Request for Proposals E-Rate Category 2 Project West Jasper School District

Location:	Mississippi
Posted:	Feb 4, 2026
Due:	Mar 2, 2026
Agency:	State Government of Mississippi
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	S - Utilities and Training Services Y - Construction of Structures and Facilities
Solicitation No:	2492-20260128094913 WJSD
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

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Request for Proposals E-Rate Category 2 Project

West Jasper School District

Notice to Bidders

Notice is hereby given to interested bidders that the West Jasper School District will receive written,

sealed bids until the hour of 10:00 a.m. February 11, 2025, at which time bids will be opened in the Board

Room of the West Jasper School District at 510 HWY 18 Bay Springs, MS 39422.

Bid Timeline

Letter of Intent to Bid Due Date

Mandatory Vendor Meeting

Bid Due Date and Opening

February 4, 2026 11:59 p.m.

February 6, 2026 10:00 a.m.

March 2, 2026 10:00 a.m.

E-Rate Category 2 Project

(Description)

The West Jasper 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 2025 funding year for all Internal Connections Equipment and Services requested in the

proposed RFP. 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.

In order to be eligible to bid, all prospective bidders must attend the mandatory vendor meeting. The

vendor meeting will be held at the West Jasper School District Office located at 510 HWY 18 Bay Springs,

MS 39422. on February 6, 2026 10:00 a.m. 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 West Jasper 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.

The submission of automated or “robo” bids or proposals will be automatically disqualified. To be clear,

“SPAM and/or robotic responses will not be considered valid bid responses and will be disqualified from

consideration.”

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

At the time of the vendor meeting, all bidders will be expected to complete and turn in the “Site Visit

Information Form” furnished in this document.

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.

Intent to Bid

West Jasper 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 Corey Price, cprice@westjasper.org prior to February 4, 2026 11:59 p.m. If an email reply is

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”).

not received within 24 hours, it is the responsibility of the respondent to call Corey Price at 601-425-8500

to confirm receipt of your Letter of Intent to Bid.

Submitting a Letter of Intent to Bid does not commit you to bidding. The Letter of Intent to Bid is not a

requirement to submit a proposal, however the mandatory vendor meeting is a requirement to bid.

In the case of inclement weather or other unforeseen circumstances, all vendors who have submitted the

Letter of Intent to Bid will be notified of a change to the mandatory vendor meeting date or time.

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 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 West Jasper School District.

If a response is not received within 24 hours, it is the responsibility of the respondent to call Corey Price

at 601-425-8500 to confirm receipt of the questions.

Bid Submission Instructions

Bids may be hand delivered or mailed to the West Jasper School District located at 510 HWY 18 Bay

Springs, MS 39422.

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.

Envelopes not so marked will not be considered. The West Jasper 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 two (2) copies of their full response along with two (2) electronic

copies.

DO NOT FAX OR EMAIL PROPOSALS. FAXED OR EMAILED PROPOSALS WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.

The submission of automated or “robo” bids or proposals will be automatically disqualified. To be clear,

“SPAM and/or robotic responses will not be considered valid bid responses and will be disqualified from

consideration.”

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 West Jasper 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.

PLEASE NOTE: Common Carriers, UPS and FedEx, in the Bay Springs Mississippi area generally do not

deliver overnight packages on time. The West Jasper School District will not be responsible for nor will it

accept bid responses delivered after the deadline.

Evaluation Methodology

The West Jasper School District Board of Trustees will award a contract based on the vendor submission

that best meets the needs of the West Jasper 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 Bay 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 West Jasper 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 West Jasper School District all such information and data for this purpose as the West Jasper School

District may request. The West Jasper School District reserves the right to reject any bid if the evidence

submitted by or investigation of such Bidder fails to satisfy the West Jasper 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 West Jasper 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

Financing

This project will be subsidized by the E-Rate program and is therefore subject to funding availability and

contingent upon E-Rate funding. Due to the extended period of time it could take for the District to

receive a funding commitment from USAC for this project and possible unforeseen financial

circumstances, any contract arising from this RFP will also be contingent upon the District’s availability of

funds at the time of funding for the non-E-Rate portion of the project. The District also reserves the right

to increase or decrease quantities requested in this RFP to adhere to the District’s needs at the time of

funding.

The District reserves the right to purchase products and services from the winning bid response during

the term of the subsequent contract using alternate funding sources if alternative funding becomes

available during the contract term.

The West Jasper School District requires that the winning bidder provide the USAC Service Provider Invoice

(SPI) method for invoicing.

This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.

Smart Number	2492-20260128094913 WJSD	Advertised Date	02/04/2026 12:00 AM
RFx #	3170034907	Submission Date	03/02/2026 10:00 AM
RFx Status	Open	Major Procurement Category	INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT)
RFx Opening Date	N/A	Sub Procurement Category	EQUIPMENT - TECHNOLOGY
RFx Type	MDA - RFx
Agency	MPTAP
RFx Description	Pre-Bid Conference: Date & Time: 2/6/2026 10:00 AM Description: The vendor meeting will be held at the West Jasper School District Office located at 510 HWY 18 Bay Springs, MS 39422. on February 6, 2026 10:00 a.m. The purpose of this meeting is to allow p

PRODUCT CATEGORY	PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
83833	Communications
83840	Controllers, Remote

Request for Proposals E-Rate Category 2 Project West Jasper School District

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