2026 NCW Branch Firewalls

North Central Washington Libraries (NCW) plan to replace their existing FortiGate FCT60E firewalls (may also be referred to as routers with firewall capabilities) in each of their 30 branches. The centralized FortiGate FG100E firewall for the network will remain in place at the central administrative building and the replacement firewalls in the branches must be fully compatible with this equipment. Note that both firewalls and routers are listed on the 470 form to ensure compliance with E-Rate categorizations, but the library will only require a total of 30 units in 2026 that provide the functions outlined below. The Fortinet FortiGate 70F Security appliance with 1-year 24x7 FortiCare Support and 1-year FortiGuard Unified Threat Protection (UTP) - 1GbE (Product # FG-70F-BDL-950-12) has the capabilities needed for this project, and all compatible equivalents with the same capabilities will be considered. The purchase will include licensing with a multi-year contract for this purchase. The Library intends to purchase 30 units with licensing in the 2026-27 E-Rate program year and may purchase up to 40 units during the term of the contract, although there is no guarantee of the total sales. Proposals should also include the required power supply, rack mount, and accessories to make the new network function. The Library will configure and install the firewalls themselves, and quotes are not needed for these services. The Library branches connect back to the central administration building via ISP VPN connections. All locations have direct, synchronous, non-SLA connections for internet access. Approximately 20 branch locations and the central administration building have 1 G internet speed, and the remaining 10 branches have 100 - 500 Mb internet speed. Existing circuit speeds meet current system demands and the Library projects that demand could potentially increase to require internet speeds up to 10 G in the next 5-10 years. This RFP process has the following disqualifying factors and bids that do not meet these requirements will not be evaluated: 1. Late submittals will not be evaluated. 2. Generic or auto-generated bids will not be considered, and 3. No recycled or refurbished products will be accepted for this project, and 4. Vendors must have an E-Rate Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN) and be up to date on annual certifications. All RFP documents, including instructions, proposal formats (if any), Q&A, updates, etc. will be uploaded to the original E-Rate 470 form and will also be posted on the Librarys website at https://www.ncwlibraries.org/bids/
Requested services (5 line items): - Category 2 — Basic Maintenance Of Internal Connections — Routers - Category 2 — Managed Internal Broadband Services — Existing Equipment - Category 2 — Internal Connections — Firewall Service, Components, And Necessary Software And Licenses - Category 2 — Basic Maintenance Of Internal Connections — Firewall Service And Components - Category 2 — Internal Connections — Routers And Necessary Software And Licenses
State/local procurement requirements: See RFP.
Reference documents (Form 470 / RFP): https://publicdata.usac.org/EPC/Prd/Form470/260016638/145379/21012945-USAC_FCC_FORM_470_APPLICATION_260016638_CERTIFIED.pdf, https://publicdata.usac.org/EPC/Prd/Form470/260016638/145379/21009331-2026%20NCW%20C2%20RFP%20for%20Firewall%20Final.docx