REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) Network Infrastructure Upgrade Network Switches - East Noble Elementary Schools
Posted
Oct 15, 2026
Nov 16, 2026
School/Library Name: East Noble Elementary Schools Issue Date: October 15, 2026 470 #: 270002082 The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to solicit sealed proposals to establish a contract through fair and competitive negotiations for Network Infrastructure upgrades. The goods and services requested in these documents are part of the E-Rate filings for Funding Year 2027 for East Noble School Corporation. Further information can be found at the USAC Website. • The vendor must provide their E-Rate Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN) number on proposal to be eligible for consideration. • The vendor must agree to comply with the rules and regulations of USAC. Vendors must be familiar with billing methods and timelines associated with USAC. We will be using the BEAR method for this RFP. • Bids and awards related to this RFP are subject to receiving approval for funding through the E-Rate process. In the event projects are not funded, East Noble School Corporation reserves the right to modify the scope of the project or cancel the project. • The winning vendor must complete the necessary FCC Form 471 templates required for each school/entity, i.e., Internal Connections, Basic Maintenance of Internal Connections and Managed Internal Broadband Services, if they are required. • East Noble requests that the bidder use the BEAR method for this RFP. BACKGROUND East Noble School Corporation's current network infrastructure uses a FortiGate 2600F firewall. East Noble has also recently upgraded some switch equipment with FortiNet switches and all access points with FortiAPs. The FortiNet Security Fabric offers single pane of glass management of both switches and access points for core management features and does not require additional management licensing of the switches or access points through a FortiGate firewall. This feature allows integration of identity management, reporting, web filtering, DNS filtering, application control and network security to be easily managed and automatically integrated between the firewall, switches, and access points. East Noble School Corporation is open to alternative bids; however, the vendor must include any additional management, licensing, and products in their bid to achieve the same or equivalent functionality that would be achieved in expanding East Noble's existing FortiNet deployment. SITE VISITS • Site visits will not be allowed since this is an equipment only bid. Questions may be submitted to Rick Williams Network Manager, through email rwilliams@eastnoble.net Answers to questions may be shared with other vendors if necessary to provide clarification to the RFP process. • This project may not be implemented until an E-rate Funding Commitment is received. DUE DATE Proposals will be received at the East Noble School Corporation Transportation & Technology Center at the following address 550 W Ohio Street, Kendallville, IN 46755 or sent by email to Jeremiah Gibson, Assistant Network Manager, at rwilliams@eastnoble.net until 11:00 o'clock (11:00 a.m.) EST Monday, November 16th, 2026. Proposals will be opened and publicly read at the time of 11:00 o'clock (11:00 a.m.) EST Monday, November 16th, 2026 at the East Noble School Corporation Transportation & Technology Center. The East Noble School Board reserves the right to reject any or all bids. SPECIFICATIONS Listed below are part numbers and quantities for proposal. Vendors may submit alternative equipment if the equipment is an equivalent make and model and will achieve the same interoperability with the existing network infrastructure. East Noble School Corporation reserves the right to adjust quantities prior to purchasing to meet the needs of the corporation. Function Part Number Description Quantity Switches FS-648F-FPOE 32 x 2.5Gbps RJ45 Ports, 16 x 5Gbps RJ45 Ports, 8 x 25Gbps SFP28 slots, dual AC power supplies No Software Subscriptions or Maintenance but can be listed as optional line-item addons Switches FS-624F-FPOE MGIG 24 x 5GE, 4 x 25GE SFP28 Ports, dual AC Power Supplies No Software Subscriptions or Maintenance but can be listed as optional line-item addons Firewalls FG-60F on 10x GE RJ45 ports (including 7x Internal ports, 2x WAN ports, 1x DMZ port). No Software Subscriptions or Maintenance but can be listed as optional line-item addons Access Points FAP-431K Indoor Wireless AP - 4 radios (Wi-Fi-7 Tri-band 2.4/5/6GHz 4+4+4 4 streams), internal antennas, 2x 10G Base-T RJ45, BT/BLE, 1x Type A USB, 1x RS-232 RJ45 Serial Port. Ceiling/wall mount kit included. For power order: 802.3bt PoE injector. PRICING • Each line item on the proposal should clearly list the following information: o Quantity o Manufacturer o Part Number o Description o Unit Price o Extended Price o Classification (See categories below) o Classification for each line item of products/services in a separate column on the proposal/bid from one of the following categories: ▪ Cabling or Connectors ▪ Caching (equipment or recurring service) ▪ Data Distribution (router or switch) ▪ Data Protection (firewall or UPS) ▪ Miscellaneous (installation or training) - For training, please include who is doing the training, who is being trained, and when the training will take place. ▪ Racks ▪ Software (Operating System Software of Eligible Equipment) ▪ Wireless Data Distribution (Antenna, Access Point, or LAN Controller) • Any ongoing subscription pricing must be listed separately. • Licenses, software, and basic maintenance for the adequate performance of eligible components should be included in the proposal. • If applicable, vendor is to specify change fees, freight assurance fees, shipping charges, taxes, surcharges and contingency fees for eligible equipment. • If applicable, vendor is to specify the manufacturer's warranty provided as an integral part of an eligible component without separately identifiable cost. • While price will be the most heavily weighted factor in our evaluation of the bids, the School Corporation reserves the right to award the proposal to the best-qualified vendor. • Bundle pricing is not permitted. • East Noble School Corporation reserves the right to omit line items and/or change quantities on the submitted bids. These changes are not to incur any additional fees or pricing changes. • East Noble prefers the bidder to invoice us in full for services and we will submit for reimbursement through USAC using the BEAR method. Acknowledgement of this must be stated in the proposal. REFERENCES The vendor must include a list of at least three (3) clients for whom the vendor has provided products and/or services that are the same or equivalent to those products and/or services requested in this RFP. Information provided should include the name, address, and telephone number of the client facility and the name, title, email address and phone/fax numbers of a person who may be contacted for further information. In addition, a brief description of services rendered for the reference should be included. DISQUALIFICATION Vendors will be disqualified for the factors listed below. • Failure to deliver the bid response by the due date and time. Confirmation of receipt of bid packet will be emailed for all bids submitted by email. • Failure to provide pricing as specified. • Failure to provide vendor's SPIN number. EVALUATION CRITERIA Criteria Maximum Points Cost 40 Adequacy of the responses to this RFP 25 Previous Experience with vendor 15 References from three other schools/libraries 10 supporting satisfactory performance of the service from the vendor Local or in-state vendor 10 Timeline • Bids Due by 11:00 AM EST, Monday November 16th, 2026 • Bid Opening 11:00 AM EST, Monday, November 16th, 2026 • Target Date for review of proposals Monday, November 16th, 2026 • Anticipated selection of vendor December 16th, 2026 Point of Contact Any questions concerning technical specifications or Statement of Work (SOW) requirements must be directed to: Rick Williams, Network Manager Address: 550 Ohio Street, Kendallville, IN 46755 Email: rwilliams@eastnoble.net Phone: (260) 347-7180 Extension 5