·         All Questions and Bids must be submitted using the on-line IFCB system. If for some reason the system is down before the respective 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 https://www.usac.org/e-rate/service-providers/step-2-responding-to-bids/lowest-corresponding-price/ 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. 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. Fees and surcharges that apply but are not listed on the bid will be the responsibility of the bidding company, should their bid be awarded.

·         If the applicant is requesting purchases of new equipment, or maintenance of that new equipment, bids for functionally equivalent equipment will be accepted.

·         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: The applicant will not accept bids from manufacturers of equipment deemed a national security threat by the Federal Communications Commission. The list of prohibited equipment is available here: https://www.fcc.gov/supplychain/coveredlist . Vendors that submit bids that includes these manufacturers will have their bid disqualified.

·         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- PROJECT A ONLY: 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: Service providers are required to bid an entire Project A, Project B, Project D, Project D and/or Project E.  Bids for individual components of a single project will be disqualified.

UPDATE 11.10.22 - Additional information was provided during the vendor site visits. This information is now available for download along with this IFCB. 

UPDATE 10.27.22 - The mandatory site visit disqualification was included below Project A.

Category Two:

MANDATORY SITE VISIT, PROJECT A - WIRELESS ACCESS POINTS ONLY

Vendors wishing to submit bids for category two projects must attend one of two mandatory site visits. The site visits will be held on November 2^nd, 2022, and November 9^th, 2022. Both will begin at 9am. Vendors will meet at Dardanelle Tech Office, 209 Cedar Street, Dardanelle, AR 72834. Vendors will check in with Jon-Nathan George.  Bids from vendors who did not attend either of the site visits will be disqualified.

INTERNAL CONNECTIONS

The district is looking to do a full wireless refresh – replacing all current Extreme wireless access points with newer Cloud compatible access points. The district is also adding some switches and UPS systems and one P2P wireless system to connect buildings.

Project A – Wireless Access Points

Installation of all wireless access points needed. Migrating of current Extreme on-prem services (NAC, Wireless Controllers & Netsight) to the new Extreme Cloud service. Activation of all new cloud licenses needed. Majority of these WAPs have existing ethernet runs. 79 of the WAPs will need ethernet drops installed as well as the WAP mounted. There are an additional 36 drops needed for non WAP use. The WAPs must be installed as close to the middle of the classroom as possible. All cabling runs must be labeled on the WAP and Rack (RJ45 Jacks) to identify WAPs and runs. Configuration of the WAPs on building maps in the Extreme Cloud portal to identify their location in the building. Delivery of spreadsheet with WAP serial number and location of installation for all WAPs. Installation of Point 2 Point system connecting the Field House to the BOB Building.  Building maps and a spreadsheet with the Wireless Project details are available for download along with this IFCB.

NOTE: We are requesting WAP licenses on this IFCB, which sometimes may be categorized as BMIC or MIBS by USAC (the BMIC and MIBS boxes on the 470 have been checked to cover this scenario).

DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR INTERNAL CONNECTIONS- PROJECT A ONLY: 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.

Project B – Switches, Extreme Solution

No installation needed; no site visit required. The district will purchase project B or C, not both.

NOTE: We are requesting switch licenses on this IFCB, which sometimes may be categorized as BMIC or MIBS by USAC (the BMIC and MIBS boxes on the 470 have been checked to cover this scenario).

Project C – Switches, Aruba Solution

No installation needed; no site visit required.  The district will purchase project B or C, not both.

NOTE: We are requesting switch licenses on this IFCB, which sometimes may be categorized as BMIC or MIBS by USAC (the BMIC and MIBS boxes on the 470 have been checked to cover this scenario).

Project D – UPS

No installation needed; no site visit required.

Project E – Modules, transceivers, and DAC cables.

No installation needed; no site visit required.

DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR INTERNAL CONNECTIONS: The applicant will not accept bids from manufacturers of equipment deemed a national security threat by the Federal Communications Commission. The list of prohibited equipment is available here: https://www.fcc.gov/supplychain/coveredlist . Vendors that submit bids that includes these manufacturers will have their bid disqualified.

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- PROJECT A ONLY: 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: Service providers are required to bid an entire Project A, Project B, Project C, Project D and/or Project E.  Bids for individual components of a single project will be disqualified.