24-RQ220144-NM E-RATE CATEGORY TWO RFP LITE PROJECT

The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) Lite is for NCDPI to establish one or more statewide convenience contracts with qualified E-Rate service providers from whom participating North Carolina PSUs and eligible libraries may competitively procure E-Rate Category Two products and services through subsequent mini-bids. No specific quantities are guaranteed under this solicitation.

Products and services available under the resulting contracts may include:

• eligible wireless access points and associated components;
• network switches and routing functionality;
• wireless controllers;
• UPS/battery backup equipment;
• eligible firewall and caching components;
• software and licenses necessary for operation of eligible internal connections;
• installation, activation and initial configuration;
• managed internal broadband services;
• basic maintenance and technical support; and
• structured copper and fiber cabling, associated components and installation services.

This solicitation establishes the eligible product/service categories, minimum technical and performance requirements, OEMs/product lines offered by each awarded vendor, minimum discounts from publicly available MSRP, and maximum rates for services. Individual PSUs and libraries will define site-specific quantities, configurations, performance needs and statements of work through subsequent mini-bid solicitations.

(a) Vendor shall include in its offer at least one (1) product/service of the following segments:

• Segment A: Internal Connections (IC)
• Segment B: Managed Internal Broadband Services (MIBS)
• Segment C: Basic Maintenance of Eligible Broadband Internal Connections (BMIC)
• Segment D: Structured Cabling – Considered eligible under Internal Connections (IC)

For Segment A: Vendors will respond with a minimum of (1) and up to (5) OEM/brands. [...] Offers cannot include any E-Rate “Category One” Products or Services.

All hardware included in an offer must be new, commercially available, and supported by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for a minimum of five (5) years from date of purchase.

Submit one (1) signed, original electronic offer via the **Ariba Sourcing Module**. The Vendor to include the *Execution Page 1* WITH the remaining pages of the solicitation in one PDF. The *Execution Page 1* must be signed and dated by an official authorized to bind the Vendor’s firm. Failure to return a signed offer shall result in disqualification.

Offers will be publicly opened **November 6, 2026 at 10:00 AM ET**. Offer valid for three hundred and sixty five (365) days from date of offer opening unless otherwise stated.

A trade-off/ranking method of source selection will be utilized in this procurement to allow the State to award this RFP Lite to the Vendor providing the Best Value. The following Evaluation Criteria are listed in Order of Importance.

• Total cost of ownership [...] based upon the average discount from list price percentage.
• How well the Vendor’s offer conforms with the specifications.
• How each Vendor’s offer compares with other Vendor offers.
• Physical location of Vendor (and all third parties).
• Strength of references relevant and/or Vendor Past Performance.

Responses that do not include *Attachment A* Proposal Cost Summary and *Attachment B* Vendor Qualification will be considered non-responsive.