Network Switching and Routing Infrastructure Equipment and Professional Services

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
BID CONTROL NUMBER RFP 260007
Network Switching and Routing Infrastructure Equipment and Professional Services
Jackson County Board of Commissioners
Publish Date: June 9, 2026
Bid Opening Date & Time: July 2, 2026 at 10:30 am, local time pertaining
Questions Deadline Date & Time: June 26, 2026 at 5:00 pm
Jackson County Board of Commissioners
4965 Jackson Parkway
Jefferson, GA 30549

DATE: June 9, 2026
TO: Authorized Cisco Partners
SUBJECT: Request for Proposals for Jackson County Network Switching and Routing
Infrastructure Equipment and Professional Services
INQUIRIES REGARDING REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS SHOULD BE MADE IN
WRITING BY EMAIL TO PURCHASING,
BIDOPPORTUNITIES@JACKSONCOUNTYGOV.COM, OR BARRY PUCKETT, IT
DIRECTOR, BPUCKETT@JACKSONCOUNTYGOV.COM
One (1) digital copy (thumb drive or email) of the Request for Proposals must be
submitted. Proposals must be sealed, marked with the company's name and address and
Labeled: RFP 260007, "Jackson County Network Equipment" and delivered to:
Jackson County Board of Commissioners
Attention: Jennifer Scott, Purchasing
4965 Jackson Parkway
Jefferson, Georgia 30549
No later than July 2, 2026 at 10:30 AM EST.
A qualified interpreter for the hearing impaired is available upon request at least 10 (ten) days in
advance of the bid opening date. Please call (706)367-6312 for more information. This service
is in compliance with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Jackson County reserves the right to reject any and all bid submittals, to waive any technicalities
or irregularities and to award the bid based on the highest and best interest of Jackson County.

Network Switching and Routing Infrastructure Replacement
1. Notice to Bidders
The Jackson County Board of Commissioners (hereafter referred to as the "County") invites
qualified vendors to submit sealed proposals for the replacement of existing Cisco network
switching and routing equipment with new, current-generation Cisco hardware and ongoing
professional services for same. The resulting contract shall be for an initial term of one (1) year,
with the option to renew for four (4) additional one-year terms, for a maximum total contract
period of five (5) years.
This bid proposal is issued in accordance with the procurement requirements of the State of
Georgia and all applicable County purchasing policies. The intent of this solicitation is to award
a contract to the vendor whose proposal is determined to be the most advantageous to the
County, taking into consideration technical qualifications, relevant experience, overall solution
merit, and total cost of ownership.
2. Objectives
The objectives of this ITB are:
* Modernize Core IT Infrastructure
Replace legacy Cisco networking infrastructure with current-generation, fully supported
Cisco switching and routing platforms that provide improved performance, reliability,
lifecycle support, and compatibility with modern network management and security
standards.
* Optimize Network Visibility, Accessibility, and Management
Centralize network monitoring, alerting, configuration management, asset tracking, and
performance reporting through integration with the County's existing Auvik
environment. The proposed solution should improve administrative visibility, simplify
troubleshooting, and enhance operational control across all County facilities.
* Increase Operational Efficiency and Reliability
Reduce system management overhead and improve overall network uptime through
standardized configurations, automation capabilities, centralized administration,
proactive monitoring, and simplified maintenance procedures. The County seeks a
solution that minimizes service interruptions and streamlines ongoing support operations.
* Implement Enterprise-Grade Security and Compliance
Leverage advanced Cisco security features, best-practice network segmentation, access
controls, firmware management, and secure configuration standards to strengthen the
County's cybersecurity posture. The proposed solution shall support applicable
government security requirements and provide a secure, resilient infrastructure capable of
protecting County systems and data.
* Enable Future Scalability and Innovation
Establish a flexible and scalable network architecture capable of supporting future
growth, expanding bandwidth demands, emerging technologies, smart government

initiatives, cloud integration, and evolving compliance requirements without requiring
significant redesign or replacement of core infrastructure.
The County reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals, to waive any technicalities
or irregularities in the bidding process, and to award a contract in the manner determined to be in
the best interest of the County.
3. Procurement Schedule
* Issuance Date: June 9, 2026
* Mandatory Pre-Proposal Conference: June 18, 2026, 10:00 AM
Kevin Poe Meeting Room, Jackson Co. Administrative Building, 4965 Jackson Parkway
* Deadline for Written Questions: June 26, 2026, 5:00 PM
* Proposal Due Date and Time: July 2, 2026, 10:30 AM
Finance Meeting Room, Jackson Co. Administrative Building, 4965 Jackson Parkway
The County reserves the right to revise this schedule by written addendum.
4. Scope of Work
It is the responsibility of the proposer to understand the Request for Proposal (RFP) and to inform
themselves of any and all conditions under which the resulting contract is to be executed.
Questions regarding the Request for Proposal may be submitted in writing no later than 5:00 PM
on June 16, 2026 to provide a timely response to all proposers in the form of an addendum, if
required. Questions should be addressed to Purchasing by email at
bidopportunities@JacksonCountyGov.com with a copy to BPuckett@JacksonCountygov.com.
Board of Commissioners will not be held responsible for verbal responses given to potential
proponents.
As part of their proposal, proposers should clearly state assumptions used and may provide
comment on any of the requirements of the RFP and offer any additions, deletions, or modifications
in the scope of services and proposal. Such assumptions and/or comments, deletions, or
modifications should be clearly identified by the proponent in the proposal.
UNDERSTANDING OF CONDITIONS REGARDING SUBMITTALS
Upon submittal of a proposal in response to this RFP, the Proposer acknowledges and consents to
the following conditions relative to the submittal:
* All costs incurred in connection with submitting a Proposal will be borne by the Proposer.
* The Board of Commissioners reserves the right to reject any proposal not meeting the
minimum criteria and requirements set forth in this RFP. The Board of Commissioners
shall have sole discretion in evaluating the intent of the respondent, respondent
qualifications, and the proposed project or services.
* The Board of Commissioners is not bound to accept any proposal deemed contrary to the
best interest of the County.
* The Board of Commissioners is not bound to accept the lowest financial proposal.

* The Board of Commissioners reserves the right, without prior notice, to supplement, or
otherwise modify the RFP at any time.
* When two or more proposals are deemed equal, the Board of Commissioners reserves the
right to make distinctions between the two at their discretion.
* It is the Proposer's responsibility to review and verify the completeness of its proposal.
* The Board of Commissioners may request additional information or more detailed
information from any proponent at any time after the proposal opening.
* All responses become the property of the Board of Commissioners and will not be returned.
* The Board of Commissioners may request proponents to send representatives at the
proponent's cost, to meet with the Board of Commissioners or their designated
representatives as part of the proposal evaluation process.
* The Board of Commissioners may conduct investigations with respect to the qualifications
and experience of any proponent.
* The Board of Commissioners will require the respondent to provide a Performance Bond
in the amount of $1,500,000 prior to the start of the contract. The Performance Bond will
remain in effect for the entire term of the contract and during each renewal.
* The Board of Commissioners may designate another public entity, agency, or consultant to
act on its behalf.
* Proposals will not be considered from any company, firm, person, or party for whom the
Board of Commissioners has an outstanding claim against or a financial dispute relating to
any prior association.
The successful proposer shall provide a complete, turnkey solution for the replacement and
modernization of the County's existing end-of-life Cisco network switching and routing
infrastructure. The proposed solution shall include all necessary hardware, software licensing,
professional services, implementation labor, project management, configuration services, testing,
documentation, training, warranty coverage, and ongoing maintenance and support required to
deliver a fully operational and manufacturer-supported network environment. Our existing
maintenance agreements for equipment not included in the attached 2026 replacement schedule
will be assigned to the successful vendor selected through this solicitation.
The scope of work shall include, but not be limited to, the procurement, staging, configuration,
deployment, migration, testing, and cutover of new Cisco networking equipment replacing the
County's existing switching and routing infrastructure. All proposed equipment shall be new,
current-generation Cisco enterprise-class hardware and shall include all required components,
optics, power supplies, mounting hardware, subscriptions, licensing, and accessories necessary
for complete installation.
The successful proposer shall be responsible for coordinating all phases of the implementation
process, including project planning, scheduling, site coordination, change management, and
communication with County IT staff. The proposer shall provide a detailed implementation and
migration plan designed to minimize operational disruption and downtime to County services.
Where feasible, cutovers shall be scheduled during approved maintenance windows or non-
business hours.
Professional services shall include, at a minimum:

* Network assessment and implementation planning
* Staging equipment and pre-configuration - must be performed on site at Jackson County
IT offices
* Installation and replacement of network hardware
* Migration of existing configurations and services
* Integration with the County's existing Auvik monitoring environment
* Testing and validation of all deployed equipment and network services
* Removal and proper disposition of replaced equipment, if requested by the County
* As-built documentation, network diagrams, and configuration backups
* Knowledge transfer and operational training for County IT personnel
The proposer shall also provide comprehensive manufacturer support, software updates,
firmware maintenance, and technical support services for a period of five (5) years from the date
of final acceptance by the County. Professional services and support offerings shall include
access to Cisco technical assistance, hardware replacement services, security updates, and
ongoing software maintenance necessary to maintain a secure and fully supported environment.
The County has provided an equipment inventory and replacement schedule as part of this
solicitation. Proposers shall review the attached documentation carefully and base their
submissions on the equipment quantities, locations, and implementation timelines identified
therein. The physical replacement of hardware shall occur in accordance with the deployment
schedule established by the County and coordinated with the selected proposer during project
kickoff and implementation planning.
The County reserves the right to modify deployment priorities, adjust implementation timelines,
or add or remove equipment quantities as operational requirements dictate during the term of the
contract.
4.1 Hardware Requirements
* All equipment must be new, unused, and fully assembled current-production Cisco
models
* Refurbished, end-of-sale, or end-of-life equipment will not be accepted
* Proposed solution shall include all necessary components, including:
o Cisco brand network switches, and routers
o Optional Cisco brand redundant power supplies and fans
o Cisco brand stacking modules or virtual chassis components
o Cisco brand network optics and transceivers
o Cisco brand rack-mount kits and cables
4.2 Professional Services
Proposers shall provide comprehensive professional services necessary to support the successful
implementation, migration, and operational transition of the County's network infrastructure
environment. Services shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

* Review and assessment of the County's existing network infrastructure, topology,
configurations, dependencies, and operational requirements
* Validation, refinement, and optimization of the proposed network architecture to ensure
compatibility with current operations, future scalability, security requirements, and
industry best practices
* Development of a detailed implementation, migration, and project management plan
outlining deployment phases, schedules, resource requirements, risk mitigation strategies,
communication procedures, and rollback contingencies
* Equipment staging, inventory verification, firmware updates, pre-configuration, and
quality assurance testing prior to deployment
* Physical removal, replacement, installation, mounting, labeling, and connection of
existing network switching and routing equipment at County facilities
* Development, migration, and implementation of switching and routing configurations,
including but not limited to VLANs, trunking, inter-VLAN routing, routing protocols,
Quality of Service (QoS), spanning tree configuration, redundancy mechanisms, access
control lists (ACLs), port security, management access controls, and other required
network services
* Integration of all deployed equipment with the County's existing Auvik environment for
centralized monitoring, alerting, configuration management, and reporting
* Coordination, scheduling, and execution of network cutover activities in collaboration
with County IT staff to minimize operational disruption and downtime
* Performance of comprehensive post-installation testing, validation, troubleshooting, and
issue resolution to ensure all network services, connectivity, routing, security policies,
and management functions are fully operational
* Development and delivery of complete as-built documentation, including network
diagrams, device inventories, IP addressing information, configuration backups,
implementation records, and support procedures
* Knowledge transfer and operational training for County IT personnel covering system
administration, monitoring, troubleshooting, maintenance procedures, and ongoing
support responsibilities
* Provision of post-implementation support services during the stabilization period
following deployment to address configuration issues, operational concerns, or
migration-related problems identified after cutover activities are completed.
4.3 Maintenance and Support (Five-Year Term)
* Provide manufacturer-backed support coverage through Cisco SMARTnet or an
equivalent Cisco-authorized support program for all proposed hardware, software,
licensing, and associated components throughout the duration of the contract term.
* Provide continuous 24x7x365 access to Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC)
support services for troubleshooting, escalation management, software support,
configuration assistance, and resolution of hardware or software-related issues.
* Provide 24x7x365 access to qualified onsite vendor technical support engineers capable
of responding to critical service interruptions, emergency outages, and infrastructure
failures affecting County operations. The proposer shall identify escalation procedures,
emergency contact methods, and expected response times for onsite support services.

* Provide assistance and coordination for all applicable software updates, firmware
upgrades, security patches, bug fixes, operating system releases, and licensing
maintenance necessary to maintain the network environment in a fully supported, secure,
and operational condition throughout the life of the contract.
* Provide advanced hardware replacement services in accordance with manufacturer-
supported service-level agreements. At a minimum, all critical hardware components
shall be eligible for next-business-day replacement services. In the event of a critical
failure, the proposer shall initiate replacement procedures immediately upon notification
and ensure replacement hardware is delivered and operational within twenty-four (24)
hours of the initial service request whenever feasible. The county will maintain an
inventory of spare switching, routing, PSU, cables, and related equipment onsite for
efficient response and replacements.
* Coordinate all warranty claims, return material authorizations (RMAs), vendor
escalations, and replacement logistics directly with the manufacturer on behalf of the
County to minimize administrative burden and reduce service restoration times.
* Ensure all support services include proactive case management, issue tracking, escalation
coordination, and communication with designated County IT personnel until resolution of
the reported issue.
5. Technical Requirements
5.1 Switching
Proposed switching equipment shall meet or exceed the following minimum technical
requirements and capabilities:
* All proposed switching hardware shall consist of new, current-generation Cisco Catalyst
enterprise-class equipment or an approved equivalent solution fully compatible with the
County's existing Cisco networking environment and operational standards.
* Switches shall provide full Layer 2 and Layer 3 functionality, including support for static
routing, dynamic routing protocols, inter-VLAN routing, and advanced enterprise
networking features necessary to support County operations.
* Equipment shall support industry-standard networking protocols and technologies
including, but not limited to:
o Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs)
o IEEE 802.1Q trunking
o Spanning Tree Protocol (STP/RSTP/MST)
o Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP)
o EtherChannel or equivalent link aggregation technologies
o Quality of Service (QoS)
o Multicast support where applicable
* Switching platforms shall support Power over Ethernet (PoE) and PoE+ capabilities
sufficient to power connected devices including IP telephones, wireless access points,
security cameras, and other endpoint devices as required by the County. Proposers shall
clearly identify total available PoE budgets and per-port power capabilities.

* Equipment shall support switch stacking, virtual stacking, chassis virtualization, or
equivalent high-availability technologies designed to improve resiliency, simplify
management, and reduce operational downtime in the event of hardware failure.
* Proposed solutions shall support advanced enterprise security capabilities including, but
not limited to:
o IEEE 802.1X port-based authentication
o Access Control Lists (ACLs)
o Role-based administrative access controls
o Port security
o DHCP snooping
o Dynamic ARP inspection
o MAC address protection
o Secure management protocols including SSH and SNMPv3
* Switches shall support centralized monitoring and management integration with the
County's existing Auvik environment.
* All proposed equipment shall include redundant or field-replaceable power supplies and
cooling components where available and appropriate for the deployment environment.
* Switching equipment shall support IPv4 and IPv6 networking standards and be capable of
supporting future network growth, increased bandwidth demands, and evolving County
technology initiatives.
* Proposers shall identify all software licensing requirements, feature subscriptions, and
support entitlements necessary to provide full operational functionality for the proposed
solution.
5.2 Routing
Proposed routing equipment shall meet or exceed the following minimum technical requirements
and operational capabilities:
* All proposed routing hardware shall consist of new, current-generation Cisco enterprise
routing platforms designed for enterprise network environments. Proposed equipment
shall be fully supported by the manufacturer and compatible with the County's existing
Cisco infrastructure and operational standards.
* Routing platforms shall support both IPv4 and IPv6 networking protocols and provide
full dual-stack functionality to support current operations and future network
modernization initiatives.
* Equipment shall support advanced Layer 3 routing services and industry-standard
dynamic routing protocols including, but not limited to:
o Open Shortest Path First (OSPF)
o Border Gateway Protocol (BGP)
o Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP)
o Static routing
o Policy-based routing where applicable
* Proposed solutions shall support high-availability and resiliency features designed to
minimize service interruption and maintain operational continuity. Supported capabilities
shall include, but not be limited to:

o Redundant hardware configurations
o Automatic failover functionality
o Virtual routing redundancy technologies
o Stateful failover where applicable
o Redundant power supplies and network interfaces
* Routing equipment shall be sized appropriately to meet both current operational
requirements and projected future growth, including increases in bandwidth utilization,
connected devices, cloud services, inter-site communications, and related government
initiatives. Proposers shall clearly identify expected throughput capabilities, forwarding
performance, and scalability limitations of all proposed platforms.
* Equipment shall support advanced Quality of Service (QoS) capabilities to prioritize
critical voice, video, public safety, and business application traffic across the County
network environment.
* Proposed solutions shall support advanced security services including secure
management access, access control lists (ACLs), route filtering, traffic segmentation,
encrypted management protocols, logging, and integration with the County's existing
cybersecurity policies and standards.
* Equipment shall support centralized monitoring, alerting, configuration management, and
reporting integration with the County's existing Auvik environment.
* All proposed equipment shall include all required software licenses, subscriptions, optics,
interface modules, and accessories necessary to provide a complete and fully operational
solution.
5.3 Network Management
* Provide full support for centralized network monitoring, management, and reporting
across all deployed infrastructure, including seamless integration with the County's
existing Auvik environment and/or Cisco Meraki cloud-based management platform,
where applicable. The proposed solution shall enable comprehensive visibility into
device health, performance metrics, configuration status, and network topology across all
sites.
* Ensure compatibility with Cisco DNA Center and/or Auvik network management and
automation platforms capable of providing intent-based networking, policy-driven
configuration management, automated provisioning, lifecycle management, and
centralized assurance monitoring.
Support industry-standard network telemetry and monitoring protocols, including but not limited
to:
* Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP v2/v3) for device monitoring, alerting,
and performance tracking
* Syslog for centralized log aggregation, event correlation, and security auditing
* NetFlow, IPFIX, or equivalent flow-based telemetry for detailed traffic analysis,
bandwidth utilization monitoring, application visibility, and capacity planning
* Provide the ability to export, integrate, or forward monitoring data to third-party security
information and event management (SIEM) systems or other County-designated analytics
platforms as required.