified.

·         DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR INTERNAL CONNECTIONS: Applicant will not accept bids for refurbished equipment. Any bids containing refurbished equipment will be disqualified.

UPDATE 10/26/2020: Under Internal Connections the district also needs 8 x Leviton Yellow Cat6 patch cables 1 ft or functional equivalent.

Category One

Project Narrative

There is another document associated with this IFCB available for download that details the District’s project expectations.

MANDATORY SITE VISIT CATEGORY ONE

Vendors wishing to submit bids for category one projects must attend one of two mandatory site visits. The site visits will be held on November 2^nd and November 3^rd at 8:30am.  Vendors will report to the TAC House located at 1101 North West Ave., El Dorado, AR 71730. Bids from vendors who did not attend either of the site visits will be disqualified.

Leased Wide Area Network Circuits – 4 connections any delivery/technology type. Leased lit fiber should bid 10 GB – 100 GB. Leased dark fiber bidders should bid 6 strands.

1.       Hugh Goodwin Elementary 201 E. 5^th St., El Dorado, AR 71730; to the TAC House located at 1101 North West Ave., El Dorado, AR 717130.

The district is in process of purchasing 1 of 3 buildings for the Special Education department. The final building purchase will be determined by December 2020. Bids will have to be done for all 3 buildings and then once we know the actual building to purchase, fiber will be running to only that location. 

2.       815 West 8^th El Dorado, AR to 1600 N College Ave (Northwest ES)

3.       3597 Junction City Hwy El Dorado, AR to 2000 Ripley St (Murmil Heights Education Center)

4.       415 Northwest Ave El Dorado, AR to 201 E 5^th St (Hugh Goodwin ES)

LEASED WIDE AREA NETWORK CIRCUIT DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR: Any and all installation charges must be identified on your bid. If you submit a bid indicating that installation charges may apply without listing those charges, we will consider your bid incomplete and disqualify your bid.

LEASED WIDE AREA NETWORK CIRCUIT DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR: Vendors must bid all connections. If vendors submit a bid missing any connection, we will consider your bid incomplete and disqualify your bid.

CATEGORY ONE DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR: Vendors who wish to bid on category one projects must attend one of two mandatory site visits. Vendors who submit a bid but have not attended a meeting will be disqualified.

Self-Provisioned Network – the applicant will accept bids for any type of technology that can achieve our connectivity goals (fiber, wireless, etc.). 4 connections:

1.        Hugh Goodwin Elementary 201 E. 5^th St., El Dorado, AR 71730; to the TAC House located at 1101 North West Ave., El Dorado, AR 717130.

The district is in process of purchasing 1 of 3 buildings for the Special Education department. The final building purchase will be determined by December 2020. Bids will have to be done for all 3 buildings and then once we know the actual building to purchase, fiber will be running to only that location.

2.       815 West 8^th El Dorado, AR to 1600 N College Ave (Northwest ES)

3.       3597 Junction City Hwy El Dorado, AR to 2000 Ripley St (Murmil Heights Education Center)

4.       415 Northwest Ave El Dorado, AR to 201 E 5^th St (Hugh Goodwin ES)

SELF PROVISIONED NETWORK DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR: Vendors must bid all connections. If vendors submit a bid missing any connection, we will consider your bid incomplete and disqualify your bid.

CATEGORY ONE DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR: Vendors who wish to bid on category one projects must attend one of two mandatory site visits. Vendors who submit a bid but have not attended a meeting will be disqualified.

C1 Network Equipment

DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR CATEGORY ONE NETWORK EQUIPMENT: Vendors must complete and include the C1 Cover Page with their bid. Bids received without the cover page will be disqualified.

CATEGORY ONE DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR: Vendors who wish to bid on category one projects must attend one of two mandatory site visits. Vendors who submit a bid but have not attended a meeting will be disqualified.

Category Two – Internal Connections

MANDATORY SITE VISIT CATEGORY TWO

Vendors wishing to submit bids for category one projects must attend one of two mandatory site visits. The site visits will be held on November 2^nd and November 3^rd at 8:30am.  Vendors will report to the TAC House located at 1101 North West Ave., El Dorado, AR 71730. Bids from vendors who did not attend either of the site visits will be disqualified. Maps of the TAC House are available to download.

Compatibility Requirement

All requested equipment must be compatible with existing Cisco Network Switches, and existing Cisco wireless access points.

DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR INTERNAL CONNECTIONS: It will be the bidder’s responsibility to provide documentation about the compatibility requirements listed in this IFCB. Vendors that submit bids without documentation demonstrating the required compatibility listed in this IFCB will have their bids disqualified, unless that vendor has bid the preferred make/model number listed.

DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR INTERNAL CONNECTIONS: Vendors must complete and include the C2 Cover Page with their bid. Bids received without the cover page will be disqualified.

DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR INTERNAL CONNECTIONS: Bids from companies that include equipment barred by the Federal Communications Commission due to national security risks (such as ZTE or Huawei) will be disqualified.

DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR INTERNAL CONNECTIONS: Service providers are required to bid the entire hardware project/upgrade.  Bids for individual components of the project/upgrade will be disqualified.

DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR INTERNAL CONNECTIONS: Vendors who wish to bid must attend one of two mandatory site visits. Vendors who submit a bid but have not attended a meeting will be disqualified.

DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR INTERNAL CONNECTIONS: Applicant will not accept bids for refurbished equipment. Any bids containing refurbished equipment will be disqualified.