FY2026 Internet 470 for Heartland Career Center

Heartland Career Center, (the Applicant), seeks Internet Access and Data Transmission Services. We seek symmetrical bandwidth at 1Gbps scalable to 5Gbps with guaranteed throughput to the Applicants head-end located at 79 South 200 West, Wabash, IN 46992 beginning 7/1/2026. Please provide laddered pricing at 1Gbps, 2Gbps, 3Gbps, 4Gbps, and 5Gbps in all bids and contracts. Bidders are advised that this project will be contingent upon the successful obtaining of E-Rate funding, and the contract agreement between the Applicant and the selected vendor must recognize that contingency. The Applicant seeks a 3-year or 5-year contract with up to [TWO] optional voluntary one-year extensions; other terms will be considered. We will require 5+/- public IPv4 addresses. . Questions/Site Visits No informational meetings or building visits will be scheduled. Any questions related to the technical aspects of this document should be directed to Amy Schmidt, Technology Director, at aschmidt@hcc.k12.in.us, no later than 2pm EST on January 30, 2026. All emails must include Charity Hawkins, Consultant, at charity@adtecerate.com. Answers to any written questions or any additional information, revisions, or clarifications to the RFP will be provided in the form of an addendum to be posted with the FCC Form 470 on the Universal Service (E-Rate) website. It is the sole responsibility of the Service Provider to check for any addenda that may be issued. . 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 Amy Schmidt, Technology Director, at aschmidt@hcc.k12.in.us, no later than 2pm EST on February 13, 2026. All emails must include Charity Hawkins, Consultant, at charity@adtecerate.com.
Requested services (1 line item): - Category 1 — Data Transmission And/Or Internet Access — Internet Access And Data Transmission Service
State/local procurement requirements: All correspondence and bid materials must reference 470 number 260014956. . All 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. 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. . 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 pricing and terms, technical details, SLA, experience and references, and compliance with the requirements laid out in this document. 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 services listed herein. Bids merely listing a general menu of 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.
Reference documents (Form 470 / RFP): https://publicdata.usac.org/EPC/Prd/Form470/260014956/52810/20902890-USAC_FCC_FORM_470_APPLICATION_260014956_CERTIFIED.pdf, https://publicdata.usac.org/EPC/Prd/Form470/260014956/52810/20902776-FY2026%20Internet%20RFP%20for%20Heartland%20Career%20Center.docx