·         Before the listed deadlines, all Questions and Bids must be submitted using the on-line IFCB system. Bids submitted before the bid deadline outside of this system will be disqualified. 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.

·        For all requested services and/or products listed on this IFCB: proposals that include generic/encyclopedic price lists will be considered non-responsive and will be disqualified.

·         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 there is a request for Internal Connections (Category Two) equipment, or Category One equipment listed on this IFCB the applicant will accept bids for functionally equivalent equipment.

·         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.

·         LEASED LIT FIBER 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.

·         LEASED LIT FIBER 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 LIT FIBER DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR: Bids submitted for services to incorrect addresses will be disqualified.

·         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 include these manufacturers will have their bids 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: 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, Project B and/or Project C.  Bids for individual components of a single project will be disqualified.

UPDATE 10/24/2023: The bid deadline has been extended to 11/21/23.

UPDATE 10/24/2023 - Below are the Q&As for the last walkthrough. Please make note of the SFP question and answer and the fact that you'll need to submit bids for SFPs on a separate IFCB.

1. Will SFPs be needed for this project?

• Yes, we do, but it was not included in the 470. We have filed another 470 and IFCB. Bids for the SFPs should only be submitted on IFCB # 240003042. . See: https://www.crwconsulting.com/ifcb/ifcb-detail/MzI2Mg==

2. How many watts do the POE switches need to be?

• 740 watts and all APs run 15-30 watts

3. Are any APS hung on walls?

• So wall mounts will be needed for 6 total for both buildings (3 each)

4. Are the patch panels currently labeled?

• Majority are,  however there is an estimated 24 items not labeled that will need tracing and labeling as part of the closet cleanup quote. 

UPDATE 10/6/23: Maps for Washington MS and Barton Jr. High are now available to download.

CATEGORY ONE

LEASED LIT FIBER

District currently has 10GB bandwidth to all sites and does not want to upgrade.  The hub address for all connections is El Dorado High School, 2000 Wildcat Drive, El Dorado, AR 71730 to the following:

1)      Barton Junior High 400 West Faulkner Street, El Dorado, Arkansas 71730

2)      Washington Middle School 601 Martin Luther King Avenue, El Dorado, Arkansas 71730

3)      Yocum Elementary School 308 South College Avenue, El Dorado, Arkansas 71730

4)      Northwest Elementary School 1600 North College Avenue, El Dorado, Arkansas 71730

5)      Hugh Goodwin Elementary School 201 East 5th Street, El Dorado, Arkansas 71730

6)      Retta Brown Elementary School 505 Dixie Drive, El Dorado, Arkansas 71730

7)      Murmil Education Center 2000 Ripley Drive, El Dorado, Arkansas 71730

8)      El Dorado Educational Center 2525 Parnell Rd, El Dorado, Arkansas 71730

9)      El Dorado District Office 200 West Oak Street, El Dorado, Arkansas 71730

10)   El Dorado Food Service Center 420 West Faulkner Street, El Dorado, Arkansas 71730

LEASED LIT FIBER 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.

LEASED LIT FIBER 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 LIT FIBER DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR: Bids submitted for services to incorrect addresses will be disqualified.

CATEGORY TWO

VOLUNTARY SITE VISITS

Vendors wishing to bid on any Category Two Projects can attend a voluntary site visit either on 10/10/23 at 1PM, or 10/17/23 at 9AM.  Vendors will meet at Barton Junior High School, 400 W Faulkner St, El Dorado, AR and check in with Rachelle Crawford or Brandon Haynes.

INTERNAL CONNECTIONS

This year the district is looking at the option to move two of their schools to Aruba, both Washington Middle School and Barton Junior High School.  They will need to purchase new network racks and the installation of these will be required by the winning vendor.  The switches that are to be purchased will need to be installed on racks as well.  All access points will need to be hung throughout both buildings.  Cable management will be required as well and the use of patch panels to switches will need to be color coordinated to what the district already has (purple, blue, and yellow).

The district will be pursuing either Project B or Project C, not both.  The district wants only to compare the pricing between the different license terms.

PROJECT A (CABLING AND RACKS)

PROJECT B (SWITCHES & WAPS – 3 YEAR LICENSING)

The district is requesting 3 year licensing for all equipment in this project.

 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).

PROJECT C (SWITCHES & WAPS – 5 YEAR LICENSING)

The district is requesting 5 year licensing for all equipment in this project.

 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).

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 include these manufacturers will have their bids 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: 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, Project B and/or Project C.  Bids for individual components of a single project will be disqualified.