Enterprise-Wide Direct Internet Access (DIA) and Commodity Broadband Circu

Department of Buildings and General Services Agency of Administration
Office of Purchasing & Contracting
133 State Street, 5th Floor | Montpelier VT 05633-8000
802-828-2211 phone |802-828-2222 fax
http://bgs.vermont.gov/purchasing
SEALED BID
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
Enterprise-Wide Direct Internet Access (DIA) and
Commodity Broadband Circuits for the State of
Vermont
ISSUE DATE March 17, 2026
QUESTIONS DUE March 27, 2026 - 4:30 PM ET
RFP RESPONSES DUE BY April 10, 2026 - 4:30 PM ET
PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT ALL NOTIFICATIONS, RELEASES, AND ADDENDUMS ASSOCIATED WITH
THIS RFP WILL BE POSTED AT:
http://www.bgs.state.vt.us/pca/bids/bids.php
THE STATE WILL MAKE NO ATTEMPT TO CONTACT INTERESTED PARTIES WITH UPDATED
INFORMATION. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH BIDDER TO PERIODICALLY CHECK THE ABOVE
WEBPAGE FOR ANY AND ALL NOTIFICATIONS, RELEASES AND ADDENDUMS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS
RFP.
STATE CONTACT: Kyle Emerson, State Purchasing Agent
E-MAIL: sov.thepathforward@vermont.gov
USE SUBJECT: DIA CIRCUITS
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1. OVERVIEW:
1.1. SCOPE AND BACKGROUND: Through this Request for Proposal (RFP) the Agency of Digital
Services, Chief Technology Office (hereinafter the "State") is seeking to establish contracts with
one or more companies that can provide Enterprise-Wide Direct Internet Access Circuits for the
State of Vermont.
1.2. CONTRACT PERIOD: Any Contract(s) arising from this RFP will be for a period of five (5)
years with an option to renew for up to two (2) additional twelve-month periods. The State
anticipates the start date for such contract(s) will be July 1, 2026
1.3. SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT: All communications concerning this RFP are to be addressed
in writing to the State Contact listed on the front page of this RFP. Actual or attempted contact
with any other individual from the State concerning this RFP is strictly prohibited and may result in
disqualification.
1.4. QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD: Any bidder requiring clarification of any section of this
RFP or wishing to comment on any requirement of the RFP must submit specific questions in
writing no later than the deadline for question indicated on the first page of this RFP. Questions
may be e-mailed to the point of contact on the front page of this RFP. Questions or comments not
raised in writing on or before the last day of the question period are thereafter waived. At the close
of the question period a copy of all questions or comments and the State's responses will be posted
on the State's web site http://www.bgs.state.vt.us/pca/bids/bids.php . Every effort will be made to
post this information as soon as possible after the question period ends, contingent on the number
and complexity of the questions. All information provided by vendors during this process will be
public and bidders shall not provide confidential information, except as described in Section 4
below.
1.5. CHANGES TO THIS RFP: Any modifications to this RFP will be made in writing by the State
through the issuance of an Addendum to this RFP and posted online at
http://www.bgs.state.vt.us/pca/bids/bids.php . Modifications from any other source are not to be
considered.
2. DETAILED REQUIREMENTS/DESIRED OUTCOMES:
2.1. The State of Vermont is issuing this Request for Proposal to procure broadband and Dedicated
Internet Access (DIA) circuits to replace legacy ELAN and ELINE transport services. This
procurement supports a broader shift away from centralized, carrier-bound network architecture in
favor of a flexible, broadband-based model that aligns with ongoing SD-WAN deployment.
Under the legacy model, most remote sites route all traffic-including internet and cloud-bound
traffic-through centralized datacenters using ELAN circuits. This results in unnecessary latency,
complexity, and cost, particularly for cloud-based services. As part of the State's modernization
effort, it is moving toward direct internet access at the edge where appropriate, while maintaining
secure tunnels to centralized infrastructure when needed.
This RFP seeks vendors capable of delivering reliable broadband and DIA circuits to State sites
across a wide geographic footprint, including support for path diversity at critical locations.
Circuits must support SD-WAN integration and must be sourced from a broad mix of providers,
including local, regional, wireless, and satellite, depending on site feasibility. It is anticipated that
this RFP will have multiple awardees based on this logic.
While SD-WAN deployment and management are out of scope for this RFP, the connectivity being
procured here will serve as the foundation for that platform. Vendors responding to this RFP are
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expected to deliver high-performance, cost-effective, low latency connectivity that supports a
distributed, cloud-integrated network environment.
2.2. Functional and Non-Functional Requirements
2.2.1. The State's Functional and Non-Functional Requirements are provided in the
attached State of Vermont Bidder Response Form (Attachment A).
2.2.2. The Non-Functional Requirements include requirements for the following:
* Hosting
* Application Solution
* Security
2.2.3. Data Compliance: Solutions must adhere to applicable State and Federal standards,
policies, and laws. The Bidder Response Form includes a table of data types and their
applicable State and Federal standards, policies, and laws. The boxes in the table that are
checked are the ones that are applicable to this procurement.
3. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:
3.1.PRICING: Bidders must price the terms of this solicitation at their best pricing. Any and all costs
that Bidder wishes the State to consider must be submitted for consideration. If applicable, all
equipment pricing is to include F.O.B. delivery to the ordering facility. No request for extra
delivery cost will be honored. All equipment shall be delivered assembled, serviced, and ready for
immediate use, unless otherwise requested by the State.
3.1.1. Prices and/or rates shall remain firm for the initial term of the contract. The pricing
policy submitted by Bidder must (i) be clearly structured, accountable, and auditable and (ii)
cover the full spectrum of materials and/or services required.
3.1.2. Cooperative Agreements. Bidders that have been awarded similar contracts
through a competitive bidding process with another state and/or cooperative are welcome
to submit the pricing in response to this solicitation.
3.2.STATEMENT OF RIGHTS: The State shall have the authority to evaluate Responses and select
the Bidder(s) as may be determined to be in the best interest of the State and consistent with the
goals and performance requirements outlined in this RFP. The State of Vermont reserves the right
to obtain clarification or additional information necessary to properly evaluate a proposal. Failure
of bidder to respond to a request for additional information or clarification could result in rejection
of that bidder's proposal. To secure a project that is deemed to be in the best interest of the State,
the State reserves the right to accept or reject any and all bids, in whole or in part, with or without
cause, and to waive technicalities in submissions. The State also reserves the right to make
purchases outside of the awarded contracts where it is deemed in the best interest of the State.
3.2.1. Best and Final Offer (BAFO). At any time after submission of Responses and
prior to the final selection of Bidder(s) for Contract negotiation or execution, the State may
invite Bidder(s) to provide a BAFO. The state reserves the right to request BAFOs from
only those Bidders that meet the minimum qualification requirements and/or have not been
eliminated from consideration during the evaluation process.
3.2.2. Presentation. An in-person or webinar presentation by the Bidder may be required
by the State if it will help the State's evaluation process. The State will factor information
presented during presentations into the evaluation. Bidders will be responsible for all costs
associated with providing the presentation.
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3.3.CONFLICTS OF INTEREST:
3.3.1. Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCOI): An OCOI arises when a bidder as a
business entity has interests (for example, customers, partners, contracts) that could
undermine, or reasonably be perceived to undermine, its faithful and unbiased performance
of a contract with the State that may result from this solicitation.
3.3.2. Personal Conflict of Interest (PCOI): A PCOI arises when an interest held by an
individual, agent or employee of a bidder could undermine, or reasonably be perceived to
undermine, its faithful and unbiased performance of a contract with the State that may
result from this solicitation.
3.3.3. Requirements: The State does not seek to contract with any individual or business
entity having a conflict of interest which cannot be mitigated to the State's satisfaction. To
ensure the State's awareness of actual, potential, or reasonably perceived PCOIs and
OCOIs, bidders shall:
* Prior to submitting a proposal, conduct an internal review of its current affiliations
and activities and identify actual, potential, or reasonably perceived PCOIs or
OCOIs relative to a contract with the State that may result from this solicitation.
* Disclose in your proposal any actual or potential PCOI or OCOI or the existence of
any facts that may cause a reasonably prudent person to perceive a PCOI or OCOI
with respect to a contract with the State that may result from this solicitation.
Disclose, also, any actions proposed to mitigate the PCOI or OCOI.
3.3.4. The State shall have sole discretion to determine whether a PCOI or OCOI can be
mitigated to the State's satisfaction and may discuss the conflict with the bidder if and to
the extent the State deems discussion necessary to its determination. The State reserves the
right to (a) reject from further consideration any proposal having a PCOI or OCIO that
cannot be mitigated to the State's full satisfaction and (b) terminate a contract upon
discovery that a contractor failed to disclose facts pertaining to a PCOI or OCOI in its
proposal, or otherwise misrepresented relevant information to the State.
3.4.WORKER CLASSIFICATION COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS: In accordance with
Section 32 of The Vermont Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Act No. 54), Bidders must
comply with the following provisions and requirements.
3.4.1. Self Reporting: For bid amounts exceeding $250,000.00, Bidder shall complete
the appropriate section in the attached Certificate of Compliance for purposes of self-
reporting information relating to past violations, convictions, suspensions, and any other
information related to past performance relative to coding and classification of workers.
The State is requiring information on any violations that occurred in the previous 12
months.
3.4.2. Subcontractor Reporting: For bid amounts exceeding $250,000.00, Bidders are
hereby notified that upon award of contract, and prior to contract execution, the State shall
be provided with a list of all proposed subcontractors and subcontractors' subcontractors,
together with the identity of those subcontractors' workers compensation insurance
providers, and additional required or requested information, as applicable, in accordance
with Section 32 of The Vermont Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Act No. 54).
This requirement does not apply to subcontractors providing supplies only and no labor to
the overall contract or project. This list MUST be updated and provided to the State as
additional subcontractors are hired. A sample form is available online at
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http://bgs.vermont.gov/purchasing-contracting/forms. The subcontractor reporting form
is not required to be submitted with the bid response.
3.5.EXECUTIVE ORDER 05-16: CLIMATE CHANGE CONSIDERATIONS IN STATE
PROCUREMENTS:
3.5.1. For bid amounts exceeding $25,000.00 Bidders are requested to complete the
Climate Change Considerations in State Procurements Certification, which is included in the
Certificate of Compliance for this RFP.
3.5.2. After consideration of all relevant factors, a bidder that demonstrates business
practices that promote clean energy and address climate change as identified in the
Certification, shall be given favorable consideration in the competitive bidding process.
Such favorable consideration shall be consistent with and not supersede any preference
given to resident bidders of the State and/or products raised or manufactured in the State, as
explained in the Method of Award section. But, such favorable consideration shall not be
employed if prohibited by law or other relevant authority or agreement.
3.6.METHOD OF AWARD: Awards will be made in the best interest of the State. The State may
award one or more contracts and reserves the right to make additional awards to other compliant
bidders at any time if such award is deemed to be in the best interest of the State. All other
considerations being equal, preference will be given first to resident bidders of the state and/or to
products raised or manufactured in the state, and then to bidders who have practices that promote
clean energy and address climate change, as identified in the applicable Certificate of Compliance.
3.6.1. Evaluation Criteria: Consideration shall be given to the Bidder's project
approach and methodology, qualifications and experience, ability to provide the services
within the defined timeline, cost, and/or success in completing similar projects, as
applicable, and to the extent specified below.
Evaluation Factors Total Points for
This Factor
Vendor Profile: Experience, Financial Strength, References (Bidder 10%
Response Form Part 1)
Vendor Proposal/Solution and ability to meet the State's Functional and 30%
Non-Functional Requirements (Bidder Response Form Part 2-4)
Professional Implementation Services: Project Management and Technical 15%
services (Bidder Response Form Part 5 and 6)
Maintenance and Support Services (Bidder Response Form Part 7) 15%
Pricing, includes licensing, maintenance and warranty (Bidder Response 30%
Form Part 8)
Adherence to Mandatory Bidding Requirements Rated Good,
Moderate, or Poor
3.6.2. If the RFP requires a minimum amount of experience or qualifications, the State
will award no points for meeting the minimum. The State will award points for experience
and qualifications that exceed the stated minimums.
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3.7.CONTRACT NEGOTIATION: Upon completion of the evaluation process, the State may select
one or more bidders with which to negotiate a contract, based on the evaluation findings and other
criteria deemed relevant for ensuring that the decision made is in the best interest of the State. In
the event State is not successful in negotiating a contract with a selected bidder, the State reserves
the option of negotiating with another bidder, or to end the proposal process entirely.
3.8.COST OF PREPARATION: Bidder shall be solely responsible for all expenses incurred in the
preparation of a response to this RFP and shall be responsible for all expenses associated with any
presentations or demonstrations associated with this request and/or any proposals made.
3.9.CONTRACT TERMS: The selected bidder(s) will be expected to sign a contract with the State,
including the Standard Contract Form, Attachment C and Attachment D as attached to this RFP for
reference.
3.9.1. Business Registration: To be awarded a contract by the State of Vermont a bidder
(except an individual doing business in his/her own name) must be registered with the
Vermont Secretary of State's office https://sos.vermont.gov/corporations/registration/and
must obtain a Contractor's Business Account Number issued by the Vermont Department
of Taxes http://tax.vermont.gov/ .
3.9.2. The contract will obligate the bidder to provide the services and/or products
identified in its bid, at the prices listed.
3.9.3. Payment Terms: Percentage discounts may be offered for prompt payments of
invoices; however, such discounts must be in effect for a period of 30 days or more in order
to be considered in making awards.
3.9.4. Retainage: In the discretion of the State, a contract resulting from this RFP may
provide that the State withhold a percentage of the total amount payable for some or all
deliverables, such retainage to be payable upon satisfactory completion and State
acceptance in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract. See Attachment B.
3.9.5. Quality: If applicable, all products provided under a contract with the State will be
new and unused, unless otherwise stated. Factory seconds or remanufactured products will
not be accepted unless specifically requested by the purchasing agency. All products
provided by the contractor must meet all federal, state, and local standards for quality and
safety requirements. Products not meeting these standards will be deemed unacceptable
and returned to the contractor for credit at no charge to the State.
4. CONTENT AND FORMAT OF RESPONSES: The content and format requirements listed below are the
minimum requirements for State evaluation. These requirements are not intended to limit the content of a
Bidder's proposal. Bidders may include additional information or offer alternative solutions for the State's
consideration. However, the State discourages overly lengthy and costly proposals, and Bidders are
advised to include only such information in their response as may be relevant to the requirements of this
solicitation.
4.1.UNSOLICITED BIDDER-CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION PROHIBITED. Bidders are
hereby expressly directed not to include any confidential information in their proposal submissions,
except as specifically permitted below. By submitting a proposal in response to this RFP, vendors
acknowledge and agree to abide by the terms and conditions outlined in this document, including
the prohibition on submitting confidential information. This prohibition reduces the burden on the
State while preventing vendor-confidential information from entering the public record.
4.2.DISCLOSURE UNDER PUBLIC RECORDS ACT: All information received by the State in
response to this solicitation will become part of the contract file and subject to public disclosure in
accordance with the State's Public Records Act, 1 V.S.A. 315 et seq. The State may also choose
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to publicly post responses to this solicitation and the resulting agreement(s), following conclusion
of this procurement process.
4.3. UNSOLICITED CONFIDENTIAL MATERIALS: Bidders are hereby expressly directed not to
include any confidential information in their proposal submissions, except as specifically permitted
and indicated in the Bidder Response Form, and so marked. Additionally, Bidders must provide a
redacted copy of the portions of their proposal that are permitted to contain confidential
information. By submitting a proposal in response to this RFP, Bidders acknowledge and agree to
abide by the terms and conditions outlined in this document, including the prohibition on
submitting confidential information.
4.4.STATE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR DISCLOSURE OF UNMARKED BIDDER-
CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION. It is the sole responsibility of the bidder to ensure that,
other than where specifically directed or permitted by this RFP and accordingly marked as
described below, no information that should not be publicly disclosed is included in their proposal
materials, including any 1) trade secrets or intellectual property, 2) proprietary financial or business
information, 3) personal information, or 4) any other information that should not be disclosed to
the public. For example, bidders should avoid including specific details of their proprietary
technologies or methodologies that they consider confidential, and any references to previous client
engagements should be presented in a manner that does not disclose the client's confidential
information.
4.5.The bid should include a Cover Letter and Technical Response and Price Schedule.
5. COVER LETTER:
5.1.EXCEPTIONS TO CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Bidders are expected to accept
State terms, conditions, and templates as set forth in the sample contract attached to this RFP. By
submitting a proposal in response to this RFP, bidders are confirming their concurrence unless, and
then only to the extent bidder proposes exceptions in the Bidders Response Form attached to this
RFP (if one is used) or otherwise in the cover letter to bidder's proposal. However, the State is not
bound to accept any exceptions and taking such exceptions may cause a proposal to be not in the
best interests of the State. If exceptions are not noted in the response to this RFP but raised during
contract negotiations, the State reserves the right to cancel the negotiation if deemed to be in the
best interests of the State.
6. TECHNICAL RESPONSE: In response to this RFP, a bidder shall:
Provide details concerning your form of business organization, company size and
resources.
Describe your capabilities and particular experience relevant to the RFP requirements.
If you have experience working with the State of Vermont, identify all current or past State
projects. Provide the name of the Vermont department or agency and the project title or a
brief description of the work. Do not include references or statements from State of
Vermont agencies or employees.
Identify the names of all subcontractors you intend to use, the portions of the work the
subcontractors will perform, and address the background and experience of the
subcontractor(s), in response to the questions described above in this section.
7. REFERENCES: Provide the names, addresses, and phone numbers of at least three companies with
whom you have transacted similar business in the last 12 months. You must include contact names who
can talk knowledgeably about performance. Do not list a State of Vermont agency or employee as a
reference.
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8. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS: Provide a sample of any reporting documentation that may be
applicable to the Detailed Requirements of this RFP.
9. PRICE SCHEDULE: Bidders shall submit their pricing information in the Attachment B: Pricing section
in the format required (spreadsheet) attached to the RFP.
10. CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE: This form must be completed and submitted as part of the response
for the proposal to be considered valid.
11. STATE OF VERMONT BIDDER RESPONSE FORM: This form must be completed and submitted as
part of the response for the proposal to be considered valid. The State of Vermont Bidder Response Form
provides a standard format and content for bidder proposals. When required, this form will prompt Bidders
to supply the information required in the above RFP sections 4.4 through 4.8. Note: In addition to
completing the State of Vermont Bidder Response Form, Bidders are required to provide the specific
attachments that are described within the Bidder Response Form.
12. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:
12.1. CLOSING DATE: Bids must be received by the State by the due date specified on the
front page of this RFP. Late bids will not be considered.
12.1.1. The State may, for cause, issue an addendum to change the date and/or time when
bids are due. If a change is made, the State will inform all bidders by posting at the
webpage indicated on the front page of this RFP.
12.1.2. There will not be a public bid opening. However, the State will record the name,
city and state for any and all bids received by the due date.
12.2. ELECTRONIC BIDS ONLY: RFP must be submitted electronically in accordance with
the submission requirements herein. Electronic bids will be accepted via email submission to
SOV.ThePathForward@vermont.gov. The subject line of the email submission must reference the
Project Title as indicated on the front page of this RFP.
12.2.1. Bids must consist of a single email with a single, digitally searchable PDF
attachment containing all components of the bid. Multiple emails and/or multiple
attachments will not be accepted.
12.2.2. There is an attachment size limit of 40 MB. It is the Bidder's responsibility to
compress the PDF file containing its bid if necessary in order to meet this size limitation. It
is also the Bidder's responsibility to ensure that their own email system can send and
receive messages up to this size.
13. BID SUBMISSION CHECKLIST:
* Cover Letter
* Redacted Technical Response
* State of Vermont Bidder Response Form and Attachments
Technical Response (included in Bidder Response Form)
o
References (included in Bidder Response Form)
o
Certificate of Compliance (included in Bidders Response Form)
o
* Price Schedule (Attachment B)
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14. ATTACHMENTS AND EXHIBITS:
* Attachment A: State of Vermont: Bidder Response Form
* Attachment B: Price Schedule
* Standard State Contract with its associated attachments, including but not limited to,
Attachment C: Standard State Provisions for Contracts and Grants (October 1, 2024)
* Attachment D: Other Provisions for IT Systems Implementation (January 1, 2024)
* Attachment E; Subcontractor Reporting Form
* Attachment F: State of Vermont: SLA
* Attachment G: State of Vermont Inventory
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ATTACHMENT A:
BIDDER RESPONSE FORM
State of Vermont Bidder Response Form
Request for Proposal Name: Enterprise-Wide Direct Internet
Access (DIA) Circuits for the State of Vermont
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