ERATE PROCESS STEP ONE COMPETITIVE BIDDING COMPETITIVE BIDDING
E-RATE PROCESS STEP ONE COMPETITIVE BIDDING
COMPETITIVE BIDDING
COMPETITIVE BIDDING “THE GOAL OF THE COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROCESS IS TO HAVE AS MANY BIDDERS AS POSSIBLE RESPOND TO AN FCC FORM 470, RFP, OR OTHER SOLICITATION METHOD SO THAT THE APPLICANT CAN RECEIVE BETTER SERVICE AND LOWER PRICES. ” FCC 1 ST REPORT AND ORDER
COMPETITIVE BIDDING What is an FCC Form 470? Description of Services Requested and Certification 470 A “ 470” is your organization's announcement to all potential vendors that you intend to “go out to bid” for E-rate eligible products and services.
COMPETITIVE BIDDING What FCC rules apply? ü All Forms related to a 470 must remain unaltered for at least 28 days. ü Comply with federal, state, and local requirements • Adhere to most stringent rule ü Identify all requirements on both FCC Form 470 and RFP, if present ü All FCC competitive bidding rules and procedures o If local or state rules do not require a new bid, you may still need to post FCC Form 470 and follow all subsequent FCC rules. ü Secure bidding authority (see 47 CFR 54. 519)
COMPETITIVE BIDDING What FCC rules apply? ü Requires minimum of FCC Form 470 posting. ü Must be a “bona fide” competitive process. ― All bidders must have access to the same complete information during the same time period. ― Vendor and technology-neutral. ― Example: Cisco (or equivalent) ü No conflicts of interest ― Vendors and vendor representatives may not be involved in planning or evaluation. ― Comply with all applicable “gift rules”. ü Must remain at all times “Open, Fair, and Competitive”.
COMPETITIVE BIDDING When must I go out to bid? ―Establishing a new contract. ―Procuring commodities or services under an incumbent contract not bid in compliance with 47 CFR 54. 503. ―Altering the contract beyond initial scope. o Increasing services and/or bandwidth. o Adding entities. o Negotiating new pricing ―Contract Scope Changes ―Look to State and local competitive bidding rules ―Cardinal Change Rule
COMPETITIVE BIDDING How do I post a 470? Step One: Ask yourself… q Who pays the bills? q Can you purchase from a State Agency? q Are there any available “piggy back” options? q Can you use just the 470 and still protect your organization? q. Have you considered creating an RFP? q. Are there templates available? q. What type of Technology do I need? q. What type of technology do I have?
COMPETITIVE BIDDING How do I post a 470? Step Two: Identify Needs 1. What services will you be seeking? 2. Will you sign a contract? 3. Have you considered tariff or month-to-month agreements? 4. Which 470 drop down options will you choose? 5. Have you built a bid matrix? 6. Do you have a clearly defined bid evaluation process?
COMPETITIVE BIDDING How do I post a 470? Step Two: Develop RFP Request for Proposal An RFP is any document • Other than the FCC Form 470 that • describes the project undertaken and • contains sufficient details to inform potential bidders of the scope, location, and any other requirements for the project. !Tech Neutral Language! RFP FCC rules do not specify an RFP format “RFP” documents under E-rate rules may include: ü Formal RFP, ITN, RFI, RFQ and addenda ü Detailed information posted on a public website ü Written responses to vendor questions, etc.
COMPETITIVE BIDDING
COMPETITIVE BIDDING How do I post a 470? Step Two: Develop RFP Is this an E-rate “RFP”? Word document listing locations and equipment and/or bandwidth needed. Intent to Negotiate (ITN) Notice and documents on county bidding public website Announcement on library website of bidding dates and general description of services being sought. A scope of work with timeline to submit bids. An email responding to vendor request for clarification on an item listed in the FCC Form 470 Block 2 “Service Description”. Regularly updated list of vendor questions and responses or clarification by the district. Yes No
COMPETITIVE BIDDING WHAT TO INCLUDE IN AN RFP • Describe the project RFP • • • Length and renewal terms Transitional language Price Sheet Procurement timeline Evaluator’s Scoring Criteria Total Disclosure What we want How we want it Future plans SLA’s Auto disqualifiers
COMPETITIVE BIDDING STATEMENT OF WORK EXAMPLE PURPOSE: XXX seeks a quality vendor experienced in multi-site fiber optic installations, and capabilities to provide responsive service for installed fiber optic cable. The District is seeking Request for Proposals (RFPs) for the upcoming round of E-rate funding. The next E-rate year will commence July 1, 2020 and end June 30, 2021 (or beyond for multi-year contracts). As such, XXX is soliciting proposals for 10 -year Transport services with up to two (2) optional five-year renewals or as negotiated, to provide connectivity between and among all of their facilities with failover capability built into the proposal. The transport option includes consideration for leased lit fiber, leased dark fiber and Indefeasible Right of Use (IRU).
COMPETITIVE BIDDING STATEMENT OF WORK EXAMPLE The intent of the RFP is to secure pricing for Transport services for the Wide Area Network (WAN) in compliance with the requirements of the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) and the School and Library E-rate program. Each fiber pair will be capable of sustaining speeds of up to 100 GB. The basic architecture and connection points are further defined in this document. All work pursuant to the RFP shall be contingent upon funding from the Schools and Libraries Universal Service Administration (E-rate). In the event of lack of funding, The District may or may not, accept all or part of the RFP, at the discretion of The District. All RFP responses must comply with all sections of this RFP and the products and services to be considered. All RFP vendors must be E-rate eligible and file an FCC Form 499 A to provide the services requested and provide their SPIN number as part of the RFP.
COMPETITIVE BIDDING 2. 3 Solution Specifications 1. Leased Lit Fiber a. Applicant must have dedicated, symmetrical transport bandwidth of [1 - 10 Gbps] between the designated endpoints. b. The solution must be scalable to [40 Gbps] and [100 Gbps]. c. Contract length of terms of service and renewals are as stated in section 2. 2 service request. d. Each respondent is required to complete the attached pricing worksheet with this RFP. (Attachment 2) i. Special construction, monthly recurring cost, and any additional non-recurring costs are required to be broken out and listed separately. ii. Respondents are free to propose alternate pricing terms provided they have also included pricing in the requested format. iii. No increased pricing will be allowed during the term of the quoted special construction, NRC, and MRC rate in each pricing cell of the matrix. e. If an increase in bandwidth is requested during the contract period, the contract does not renew.
COMPETITIVE BIDDING How do I post a 470? Step Three: Post to EPC E-rate Productivity Center Recap: 1. 470 must remain unaltered for at least 28 days. 2. Any change of scope will require a new 470. 3. If you have an RFP, you must upload along with 470. 4. Remain Tech Neutral 5. Follow Federal, State, and Local Law • Adhere to most stringent
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