Clay Community Schools-Request for Proposals

Clay Community Schools

Request for Proposals – Purchase Switches

470 # XXX

Clay Community Schools (the “Applicant”) seeks proposals for a project to supply network equipment at its eligible locations. Bidders are advised that this project will be contingent upon the successful obtaining of Category 2 E-Rate funding, and the contract agreement between the district and the successful bidder must recognize that contingency.

The Applicant seeks an agreement that allows it to work with the selected vendor to adjust quantities and/or scale back or cancel the project entirely as needed based upon funding availability and/or the best interests of the Applicant.

Project Scope

The Applicant seeks eligible equipment as outlined in Appendix A. Equipment shall be new, factory-sealed equipment currently available from the manufacturer; the Applicant will not accept proposals of used, remanufactured, refurbished, “B stock,” returns, open-box, discontinued, “gray market,” or equipment in any other condition other than new and factory-sealed with all original manufacturer warranties.

Questions

Any questions related to the technical aspects of this document should be directed to Mr. William Milner, Technology Director at [email protected], no later than 4:00 pm (Eastern) on 01-09-2026. Answers to any written questions or any additional information, revisions, or clarifications to the RFP will be provided on the CCS website:  http://www.clay.k12.in.us/rfp. It is the sole responsibility of the Service Provider to check for any addenda that may be issued.

Response Format

Responses should include the following, if applicable:

• Applicable items should include all related software and hardware components that enable the functionality of the equipment (including any necessary mounting brackets, software licenses, multi-year licenses, and basic maintenance).
• If applicable, vendor is to specify all 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.
• Any ongoing subscription pricing must be listed separately.

Your response must include the following information:

1. Line-item pricing for each item listed in Appendix A. Any discounting applied to your proposal must be reflected at the line-item level.
2. In the case of proposed equivalent products, a thorough technical description of how each product from the manufacturer being bid meets each of the required functionalities of the product listed herein.
3. Information outlining your company’s certifications and connections regarding the manufacturer’s equipment being bid, and length of time your company has provided equipment from the manufacturer being bid.
4. Two (2) reference sites where your company has performed a similar installation of the equipment being bid, including business name, contact name and contact information. It is preferable that at least one reference should be for a school corporation or library system within 90 miles of the Applicant.
5. Your E-Rate SPIN Number. (You must have a current SPAC form on file with USAC.)
6. A contract which includes the proposal requirements and the E-Rate contingencies outlined herein.

 

The Applicant’s review of information will be primarily focused on the substance of the details provided in response to the requirements herein including but not limited to technical details, pricing and terms, experience, references, and adherence to the response format provided. Per E-rate rules, the cost of eligible goods and services will be the most heavily weighted evaluation factor.

Proposals must be prepared with specificity with regard to the equipment and/or services listed herein.  Bids merely listing a general menu of equipment and/or services available from a vendor, bids appearing to be automatically generated without specificity in relation to the requirements of this RFP, and bids missing substantial information but inviting the applicant to contact the bidder to refine the bid and/or discuss specifics will not be considered valid bid responses and will be disqualified from consideration. This includes any SPAM and/or robotic responses. For more information, please review the USAC E-Rate News Brief of February 15, 2024.

Proposal Delivery

The Applicant reserves the right to reject each and every bid, and to waive informalities, irregularities, and errors in the bidding to the extent permitted by law. This includes the right to extend the date and time for receipt of bids. In the event that a responsible bid is not received or if it is determined that the low bid received is too high, the bid received will be rejected and the project will be cancelled or re-bid.

Bids should be e-mailed to the office of Mr. William Milner, Technology Director at [email protected] by 02-09-2026 at 4:00 pm (Eastern).

APPENDIX A

Below is a reference of the type of equipment and capacities (or their equivalent) to be supplied.  Bidders should price separately and clearly indicate any ineligible costs for all services and equipment associated with this RFP.  For any part numbers that have been updated or replaced by the manufacturer, bidders should offer the most similar current part.

Qty	Manufacturer	Part Number	Description
8	Cisco	C9500X-28C8D	Cisco Core Switch Dual power supply, stack cables, and all switches need to be layer 3 licensed
3	Cisco	9500X-60L4D	Cisco All Fiber Switch Dual power supply, stack cables, and all switches need to be layer 3 licensed
7	Cisco	C9350-48HX	Cisco Copper Switch Dual power supply and stack cables Note: Dependent on Core Switch hardware.
7	Cisco	9350-NM-2C	Two port Fiber Module 100G/40G
4	Cisco	QSFP-100G-ZR4-S	ZR Fiber Module 100G 80 KM
14	Cisco	QSFP-100G-LR4-S	LR Fiber Module 100G 10 KM