26-032 ERATE NETWORK FIREWALL

INVITATION TO BID

Date Released: February 04, 2026

Bid Number: 26-032

Bid Name: Network Firewalls

The Houston County School District is soliciting bids for Network Firewall with license and support. Specifications, terms and conditions are contained herein. It shall be the intent and purpose of this Invitation to Bid (ITB) to cover the terms and conditions under which a successful Bidder shall be responsible for supplying and deliver all products listed on the Bid Response Form to the Houston County School District.

BID DUE/OPENING DATE/TIME: March 04, 2026/10:00 A.M. EST

LOCATION: Purchasing Department, 200 Jerry Barker Drive, Warner Robins, GA 31088

DEADLINE FOR WRITTEN QUESTIONS: February 12, 2026

RETURN SEALED BID VIA: Mail or hand deliver bid. Return Attachments A, B, C, D, E, and F with your Bid Response Form to the Buyer listed below. The Bid Response form is an additional document that is located on the purchasing website with the ITB. A hardcopy of the form must accompany your bid. Faxed bids, email bids or copying and pasting of the spreadsheet into another document will not be accepted.

All Bids and supporting documentation must be enclosed in a sealed envelope and marked “ITB #26-032, Bid Due Date/Time: March 04, 2026/10:00 A.M. EST”

The Houston County School District is not responsible for bids that are not received by the Buyer in the Purchasing Department at the address below by the due date and time. Late bids will not be considered in bid evaluation.

Bids shall be submitted to the attention of the Buyer at the address listed below.

L. Renee Langston, CPPB

200 Jerry Barker Drive

Warner Robins, GA. 31088

Phone: (478) 988-6211

Fax: (478) 988-6212

Email: Renee.Langston@hcbe.net

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

1.
GENERAL INFORMATION FOR BIDDERS

A. From the issue date of this Invitation to Bid (ITB) until an award has been announced, Vendors shall not communicate with any District employee, except for the name stated on page one of this document or the Director of Purchasing, concerning this ITB or any information herein. The Houston County School District reserves the right to reject the bid response of any Bidder violating this provision.

B. Whenever the terms “shall,” “must,” “will,” or “is required” are used in this ITB, the item being referred to is a mandatory requirement of this ITB and failure to meet any mandatory requirement may be cause for rejection of the bid.

C. Contracts are non-exclusive as the HCSD reserves the right to purchase any products from any Vendor at any time.

D. All amendments, addendums, and responses to questions will be posted on the HCSD website at www.hcbe.net , click on “Departments”, “Purchasing”. HCSD is not responsible for information not viewed by bidders as it is the vendor’s responsibility to check the website regularly.

2. BIDS

A. The District reserves the right to:

1. waive formalities and technicalities in any bid.

2. reject any and/or all bids when it will be in the best interest of the HCSD.

3. accept the bid that in HCSD’s judgment will be in our best interest.

4. purchase from any source, in part, or in whole, any supplies, equipment or services.

5. award on individual items or on a lump sum basis.

6. award this bid to the Vendor who in the HCSD's opinion is most responsive and responsible and will perform in the best interest of HCSD.

B. Price alone may not be the determining factor in award of this bid.

C. The Bidder may give bids on any one or more items and must specify brand/manufacturer when requested. No substitutes will be accepted after the bid is awarded without prior written approval from the Director of Purchasing.

D. In the event of one or more Vendors quoting the exact same price and this being the lowest price bid, the tie will be broken by a coin toss conducted by someone other than the buyer responsible for this ITB.

E. Where applicable, in the case of discrepancy between the unit price or rate and the extension of that unit price or rate, the unit price or rate shall govern.

F. The HCSD will not be responsible for any bid responses not received at the correct time/location prior to bid due date/time. It is the responsibility of the Vendor to ensure bids are received at the proper time/location regardless of delivery method.

G. Bids cannot be modified after due date/time. Care should be taken to ensure that information provided is accurate, complete, and consistent. Omission of any of the required information may subject the Bidder to disqualification. The HCSD reserves the right to request information or respond to inquiries for clarification purposes only.

H. Bidders may withdraw bids at any time up to the scheduled time for receipt of bids. Bidders desiring to withdraw their bid may do so by submitting a request in writing to the Buyer listed on page one of this document. Bidders may resubmit bids provided it is prior to the scheduled time for receipt of bids.

I. Any Bidder who has demonstrated consistently poor performance with HCSD or other similar entities or has had a contract canceled by HCSD due to poor performance during a current or previous Agreement with the HCSD may be considered a non-responsible Bidder and their bid may be rejected. The HCSD reserves the right to exercise this option when it is deemed to be in the best interest of the HCSD.

J. Once a bid is awarded, if the awarded Bidder declines their award, the Bidder will be considered a non-responsible Bidder and future bids may be rejected for up to three years.

3. PRICE

Prices quoted shall include all costs and charges to include, but not limited to, purchasing, packing, services described herein, and transporting the item(s) to specified location(s). Houston County School District is exempt from State Sales Tax and Federal Excise Tax. All fees shall be included in the bid price. Bidders must bid based on the bid unit listed using in the Bid Response Form(s) included with this ITB. HCSD reserves the right to reject the bid response of any Bidder violating this provision. Prices bid must remain valid for the duration of the contract. Additional fees for use of a credit card may be used as part of the award criteria.

Note – Items bid with a guaranteed minimum purchase quantity or minimum dollar amount will not be accepted.

4. PRICE GUARANTEE

Vendors are required to include the length of time their price(s) quoted are guaranteed. District is requesting bid pricing be held for six months. Price Guarantee will be used as a part of bid evaluation.

5. QUESTIONS

Questions regarding this Invitation to Bid shall be directed in writing only to the Buyer listed on page one of this document. All questions and answers will be posted on the HCSD website as they are received at www.hcbe.net under “Departments,” “Purchasing”. It is the responsibility of each Bidder to inquire about any aspect of the ITB that is not fully understood or is believed to be susceptible to more than one interpretation. The HCSD will accept only written inquiries regarding this ITB up to 5 business days prior to bid closing date.

6. AMENDMENTS/ADDENDUMS

All amendments/addendums will be posted to the HCSD website at www.hcbe.net under “Departments,” “Purchasing,” and it is the Bidders’ responsibility to view any posted items. It is recommended that Vendors refer to the website on a regular basis during the course of this bid. No amendments/addendums will be posted within 5 days prior to bid closing.

7. COST OF SUBMITTING RESPONSE

The HCSD is not liable for any costs incurred by Bidders prior to issuance of or entering a contract. Costs associated with developing the bid, preparing for oral presentations, and any other expenses incurred by the Bidder in responding to this ITB are entirely the responsibility of the Bidder and shall not be reimbursed in any manner by HCSD.

8. AWARD

This bid will be awarded to one Vendor. There are no guaranteed quantities.

Award is contingent upon available funds and necessary approvals. Award will be made within sixty (60) days of the bid opening date. The selected Vendor(s) shall provide products in accordance with the specifications, all terms and conditions, instructions and applicable amendments/addendums in this ITB. Notification will be forwarded by HCSD to the successful Bidder. HCSD has the right to cancel the bid and make no award if it is in the best interest of HCSD.

Award evaluation will be based on quantities in column D, “ESTIMATED QTY ORDERED however, no quantities are guaranteed for purchase.

9. BRAND NAME

Bidders are required to indicate the brands and models of merchandise and/or services bid. Unless listed as “brand/model only”, brand names and models listed in specifications are used as a standard of quality and/or clarification of desired product and are meant to be descriptive and not restrictive.

10. MARKING

Merchandise in full cases shall have an identification marking on the outside of the case. Packing slip/list shall include the Purchase Order Number or contact name supplied by the Buyer. Partial cases or mixed cases must be marked on the outside of the box.

11. SAFETY

Material Safety Data Sheets shall be provided for all applicable items and must accompany delivery.

12. DELIVERY

A. Vendor shall be responsible for the removal of all packing material and debris when delivering items that need to be unpacked or installed by the Vendor.

B. Deliveries shall be supplied by the Vendor as requested and specified except during an emergency and on holidays. In an emergency in which HCSD requires delivery in less than 2 days and if the Vendor cannot provide the goods within the emergency delivery period, HCSD has the option to purchase those goods from another source with no penalty to either party. Delivery schedules that fall on a holiday will be made the following business day. A holiday schedule is included as Attachment G.

C. Delivery schedules will be created and agreed upon by both parties after the awarding of the bid.

D. All items will be delivered to Houston County School District, designated address listed on the Purchase Order.

E. All items must be delivered inside the building and cannot be dropped outside. Delivery personnel must put product in the location as directed.

F. There should be no minimum order requirement to be delivered.

G. HCSD reserves the right to request overtime payment to school employees by Bidder due to late deliveries. The HCSD will notify the Vendor and deduct the amount from the next invoice.

H. Delivery, delivery shall be made between 8:00 AM and 3:30 PM.

13. INSPECTION

All merchandise and services shall be subject to inspection after arrival at HCSD or completion of work. In the case any items are found to be defective or otherwise not in conformity with specifications, HCSD has the right to reject such items and/or services and return them at Bidder’s

14. ORDERS

Should a condition arise where the product originally contracted can no longer be supplied by the vendor, an application for substitution of another brand under the contract at an equal or lower price must be submitted to the Director of Purchasing or designee and upon approval, the substitution will be allowed. Substitution of product not approved by the Director of Purchasing or designee may result in the cancellation of the contract.

15. INSPECTION

All merchandise and services shall be subject to inspection after arrival at HCSD or completion of work. In the case any items are found to be defective or otherwise not in conformity with specifications, the HCSD has the right to reject such items and/or services and return them at Bidder’s expense or require that Bidder return to site (if service is performed on HCSD property to correct the issue). Problems found with products due to concealed damage will be addressed as soon as damage is revealed and, on a case, by case basis. Rejected products must be picked up no later than the next delivery date.

16. PAYMENT

A. HCSD shall make payment for goods and services within thirty (30) days upon receipt, inspection and acceptance by HCSD personnel, and receipt of invoice. Advance billings are not allowed.

B. Where partial delivery is made, invoice for such part shall be made upon delivery, and payment made within thirty (30) days under conditions as above.

C. Payment may be made by check or by credit card. If a fee will be added to the invoice for use of a VISA credit card, it must be noted on Attachment B, Certification Letter.

17. INVOICES

A. All invoices shall be addressed as follows:

Houston County School District

Account Payable

1100 Main Street

Perry, Georgia 31069

B. All copies of the invoice must be signed at the time of delivery.

C. A credit or replacement will be issued for damaged or unacceptable items as determined by the Director of Purchasing. Replacement of damaged or unacceptable items will be made no later than the next delivery date. In the event of errors, a credit/debit shall be issued against the invoice as was presented to the Purchasing Designee. The credit or debit shall be sent to the address listed above.

D. All invoices are to clearly indicate the account name, location name, date, product, brand name, quantity, unit price and total prices.

18. FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT

The Bidder shall be responsible for the protection of HCSD premises and property and will be held liable for any damages caused by Bidder, Bidder’s employee(s) or Bidder’s agent(s) during the execution of delivery/installation of goods/services resulting from this ITB.

19. INDEMNIFICATION

A. The Bidder does hereby indemnify and shall hold harmless HCSD, its Board members, employees, agents, and servants (each of the forgoing being hereafter referred to individually as “Indemnified Party”) against all claims, demands, causes of actions, actions, judgments or other liability including attorney’s fees (other than liability solely the fault of the Indemnified Party) arising out of, resulting from or in connection with the Bidder’s performance or failure to perform this agreement, including but not limited to:

1) All injuries or death to persons or damage to property, including theft.

2) Bidder’s failure to perform all obligations owed to Bidder’s employees including any claim the Bidder’s employees might have or make for privilege, compensation or benefits under any HCSD benefit plan.

3) All sums that are due and owing to the Internal Revenue Service for withholding FICA, and unemployment or other State and Federal taxes.

B. The Bidder’s obligation to indemnify the Indemnified Party will survive the expiration or termination of this agreement.

20. TERM OF CONTRACT

Code section 20-2-506 of the laws of the State of Georgia as of this date and as may be amended apply to this agreement. In addition to other requirements, the following are specifically enumerated.

A. The initial contract term is one (1) year, or less, from the date of the award through June 30, 2027. The contract may be extended at bid pricing up to four years (total contract not to exceed 60 months) with mutual written agreement by both parties.

21. TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT, CONTRACT, or AWARD

Any agreement, contract, or award resulting from this ITB may be canceled by either party for just cause in writing 30 days prior to termination.

22. FAILURE TO BID

If you do not wish to bid, please return this bid and state reason(s).

23. BID SUMMARY

A bid summary shall be sent to all responding Bidders and will be placed on the HCSD website.

24. REFERENCES

Each Bidder shall submit on enclosed form a minimum of 3 references. Preferred are references from other school systems in Georgia. Reference Form is attached as Attachment F. HCSD reserves the right to solicit references from businesses that have had a recent working relationship with the Bidder. These references may be used to evaluate the responsibility level of a Vendor and may influence the award of this ITB.

25. SPECIFICATIONS

Firewall Requirements

General Specification for PAN-PA-5540-AC:

• I/O

o 10G/25G SFP28 (16), 40G/100G QSFP28 (16), and 100G/400G QSFP-DD (4)

• Management I/O

o Out-of-band management: 1G/10G SFP+ (2)

o Console: RJ-45 console port (1)

o Console: USB-C

o Bootstrap: USB 3.2 Gen1 Type A

o HSCI: 100G/400G QSFP-DD (2)

o Log: 10G SFP+ (2)

• Storage Capacity

o Optional 3.84 TB RAID1 SSD pair for system and log storage supported as cold swap

• Power Supply (Avg/Max Power Consumption)

o 2,100 W/3,100 W

• Max BTU/hr

o 1638

• Power Supplies

o 2+2 redundant for 220 V and DC

o 3+1 redundant for 110 V

• Input Voltage

o AC: 100–240 VAC (50–60 Hz) DC: -40 VDC to -60 VDC

• Power Supply Output

o AC: 2,700 W/power supply with 220 V or 1,200 W/power supply with 110 V

• Max Current Consumption

o AC: 20.3 A @ 110 VAC and 9.3 A @ 240 VAC

• Max Inrush Current

o AC: 50 A @ 230 VAC and 50 A @ 120 VAC

• Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF)

o 8.1 years

• Rack Mount Dimensions

o 3U, 19" standard rack (5.2" H x 29.8" D x 17.3" W) with power supply inserted

• Weight (Standalone Device/As Shipped)

o 70 lbs/116 lbs (includes accessory kit, rack kit, packaging, and pallet)

• Safety

o cTUVus, CB

• EMI

o FCC Class A, CE Class A, VCCI Class A

• Firewall must only inspect traffic once while enabling all security services. Firewall should perform application ID, User ID, threat prevention, and URL filtering simultaneously without rescanning traffic or degrading throughput. 

• Firewall should natively identify and control applications regardless of port, protocol, and encryption or invasive techniques, including the ability to enforce policy at the application level. 

• Firewall should have user ID services integrated natively and work with AD/Azure/ ADLDAP to enforce security policies based on user and group ID.

• Firewall must provide inline real-time detection and prevention of unknown and zero-day threats using machine learning, behavioral analysis, with automatic global intelligence sharing.

• Firewall should inspect SSL/TSL encrypted traffic at scale while maintaining advertised throughput

• Firewall must provide detailed application, user, and threat logs with a minimum of 12 months of searchable on box log retention.

Details for PAN-PA-5540-AC:4x PAN-PA-5500-PWR-2700-AC

• 5x PAN-PA-FAN-2RU-A

• 1x PAN-PA-5500-ACC-A accessory kit

• 1x PAN-PA-3RU-RACK-A

• 2x PAN-SFP-CG

• 1x PAN-PA-5500-SSD-3.84TB-PAIR

ATTACHMENT A

Contract

This agreement is dated as of ______________________________ by and between the HCSD and ________________ (hereinafter called VENDOR).

HCSD and VENDOR, in consideration of the mutual covenants hereinafter set forth, agree as follows:

ARTICLE 1. CONTRACT DOCUMENTS

The contract documents consist of ITB # 26-032 in its entirety unless otherwise specified in this “contract signature page” and the Vendor’s response to ITB # 26-032. No other documents are a part of this contract.

ARTICLE 2. SEVERABILITY

The provisions of this contract are severable. Any term or condition deemed illegal or invalid shall not affect any other term or condition of the contract.

ARTICLE 3. PRODUCTS

VENDOR shall provide all products/services as specified or indicated in the Contract Documents. VENDOR shall supply and deliver all products/services as specified and directed in ITB # 26-032.

ARTICLE 4. CONTRACT PERIOD

Code section 20-2-506 of the laws of the State of Georgia as of this date and as may be amended apply to this agreement. In addition to other requirements, the following are specifically enumerated.

A. The initial contract term is one (1) year, or less, from the date of the award through September 30, 2027. The contract may be extended at bid pricing up to four years (total contract not to exceed 60 months) with mutual written agreement by both parties.

ARTICLE 5. CONTRACT PRICE

HCSD /HCSD shall pay VENDOR for purchase and delivery of all items specified in ITB # 26-032 in accordance with VENDOR’S bid, which is attached hereto. HCSD /HCSD shall pay VENDOR net 30 days from date of delivery unless other terms of payment are agreed upon.

ARTICLE 6. INVOICE PROCEDURES

Invoices for payment shall be sent as specified ITB # 26-032.

ARTICLE 7. VENDOR’S REPRESENTATIONS

To induce HCSD /HCSD to enter into this Agreement, VENDOR makes the following representations:

7.1 VENDOR has examined and carefully studied the Contract Documents and all other related data identified in the ITB #26-032.

7.2 VENDOR is familiar with and is satisfied to all federal, state and local laws and regulations that may affect cost, progress, performance, furnishing and delivery of the products.

The contract between the HCSD and the Vendor shall not be amended or modified, nor shall any of its terms be waived, except in writing and executed by both parties.

This Agreement will be effective _____________________, 2026

____________________________________ Houston County School District

____________________________________ Signature of Superintendent

____________________________________ Printed Name of Superintendent

____________________________________ Date

____________________________________ Vendor’s Legal Company Name

____________________________________ Signature of Vendor Representative

____________________________________ Printed Name of Vendor Representative

____________________________________ Title of Representative

____________________________________ Date

ATTACHMENT B

Certification Letter

(Form must be completed and returned with bid.)

I certify that I have read and understand the terms and conditions herein. I further state that I am and/or my Vendor is capable, able to, and will provide the requested product(s) and/or service(s) described herein. I am the owner or agent of the Vendor stated below and am authorized and empowered to contract. By my signature on this ITB, I/we guarantee and certify that all items included in my bid meet or exceed specifications.

I certify that this bid is made without prior understanding, agreement, or connection with any corporation, firm or person submitting a bid for the same materials, supplies, equipment, or services and is in all respects fair and without collusion or fraud. I understand collusive bidding is a violation of State and Federal Law and can result in fines, prison sentences, and civil damage awards. I agree to abide by all conditions of this ITB and certify that I am authorized to sign this bid for the Vendor.

By signing below, I warrant that the bid price(s), terms and conditions stated in my response to ITB # 26-028 shall be firm through the bid process and until the time the award is made at which time prices remain firm and fixed for the entire contract period.

SUBMITTED BY__________________________________________ DATE ________________________

TITLE___________________________________EMAIL: _______________________________________

VENDOR NAME_______________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS______________________________________CITY_________________ST_____ZIP________

TELEPHONE NUMBER__________________________FAX NUMBER___________________________

VENDOR WEBSITE ___________________________________________________________________

SIGNATURE ___________________________________________________________________________

DO YOU ACCEPT VISA? ______________

ADDITIONAL FEE IF PAYMENT MADE WITH VISA: _______________

ATTACHMENT C

Certificate Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility

(Form must be completed and returned with bid.)

Institutions shall solicit offers from, award contracts to, and consent to subcontracts with responsible contractors and/or principals only. The serious nature of debarment and suspension requires that sanctions be imposed only in the public interest for the Government's protection and not for purposes of punishment. Institutions shall impose debarment or suspension to protect the Government's interest and only for the causes and in accordance with the procedures set forth in 2 CFR 200.213.

The Contractor certifies that the Contractor and/or any of its subcontractors or principals have not been debarred, suspended, or declared ineligible by any agency of the State of Georgia or any agency of the Federal government or as defined in the 2 CFR 200.213 which states “Non-federal entities are subject to the non-procurement debarment and suspension regulations implementing Executive Orders 12549 and 12689, 2 CFR part 180. These regulations restrict awards, subawards, and contracts with certain parties that are debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participation in Federal assistance programs or activities.” The Contractor will immediately notify the School Food Authority if Contractor is debarred or placed on the Consolidated List of Debarred, Suspended, and Ineligible Contractors by a federal entity.

By signing this agreement, the Contractor is testifying that they are not debarred, suspended or has any ineligible or voluntary exclusions with the U.S. Department of Agriculture or any other Federal or State Agency. All responses will be verified.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Organization Name

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Name(s) and Title(s) of Authorized Representative(s)

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Signature(s) Date

ATTACHMENT D

Non-Collusion Affidavit

(Form must be completed and returned with bid.)

Houston County School District C/O HCSD, Perry, GA 31069

I state that I am ____________________________ of ____________________________________

Title Name of Vendor

And that I am authorized to make this affidavit on behalf of my firm, and its owners, directors, and officers. I am the person responsible in my firm for the price(s) and the amount of this bid and I state that this bid is made in good faith.

I state that:

1. The price(s) and amounts of this bid have been arrived at independently and without consultation, communication or agreement with any other Vendor, Bidder, or potential Bidder; neither the approximate price(s) have been disclosed nor will they be disclosed before bid opening to any other Vendor, Bidder or potential Bidder.

2. No attempt has been made or will be made to induce any firm or person to refrain from bidding on this contract, or to submit a bid higher than this bid, or to submit any intentionally high or noncompetitive bid or other form of complimentary bid.

__________________________________________________, its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers,

Name of Vendor

Directors and employees are not currently under investigation by any government agency and have not in the last three years been convicted or found liable for any act prohibited by State or Federal law in any jurisdiction, involving conspiracy or collusion with respect to bidding on any public contract.

I understand and my firm understands that any misstatement in this affidavit is and shall be treated as fraudulent concealment from the HCSD of the true facts relating to submission of bids for this contract.

________________________________ ________________________________

Name/Date Title or Position

________________________________

Signature

ATTACHMENT E

References

School/Business Name

Address

Contact Name

Contact Phone/email

School/Business Name

Address

Contact Name

Contact Phone/email

School/Business Name

Address

Contact Name

Contact Phone/email

Appendix F

Bid #26-032

BID 26-028 Cost
QTY	Description	Unit Cost	Total Cost	Comments
4	Palo Alto Networks PA-5500 Series Quantum Optimized Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFWs) PAN-PA-5540-AC (or equivalent)
4	Palo Alto Networks QSFP28 form factor, 100Gb active optical cable with 2 transceivers and 10m of cable permanently bonded as an assembly PAN-QSFP28-AOC-10M (or equivalent)
1	Panorama central management software, 25 devices PAN-PRA-25
1	Premium support year 1, Panorama 25 devices PAN-SVC-PREM-PRA-25
1	Enterprise License Agreement, ATP, ADNS, ADV URL, AWF, GP, ASD-WAN for NGFW. PAN-ENT-GOV-USG-ESA-1YR
1	Enterprise License Agreement, IOT DRDL. PAN-IOT-GOV-ELA-1YR
1	Enterprise Support Agreement - US Government Premium Support. PAN-ENT-GOV-ELA-1YR
		TOTAL COST

Install Date ARO: _______________________________________________________________

Can purchase be made via credit card? _____________________________________________

Credit card fee: ________________________________________________________________

Company Name:_______________________________________________________________

Company Address: _____________________________________________________________

Company Phone/Fax #:__________________________________________________________

Signature of Offeror: ___________________________________________________________

Printed Name of Above: _________________________________________________________