Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29

Request for Proposal

SPECIFICATIONS, TERMS & CONDITIONS

for

T1 Voice and Data Service

RESPONSE DUE BY:

9:00 a.m.

on

January 21, 2015

at

Schuylkill Intermediate Unit

17 Maple Avenue

Second Floor

Maple Avenue Campus

Mar Lin, PA 17951

SCHUYLKILL INTERMEDIATE UNIT

Request for Proposal

Specifications, Terms & Conditions

for

T1 Voice and Data Service

INVITATION TO BID

The Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29 will accept bids for T1 services with the specifications and instructions set forth herein.

All bids are to be submitted no later than 9:00 a.m. prevailing time, January 21, 2015 in a sealed envelope marked “BID – T1 VOICE AND DATA SERVICE” to the attention of

Lynn Ann Wiscount

Coordinator of Technology Services

Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29

17 Maple Avenue

Mar Lin, PA 17951

Faxed and emailed submissions will not be accepted. A minimum of three copies of the proposal must be provided and the format for services shall contain at a minimum all exhibits attached. No installation or implementation charges will be paid by the Intermediate Unit other than those submitted on the cost analysis sheet provided. The proposal may not be withdrawn for a period on one hundred eighty (180) days without written consent of Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29.

STATEMENT OF WORK

SCOPE

The Schuylkill Intermediate Unit (IU) is seeking bidders who have the necessary qualifications to provide a T1 Voice and Data Service. The IU intends to award a one (1) year contract (with the option for voluntary extensions for up to four (4) additional years at the discretion of the IU) to the bidder selected as the most capable of meeting the IUs requirements. If the IU determines that it is in its best interest to do so, it may award one or more portions of the contract to other selected bidders. Nevertheless, the IU prefers to award all portions to a single bidder.

The IU may wish to increase or decrease the level of service at any location to reflect changes in usage, changes in equipment or changes in the delivery strategies during the life of the contract.

The Schuylkill Intermediate Unit operates five (5) major locations as well as various other smaller locations throughout the county. The delivery location(s) for this bid service is documented in Attachment A.

It is the intent of invite vendors to submit proposals in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Request for Proposal (RFP). This proposal provides the requirements and evaluative criteria for the T1 communication services and requests a detailed response from all prospective vendors, including pricing and service descriptions, in a specified format.

CONDITIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

  1. Contractor shall currently be approved by the Federal Communications Commission and the State of Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission to provide local, long distance, T1 and ISDN services. Loss of FCC and/or PA PUC certification will be grounds for contract termination.
  1. Contractor shall possess all permits, licenses and professional credentials necessary to perform services as specified under this bid.
  1. Contractor shall currently be providing and have been continuously providing T1 Voice and Data Service services to an organization with attributes and service requirements similar to the IU for at least two (2) years.
  1. Contractor shall currently have a Technical Support Center with urgent response available to resolve any problems that may arise with the services provided to the Schuylkill Intermediate Unit from the Contractor. This Technical Support Center must be accessible by a toll-free inbound long distance number and be available twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven (7) days per week.
  1. Services to the Schuylkill Intermediate Unit shall include, but may not be limited to:

1.  T1 Voice and Data Service (point to point, dedicated, digital, leased line)

  1. The Schuylkill Intermediate Unit will reserve the right to add or remove circuits, increase or decrease data rates, or modify the scope of services required under any agreement to be entered into with the Contractor.
  1. Failure on the part of the Contractor to affect a seamless and uninterrupted transfer of services from the Schuylkill Intermediate Unit’s current supplier may subject the Contactor to damages above and beyond those allowed under the FCC and PUC regulations. In the event of any loss of service during said transfer, the Contactor may be responsible for any damages incurred by the Schuylkill Intermediate Unit from such failure of service.
  1. Contractor shall provide the Schuylkill Intermediate Unit with a dedicated Customer Account Representative who shall be the primary point of contact and who shall have overall responsibility for managing the Schuylkill Intermediate Unit’s account.
  1. Contactor shall maintain an emergency response and disaster plan consistent with that to be submitted as in integral part of its proposal.
  1. Contractor shall invoice the Schuylkill Intermediate Unit monthly for all services provided including usage charges. Invoices shall be in the name of the appropriate programs operated by the Intermediate Unit.
  1. All bids shall be completed on attached forms supplied by the Intermediate Unit A minimum of three copies of the proposal must be provided and the format for services shall contain at a minimum all exhibits attachments.
  1. No installation or implementation charges will be paid by the IU other than those submitted on the cost analysis sheet provided.
  1. The proposal may not be withdrawn for a period of one hundred eighty (180) days without written consent of Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29.
  1. The prices stated shall be net prices and all prices quoted shall be exclusive of all Federal and State Taxes. Exemption certificate will be furnished to the successful bidder upon completion.
  1. All bids must show the net unit price delivered and include all setup fees. Each bid must be a firm bid subject to ninety (90) days acceptance.

16.  The Schuylkill Intermediate Unit may require prospective bidders to attend mandatory on-site proposal development and/or proposal presentation meeting(s).

  1. Although the buying group does recognize the benefits and merits of a long-term vendor relationship, E-Rate program regulations require eligible services to be bid and awarded based upon objective criteria, with cost being the most heavily weighted factor.
  1. Billable services must not be delivered before July 1, 2015.
  1. The bid is contingent upon receipt of Universal Service Fund Reimbursement. Vendor must provide SPIN number.
  1. The Schuylkill Intermediate Unit Board reserves the right to waive all informalities in the bidding or reject any and all bids submitted and to award the contract in the best interest of the Intermediate Unit.
  1. The Schuylkill Intermediate Unit further reserves the right to award the contact in total or in part or parts if it is in the best interest of the Intermediate Unit.
  1. The Schuylkill Intermediate Unit reserves the right to terminate the contract and renegotiate with the selected vendor without penalty in event that the vendor merges with or is acquired by another company.
  1. Within thirty (30) days of award notification, the successful vendor shall submit a written transition plan to each entity that outlines project tasks and established deadlines for service transaction.
  1. Contract negotiations with the highest ranked vendor(s) will begin immediately after evaluations are completed. Should the Intermediate Unit be unable to achieve satisfactory outcome to these negotiations, the Intermediate Unit does reserve the right to procure only part of the services, open negotiations with another vendor, or reject all proposals.
  1. The Contractor must guarantee that the complete response is valid with the E-Rate funding program. Successful bidder must abide by the requirements of the E-Rate Program and must be an authorized service provider to bid. Prospective vendor must not be the subject of an investigation, suspension, or debarment from the E-Rate program. Prospective vendor must not have any obligations outstanding with the FCC, USAC, or any other federal agency (FCC’s Red Light Rule).
  1. The Contractor must commit to an in-service day of July 1, 2015 without service interruption.
  1. The successful bidder will not switch carriers without prior approval from the Schuylkill Intermediate Unit.
  1. Questions may be e-mailed to until the close of business January 16, 2015. Information about the bid and answers to the questions will be posted at http://www.iu29.org/Page/100.
  1. Proposals will be reviewed by a committee potentially consisting of the Business Manager – Finance, Coordinator of Technology Services and members of the Technology Department. While cost will be weighted heavily, it will not be the sole deciding factor in the selection process.
  1. The Committee plans to make a recommendation to the Schuylkill Intermediate Unit Board of Directors for possible awarding of the contract at the February 2, 2015 Board Meeting.
  1. It shall be the responsibility of all bidders to inspect the site of the project. An on-site visit is required for vendors not currently providing data services to the locations specified in this RFP. All bidders shall contact the following individual to schedule an appointment to inspect the site:

Lynn Ann Wiscount

Schuylkill Intermediate Unit

Maple Avenue Campus

Second Floor

17 Maple Avenue

Mar Lin, PA 17951

(570) 544-9131 Extension. 1246

  1. Discounted bills may be requested for T1 Voice and Data Service from any successful bidder.
  1. If the company has an office in Pennsylvania, please provide us the name and contact information for this office.

ATTACHMENT A

Schuylkill Intermediate Unit Locations

Schuylkill Intermediate Unit/ Maple Avenue Campus

17 Maple Avenue

Mar Lin, PA 17951

Schuylkill Technology Center North Campus

101 Technology Drive

Frackville, PA 17931

BID RESPONSE DOCUMENT

T1 Voice and Data Service

July 1, 2015 – June 30, 2016

Contact Person:

Please indicate the person to be contacted by the Schuylkill Intermediate Unit concerning any part of this proposal or RFP:

Name:
Title:
Telephone:
Fax Number:
E-Mail:

Vendor Assurances:

The Vendor shall secure all permits, inspections, and authorizations required to complete the work associated with this RFP at no additional cost to the Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29.

The Vendor understands and agrees to these requirements.

Agrees/Comply without exception
Agreed/Comply with clarification, as explained below:
Take exception, as noted below:

Vendor Qualification

Please respond to the following questions as they relate to your proposal and the terms of service that you are offering.

All vendor proposals shall contain the standard proposal format as outlines in the RFP with is inclusive of Proposal Form, Bid Response document and a three (3) page maximum narrative inclusive of the following items:

Part 1:

Briefly describe the key elements of your proposal. Highlight any major features, functions or areas of support that differentiate your service offering from your competitors’ offerings.

Part 2:

Please provide a brief introduction of the vendor inclusive of business history, capabilities and experience in the provisioning of T1 Voice and Data Service.

Part 3:

Briefly describe the structure of your company and local support services.

Part 4:

Form A lists all of the Schuylkill Intermediate Unit billing entities. To verify that your company can accommodate an itemized bill for each facility as a billing option, please sign Form A at the designated location.

Part 5:

Please complete the attached reference forms.

Form B is provided to list similar service awards as outlined in the RFP.

Form C is provided to list similar customers who have terminated services with your company.

Part 6:

Please respond to the discussion points and complete the enclosed rate survey found in Form D.

Part 7:

Schuylkill Intermediate Unit Contract

FORM A

Schuylkill Intermediate Unit

Proposal for
T1 Voice and Data Service

Telecommunications Lines by Internal Accounting Unit Requiring Separate Billing

Schuylkill Intermediate Unit / Maple Avenue Campus
17 Maple Avenue
Marlin, PA 17951 / 1 or more point to point T1 or better telecommunications lines

By signing this form, you are verifying that your company can:

1) Produce bills that break out the costs for the Accounting Units listed above.

2) If requested, provide discounted billing that reduces the amount due by the e-rate discount percentage.

Signature / Date

FORM B

Schuylkill Intermediate Unit

Proposal for
T1 Voice and Data Service

CURRENT REFERENCES for:

Company Name
Address
City, State, Zip Code
Contact Person:
Telephone Number:
Type of Business:
Dates of Service:
Company Name
Address
City, State, Zip Code
Contact Person:
Telephone Number:
Type of Business:
Dates of Service:
Company Name
Address
City, State, Zip Code
Contact Person:
Telephone Number:
Type of Business:
Dates of Service:
Company Name
Address
City, State, Zip Code
Contact Person:
Telephone Number:
Type of Business:
Dates of Service:

FORM C

Schuylkill Intermediate Unit

Proposal for
T1 Voice and Data Service

PAST CUSTOMER REFERENCES for:

Company Name
Address
City, State, Zip Code
Contact Person:
Telephone Number:
Type of Business:
Dates of Service:
Company Name
Address
City, State, Zip Code
Contact Person:
Telephone Number:
Type of Business:
Dates of Service:
Company Name
Address
City, State, Zip Code
Contact Person:
Telephone Number:
Type of Business:
Dates of Service:
Company Name
Address
City, State, Zip Code
Contact Person:
Telephone Number:
Type of Business:
Dates of Service:

FORM D

Schuylkill Intermediate Unit

Proposal for
T1 Voice and Data Service

T1 Services Survey

T1 Voice and Data Network Connection

Please provide a brief overview of how this point to point connection will be provided on your network.

Pricing information

For one single T1 with voice and data channels

From:

Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29

Maple Avenue Campus

17 Maple Avenue

Mar Lin, PA 17951

To:

Schuylkill Technology Centers

North Campus

101 Technology Drive

Frackville, PA 17931

Please provide pricing for ALL costs: Specify all non-recurring costs. Include all taxes and fees. Please be sure your response is all-inclusive without any hidden or additional charges!

Monthly Recurring Cost
Monthly fee
Surcharges
Billing fees
Other (Please specify):
Other (Please specify):

Note: Installation and setup costs (NRC) will not be paid

Account Management

Account Support

In this section, describe how your company will manage and service our account; include the steps you will take to implement your service. Provide an overview of your account support structure. Indicate the support level offered and identify the account team members, their responsibilities and locations.