FY2026 C2 and MIBS for Lake County PL

Lake County Public Library seeks Internal Connections with Managed Internal Broadband Services provided by a third party for the lease or purchase, operation, management, and monitoring of eligible equipment. We seek a 5-year contract with or without the option of voluntary extensions for eligible equipment and MIBS services under this agreement. Bidders are advised that this project will be contingent upon the successful obtaining of Category 2 E-Rate funding, and the selected vendor must offer discounted invoices, and the contract agreement must recognize these contingencies. . Please see the equipment listed on the RFP that is projected to be required and managed (or better). The Applicant reserves the right to adjust this list prior to finalizing the agreement with the awarded service provider to meet the needs of the organization. The awarded vendor will also manage the existing structured cabling, racks, and cabinets as necessary. Bidders should clearly indicate any ineligible costs by line item for all services associated with this RFP. The Applicant will consider proposals to purchase the equipment with third-party Managed Services. The Applicant will also consider proposals for third-party Managed Services with leased equipment, where the vendor owns and installs the equipment and the applicant leases the equipment as part of the contract. Proposals must be an offering of new equipment and provide options for additions of similar equipment in the contract. . SITE VISITS A voluntary onsite visit will be held at 9:00am CST on March 19, 2026. The voluntary onsite visit will begin at Lake County Public Library, 1919 West 81st Avenue, Merrillville, IN 46410. Visits to the library branches will proceed in the following order: 1. Merrillville Branch Library: 1919 W 81st Ave, Merrillville, IN 46410 2. Dyer- Schererville Branch Library: 1001 W Us Highway 30, Schererville, IN 46375 3. Munster Branch Library: 8701 Calumet Ave, Munster, IN 46321 4. Highland Branch Library: 2841 Jewett Ave, Highland, IN 46322 5. Griffith-Calumet Township Branch: 1215 E 45th Ave, Griffith, IN 46319 6. Hobart Branch Library: 100 Main St, Hobart, IN 46342 Please note that we will not be visiting the Cedar Lake Branch, Lake Station Branch, or the St John Branch, but these branches are comparable to the layout and network needs of the Griffith-Calumet Branch. Vendors should plan for at least 8 hours in order to visit the library branches. Please pre-register for this voluntary meeting by contacting John Brock, jbrock@lcplin.org, no later than 3pm CST on March 18, 2026. The pre-registration email should include the company name, name of the primary contact (including cell phone and email), and the number of people who will attend the pre-bid meeting. Emails to the applicant must reference 470 number 260023581 and must include Charity Hawkins, Consultant, at charity@adtecerate.com. . QUESTIONS The voluntary site visit will be the only opportunity to look at the layout of current equipment and installation. The voluntary site visit will be the only opportunity to ask questions or to receive answers related to this RPF. Respondents choosing not to attend in so doing acknowledge their understanding that they were offered and voluntarily declined the opportunity. It is the sole responsibility of the Service Provider to check for any addenda that may be issued. . All bids must include the following information on page one of your bid: A. Total Cost of Category Two Equipment with a separate Total Cost of the Managed Services contract. OR. B. Total Cost of Managed Leased Services contract. . Notice is hereby given that the Lake County Public Library Board of Trustees, in Merrillville, IN will receive sealed bids at the Lake County Public Library Board Room, located at 1919 West 81st Avenue, Merrillville, IN 46410, until NOON CST, on March 26, 2026. At that time the sealed bids will be publicly opened and read aloud. Envelopes containing bids shall be plainly marked Internal Connections with Managed Services. Bids received after the designated time will be returned unopened. Please reference Form Number 260023581 on all correspondence. . Bidders must submit a hard copy of their bid and any required forms, AND an electronic version of the bid response (including any required forms) on a USB flash drive in a sealed envelope, with their firms name and address clearly indicated on the envelope. Note that FAXED or EMAILED bids are not acceptable and will be rejected as non-responsive. Bids are to be addressed as follows: Lake County Public Library, 1919 West 81st Avenue, Merrillville, IN 46410, Attention: John Brock.
Requested services (6 line items): - Category 2 — Basic Maintenance Of Internal Connections — Switches - Category 2 — Managed Internal Broadband Services — Leased Equipment - Category 2 — Basic Maintenance Of Internal Connections — Wireless Access Points - Category 2 — Internal Connections — Wireless Access Points And Necessary Software And Licenses - Category 2 — Internal Connections — Switches And Necessary Software And Licenses - Category 2 — Managed Internal Broadband Services — Existing Equipment
State/local procurement requirements: The Applicants 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. . We will consider multi-year contracts with or without voluntary extensions. All cost proposals must reflect the LCP (Lowest Corresponding Price), GSA pricing, and any available governmental unit discounts including existing state purchasing agreements or contracts when applicable. Any proposal referencing an existing state purchasing agreement or contract must include that information in the proposal. Bid prices must be complete for the services proposed and shall include all associated costs, even if the amounts are estimates based upon current applicable taxes, surcharges, or fees. Each line item on proposal should clearly list Quantity, Manufacturer, Part Number, Description, Unit Price, and Extended Price. Proposals MUST separate eligible and ineligible services by line item for all services to which service provider responds. No proposal can be submitted that includes equipment or components for equipment from companies deemed to provide a national security risk as defined by FCC Order 19-121. All bidders are encouraged to: 1. Read and follow the RFP carefully. 2. Adhere to the FCC E-Rate rules.
Reference documents (Form 470 / RFP): https://publicdata.usac.org/EPC/Prd/Form470/260023581/130346/21256901-USAC_FCC_FORM_470_APPLICATION_260023581_CERTIFIED.pdf, https://publicdata.usac.org/EPC/Prd/Form470/260023581/130346/21256070-FY2026%20C2%20with%20MIBS%20RFP%20for%20Lake%20County%20Public%20Library.pdf