Purchasing Department

2727 North Ferry Street

Anoka, Minnesota 55303

Phone #: 763-506-1300

Fax #: 763-506-1333

P60004

Proposal for Local Area Network Equipment

and Implementation Services

Due

Thursday, August 4, 2005

@ 2:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SectionPage

IGENERAL INFORMATION...... 1

1.1Vendor Questions and Dates...... 2

1.2RFP Response and Affidavit...... 2

1.3Proposed Response Format...... 3

1.4General Requirements and Instructions to Vendors...... 4

1.5Response Evaluation...... 5

1.5.1Vendor Qualification...... 5

1.5.2Part A Vendors...... 6

1.5.3Part B Vendors...... 6

1.5.4Part C Vendors...... 6

1.5.5Weights7

1.6Contract Terms and Conditions...... 7

1.6.1Contractual Conditions...... 7

1.6.2Date of Acceptance...... 8

1.6.3Contract Duration Pricing...... 8

1.6.4Reimbursement of Liquidated Damanges...... 8

1.6.5Installation...... 8

1.6.6Status of Responses...... 9

1.6.7Incurring Costs...... 9

1.6.8Permission to Proceed...... 9

1.6.9Performance Bond/Payment Schedule...... 9

1.6.10Insurance...... 9

1.6.11Risk of Loss or Damage...... 11

1.6.12Independent Contractors...... 11

1.6.13Prevailing Wage Rate...... 11

1.6.14Other Required Contract Terms...... 11

IILAN EQUIPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION SERVICES

SPECIFICATIONS16

2.1Part A – Cisco Equipment Requirements...... 16

2.1.1Cisco Equipment Cost...... 16

2.1.2Cisco Equipment Warranty...... 16

2.1.3Equipment/Software Upgrade Cost...... 16

2.2Part B – Alternate Vendor Equipment Requirements...... 16

2.2.1Alternate (non-Cisco) Equipment Cost...... 16

2.2.2Additional Alternate Equipment Cost...... 16

2.2.3Alternate Equipment Warranty...... 17

2.2.4Equipment/Software Upgrade Cost...... 17

2.2.5Training Cost...... 17

2.2.6Alternate Equipment Feature/Function Cisco Equivalency...... 17

TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued)

SectionPage

2.2.7Customer Reference Information...... 19

2.2.8Part B – Additional Information...... 20

2.3Part C – LAN Implementation Services...... 20

2.3.1Service Categories and Services...... 20

2.3.2Warranty...... 22

2.3.3Service Cost...... 22

2.3.4Equipment Delivery and Configuration on Vendor Premises...... 22

2.3.5Alternate Equipment Capabilities...... 22

2.3.6Use of Subcontractor...... 22

2.3.7Customer Reference Information...... 22

2.3.8Part C – Additional Information...... 23

APPENDIX APART A – CISCO EQUIPMENT...... 24

APPENDIX BCISCO EQUIPMENT RETAINED BY THE DISTRICT...... 25

APPENDIX BSITE SURVEY SCHEDULE...... 27

TABLE ACISCO EQUIPMENT COST (PART A)...... 29

TABLE BALTERNATIVE VENDOR EQUIPMENT COST (PART B)...... 30

TABLE CADDITIONAL ALTERNATE EQUIPMENT COST (PART B)...... 31

TABLE DLAN IMPLEMENTATION SERVICES COST...... 32

ATTACHMENT AAFFIDAVIT OF NON-COLLUSION FORM...... 33

ATTACHMENT BSTATEMENT OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION FOR EQUAL

OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT...... 34

ATTACHMENT CACCEPTANCE FORM...... 35

SECTION I – GENERAL INFORMATION

In order to meet Anoka-Hennepin School District communication needs, the District is planning to upgrade its local area network infrastructure within its elementary, middle, and high schools, Learning Center/Distribution Center (LC/DC), Education Services Center (ESC), and other facilities. In upgrading its local area network (LAN) infrastructure, the District’s intent is to implement and maintain a LAN solution provided by a single manufacturer.

The District is issuing this Request for Proposal (RFP) with three parts. The first two parts (Part A and Part B) are for LAN equipment. The third part (Part C) is for implementation services.

In Part A, the District plans to keep some of its existing Cisco equipment and replace the rest. The District also plans to replace all of the 3Com equipment it currently uses.

Part A – Vendors responding to Part A are asked to provide price for a list of Cisco manufactured LAN equipment.

Part B – Vendors wishing to provide alternate (non-Cisco) equipment are requested to provide price as Part B vendor. Vendors proposing alternate equipment must provide:

  1. Equipment equivalent in features and functions to that requested in Part A.
  2. Price for additional Cisco equivalent equipment listed in Appendix B. This is Cisco equipment that the District is planning to keep but will need to replace with proposed non-Cisco equipment ensuring all LAN equipment is from a single manufacturer.
  3. Cost to provide training to enable existing staff to acquire skills to support the LAN infrastructure using alternate equipment.

Part C – Vendors responding to Part C are asked to provide implementation services for installing equipment procured in Part A or Part B. Pricing in this part is being requested for services grouped in categories. Categories are explained in Section II of the RFP.

Vendors may respond to one or more parts. The District may award Part A/Part B and Part C to the same or different vendors. The District may choose not to award any contract if it is in the District’s best interest to do so.

The District may apply for E-Rate funding for the LAN project. Vendors must be registered with the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) of Universal Service Administrative Company and include their Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN) in their response. If a SPIN number is not available, vendors must be willing to apply for it if requested by the District.

1.1Vendor Questions and Dates. Questions and/or correspondence related to this RFP document or procurement must be in writing and faxed or e-mailed to by the deadline specified below to:

Kathleen Bergquist

Purchasing Department

Anoka-Hennepin School District

Phone #: 763-506-1300

Fax # (763)-506-1333

E-Mail:

The following project dates have been established:

Site SurveyBeginning July 11, 2005 (See Note below)

Written Questions Received:July 22, 2005 – 12:00 noon

Written Responses Provided:July 27, 2005

Response OpeningAugust 4, 2005 (2:00 p.m. C.D.T.)

Note:For Site Surveys, the District has provided a schedule in Appendix C. Vendors should contact Jill Bourman (phone 763-506-1251; email ) to notify her if they intend to participate in the site visits. There will be no makeup time for site visits. Site visits are not mandatory but vendors shall be responsible for meeting the requirements identified in Part C of the RFP.

1.2RFP Response and Affidavit. Responses to this RFP must be received at the following address.

Anoka-Hennepin School District

c/o Purchasing Department

Attn: Kathleen Bergquist

2727 N. Ferry Street

Anoka, MN 55303

One bound original and three loose-leaf copies of the RFP response must be addressed as follows:

"P60004 RFP FOR LOCAL AREA NETWORK EQUIPMENT

AND IMPLEMENTATION SERVICES"

A security bond in the amount of 5percent of cost for vendors responding to Part A, Part B, and Part C made payable to Anoka-Hennepin School Districtmust be submitted with the response. This security bond shall be returned to unsuccessful vendors after award of a contract or rejection of all responses.

The cost section of the RFP response must not contain any erasures, corrections, or white outs. Failure to comply will result in the response being rejected.

Anoka-Hennepin School District will reject all responses received after the closing time identified above. Facsimile or email responses will not be accepted. The District is not responsible if an improperly addressed response is opened prematurely. All requests to withdraw a response must be made in writing to the District at the address listed above. Vendors may not withdraw their response and pricing within 90 days after the actual date of the RFP response opening, without forfeiting the security bond.

The successful Part C vendor may be asked to provide a performance bond within 10 days of contract award.

The School District reserves the right to waive technicalities or irregularities, to accept any portion of a response, when responses are by items, to reject any or all responses, and to make arrangements in the best interest of the School District.

The vendor must include as part of their response:

a.A signed affidavit of non-collusion.

b.A signed Statement of Affirmative Action for Equal Opportunity Employment.

c.A signed Acceptance Form

The above forms are provided as part of the RFP document.

1.3Proposal Response Format. Vendors must include the following in their response:

  1. Description (including diagrams if appropriate) of the equipment being proposed and product literature. The response must comply with the requirements as outlined in Section II.
  2. Vendor qualifications as outlined in Paragraph 1.5.1.
  3. Cost information and additional information as required in Section II of the RFP

Failure to submit your proposals in accordance with the requirements of this RFP may, at the discretion of the District be grounds for rejection. Vendors must warrant that the proposed equipment meets or exceeds all specifications contained or referenced herein. Part B and Part C vendors shall, in presenting their proposals, list types and quantities of materials to be used in its implementation. The Vendor remains solely responsible for the accuracy of the proposal as to system performance, material quality, and material quantity.

1.4General Requirements and Instructions to Vendors. The primary intent of this document is to provide vendors with sufficient information and a point of reference to propose equipment and associated services that will satisfy the objectives of the District as stated in this RFP.

The following must be considered in responding to this RFP.

  1. The specifications provided herein are intended to facilitate an understanding of the District’s needs and are to be considered the minimum requirements. It is the vendor's responsibility to propose a technically sound and operationally functional system.
  2. The LAN equipment must be provided, designed, and installed to provide a highly reliable grade of service. All parts, materials, and service proposed must be currently available on the market and in continuing production (no discontinued manufacturers or parts). Any components included must be new and from the manufacturer. In addition, Part C vendors must clearly demonstrate that they have installed all components needed to provide service as proposed and that those components or service are fully operational. Vendors must document conformance with the performance requirements as specified in the RFP.
  3. Each vendor is required to submit proposed contracts, catalog data, and technical information that completely describes the equipment and associated services. Information provided will be used during the evaluation process. All general contents of this RFP and technical specifications herein, as well as the complete response of the successful vendor, will be included in any contract between the District and the successful vendor.
  4. The District reserves the right to determine if a vendor is responsive and has the ability and resources to perform the contract in full and comply with the specifications. Inability to demonstrate vendor experience will result in rejection of the response.
  5. The District reserves the right to request additional information from vendors to satisfy any questions that might arise. The District further reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and/or to issue invitations for new proposals under different cover.
  6. The District assumes no responsibility for understanding or representations concerning conditions made by its officers or employees prior to the execution of a legal contract, unless such understanding or representations are specifically incorporated into this RFP.
  7. All questions pertaining to modifications or clarifications of this RFP will be confirmed in writing and copied to all respondents.
  8. The vendor is required to review this document and to become familiar with the requirements necessary to make a complete response in compliance with local, state, and federal codes and the RFP specifications. Failure to review the provided information regarding this project will not relieve the vendor from being responsible for submitting a complete and fully responsive proposal.
  9. Where specific manufacturer's components and materials are listed, "equivalents or equals" will not be considered, except for Part B where “equivalent or equals” is being requested. Technical specifications for all "equivalents or equals" must be included with the response. Responses without such documentation may be rejected at the District’s discretion. The District reserves final approval of "equivalents or equals".
  10. The District is not responsible for locating or securing any information that is not identified in the RFP response. To ensure sufficient information is available, the vendor must furnish, as part of the response, all descriptive material necessary for the District to determine if the response meets the requirement of the RFP and establish exactly what the vendor proposes to furnish as to supplies, materials, and services.
  11. Subcontractors working for the vendor must meet all the requirements of the RFP and any contract between the vendor and the subcontractor must include all contract terms agreed to between the District and the successful vendor.
  12. Any manufacturer-provided special discount or price breaks must be reflected in the cost proposal.
  13. As part of the RFP evaluation process, the District may invite a short list of vendors for an interview before making an award decision.
  14. The District will award the contract to the lowest responsible vendor. The lowest responsible vendor may not be the lowest cost vendor.

1.5Response Evaluation. It is important that vendors review this subsection to understand the District’s evaluation process.

1.5.1Vendor Qualification. Vendors responding to the RFP must have the following minimum qualifications:

a.For Parts A andB, if the vendor responding to the RFP is a channel distributor, they must be authorized by the manufacturer. The District may request verification of this authorization. Vendors not authorized by the manufacturer to distribute their products shall be rejected.

b.Part AandB vendors must provide references from where similar equipment has been installed in organizations of similar size and complexity.

c.Part C vendors or their subcontractors must have successfully installed networks of similar scope, size, and configuration for at least two customers.

d.The company or subcontractors used must have a service and support capability and be able to respond for warranty services.

e.Vendors must participate in FCC’s Schools and Libraries E-Rate program and commit to follow the guidelines of the E-Rate program. Vendors must include their Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN). If a SPIN number is not available, vendors must be willing to apply for it if requested by the District.

Vendors must include information that substantiates their qualification as part of their response to the RFP. Vendors that do not qualify will not be considered further.

1.5.2Part A Vendors. Solutions not meeting the requirements stated in the RFP Section II and AppendicesA andB will be eliminated from further consideration at this stage in the review process.

1.5.3Part B Vendors. For the most part the District currently uses Cisco equipment and its staff are trained and familiar with Cisco architecture and equipment. In determining whether to consider non-Cisco equipment, the District will be focusing on a number of items during the evaluation for equipment provided in response to Part B. These include (but is not limited to):

  1. The scope and level of implementation of similar equipment at other sites of similar size and complexity.
  2. The number of school districts of varying size in the Twin Cities metropolitan area in Minnesota where the manufacturer has equipment installed.
  3. The number of partners that the manufacturer has in the Twin Cities metropolitan area who are capable of providing implementation service of the scale and scope requested in this RFP.
  4. The level of physical presence (staff, support personnel, training facilities, etc.) that the manufacturer maintains to support its clients and channel partners in the Twin Cities metropolitan area.

1.5.4Part C Vendors. The District will be evaluating the following (but not limited) when considering responses from Part C vendors.

  1. Number of years experience in providing services proposed.
  2. The diversity in skill sets – breadth and depth of company staff for the services proposed.
  3. The type and diversity of LAN equipment that the vendor can provide services. (Note: Vendors are asked to list the manufacturer of LAN equipment that they have expertise in providing services as requested in Part C. References should be included to validate the claim.)
  4. List of experienced staff proposed for the District’s project, including the level of physical presence (staff, support personnel, training facilities, etc.) that the vendor has in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Identify if there are any subcontractors proposed for the project not physically located within 100miles of the District office.

1.5.5Weights. Cost provided in the RFP response will be used and evaluated as follows:

  1. Part A Vendor Responses – Part A vendor responses will be ranked as follows:

Experience…………………………………………………….20%

Cost……………………………………………………………80%

  1. Part B Vendor Responses – Part B vendor responses will be ranked as follows:

Experience...... 20%

Technical Solution...... 20%

Cost...... 60%

NOTE: total cost to the district for Part B vendor responses will be the sum of the total cost of Appendix A equipment, AppendixB equipment, and any training cost the district will incur.

  1. Part C Vendor Responses – Part C vendor response will be ranked as follows:

Experience...... 20%

Cost...... 80%

1.6Contract Terms and Conditions

Note: A term is applicable to a specific vendor type (Part A/Part B, Part C) if the type is identified. Otherwise, the term is applicable to all the vendors.

1.6.1Contractual Conditions. The following contractual conditions, in addition to equipment requirements and installation terms, shall be included in the contract entered into by the District and the successful vendor.

1.6.1.1Number of Vendors: There shall be one contract between the District and the PartA/Part B vendor and a separate contract between the District and the Part C vendor. All materials and services proposed will be procured under these two contracts. The PartC vendor may employ subcontractors. Any agreements between the PartC vendor and subcontractors must not conflict with the terms of the agreement between the District and the PartC vendor.

1.6.1.2Laws of Minnesota and Effective Date: The contract between the District and the successful vendor shall be governed by the laws of the State of Minnesota. The contract shall be effective on the date it is approved and signed by the District.

1.6.1.3Assignment of Interest: The successful vendors shall not assign any part of its interest in this agreement without prior written consent of the District or agents thereof.

1.6.1.4Permits: The successful vendors shall be compliant with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

1.6.2Date of Acceptance. The contract will be considered substantially complete under the following conditions for Part C vendor:

a.All of the work has been completed in accordance with the contract and specifications.

b.The system operates in conformance with manufacturer’s published specifications.

  1. Completion of 30 consecutive days of operation without major failure after the system or service is turned over to the District for use. The District will use a mutually agreed upon testing procedure for acceptance. Failure within this period would re-start the 30-day period.
  2. All documents and manuals as specified and agreed upon have been provided.
  3. The vendor has provided to the District an approved Withholding Affidavit for Contractors (Form IC134) from the Minnesota Department of Revenue. Additional information and forms are available on Minnesota Revenue website at

The vendor shall certify, in writing, to the District Project Manager when the system or service is installed, operational in accordance with the specifications stated above, and ready for use. Upon receiving the certification, the District will schedule acceptance testing. At the end of the acceptance period, upon the District’s written acceptance, operations control becomes the responsibility of the District. This constitutes Date of Acceptance.