All bid deadlines are 11:59pm Pacific Time the date of the bid deadline listed unless otherwise noted.

school Frontier Schools Inc.
IFCB Posted : Oct 19, 2023
Bid Deadline : Thursday, Nov 30, 2023

Questions Due By : Saturday, Oct 28, 2023
Applicant Address : Kansas City, MO 64120
IFCB ID : 240002774

IFCB Requirements :

·         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.

 

 

·         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.

·         INTERNET ACCESS 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.

·         INTERNET ACCESS DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR: Bids submitted for services to an incorrect address will be disqualified.

 

·         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: Service providers are required to bid the entire hardware project.  Bids for individual components of the project 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 BMIC: Service providers are required to bid the entire maintenance project.  Bids for individual components of the project will be disqualified.

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

·         DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR BMIC: Maintenance bids listing only an hourly rate and not a monthly or annual total will be disqualified.  Vendors quoting an hourly rate are required to also a) confirm that you have the ability/expertise to maintain all of the equipment listed and b) propose a number of hours at a particular rate monthly to properly maintain the entire list of equipment.  Bids that contain only hourly rates, without confirmation that the company can service the list of equipment, or without a monthly total will be disqualified.


Services and Equipment Requested :

CATEGORY ONE

INTERNET ACCESS

The district currently has five separate internet connections.  The district does not want to upgrade their current bandwidths.  Please include pricing for leased routers.  The district prefers a five year contract.

1.       5GB bandwidth @ 6800 Corporate Drive, Kansas City, MO 64120

2.       10GB bandwidth @ 6455 East Commerce Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64120

3.       10GB bandwidth @ 1575 Universal Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64120

4.       10GB bandwidth @ 6700 Corporate Drive, Kansas City, MO 64120

5.       10GB bandwidth @ 5605 Troost Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64110

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.

INTERNET ACCESS 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.

INTERNET ACCESS DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR: Bids submitted for services to an incorrect address will be disqualified.

 

LEASED LIT FIBER

The district is requesting bids for 10GB bandwidth for each connection.  The district prefers a five year contract.  These connections will run from the Hub at 6800 Corporate Drive, Kansas City, MO 64120 to:

1.       6455 East Commerce Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64120

2.       1575 Universal Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64120

3.       6700 Corporate Drive, Kansas City, MO 64120

4.       5605 Troost Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64110

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

INTERNAL CONNECTIONS

No installation is needed.

Type of Equipment

Quantity Vendor Should Bid

 

Preferred Make/Manufacturer

Wireless Access Points

5

Cisco Meraki MR44 including licensing

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).

COMPATIBILITY REQUIREMENT

All WAPs must be compatible with existing Cisco Meraki dashboard.

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: 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: Service providers are required to bid the entire hardware project.  Bids for individual components of the project will be disqualified.

BASIC MAINTENANCE OF INTERNAL CONNECTIONS

The district is requesting a manufacturer’s support contract.

Type of Equipment

Quantity Vendor Should Bid

 

Preferred Make/Manufacturer

Wireless Access Points

5

Cisco Meraki MR44  

 

DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR BMIC: Service providers are required to bid the entire maintenance project.  Bids for individual components of the project will be disqualified.

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

DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR BMIC: Maintenance bids listing only an hourly rate and not a monthly or annual total will be disqualified.  Vendors quoting an hourly rate are required to also a) confirm that you have the ability/expertise to maintain all of the equipment listed and b) propose a number of hours at a particular rate monthly to properly maintain the entire list of equipment.  Bids that contain only hourly rates, without confirmation that the company can service the list of equipment, or without a monthly total will be disqualified.


There is an additional document associated with this IFCB. Please click the buttons to download the document.

Frontier_C2_Cover_Page.pdf
2024_C2_Bidding_Instructions58.pdf

Questions Received with Applicant Answers   ( Ask Questions? )




Here are my Qs for Frontier schools: 1) Please describe the current WAN (leased lit fiber/school-owned fiber? provider? bandwidth?) 2) What is your current WAN topology (hub-spoke, ring, etc.)? 3) What is your preferred leased lit fiber WAN topology (hub-spoke, more resilient, etc.)? 4) For the Leased Lit fiber WAN, does the district want the full use of each path from the respective edge site back to the hub (no oversubscription)? In other words, if there is 10Gbps delivered to each of 4 edge sites, then 40Gbps should be delivered to the hub, correct? 5) Will the District consider optional renewal terms? 6) What is the manufacturer and model of the District's LAN equipment so that we can quote compatible optics? 7) For the Internet request, please confirm that this is Internet at the stated bandwidth w/transport to each of the 5 addresses and no DDOS or other services is required. 8) For the Internet request, please confirm that no addresses are required. 9) Some Districts consider making the 470 Max Capacity 100Gbps rather than 10Gbps or 50Gbps so that they can take advantage of proposals that include free upgrades up to 100Gbps. Would you consider increasing the 470 Max Capacity to allow the schools to take advantage of higher bandwidths during the term or optional renewals? 10) Are you open to proposals including Special Construction funding? This could greatly reduce your monthly charges.

Answer:

1) Please describe the current WAN (leased lit fiber/school-owned fiber? provider? bandwidth?)

Currently no WAN.

 

 2) What is your current WAN topology (hub-spoke, ring, etc.)?

Currently no WAN.

 

 3) What is your preferred leased lit fiber WAN topology (hub-spoke, more resilient, etc.)?

Hub-spoke

 

 4) For the Leased Lit fiber WAN, does the district want the full use of each path from the respective edge site back to the hub (no oversubscription)? In other words, if there is 10Gbps delivered to each of 4 edge sites, then 40Gbps should be delivered to the hub, correct?

Each hub should receive 10GB

 

 5) Will the District consider optional renewal terms? 

We prefer a five year term on the contract but are open to other terms.

 

6) What is the manufacturer and model of the District's LAN equipment so that we can quote compatible optics? 

Cisco Meraki  Model MX250

 

7) For the Internet request, please confirm that this is Internet at the stated bandwidth w/transport to each of the 5 addresses and no DDOS or other services is required.

Yes this is the internet no additional service is required.

 

 8) For the Internet request, please confirm that no addresses are required. 

One single static IP

 

9) Some Districts consider making the 470 Max Capacity 100Gbps rather than 10Gbps or 50Gbps so that they can take advantage of proposals that include free upgrades up to 100Gbps. Would you consider increasing the 470 Max Capacity to allow the schools to take advantage of higher bandwidths during the term or optional renewals?

No

 

 10) Are you open to proposals including Special Construction funding? This could greatly reduce your monthly charges.

Yes

Questions for the District: 1) What is your current Internet utilization at each site?

Answer:

Each site has a separate Internet line and they are connected to each other via VPN. We don’t have access to bandwidth utilization reports at this time.

- Would you be willing to accept a design with a single internet connection to your main hub and have the remote locations connect to the hub via WAN connections? - Would you accept this design if we had another internet connection going into the Troost Ave site instead of WAN due to its distance from the hub?

Answer:

We currently don’t have a WAN and are looking for bids to see if that is more cost effective for us to have the WAN and one internet connection that would be distributed out to the other locations via the WAN. If that isn’t more cost effective then we will need the individual internet connections to each location. We encourage you to bid all of the requested internet connections and the WAN if possible.