·         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.

·         LEASED WIDE AREA NETWORK CIRCUITS DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR: Bids submitted for services to an incorrect address will be disqualified.

·         LEASED WIDE AREA NETWORK CIRCUITS 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.

·         SELF PROVISIONED NETWORK DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR: Bids submitted for services to an incorrect address will be disqualified.

·         SELF PROVISIONED NETWORK 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.

·         DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR CATEGORY ONE NETWORK EQUIPMENT: 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 CATEGORY ONE NETWORK EQUIPMENT: Service providers are required to bid the entire hardware project.  Bids for individual components of the project 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: 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: 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: Applicant will not accept bids for refurbished equipment. Any bids containing refurbished equipment will be disqualified.

·         DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR INTERNAL CONNECTIONS: Service providers are required to bid an entire Project A or Project B.  Bids for individual components of a single project will be disqualified.

UPDATE 11/1/2022 - This IFCB replaced IFCB/470 # 230002034.

Category One:

VOLUNTARY SITE VISIT – CATEGORY 1 FIBER PROJECT

Vendors wishing to bid on internal connections can attend a voluntary site visit either November 7^th, 2022, or November 8^th, 2022, both at 8:00am. Vendors will meet at 1600 N College Ave, El Dorado, AR 71730. Vendors will check in with Rachelle Crawford.

Leased Wide Area Network Circuits – One connection any delivery/technology type. Leased dark fiber bidders should bid 12 fiber strands, single mode. Lit leased fiber bidders should bid 10 GB and 100 GB. This connection will be from El Dorado District Office - 200 West Oak Street, El Dorado, Arkansas 71730 to El Dorado Special Education Department – 412 North Washington Ave, El Dorado, Arkansas 71730.   There are two documents available for download along with this IFCB that include additional information related to the Leased Wide Area Network Circuits. 

LEASED WIDE AREA NETWORK CIRCUITS DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR: Bids submitted for services to an incorrect address will be disqualified.

LEASED WIDE AREA NETWORK CIRCUITS 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.

Self- Provisioned Network - The district will accept bids for any type of technology that can achieve their connectivity goals including fiber, wireless, purchased radio/wireless bridges, etc. This connection will be from El Dorado District Office - 200 West Oak Street, El Dorado, Arkansas 71730 to the El Dorado Special Education Department – 412 North Washington Ave, El Dorado, Arkansas 71730.  There are two documents available for download along with this IFCB that include additional information related to the self-provisioned network.

SELF PROVISIONED NETWORK DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR: Bids submitted for services to an incorrect address will be disqualified.

SELF PROVISIONED NETWORK 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.

Category 1 Network Equipment

There are two documents available for download along with this IFCB that include additional information related to Category 1 Network Equipment.

DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR CATEGORY ONE NETWORK EQUIPMENT: 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 CATEGORY ONE NETWORK EQUIPMENT: Service providers are required to bid the entire hardware project.  Bids for individual components of the project 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.

Operations and Maintenance services – One connection, from El Dorado District Office - 200 West Oak Street, El Dorado, Arkansas 71730 to the El Dorado Special Education Department – 412 North Washington Ave, El Dorado, Arkansas 71730.   There are two documents available for download along with this IFCB that include additional information related to the Operations and Maintenance services.

Category Two:

VOLUNTARY SITE VISIT – INTERNAL CONNECTIONS

Vendors wishing to bid on internal connections can attend a voluntary site visit either November 7^th, 2022, or November 8^th, 2022, both at 9:00am. Vendors will meet at 1600 N College Ave, El Dorado, AR 71730. Vendors will check in with Rachelle Crawford.

INTERNAL CONNECTIONS

Both Northwest and Hugh Goodwin are adding 8 classrooms to the existing buildings. The district is looking for wiring for the new classrooms to be pulled from the IDF at the schools and to the new classrooms. Each classroom will get 8 data ports – 4 in wall and 2 in the ceiling.  Maps are available for download along with this IFCB.

Project A – Northwest Elementary  

Installation needed for the entire project, including cable management. Bids should include all necessary licensing for the switches and WAPs.

NOTE: We are requesting WAP or 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).

COMPATIBILITY REQUIREMENT:

Equipment must be compatible with existing Extreme and Aruba equipment.

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.

Project B – Hugh Goodwin

Installation needed for the entire project. A new fiber run is needed for Hugh Goodwin to the MDF closet to the new IDF.  Bids should include all necessary licensing for the switches and WAPs.

NOTE: We are requesting WAP or 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).

COMPATIBILITY REQUIREMENT:

Equipment must be compatible with existing Extreme and Aruba equipment.

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: 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: Applicant will not accept bids for refurbished equipment. Any bids containing refurbished equipment will be disqualified.

DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR INTERNAL CONNECTIONS: Service providers are required to bid an entire Project A or Project B.  Bids for individual components of a single project will be disqualified.