REQUEST FOR UNPRICED PROPOSALS For Managed Firewall Services and Wireless...

Location:	Mississippi
Posted:	Dec 13, 2025
Due:	Jan 7, 2026
Agency:	State Government of Mississippi
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	70 - General Purpose Information Technology Equipment (including software).
Solicitation No:	1491-20251210151557 LBSD
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

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REQUEST FOR UNPRICED PROPOSALS

For

Managed Firewall Services and

Wireless Access Points

A Reverse Auction Event

For

Long Beach School District

Hosted by:

Publication Dates: December 13, 2025, and December 20, 2025

Unpriced Response Deadline: January 7, 2026, at 12:00 PM CST

Reverse Auction Date: January 8, 2026, at 10:00 AM CST

Notice to Bidders

The Long Beach School District (LBSD) is soliciting proposals from qualified service providers for Managed

Firewall Services and Wireless Access Points eligible for E-rate funding.

Interested vendors may obtain a copy of the Bid Documents from the following location:

• District Bid Site: https://www.lbmsk12bids.com/

Submission Instructions: Unpriced Proposals must be submitted via https://www.lbmsk12bids.com/.

Submissions will be evaluated, and vendors meeting the specifications will be invited to participate in the

reverse auction process, which will be held on January 8, 2026, at 10:00 AM. Pricing will only be accepted

through the reverse auction process from approved vendors.

• Method: All proposals must be delivered electronically to the proposal website address listed above.

No faxed or emailed responses will be acknowledged or allowed.

• Response Deadline: Unpriced Proposals must be received no later than 12:00 PM CST on January

7, 2026. Proposals received after this deadline will be rejected.

• Reverse Auction: The reverse auction will be held on January 8, 2026, at 10:00 AM CST.

Publication Dates: December 13, 2025, and December 20, 2025

E-Rate 2026

LBSD E_Rate 2026

Long Beach School District (LBSD) Upgrade Purpose: Network Wireless Infrastructure Consolidation and

Upgrade

1. Schedule of Events

Event

Date / Time

Notes

RFP Released December 10, 2025

Advertisement December 13, 2025

Publication

December 20, 2025

Bidder’s

Conference

December 19, 2025 Not Mandatory. Onsite at LBSD Central Services

(19148 Commission Rd, Long Beach, MS 39560).

Final Day for

Questions

January 5, 2026

Questions must be submitted via email to

bids@phbidding.com. Allow 24 hours for response.

Response

Deadline

Reverse

Auction

Evaluation of

Bids

January 7, 2026 @

12:00 PM CST

Step 1: Submit unpriced technical proposals for

review. Unpriced proposals must be submitted to the

Long Beach School District bid site at

https://www.lbmsk12bids.com/ hosted by PH Bidding

January 8, 2026 @

10:00 AM CST

Step 2: Reverse Auction will be held through PH

Bidding. Detailed instructions will be included in the

bid package and also sent to approved vendors. Bid

Closes at 10:30 AM (unless extended by anti-bid

sniping).

January Board

Meeting

LBSD E_Rate 2026

INFORMATION FOR BIDDERS

LONG BEACH SCHOOL DISTRICT

Managed Firewall Services and

Wireless Access Points

1. Scope and Intent

The Long Beach School District (LBSD) is soliciting proposals from qualified service providers for Managed

Firewall Services and Wireless Access Points eligible for E-rate funding. Interested vendors may obtain

the bid documents and submit responses at www.lbmsk12bids.com hosted by PH Bidding Group.

The proposal must include pricing for the complete on-site installation and configuration for 209 new

devices (4 Firewalls + 205 APs) across the five (5) specified school locations.

1. Firewalls (Qty 4): FortiGate 201G/601F or equivalent. Must handle 1,000+ concurrent devices.

2. Access Points (Qty 205): Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), Dual-radio, PoE+.

3. Managed Services (MIBS): Separate line item for remote management/monitoring.

4. Installation: Unboxing, mounting, patching, and logical configuration (SSIDs, VLANs, basic firewall

policies).

The School District intends to award a single contract to the lowest priced, responsible bidder whose

equipment is determined to meet or exceed the specifications and evaluation criteria set forth in this bid

package.

2. Procurement Method – Multi-Step with Reverse Auction

This is a multi-step competitive procurement:

A. Phase One: Unpriced Technical Proposal

➢ Vendors submit the completed Specification Response Form, descriptive literature, warranty

information, and other required documentation.

➢ The school district will evaluate submissions for compliance with minimum specifications

and overall acceptability.

➢ Only vendors whose equipment is found compliant or reasonably capable of being made

compliant will be approved to proceed.

B. Phase Two: Online Reverse Auction (Pricing Phase)

➢ PH Bidding Group will issue detailed instructions and login credentials to approved vendors.

➢ Vendors will submit pricing only through the reverse auction platform at the scheduled date and

time.

➢ During the reverse auction, bidders will see their bid rank but not competitors’ prices. The

event will automatically extend if bids are placed within 3 minutes of the closing time, per PH

Bidding Group’s standard rules.

No pricing of any kind is to be included with the unpriced proposal. Pricing will only be accepted through

the Reverse Auction by bidders that are approved to participate.

3. General Requirements

➢ New Equipment: All equipment must be new (factory-sealed).

➢ Turnkey Solution: Vendor must provide equipment acquisition, installation, configuration, and

knowledge transfer.

➢ Brand Equivalency: "Fortinet" is used to establish a baseline. Equivalent products must meet or

exceed these specs and provide a single, unified management platform.

LBSD E_Rate 2026

4. Submission of Unpriced Technical Proposals

To be considered for an invitation to participate in the Reverse Auction and potential award for this

project, bidders must submit all required documentation as outlined in the Information for Bidders.

A. Proposal Submission and Evaluation

Proposals may be opened at any time after receipt. Once opened, all proposals will be taken under

advisement. LBSD reserves the right to conduct written and/or oral discussions with potential

bidders as part of the evaluation process.

B. Reverse Auction Process

Only vendors approved through the multi-step qualification process will be permitted to submit

pricing through the Reverse Auction. Unpriced technical proposals may be opened at any time

after receipt and will be evaluated under advisement. LBSD reserves the right to determine the

responsiveness of all offers and proposals, waive minor informalities or irregularities, reject any or

all proposals; and invite priced bids only from those companies deemed most advantageous to the

buyer.

C. Proposal Conditions

By submitting a proposal, bidders acknowledge that they have read, understood, and agree to

comply with all specifications as written. Proposal modifications, alterations, or corrections received

after the specified closing time will not be considered. All proposals must remain valid for at least

sixty (60) days from the date of opening. LBSD is a tax-exempt government entity.

D. Signature and Submission Requirements

Unpriced technical proposals must be signed by an owner, authorized officer, or manager of the

bidding company. It is the bidder’s responsibility to ensure that complete and timely proposals,

including all required documentation, are received. Late or incomplete proposals will not be

considered.

E. Reverse Auction Invitation

Bidders selected to participate in the Reverse Auction will receive detailed instructions outlining the

bidding process and submission requirements for priced bids.

5. INSTRUCTIONS FOR ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS

The following information applies to all proposals. The preferred submission method is electronic submission

through https://www.lbmsk12bids.com/.

A. Unpriced Proposal Submission (Electronic Submission)

To submit your unpriced proposal electronically, follow the steps below:

1. Prepare Documents

a. Scan all required documentation into a single PDF file.

2. Access the Bid Portal

a. Go to https://www.lbmsk12bids.com/.

b. Log in using your credentials or create an account.

c. On the left side of the homepage, click “Public Bids.”

d. Select the appropriate bid solicitation you wish to participate in.

e. Click the “Submit Bid” tab.

3. Upload Your Documents

a. Complete or verify your profile information.

b. Under the “PDF Attachments” section, drag and drop your PDF file into the upload

box, or click “click here” to browse and upload your file manually.

4. Review and Submit

a. Under the “Review and Verify” section, check the box to agree to the terms and

conditions.

b. Click “Submit” when you are ready to finalize your submission.

LBSD E_Rate 2026

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

Smart Number	1491-20251210151557 LBSD	Advertised Date	12/13/2025 12:00 AM
RFx #	3170034612	Submission Date	01/08/2026 12:00 PM
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: 12/19/2025 Description: Not Mandatory. Onsite at LBSD Central Services (19148 Commission Rd, Long Beach, MS 39560). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PRODUCT CATEGORY	PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
83840	Controllers, Remote