This is a service / maintenance or supply contract in Bessemer, Alabama. Contact the soliciting agency for additional information.

Bessemer City Board of Education will be accepting sealed bids for Fiber Wide Area Network for all schools and facilities within the district. All respondents are required to submit 3 (three) copies of your proposal. It is the Responsibility of the Prospective Bidder to Make Certain That the Sealed Bid is Received in the Finance Department on/before March 12th, 2024. Any Bids Received After the Designated DBessemer City Board of Education will be accepting sealed bids for Fiber Wide Area Network for all schools and facilities within the district. All respondents are required to submit 3 (three) copies of your proposal. It is the Responsibility of the Prospective Bidder to Make Certain That the Sealed Bid is Received in the Finance Department on/before March 12th, 2024. Any Bids Received After the Designated Date and Time Will Not Be Considered. The Board Has the Right to Reject Any and All Bids. Purpose and Scope Bessemer City Schools (hereinafter referred to as "BCS", "District", or the "Customer") is seeking to implement a Fiber Backbone to all locations throughout the school district). The overall objective of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to identify a vendor that will provide a Fiber Solution that will provide the best fiber Wide Area Networks (WAN). The WAN should provide o High availability o Scalable o High performance o 99.95% Uptime This Fiber RFP is for a turnkey solution that is all-inclusive and includes, but not limited to, the following: o Configuration of all equipment (hardware), supplies, and services needed to provide a fully operational system o All installation services o All expenses for housing, travel, meals, etc. o All freight and shipping costs (inside delivery) o All necessary documentation for software and systems engineers (i.e. system guides, troubleshooting guides, etc.) This document provides the vendor with general information, specific requirements, and instructions needed for participating in the process of selecting and implementing a Fiber WAN. District Vision BCS desires that each and every school and administrative facility named in this RFP will be a part of a total fiber WAN network replacing existing fiber WAN. The Fiber WAN must contain dedicated connectivity to a designated demarcation point in each E-rate eligible entity and must be capable of supplying data, Internet and IP Telephony connectivity to all locations. BCS is interested in developing a strategic partnership with a vendor that can effectively provide the capability and expertise to not only implement a modern and reliable Fiber Wan, but also be able to make the District Vision a realityate and Time Will Not Be Considered. The Board Has the Right to Reject Any and All Bids. District Background The BCS District is an urban city school district located 12 miles south of Birmingham, Alabama. There are approximately 3,352 students in the District, attending seven (7) K-12 schools. In total, the district encompasses an area of approximately 10 square miles and owns over Fifteen (12) facilities. Proposal Process In order to insure that the required services are provided with the highest possible quality and professional services, Bessemer City Schools is interested in establishing a contract with a vendor experienced and qualified in such contracts and will provide the quality of service, products and equipment requested in a professional and timely manner. Nothing herein is intended to exclude any responsible vendor, his/her service or in any way restrain or restrict competition. On the contrary, all responsible vendors are encouraged to submit a proposal and their proposals are solicited. Proposals Must be Returned To: Via US Mail: Patricia Stewart, Custodian of Funds, Room #101, Bessemer City Schools, P.O. Box 1230, Bessemer, Alabama 35020 Via Courier or Band Delivered: Patricia Stewart, Custodian of Funds, Room #101, Bessemer City Schools, 1621 Fifth Avenue North, Bessemer, Alabama 35020 The name and address of the vendor, proposal date, proposal title and proposal number must be indicated on the outside of the envelope or package. Proposal received after the date and time set for proposal opening will not be considered. Proposal Security Proposal security shall be payable to Bessemer City Schools. Under the Alabama Bid Law it is required for any contract exceeding $10,000.00 the vendor shall submit with their proposal a certified check, cashier's check or a bid bond in an amount equal to 5% of the proposal, not to exceed $10,000.00. Proposal security or original bid bond must be received with proposal; copies of proposal/bid bonds are not acceptable. Performance Bond The successful vendor may be required to provide a %100 performance bond. All questions and inquiries must be submitted, in writing, to the District contact person listed above, no later than 10:00 A.M. CST, March 6, 2024. A summary of questions and answers shall be made available to all prospective vendors at the above location. Information regarding submission of proposals, procedures, technical specifications or requirements may also be obtained from the contact person. Questions, Inquiries and Information All questions and inquiries concerning procedural questions and technical data must be submitted in writing, and directed to: Bessemer City Schools Mrs. Patricia Stewart Custodian of Funds, Room 101 1621 Fifth Avenue North Bessemer, Al 35020 205-432-3030 205-4321-3031 (fax) pstewart@bessk12.org The initial term of the agreement shall be for 12 months with an option to renew for two, additional, 12 month terms, insomuch as Alabama State Law permits