Category 1 Wide Area Network Services

RFP# 1-2024 Pueblo Library WAN Services Page 1 of 10 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL Category 1 Wide Area Network Services REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DATE: January 12, 2024 PROPOSALS DUE: February 9, 2024 RFP # 1-2024 PUEBLO CITY-COUNTY lel Library District RFP# 1-2024 Pueblo Library WAN Services Page 2 of 10 1. General Information: A. Overview: The Pueblo City-County Library District (District) issues this Request for Proposals (RFP) for Wide Area Network Services in three methods. The District is seeking 3-year pricing for the WAN services. Technical requirements for this request are detailed in this RFPs Scope of Work (SOW) Section 8.1 (WAN) of this RFP. The District intends to apply for discounts on the services listed in this RFP through the federal Universal Service Support Mechanism for Schools and Libraries, commonly known as E-rate. Several criteria and restrictions pertinent to the E- rate program are included herein Section 8.2 (E-rate) and must be met by the successful vendor in order for

the proposal to be considered a Qualified Proposal. B. RFP Schedule: RFP Issued: January 12, 2024 Questions Due by 3pm MST: January 25, 2024 Proposals Due by 3pm MST: February 9, 2024 C. RFP Submittal: Proposals are to be emailed, the subject line should identify the RFP number and title, with all attachments, no later than 3 pm MST on February 9, 2024 to: Ashley Huggins Chief Financial Officer Pueblo City-County Library District Email: Ashley.Huggins@pueblolibrary.org Each complete submission is to include a signed proposal in a digital version. All proposals are to be created using a recent version of Microsoft Office Word and/or .pdf file. Proposals delivered after the above required date and time will be received, but will not be considered and will be rejected for lateness. All proposals submitted will become property of the PCCLD and will be considered a public document under applicable Colorado State law. D. Points of Contact: Questions and requests for clarification regarding this RFP must be addressed via email by 3 pm January 25, 2024 to: Pueblo City-County Library District ATTN: Thomas Defrates, Director of IT Email: Thomas.Defrates@pueblolibrary.org Questions and requests for clarifications may be sent via email, provided that the RFP number, Title, and the words question and/or clarification are identified in the subject area of the email. Questions and requests without this RFP# 1-2024 Pueblo Library WAN Services Page 3 of 10 subject identification may be considered routine emails, and may not get properly addressed. All questions and requests for clarification will be responded to on PCCLDs web site http://www.pueblolibrary.org/about/requests (click on request for bids) to all respondents by February 1, 2024. Any responses by PCCLD that are considered to be a change in the terms, conditions, and specifications of this RFP will be posted on the web site as an addendum. No communications of any kind may be considered a change to the terms, conditions, and specifications in this RFP unless posted as an official addendum on the web site. Communication from any other source, other than the above, should be considered as invalid regarding this RFP. On-Site visits are available. Interested parties should notify Thomas.Defrates@pueblolibrary.org to schedule a site visit. 2. General Terms & Conditions: A. Interested Parties: All interested vendors are invited to submit a proposal in accordance with the terms, conditions, and specifications contained herein. B. Tax Exemption: PCCLD, as a local government entity, is exempt from sales and use taxes. Bidders shall inform all prospective subcontractors and suppliers from whom they expect to obtain services or supplies of the tax-exempt status of PCCLD. Following the contract award, an exemption certificate will be furnished by PCCLD if the vendor requests. C. Expenses: PCCLD assumes no liability for payment of expenses incurred by vendors in the preparation and submission of proposals in response to this invitation. D. Non-Discrimination: The vendor agrees not to refuse to hire, discharge, promote, or demote, or to discriminate in matters of compensation against any person otherwise qualified, solely because of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, military status, sexual orientation, marital status, or physical or mental disability. E. Governing Law: The laws of the State of Colorado shall govern any contract executed between the successful vendor and PCCLD. Further, the place of performance and transaction of business shall be deemed to be in the County of Pueblo, State of Colorado, and in the event of litigation, the exclusive venue and place of jurisdiction shall be Pueblo County in the State of Colorado. F. Confidentiality: Proposal submitted to PCCLD for consideration shall be subject to Colorado Open Record Law, Section 24-72-201, et seq., C.R.S., after award is made. RFP# 1-2024 Pueblo Library WAN Services Page 4 of 10 G. Termination of Contract: PCCLD may, by written notice to the successful vendor, terminate the contract if the vendor has failed to perform its service in a manner satisfactory to PCCLD per specifications defined in the contract and/or RFP. The date of termination shall be stated in the notice. PCCLD may cancel the contract upon thirty days written notice for any reason other than cause. This may include, but is not limited to PCCLDs inability to continue with the contract due to the elimination or reduction in funding. H. Non-Appropriation: PCCLD presently intends to carry out and perform all of the terms and conditions of an awarded contract, and reasonably believes that funds in amounts sufficient to pay all amounts payable hereunder can legally be provided and made available for that purpose, and PCCLD shall include in its annual budget request amounts sufficient to pay all sums payable pursuant to an awarded contract. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the parties hereto recognize that it is possible that in any given fiscal year of the PCCLD funds might not be available. PCCLD shall have the right to cancel any awarded contract at the end of any calendar year during the term hereof that governmental funding from Pueblo County, Colorado is not granted for the subsequent calendar year. PCCLD shall advise vendor of its intention to cancel the awarded contract due to lack of funds on or before the end of any such calendar year and submit therewith to vendor satisfactory evidence showing PCCLDs inability to obtain the required revenues for the coming calendar year. Upon such cancellation PCCLD shall be released from all further liability under any awarded contract. The right granted to PCCLD by this provision may only be exercised for the express reason stated and for no other reason. I. Confidentiality of Information: The vendor acknowledges that the vendor will, or may, be making use of, acquiring or adding to information about certain matters and things which are confidential to PCCLD and which information is the exclusive property of PCCLD, including, but not limited to: Internal personnel and financial information, vendor names and other vendor information (including vendor characteristics, services and agreements), purchasing and internal cost information, internal services and operational manuals, and the manner and methods of conducting PCCLDs business. 3. Proposal Preparation: A. Exceptions and Deviations: Any exceptions to or deviations from these Terms & Conditions must be identified, in writing, on an attachment to the proposal submission. PCCLD reserves the right to accept or reject, at its sole discretion, any exceptions or deviations by the vendor. B. Substantive Proposals: By submitting a proposal, the vendor guarantees that (1) its proposal is genuine and is not made in the interest of, or on behalf of, any undisclosed person, firm, or corporation; (2) it has not directly or indirectly induced or solicited any other respondent to put in a false or sham bid; (3) it has not solicited or induced any other person, firm, or corporation from proposing; and (d) it has not sought by collusion to obtain for itself any advantage over any other vendor or over PCCLD. RFP# 1-2024 Pueblo Library WAN Services Page 5 of 10 C. Minimum Qualifications: To be considered for selection, vendors must meet at least the following minimum qualifications: (1) Established Business. Vendor must have been engaged as a place of business 3 years prior to the release date of this RFP. (2) Customer Satisfaction, Financial Resources and Ability to Perform. Vendor must be able to show proof that they have an established satisfactory record and have sufficient financial support, equipment, and organization to ensure that they can satisfactorily execute the services to be performed per this RFP. (3) Legal Compliance. Vendor must be in compliance with all applicable laws, rules, regulations, and ordinances of the City of Pueblo, the State of Colorado and the United States. (4) Insurance: The vendor shall not commence work until it has procured, maintains, and provides proof of the policies of insurances and liabilities listed below. The vendor will not be relieved of any liability, claims, or other obligations in conjunction with the signed agreement with the Library by reason of its failure to procure or maintain the necessary insurance and liabilities. Failure on the part of the vendor to obtain such insurance and liabilities prior to, and during the term of the contact, will constitute a breach of contract in which the Library has the right and may immediately terminate the signed agreement. The Library reserves the right to request and receive a copy of any policy related to services provided to the Library. (a) Commercial General Liability: The vendor shall secure and maintain, during the term of agreed contract and for such additional time for service being performed, Commercial General Liability Insurance issued to and covering the liability of the vendor with respect to all work performed by vendor and its third party vendors under the contract, to be written on a comprehensive policy form. This insurance shall be written in amounts not less than $1 million for each occurrence and aggregate for personal injury including death and bodily injury and $1 million for each occurrence and aggregate for property damage. This policy of insurance shall name the Pueblo City-County Library District, its agents, officers and employees as additional insured. This policy shall have all necessary endorsements to provide coverage without exclusion for explosion and collapse hazards, underground property damage hazard, blanket contractual coverages, as well as Owners and vendors Protective Liability (OCP) coverage. The policy shall also provide coverage for contractual liability assumed by vendor under the provisions of the contract and Completed Operations and Projects Liability coverage. (b) Workers Compensation Insurance: The vendor shall procure and RFP# 1-2024 Pueblo Library WAN Services Page 6 of 10 maintain Workers Compensation Insurance, fully complying with the provisions of the Workers Compensation Act of the State of Colorado, during the period of this contract and for such additional time as work on this project is being performed D. Submission Information and Documents: The following information and documents shall be included in the proposal submission: (1) Name of company, address, telephone number, email address, website URL, and contact persons name. (2) Vendor awarded the contract must submit a completed and signed IRS Form W9 to PCCLD before contract begins. E. Signatures: The proposal must be submitted in ink, signed by an officer or person qualified to bind the proposing company. F. Withdrawal of Proposal: A Vendor may withdraw its own proposal at any time prior to the proposal due date and time as identified herein. After that date and time, no vendor may withdraw its proposal for any reason. All proposals shall be valid for a period not less than 90 calendar days after the proposal due date. 4. Selection: A. Vendor Selection: No proposal will be considered unless it is complete. All proposals submitted will be first screened to determine minimum vendor qualifications as outlined in this RFP. The proposals will be ranked, based on total cost and the ability of the proposing vendor to provide the required services effectively. Proposals that do not meet these minimum requirements will automatically be rejected and shall not undergo further evaluation. B. Right of Acceptance and Rejection: PCCLD reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals and to waive any formalities, informalities, and deviations, which, in its opinion, best serve the interests of PCCLD. PCCLD is not bound to accept the lowest priced proposal, but will select the proposal that represents the best value for PCCLD. C. Negotiation: Subsequent to the Proposal due date, PCCLD reserves the right to negotiate terms and conditions with vendors. PCCLD reserves the right to negotiate modifications to a proposal with a single vendor without obligation to negotiate similar modifications with other vendors. 5. Key Personnel: PCCLD prefers a single account relationship manager. In the vendors proposal, list names, titles and locations of the primary and backup employees who will be assigned to PCCLDs account. Also include certifications, education, experience and qualifications of personnel. The vendor must establish one person to serve as project manager and liaison to the PCCLD project manager. PCCLD looks to the vendor to inform the needs of the project, maintain a cohesive schedule, and coordinate, oversee and manage work produced. Therefore, the RFP# 1-2024 Pueblo Library WAN Services Page 7 of 10 vendor must establish a work schedule for all parties to ensure timely completion of the project. In addition to the start and completion of various construction stages, the schedule shall also show percentages of work to be completed at any given time, as well as significant dates that will serve as check points to determine compliance with approved schedule. 6. Competitive Position: Describe what differentiates the vendors service from that of other competitors. Include in the discussion how the vendor keeps abreast of current and future trends. Discuss the vendors approach to communication. 7. Customer References: Provide references from at least three (3) customers to which the vendor has provided the services required under this RFP. These should be recent customers with needs comparable to those of PCCLD. Select a mix of long-standing and new customers. Library or other governmental references are preferred. References should include a contact name and phone number and address of reference. 8. Scope of Work: 8.1 Wide Area Network (WAN) Services The District is seeking WAN services for two branches, and or all branches (see Index A and Index B) located in the County of Pueblo, Colorado. Vendors may propose dark fiber services leased by the District, lit fiber services, or a combination of both. In the case of lit fiber services, the solution may be point- to-point or point-to-provider cloud. Vendors are required to provide either a bid on Index A locations, Index B locations, or both. PCCLD recognizes that some of its branches are, or may be considered, out of range of city services. Due to this PCCLD has decided to allow vendors to provide proposals to either - Index A, Index B, -or Indexes A and B. PCCLD reserves the right to select two proposals from two different vendors for best services for all branches although one single vendor proposal for all locations would be preferred. It is requested that vendors that have the ability to quote Index A and Index B provide quotes in their proposal for both Indexes as a combined quote and a separate quote. Each District branch must have a point-to-point connection terminating at current fiber termination points with a home run to main branch. No more than one branch may be used for point-to-point home run to main branch. In the case of a lit fiber solution or provider cloud solution, these point-to-point links should operate at 2Gbps, capable of being increased to 10Gbps. In the case of a dark fiber solution, the fiber should be capable of 10Gbps operation and include 2 fiber strands (duplex). Below are the technical requirements for the requested WAN services: 8.1.1 Proposals must include detailed network diagrams depicting both logical and physical designs. Google Earth compatible KMZ files are acceptable for the physical designs. RFP# 1-2024 Pueblo Library WAN Services Page 8 of 10 8.1.2 Vendors proposing leased dark fiber must include routine maintenance and inspection throughout the contract term on the fiber. 8.1.3 Vendors must include the service level agreement that is included, and what alternative service levels may be available at additional cost. 8.1.4 In the case of a dark fiber solution, each circuit must be duplex (two-strand) with no single-strand transceivers required for operation. 8.1.5 The Vendor must indicate the total distance of each point-to-point circuit so that the District may procure the appropriate electronics. The District would prefer that all circuits be highly optimized to reduce overall length. 8.1.6 Fiber that is buried must be 3 (three feet) deep or more. Micro-trenching installations are not permitted. If it is not possible for Vendor to comply with this requirement, a detailed and technical explanation as to why must be included with Vendors proposal. 8.1.7 In the case of a lit fiber solution, the Vendors solution must be Layer 2 (L2) based with VLAN transparency and QoS transparency 8.1.8 In the case of a lit fiber solution, the Vendors handoff equipment must use the 10GBASE-SR or 10GBASE-LRM standards for 10Gb circuits. The Vendor does not need to provide fiber patch cables. 8.1.9 In the case of a lit fiber solution, the Vendors solution must provide dedicated bandwidth on each circuit capable of 90% or greater sustained throughput on each circuit. 8.1.10 All cable installed within buildings must be plenum rated and installed to local building codes. This includes supporting the cable in the ceiling with J-hooks or other required supports. 8.1.11 Installation of service shall begin as soon as possible after a contract between the parties has been executed. All services must be fully operational by July 1st, 2024 (non-negotiable). No invoices for service and/or installation shall be issued or dated prior to July 1, 2024 (non- negotiable). There may be a need for some of the installation to occur after hours. The rate for after-hours installation shall be the same as the installation costs during business hours. 8.1.12 The District requests proposals for a 3-year contract term. RFP# 1-2024 Pueblo Library WAN Services Page 9 of 10 8.2 E-rate Requirements Vendors submitting proposals under this RFP must agree to meet the following conditions relating to the E-rate program: 8.2.1 SPIN - Vendor must have a valid E-rate SPIN number (Vendor Identification Number), and must provide that SPIN in the Proposal submitted in response to this bid opportunity. All services included in this RFP must be submitted under a single SPIN. 8.2.2 Form 473, Service Provider Annual Certification Form - Vendor must agree to timely submission to the SLD a completed Form 473. This form is available on the SLDs website at www.usac.org/sl in the Forms section. 8.2.3 BEAR Billings Vendor must agree to bill the District in Billed Entity Applicant Reimbursement (BEAR) format. In which the District will pay for services in the full amount, and request reimbursement from USAC directly. 8.2.4 Document retention - Vendor must retain copies of all invoices and record of District payments for a period of eleven years and be willing to provide this information to the District upon request. Such retention may be done electronically. 8.2.5 Subcontracting - Any and all subcontractors must be identified in Vendors proposals. Subcontractors must abide by the same rules and standards as set forth in this RFP as the proposing Vendors. RFP# 1-2024 Pueblo Library WAN Services Page 10 of 10 Index A District Locations: Greenhorn Valley Branch 4801 Cibola Dr. Colorado City, CO 81019 Pueblo West Branch 298 S. Joe Martinez Blvd. Pueblo West, CO 81007 Index B District Locations: Rawlings Public Library (Hub Site) Barkman Branch Library 100 E Abriendo Ave. 1300 Jerry Murphy Rd Pueblo, CO 81004 Pueblo, CO 81001 Patrick A Lucero Library Tom L. & Anna Marie Giodone Library 1315 E. 7th St. 24655 E. US Highway 50 Pueblo, CO 81001 Pueblo, CO 81006 Lamb Branch Library Library at the Y 2525 S Pueblo Blvd. 3200 E. Spaulding Ave. Pueblo, CO 81005 Pueblo, CO 81008