·         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 the system is down before the 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. The applicant reserves the right to request and obtain bids outside of the website system if the bid deadline has passed and zero or one bid is received (the intent for this is to follow USAC guidance on obtaining cost-effective bids).

·        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. SPAM and/or robotic responses will not be considered valid bid responses and will be disqualified from consideration.

·         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.

·         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, or bids that do not include all of the requested items for 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 INTERNAL CONNECTIONS: Applicant will not accept bids for refurbished equipment. Any bids containing refurbished equipment will be disqualified.

CATEGORY ONE

INTERNET ACCESS

The District currently has a 10GB bandwidth connection to 14705 Woodforest Blvd, Houston, TX 77015, and is considering upgrading up to 25GB bandwidth.  The District is specifically requesting bids for 10GB, 15GB, 20GB, and 25GB bandwidths.  Bids should include pricing for a leased router.  The District is requesting three year or five year contract pricing.

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 currently has 25 connections at 10GB bandwidth each.  Bids should include leased switches.  Bids should include pricing for a 3-year term; include a longer term option if available.  Contract cannot exceed a maximum of 10 years.

Connections from the HUB at the Admin Building, 14705 Woodforest Boulevard, Houston, TX 77015 to the following locations:

1.       Cimarron ES - 816 Cimarron Houston, TX 77015

2.       Cloverleaf ES - 1035 Frankie Houston, TX 77015

3.       Cobb Sixth Grade Campus – 6722 Uvalde Houston, Tx 77049

4.       Cunningham MS – 14110 Wallisville Rd. Houston, Tx 77049

5.       Galena Park ES - 401 N. Main Galena Park, Tx 77547

6.       Galena Park HS - 1000 Keene Galena Park, Tx 77547

7.       Galena Park MS – 400 Keene Galena Park, Tx 77547

8.       Green Valley ES – 13350 Woodforest Blvd. Houston, Tx 77015

9.       Harvard ES – 15150 Wallisville Rd. Houston, Tx 77049

10.   Jacinto City ES – 10910 Wiggins Houston, Tx 77029

11.   MacArthur ES – 1801 N. Main Galena Park, Tx 77547

12.   Normandy Crossing ES – 12500 Normandy Crossing Houston, Tx 77015

13.   North Shore ES – 14310 Duncannon Houston, Tx 77015

14.   North Shore MS – 120 Castlegory Houston, Tx 77015

15.   North Shore SH 9^th Grade – 13501 Holly Park Houston, Tx 77015

16.   North Shore Senior HS - 353 Castlegory Houston, Tx 77049

17.   Purple Sage ES - 6500 Purple Sage Houston, Tx 77049

18.   Pyburn ES - 12302 Coulson Houston, Tx 77015

19.   Sam Houston ES – 4101 E. Sam Houston Pkwy N. Houston, Tx 77015

20.   Tice Elementary – 14120 Wallisville Rd. Houston, Tx 77049

21.   Williamson ES - 6720 New Forest Pkwy. Houston, Tx 77049

22.   Woodland Acres ES - 12936 Sarahs Lane Houston, Tx 77015

23.   Woodland Acres MS - 12947 Myrtle Ln. Houston, Tx 77015

24.   Joyce Zotz Education Center – 13801 Holly Park Houston, Tx 77015

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.

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).

COMPATIBILITY REQUIREMENT

All requested equipment must be compatible with existing Cisco 9300 series switches.

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, or bids that do not include all of the requested items for 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 INTERNAL CONNECTIONS: Applicant will not accept bids for refurbished equipment. Any bids containing refurbished equipment will be disqualified.