Wide Area Network (WAN) Services,

Request for Proposal #2025-26-10-SUSD-WAN
Multi-year Contract for
E-rate Eligible
Wide Area Network (WAN) Services
FCC FORM 470 # 260015460
Sylvan Union School District
605 Sylvan Avenue
Modesto, CA 95350
209-574-5000
E-rate Funding Year 2026 (2026-2027)
RFP - 2025-26-10-SUSD-WAN Page 1

NOTICE TO BIDDERS
1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN The Sylvan Union School District ("SUSD", "Sylvan Union", "District")
wishes to receive proposals for Wide Area Network services for E-Rate Funding Year 2026
(2026-2027). The District has 13 schools and 4 Departments including the District Office that are
currently connected by a fully managed private WAN connected via 10,000 Mbps connections
provided by COMCAST.
2. The District wishes to receive vendor proposals covering the terms described below:
a. three (3) years (July 1, 2026-June 30, 2029) with the option of extending the contract with
two (2) - one (1) year term contracts or
b. five (5) years (July 1, 2026-June 30, 2031) or
c. one (1) year term (July 1, 2026-June 30, 2027, plus Four (4)-One year and/or Month-to-
Month ("MTM")
3. The District will post the RFP, Prequalification documents, and Form 470 on the USAC EPC Portal
site https://www.usac.org/e-rate/resources/e-rate-productivity-center/ and the District website:
WWW.SYLVAN.K12.CA.US.
4. Questions must be provided in writing and emailed to csmith@sylvan.k12.ca.us. The subject
line must read "BID 2025-26-10-SUSD-WAN". The responses will be provided in an addendum and
posted on the District's website and on USAC's EPC portal site.
a. The last day to ask questions is 3:00 PM on Tuesday, FEBRUARY 10, 2026. In the event
that there is a discrepancy in documentation posted in multiple locations, the controlling
(master) document will always be located at the District's website.
5. Sealed proposals should be delivered to SYLVAN UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT. Proposals must be
received by the Sylvan Union School District Business Department no later than 1:00 P.M. on
February 25, 2026.
SYLVAN UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT
BUSINESS DEPARTMENT
605 SYLVAN AVENUE
MODESTO, CA 95350
ATTN: CAROL SMITH
6. If awarded the contract, the successful Bidder shall be required to furnish
i. A 100% Performance Bond,
ii. Criminal Background Investigation/Fingerprinting Certification.
7. SYLVAN UNION reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and to waive any informality,
technical defect or clerical error in any Bid Proposal Package, as the interest of the SYLVAN
UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT may require. Any proposer may withdraw his/her proposal, either
personally or by written request, at any time prior to the scheduled closing time for receipt of
proposals.
Published:1/28/26 & 2/4/26
RFP - 2025-26-10-SUSD-WAN Page 2

Equal Opportunity Employer
SYLVAN UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT
RFP # 2025-26-10-SUSD-WAN
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page #
Notice to Bidder 2
Table of contents 3
Calendar of Events 4
General Terms and Conditions 5
Requested Services 12
Wide Area Network (WAN) Requirements 13
Qualifications 15
Submittal Information 15
Basis of Selection 19
E-rate Supplemental Terms and Conditions 21
Non-Collusion Document 27
Proposal Submitted Document 28
Prime Point of Contact 29
Request for References 30
Vendor Background 31
Appendix A 32
Appendix B 33
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RFP # 2025-26-10-SUSD-WAN
PROJECTED CALENDAR OF EVENTS
RFP Issue Date 01/28/2026
SUSD Internet Posting EPC web portal 01/28/2026
Run Date of Advertisement #1 01/28/2026
Run Date of Advertisement #2 02/04/2026
Questions Due 02/10/2026 (3:00 PM)
Submit Questions to: csmith@sylvan.k12.ca.us
Answers Posting (SUSD website &
EPC web portal) 02/13/2026 (12:00 PM)
RFP Due Date and Time 02/25/2026 (1:00 PM)
RFP Opening and Reading 02/25/2026 (1:15 PM)
Board Meeting Date 03/10/2026 (7:00 PM)
Intent to Award - Posting (SUSD Website) 03/11/2026
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GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS
General This information to Bidders is in addition to any instructions or conditions stated
elsewhere in the Contract Document.
Bid Proposals To receive consideration, Bid Proposals shall be made in accordance with the
following instructions:
Deadline for Receipt of Proposals Proposals will be received no later than 1:00 PM on
02/25/26 after which time the proposals will be opened and reviewed by the evaluation
committee. Envelopes containing a proposal must be sealed, prominently marked with the
RFP number, RFP title, and name of proposer, and submitted to:
SYLVAN UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT
BUSINESS DEPARTMENT
605 SYLVAN AVENUE
MODESTO, CA 95350
ATTN: CAROL SMITH
Proposals must be received no later than the time and date designated above. Proposals
received later than the designated time and date will not be accepted. Facsimile (FAX) copies
of the proposal will not be accepted.
1. Questions must be sent to Sylvan Union School District by February 10, 2026 at 3:00 PM.
Questions received after that date will not be answered. SUSD is required to post both
this RFP and Form 470 on the USAC EPC Portal site https://www.usac.org/e-
rate/resources/e-rate-productivity-center/. Questions and responses will be posted on
the district's website and the EPC portal site. In the event that there is a discrepancy
between in documentation posted in multiple locations, the controlling (master)
document will always be located at WWW.SYLVAN.K12.CA.US.
2. Proposals shall be received at the DISTRICT OFFICE, 605 SYLVAN AVENUE, MODESTO, CA
95350, no later than 1:00 PM on 02/25/2026. Late submissions will not be accepted or
considered.
THE BID - All items on the form should be stated in figures, and signatures of all individuals
must be in long hand. The completed form should be without interlineations, alterations, or
erasures. Retain one copy for your file and return one complete set sealed in the envelope
provided with the bid. Unsigned bids will not be accepted.
FAX BIDS - Facsimile copies of bids will not be accepted for formal advertised bids.
DEFINITIONS - Responsible; a bidding party possessing the skill, judgment, integrity and
financial ability necessary to timely perform and complete the contract being bid. Responsive;
a bid which meets all of the specifications set forth in the request for bids.
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NAME AND NATURE OF BIDDER'S LEGAL ENTITY - The bidder(s) shall specify in the bid and
in the bond, if furnished as a guarantee, the name and nature of its legal entity and any
fictitious name under which it does any business covered by the bond. The bid shall be signed
under the correct firm name by an authorized officer.
WITHDRAWAL OF BID - Bid proposals may be withdrawn by the bidders prior to the time
fixed for the opening of bids, but may not be withdrawn for a period of ninety (90) days after
the opening of bids. A successful bidder shall not be relieved of the bid submitted without the
District's consent or bidder's recourse to public Contract Code Sections 5100 et. seq.
ASSIGNMENT OF CONTRACT OR PURCHASE ORDER - The bidder(s) shall not assign or
transfer by operation of law or otherwise any or all of its rights, burdens, duties or obligations
without the prior written consent of the surety on the bond, if any, and the District.
BID NEGOTIATIONS - A bid response to any specific item of this bid with terms such as
"negotiable" "will negotiate" or of similar intent, will be considered as nonresponse to the
specific item.
PRICES - Prices should be typed and shown as instructed on the bid form for each item, in
the amount of quantity specified in the bid form. Taxes shall not be included. Errors may be
crossed off and corrections made prior to bid opening only, and must be initialed in ink by the
person signing the bid or bidder's authorized representative. If during the contract period
there should be a decrease in prices of the items bid, a corresponding decrease in prices on
the balance of the deliveries shall be made to the District for as long as the lower prices are
in effect, but at no time shall the prices charged the District exceed the prices bid. The District
shall be given the benefit of any lower prices which may, for comparable quality and delivery
be given by the contractor to any other school district or any other state, county, municipal
or local governmental agency in Alameda County for products listed herein.
TAXES - Taxes shall not be included in unit prices. The District will pay only the State Sales
and Use Tax; however, California Use Tax will be paid to out-of-state vendors only when their
permit number is shown on both their bid and invoices. The successful bidder(s) shall list
separately any taxes payable by the District and shall certify on the invoices that Federal
Excise Tax is not included in the prices listed thereon. Federal Excise Tax is not applicable, as
school districts are exempt therefrom. The District, upon request, shall furnish the contractor
such Federal Tax Exemption Certificates as may be required,
PERFORMANCE GUARANTEE - The successful bidder(s) may be required to provide a
performance guarantee. Such requirement shall be at the discretion of the District's
Purchasing Agent. A continuous performance bond in the amount of 100% of the total
amount of the award executed by a surety satisfactory to the District and filed with the
Purchasing Agent is the preferred form of performance guarantee. Said bond, if required,
shall be furnished within ten (10) calendar days from the date of Notice of Award. Failure to
promptly submit a performance guarantee when requested may result in the rejection of an
otherwise acceptable low bid.
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BRAND NAME AND NUMBER - The bidder(s) shall state the brand name and number in the
column provided. If none is indicated, it shall be understood that the bidder is quoting on the
exact brand name and number specified in the bid form. Should any item for which bids are
requested by patented, or otherwise protected or designated by the particular name of the
maker and the bidder desires to bid on an item of equal character and quality, he may offer
such substitute item by clearly indicating that such substitution is intended and specify the
brand. Such substitution shall be accepted only if deemed by the Purchasing Agent to be equal
in all respects to that specified. If samples are requested by the Purchasing Agent for this
determination, they shall be submitted in accordance with Paragraph 12, except that they
may be submitted after the bid opening.
QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF MATERIALS OR SERVICES - The successful bidder(s) shall furnish
and deliver the quantities designated in the bid or purchase order. All materials, supplies or
services furnished under the contract shall be in accordance with the bid specifications and
the District's sample or the sample furnished by the bidder(s) and accepted by the District.
Materials or supplies which, in the opinion of the Purchasing Agent, are not in accordance
and conformity with said specifications and samples shall be rejected and removed from the
District premises at the bidder's expense. When a sample is taken from a shipment and sent
to a laboratory for testing and the test shows that the sample does not comply with the bid
specifications, the cost of such test shall be paid by the bidder(s). In bidding, the bidder(s)
certifies that all materials conform to all applicable requirements of CAL OSHA and all other
requirements of law. All items of equipment and individual components, where applicable
standards have been established, shall be listed by the Underwriter Laboratories, Inc., and
bear the UL label.
DISTRICT REQUIREMENTS - The quantity shown is the estimate of consumption annually for
the contract period. The needs of the District may be substantially more or less than such
referenced quantities. The articles, supplies or services listed in the bid and required during
the contract period shall be ordered and purchased from the successful bidder(s) during such
period. The District shall have the right to issue purchase orders up to and including the last
day of the contract period even though the time provided for delivery may extend beyond
such period. The District reserves the right to acquire from other sources during the life of
the contract such items as may be required for testing, evaluation or experimental purposes,
or for special programs of an emergency nature, and purchases made by individual schools.
ACCEPTANCE OR REJECTION OF BIDS - The District may purchase an individual item or
combination of items, whichever is in the best interest of the District, provided also that
bidder(s) may specify that the District's acceptance of one item shall be contingent upon the
District's acceptance of one or more additional items submitted in the same bid. Bids shall
remain open and valid and subject to acceptance for ninety (90) calendar days after the bid
opening.
BID EXCEPTIONS - All exceptions which are taken in response to this bid must be stated
clearly. The taking of bid exceptions or providing false, incomplete or unresponsive
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statements may result in the disqualification of the bid. Allowance of exceptions will be
determined by the governing board whose decisions shall be final. Any bid exceptions or
additional conditions requested after bid closure, which are not detailed within the bid
response, may result in disqualification of the bid. No oral or telegraphic modification of any
bid submitted will be considered and a confirmation of the telegram duly signed by the bidder
was placed in the mail prior to the opening of the bids.
AWARDS - The District reserves the right of determination that items bid meet or do not
meet bid specifications. Further, the Board of Education reserves the right to accept or reject
any or all bids and to waive any informality in the bidding.
EXECUTION OF CONTRACT - Issuance of a Purchase Order shall evidence the contractual
agreement between the bidder(s) and the District and the bidder's acceptance of these Bid
Instructions and Conditions.
DELIVERY - Time and manner of delivery are essential factors in proper performance under
the contract. Unless otherwise specified, the successful bidder(s) shall be responsible for
delivery and shall pay all costs, including drayage, freight and packing for delivery to locations
in the District as may be specified in the bid form. Each item shall be securely and properly
packed and clearly marked as to contents. All items purchased for delivery by truck or freight
line shall be palletized. The preferred pallet size should be 48" long by 40" wide. All shipments
shall be accompanied by a packing slip and the District purchase order number shall appear
on all cases and packages.
MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEETS - For all products requiring a Material Safety Data Sheet -
The District requires that a Material Safety Data Sheet accompany all orders at the time of
delivery.
DEFAULT BY CONTRACTOR - The District shall hold the bidder(s) responsible for any damage,
which may be sustained due to failure to comply with any terms or conditions, listed herein.
It is specifically provided and agreed that time shall be of the essence in meeting the contract
delivery requirements. If the successful bidder(s) fails or neglects to furnish or deliver any of
the materials, supplies or services listed herein at the prices named and at the time and place
herein stated or otherwise fails or neglects to comply with the terms of the bid, the District
may, upon written notice to the bidder, cancel the contract/purchase order in its entirety or
cancel or rescind any or all items affected by such default, and may, whether or not the
contract is cancelled in whole or in part, purchase the materials, supplies or services
elsewhere without further notice to the bidder. The prices paid by the District at the time
such purchases are made shall be considered the prevailing market price. Any extra cost
incurred by such default may be collected by the District from the bidder, or deducted from
any funds due the bidder.
INSURANCE - The successful bidder(s) shall maintain insurance adequate to protect him from
claims under Workers' Compensation Laws and from claims for damages for personal injury,
including death and damage to property, which may arise from bidder's operations under the
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contract. Also, the bidder may be required to file proof of such insurance, naming SYLVAN
UNION as an additional insured by separate endorsement as follows: The bidder is required
to provide proof of insurance to the Governing Board of a comprehensive general liability
insurance policy providing occurrence based coverage to be in effect during the term of the
contract. Bodily Injury shall be $1,000,000, combined single limit or $1,000,000 per person,
$1,000,000 per accident. Property Damage shall be $500,000 per loss. Failure to furnish such
evidence and insurance, if required, may be considered default by the bidder(s).
INVOICES AND PAYMENTS - Unless otherwise specified, the successful bidder(s) shall render
invoices in duplicate for materials delivered or services performed under the contract, to
Accounts Payable, 605 SYLVAN AVENUE, MODESTO, CA 95350, ATTN: CAROL SMITH. Invoices
shall be submitted under the same firm name as shown on the bid. The successful bidder(s)
shall list separately any taxes PAYABLE BY THE District and shall certify on the invoices that
Federal Excise Tax is not included in the prices listed thereon. The District shall make payment
for materials, supplies, or services furnished under the contract within a reasonable and
proper time after acceptance thereof and approval of the invoices by the authorized District
Representative.
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS:
A. Assignment of Contracts - The Contractor shall not assign or transfer by operation of
law or otherwise any or all of its rights, burdens, duties or obligations without the prior
written consent of the surety on the performance bond and the District.
B. Binding Effect - This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and shall be binding upon
the Contractor and District and their respective successors and assigns.
C. Severability - If any provisions of this agreement shall be held invalid or
unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, such holding shall not invalidate
or render unenforceable any other provisions hereof.
D. Amendments - The terms of this Agreement shall not be waived, altered, modified,
supplemented or amended in any manner whatsoever except by written agreement
signed by the parties.
E. Entire Agreement - This Bid and all attachments thereto constitutes the entire
agreement between the parties. There are no understandings, agreements,
representations or warranties, express or implied, not specified in the Agreement.
Bidder, by the execution of his/her signature on the Bid Form acknowledges that
he/she has and read this Agreement, understands it, and agrees to be bound by its
terms and conditions.
F. Force Majeure Clause - The parties to the contract shall be excused from performance
thereunder during the time and to the extent that they are prevented from obtaining,
delivering or performing by act of God, fire, strike, loss or shortage of transportation
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facilities, lockout, or commandeering of materials, products, plants or facilities by the
government, when satisfactory evidence thereof is presented to the other party,
provided that it is satisfactorily established that the nonperformance is not due to the
fault or neglect of the party not performing.
G. Hold Harmless Clause - The successful bidder agrees to indemnify, defend and save
harmless SYLVAN UNION, its governing board, related divisions and entities, officers,
agents, and employees from and against any and all claims, demands, losses, defense
costs, or liability of any kind or nature which the District, it's officers, agents, and
employees may sustain or inure or which may be imposed upon them for injury to or
death of persons, or damage to property as a result of, arising out of, or in any manner
connected with the bidder or bidder's agents, employees or subcontractor's
performance under the terms of this contract, expecting only liability arising out of
the sole negligence of the District.
H. Prevailing Law - In the event of any conflict or ambiguity between these instructions
and state or federal law or regulations, the latter shall prevail. Additionally, all
equipment to be supplied or services to be performed under the bid proposal shall
conform to all applicable requirements of local, state and federal law.
I. Governing Law and Venue - In the event of litigation, the bid documents,
specifications and related matters shall be governed by and construed only in
accordance with the laws of the State of California. Venue shall only be with the
appropriate state of federal court located in STANISLAUS COUNTY.
J. Permits and Licenses - The successful bidder(s) and all of his employees or agents
shall secure and maintain in force such licenses and permits as are required by law, in
connection with the furnishing of materials, articles or services herein listed. All
operations and materials shall be in accordance with law.
K. Contract Documents - The complete contract includes the following documents: The
advertisement for bids, the bid instructions and conditions, specifications and
drawings, if any, the bid and its acceptance by the District, the purchase order, and all
amendments thereto. All of these documents shall be interpreted to include all
provisions of the other documents as though fully set out therein.
L. Independent Contractor - While engaged in carrying out and complying with terms
and conditions of the contract, the bidder agrees by his/her signature on the Bid Form
that he/she is an independent contractor and not an officer, employee or agent of the
District.
M. Anti-discrimination - It is the policy of the SYLVAN UNION Board of Education, that in
connection with all work performed under Purchasing Contracts there shall be no
discrimination against any prospective or active employee engaged in the work
because of race, color, ancestry, national origin, sex, or religious creed. Therefore, the
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