Request for Proposals E-Rate Category 2 Project
Alcorn School District
Notice to Bidders
Notice is hereby given to interested bidders that the Alcorn School District will receive written, sealed bids
and electronic bids until the hour of 10:00 a.m., March 2, 2026, at which time bids will be opened in the
Board Room of the Alcorn School District at 31 County Road 401 Corinth, MS 38834.
Bid Timeline
Letter of Intent to Bid Due Date
Mandatory Vendor Google Meet
Bid Due Date and Opening
February 16, 2026, 11:59 p.m.
February 20, 2026, 10:00 a.m.
March 2, 2026, 10:00 a.m.
1 ASD – CAT 2 2026
E-Rate Category 2 Project
(Description)
The Alcorn School District wishes to upgrade its E-Rate eligible category 2 Equipment, Cabling, Managed
Services and Basic Maintenance. The District is seeking a two-year three-month contract to cover the
2026 funding year for all Internal Connections Equipment and Services requested in the proposed RFP.
The District is seeking a five-year contract for Managed Internal Broadband Services and Basic
Maintenance of Internal Connections. Pricing for Internal Connections Equipment and Services must
remain in effect and must be honored until the service delivery deadline for the 2026 funding year which
is normally September 30th, 2027. If the service delivery deadline is extended for any reason, prices must
be honored until the final C2 service delivery deadline for Funding Year 2026. The resulting Purchase
Agreement for this RFP may be used for up to 3 funding years.
To be eligible to bid, all prospective bidders must submit the intent to bid document and attend the
mandatory Google meet to be held on February 20, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. The intent to bid document must
be received by 11:59 p.m. on February 16, 2026. Once the intent to bid document is received the parts
list will be emailed to the address provided on the document. The purpose of this meeting is to allow
potential bidders an opportunity to present questions and obtain clarification of the requirements of the
bid documents. Because the Alcorn School District considers the meeting to be critical to understanding
the bid requirements, attendance is mandatory in order to qualify as a bidder.1 No transcript or minutes
from this meeting will be created or available. Proposals from vendors who do not attend the vendor
meeting WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.
Nothing discussed or information provided during the mandatory vendor meeting shall be construed as
changing the scope of this procurement as set forth in this RFP. Anything discussed or any information
provided during the mandatory vendor meeting shall be interpreted in light of this RFP; if there is any
conflict or perceived conflict between this RFP and information provided or statements made during the
mandatory vendor meeting, this RFP shall govern.2
The RFP will consist of Cabling, Equipment, Managed Services and Basic Maintenance. Vendors may bid
on one, two, three or all parts. Vendors may also bid to serve some but not all of the sites. Any discounts
for bundled pricing or winning more than one portion of the RFP will be considered and allowed.
1 See Mississippi Public Procurement Review Board, Office of Personal Service Contract Review Rules and
Regulations, § 3-302.07 (addressing mandatory pre-bid conferences).
2 Id. (“Nothing stated at the pre-bid conference shall change the Invitation for Bids unless a change is made by
written amendment”).
2 {ASD CAT 2 2026}
Intent to Bid
The Alcorn School District requests that all vendors interested in submitting a proposal complete the
Letter of Intent to Bid that is provided at the end of this document. The Letter of Intent to Bid should be
emailed to Andrea Allen at andreaallen@alcornschools.org prior to February 16th, 2026 11:59 p.m. If an
email reply is not received within 24 hours, it is the responsibility of the respondent to call Andrea Allen
at 662-286-5591 to confirm receipt of your Letter of Intent to Bid.
General
The specifications herein are provided to convey the intent of the District and do not indicate every cable
or component necessary for the complete system that the proposing vendor shall provide. Technical
specifications of all equipment and necessary components proposed should be provided with the bid.
Proposals that deviate from these specifications will be considered, provided the vendor indicates why its
proposed alternative specifications will meet the needs and intent of the District.
Prices quoted shall be an all-inclusive solution including all applicable taxes, shipping costs, installation of
equipment, configuration of equipment, any necessary cabling, training, technical support and trash
removal, and represent complete installation and integration with the existing network where necessary.
All equipment included in vendor’s proposal must be new equipment purchased from an authorized
reseller. No grey market, third party, or used equipment will be considered. Prices quoted in the vendor’s
response will remain in effect from the time of the contract signing until the final service delivery deadline
for Funding Year 2026 C2 products and services.
Omissions in the proposal of any provision described herein shall not be construed as to relieve the vendor
of any responsibility or obligation to the complete and satisfactory delivery, operation and support of any
services.
Should the vendor have questions or find discrepancies in, or omissions from this RFP, or be in doubt to
its meaning, the vendor shall at once notify the Alcorn School District. All questions should be addressed
to Andrea Allen and sent via email to andreaallen@alcornschools.org
If a response is not received within 24 hours, it is the responsibility of the respondent to call Andrea Allen
at 662-286-5591 to confirm receipt of the questions. All questions and answers will be emailed to all
vendors attending the mandatory vendor meeting.
Bid Submission Instructions
Bids may be hand delivered or mailed to the Alcorn School District located at 31 County Road 401 Corinth,
MS 38834.
3 {ASD CAT 2 2026}
Bids must be submitted in a sealed envelope clearly marked as follows:
ATTN: SEALED BID - DO NOT OPEN
“2026 E-Rate Bid”
Bid Opening: March 2, 2026, 10:00 a.m.
All paper bids submitted for structured cabling where said bid is in excess of $50,000 shall contain on
the outside of the envelope the contractors current Certificate of Responsibility Number.
If structured cabling costs in excess of $50,000 are submitted electronically, an attachment must be
included with the electronic bid submittal indicating the Certificate of Responsibility.
Envelopes not so marked will not be considered. The Alcorn School District Board of Trustees reserves the
right to reject any and/or all bids and waive any informality.
Bidders must submit one (1) original and one (1) copy of their full response along with one(1) electronic
copy.
DO NOT FAX OR EMAIL PROPOSALS. FAXED OR EMAILED PROPOSALS WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.
The first page in the bid submission packet must be the Bid Worksheet. The worksheet will show the
vendor’s total cost. In additional to the Bid Worksheet, Vendors MUST provide quotes submitted on the
vendor’s standard quote form showing line-item pricing. Failure to comply may result in bid
disqualification.
Bids must include the following:
The “Bid Worksheet” completed and signed by the bidder. Note, the “Bid Worksheet” is a total for all E-
Rate eligible products and services. In the occurrence of discrepancies between the total costs and line
item costs, the line item cost will be deemed to be the correct cost.
(THE BID WORKSHEET MUST BE THE FIRST PAGE IN THE BID SUBMISSION DOCUMENTATION)
Required Documents as listed in this RFP.
It is the sole responsibility of the respondents to ensure their responses arrive in a timely manner. Late
arrivals will be rejected. The Alcorn School District is not responsible for delays of any commercial carrier
or delays incurred by the respondents. Oral, telephone, or emailed bids will not be considered. Signatures
on the proposals must be in longhand and executed by a principal duly authorized by the vendor to make
a contract.
4 {ASD CAT 2 2026}
PLEASE NOTE: Common Carriers, UPS and FedEx, in the Corinth, Mississippi area generally do not deliver
overnight packages on time. The Alcorn School District will not be responsible for nor will it accept bid
responses delivered after the deadline.
Evaluation Methodology
The Alcorn School District Board of Trustees will award a contract based on the vendor submission that
best meets the needs of the Alcorn School District with regard to the current Technology Plan, future
growth, RFP specifications, and not necessarily the lowest price even though price will be the primary
factor. The following factors may be considered when evaluating responses:
• Price
• Technical Specifications
• Technical Certifications of Vendor Staff
• Number of Service Staff within close proximity to Holly Springs, Mississippi
• Vendor response time
• Turnkey Solution
• Ease of Use
• Experience with Vendor (includes Vendor-supplied customer references and recent (7 years)
District experience with Vendor (if any); may also include any publicly available reports or
testimonials regarding recent Vendor performance)
Vendor Qualifications
The Alcorn School District may make such investigations as deemed necessary to determine the ability of
the bidder or subcontractors or suppliers to perform the work, and the bidder shall furnish to the Alcorn
School District all such information and data for this purpose as the Alcorn School District may request.
The Alcorn School District reserves the right to reject any bid if the evidence submitted by or investigation
of such Bidder fails to satisfy the Alcorn School District that such bidder is properly qualified to carry out
the obligations of the contract and/or to complete the work contemplated therein within the time
required.
The bidder is specifically advised that any person, firm or other party to whom it proposes to award a
subcontract or purchase order under this contract must be acceptable to the Alcorn School District.
The successful vendor (contractor) must have or be certified with the following:
• Be able to supply all products and services
• Be an authorized dealer in the State of Mississippi for all products
• Have current liability insurance and workers compensation insurance (certificates of insurance
must be furnished by winning bidder within 10 days of award
• Provide documentation of the vendor’s employee certifications
• Participate in the mandatory vendor meeting. Any bid submitted by a vendor who does not
attend the mandatory vendor meeting will not be considered. There will be no exceptions.
• Provide an E-Rate SPIN
• Provide at least 3 references for projects of the same scope and size
• All work completed by awarded vendor, no sub-contractors allowed.
5 {ASD CAT 2 2026}
This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.