All bid deadlines are 11:59pm Pacific Time the date of the bid deadline listed unless otherwise noted.
· 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 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.
CATEGORY ONE
BUS WIFI EQUIPMENT & SERVICES
The district is requesting bids for wifi services for 130 buses. The district is requesting service plans with a minimum 3Mb bandwidth and maximum 20Gb bandwidth. The district is also requesting Cradlepoint equipment (antenna, modems, routers, etc) necessary to make the service functional for 20 buses.
Please include any installation, activation, configuration costs in your pricing. Please include separate pricing for any CIPA/filtering costs.
Answer:
Question 1: The Form 470 notes an "Entities" number of 53. What does that number represent?
A: The entities under the district Erate application represent locations served (total number of entities on all of our campuses).
Question 2: Under BUS WIFI EQUIPMENT & SERVICES, the district is requesting bids for wifi services for 130 buses. The district is also requesting Cradlepoint equipment (antenna, modems, routers, etc) necessary to make the service functional for 20 buses. Does this mean that 110 buses already have the equipment and only need cell services quoted? Please explain.
A: Yes, approximately 110 buses already have existing equipment and we need only cellular service for those. Approximately 20 additional buses will need both Cradlepoint equipment and service to make them functional.
Question 3: If 110 buses already have the equipment, what routers, by model numbers, service type (4G, 5G), and counts, do the cellular services need to support?
A: The existing equipment on approximately 110 buses have Cradlepoint R1900 routers with 5G modems. We are requesting 5G cellular service.
Question 4: The district is requesting service plans with a minimum 3Mb bandwidth and maximum 20Gb bandwidth. Can a provider offer higher than the max and be compliant?
A: The district is requesting 5G service, understanding the actual bandwidth provided is subject to conditions. The 3 Mb - 20 Gb range is expected to capture the delivered bandwidth. E-rate rules do not allow for vendors to provide services above the listed bandwidth range on the 470.
Answer:
A: Yes, the other 110 buses already have Cradlepoint 1900 Routers with 5G modems installed.
Answer:
1. Would Midland ISD prefer a portable or hard-installed solution?
A: MISD prefers a hard-wired solution, installed solution.
2. How many maximum concurrent connections does MISD anticipate on one bus?
A: We would like to support up to 100 simultaneous users, similar to our current Cradlepoint R1900s, installed one per bus.
3. What is your cellular provider of choice between Verizon, T-Mobile, ATT, or US Cellular?
A: We are currently using Verizon but we are bidding out the service for all buses so have not decided at this time.
4. If of rural designation, do you need two simultaneous cellular providers? If so, which two?
A: No, we need only one cellular provider.
5. Pertaining to installation requested, would awarded service provider be able to install routers and antennas at a centralized location or would it be multiple locations?
A: MISD will provide a central location.
6. Pertaining to installation requested, does installation location have covered area for working on bus fleet to shield from inclement weather?
A: MISD will attempt to provide a covered location in case of inclement weather on installation days.
7. Upon award, will Midland ISD want all (20) new installations for routers and antennas to be done in a single installation period or will these be done in a "roll-out" style requiring multiple trips to the district to complete all the installations?
A: MISD will attempt to schedule all installations assuming a single trip. Please bid accordingly.