IT NETWORK MAINTENANCE SERVICES

RFP #251-27-113
Memorandum from Purchasing Department
Letter of Instruction for RFP #251-27-113
To: Prospective Parties
Thank you for your interest in the Wake County Public School System. Please review the following instructions prior
to submitting your proposal.
All submittals must be organized and indexed according to the order of the required subject matter. The
information in your submittal should be indexed and easily accessed by WCPSS. WCPSS is not required to seek
clarification on any proposal that does not meet these minimum requirements.
Prior to submitting and executing the proposal, please make sure you read and understand the terms and
conditions referenced. All proposals are subject to the terms and conditions outlined herein. All responses will be
controlled by such terms and conditions and the submission of other terms and conditions, price lists, catalogs,
and/or other documents as part of an offeror's response will be waived and have no effect either on this Request
For Proposals or on any contract that may be awarded resulting from this solicitation. The attachment of any
other terms and conditions by the Offeror may be grounds for rejection of that proposal. Offeror specifically
agrees to the conditions set forth in the above paragraph by signature to the proposal.
WCPSS will adhere to strict deadlines as indicated in the solicitation document and thus will not make exceptions to
these dates and times.
Please read carefully the section titled CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS DURING
THE RFP PROCESS. All questions should be directed to bids-mcalvert@wcpss.net.
Offerors are cautioned that this is a request for offers, not a request to contract, and WCPSS reserves the
unqualified right to reject any and all offers when such rejection is deemed to be in the best interest of WCPSS.
In submitting a proposal, the Offeror agrees not to use the results therefrom as part of any news release or
commercial advertising.
Submit one (1) signed, original response via electronic Vendor Portal (eVP) by the specified time and date of
opening. Vendor shall bear all risk for late electronic submission due to unintended or unanticipated delay,
including but not limited to internet issues, network issues, or local power outages. Vendor must include all
pages of this solicitation in their response. Inability by WCPSS to open the Vendor's files may result in the
offer(s) being rejected as non-responsive.
Questions or issues related to using the eVP Ariba Sourcing Tool can be directed to the North Carolina
eProcurement Help Desk at 888-211-7440, Option 2. Help Desk representatives are available Monday through
Friday from 7:30 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST.
Offerors are cautioned that responses will be deemed nonresponsive if they do not include all required information
and submittals as requested.
Offerors shall not be debarred from doing business with Wake County, North Carolina, or the federal government.
Offeror shall disclose a debarment or UCC lien.
Include a copy of IRS Form W-9 along with WCPSS Vendor Information Form (Attachment A).
Before submitting a bid, Vendor must be registered with North Caroline eVP. Additional information can be found at
https://eprocurement.nc.gov/registering-evp/download?attachment. There is no cost to register.
WCPSS publicly advertises proposal solicitations on the following sites: NC eVP -
http://webarchive.wcpss.net/about-us/purchasing/open-bids.html and WCPSS - https://evp.nc.gov/solicitations.
Please review these sites for updates and amendments during the proposal timeframe.
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RFP #251-27-113
Request for Proposal #251-27-113
1551 Rock Quarry Rd - Bldg. F PUBLIC BID OPENING: JUNE 3, 2026 @ 11:00 AM ET
Raleigh, NC 27610 Contract Type: Agency Specific Term Contract
Refer ALL Inquiries to: Marcella Calvert Commodity: 811123 - IT Network Maintenance Services
Telephone No: 919-588-3457
Using Agency Name: WAKE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM
E-Mail: bids-mcalvert@wcpss.net
NOTICE TO VENDORS
Electronic proposals, subject to the conditions made a part hereof, will be received until 10:00 AM ET on the day of
opening and then opened, for proposal submittal process the commodity or service as described herein. Refer to
proposal submittal below for information regarding delivery. Proposals submitted via email or non-sealed in response
to this Request for Proposals will not be acceptable. Proposals are subject to rejection unless submitted on this form.
EXECUTION
In compliance with this Request for Proposal, and subject to all the conditions herein, the undersigned offers and agrees to
furnish and deliver any or all items upon which prices are proposed, at the prices set opposite each item within the time
specified herein. By executing this proposal, I certify that this proposal is submitted competitively and without collusion.
Failure to execute/sign proposal prior to submittal shall render bid invalid. Late proposals are not acceptable.
VENDOR: FEDERAL ID OR SOCIAL SECURITY NO.
STREET ADDRESS: P.O. BOX: ZIP:
CITY & STATE & ZIP: TELEPHONE NUMBER: TOLL FREE TEL. NO
(800)
PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS ADDRESS IF DIFFERENT FROM ABOVE
TYPE OR PRINT NAME & TITLE OF PERSON SIGNING: FAX NUMBER:
AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE: DATE: E-MAIL:
Offer valid for 60 days from date of proposal opening unless otherwise stated here: ________ days
Prompt Payment Discount: _______ % _____________ days.
Submit one (1) signed, original executed proposal response via eVP (emails not accepted).
PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL: This is an absolute requirement. Late bids, regardless of cause, will not be opened or
considered, and will be automatically disqualified from further consideration. Vendor shall bear the sole risk of
late submission due to unintended or unanticipated delay. It is the Vendors' sole responsibility to ensure its
proposal has been received as described in this RFP by the specified time and date of opening. Failure to submit a
proposal in strict accordance with instructions provided shall constitute sufficient cause to reject a Vendor's
proposal(s). Solicitation responses are subject to Sealed Bidding requirements.
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RFP #251-27-113
Vendors' proposals for this procurement must be submitted through electronic Vendor Portal (eVP). For training
on how to use eVP to view solicitations, submit questions, develop responses, upload documents, and submit
offers to the district, Vendors should go to the following site: https://eprocurement.nc.gov/training/vendor-
training
RFP SCHEDULE
The table below shows the intended schedule for this RFP. WCPSS will make every effort to adhere to this
schedule.
Event Responsibility Date and Time
Issue RFP WCPSS May 18, 2026
Questions submitted to: Vendor/WCPSS May 21, 2026, at 2:00 PM/ET
bids-mcalvert@wcpss.net
(Reference RFP # 251-27-113 in subject line)
Provide Response to Questions WCPSS May 27, 2026 by end of business day
Submit Proposals Vendor By June 3, 2026, 10:00 AM/ET
Public Live Bid Opening WCPSS, Vendor June 3, 2026, at 11:00 AM/ET
(Vendor attendance is not required) Microsoft Teams meeting
Join:
https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/23229631
9418143?p=K97KlJ2g4WiO97d4fx
Meeting ID: 232 296 319 418 143
Passcode: Qf2mR7Wb
PROPOSAL QUESTIONS
Upon review of the RFP documents, Vendors may have questions to clarify or interpret the RFP in order to submit
the best proposal possible. To accommodate the Proposal Questions process, Vendors shall submit any such
questions, in written form by the above due date. WCPSS will not respond to questions via telephone or
telephone message(s). Written questions must be emailed to bids-mcalvert@wcpss.net by the date and time
specified above. Vendors should enter "RFP #251-27-113 Questions" as the subject for the email. Questions
submittals should include a reference to the applicable RFP section and be submitted in the format shown below:
Reference Vendor Question
RFP Section, Page Number Vendor question ...?
Questions received prior to the submission deadline date, WCPSS' response and any additional terms deemed
necessary by WCPSS will be posted in the form of an Addendum and shall become an Addendum to this RFP. No
information, instruction, or advice provided orally or informally by any WCPSS personnel, whether made in
response to a question or otherwise in connection with this RFP, shall be considered authoritative or binding.
Vendors shall rely only on written material contained in an Addendum to this RFP. Addendums associated with
the Request for Proposal will be posted to the following links and it will be the vendor's responsibility to adhere to
and check these addendums prior to bid submittal:
http://webarchive.wcpss.net/about-us/purchasing/open-bids.html
https://evp.nc.gov/solicitations
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RFP #251-27-113
PROPOSAL EVALUATION
All proposals will be evaluated by representatives of WCPSS. WCPSS may, at its sole discretion, ask for additional
information and/or elect to conduct interviews with finalists to clarify information provided in the proposals.
The services that are the subject of this RFP are not required to be bid under North Carolina law, and none of the
statutory requirements regarding public bidding apply to this RFP. This document, and not those statutes, will
govern the selection process.
WCPSS shall not be required to award the contract to the lowest proposed compensation; nor shall WCPSS have
any obligation to explain its decision to recommend or not to recommend any particular vendor or to invite or
exclude any particular vendor from consideration at any stage of the process. Instead of recommending that
contracts be awarded to one or more vendors who presented proposals, WCPSS may, at its sole discretion, reject
the proposals and repeat the process, enter into direct contract negotiations with one or more vendors (possibly
including vendors who have not previously submitted proposals) or take any other action WCPSS deems advisable
under all the circumstances.
WCPSS is expected to make any final selection(s) based upon any factors or considerations WCPSS deems
relevant. Factors often considered include qualifications, relevant experience, fee, and ability to perform work in
a timely manner. WCPSS retains sole discretion to award the contract to the vendor(s) it believes will best serve
the interests of WCPSS and may consider any factors, documents, or information it deems relevant in making that
determination. WCPSS shall not have any obligation to explain its decision to select or not select any individual
vendors or to invite or exclude any individual vendors from consideration at any stage of the process. The
decision of WCPSS to accept or reject any proposals and to award contract(s) to any one or more vendor(s) shall
be final and not subject to further review.
Vendors are subject to immediate disqualification at any stage of the selection process for any of the following:
The submission of false or misleading information in the vendor's proposal.
Any efforts to dissuade or discourage other vendors from submitting proposals.
Any efforts to influence, dictate, or change the terms of another vendor's proposal.
Any form of bid collusion or bid rigging.
METHOD OF AWARD
All qualified proposals will be evaluated, and awards will be made to the Vendor(s) meeting the RFP requirements
and achieving the highest and best final evaluation which is best for WCPSS. Vendors SHALL not be considered
who are not approved or authorized by The State of North Carolina to do business with The State of North
Carolina. WCPSS reserves the right to waive any minor informality or technicality in proposals received.
TERM OF CONTRACT
The contract service shall be for a period of one (1) year and shall begin July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027,
subject to the continuation of the program and the availability of funds. The Wake County Public School System
reserves the right to extend the contract for two (2) additional one (1) year terms, provided the vendor continues
to offer qualified contract resources at competitive rates.
VENDOR REGISTRATION AND SOLICITATION NOTIFICATION SYSTEM
The NC Electronic Vendor Portal (eVP) allows Vendors to electronically register with the State to receive electronic
notification of current procurement opportunities for goods and services available at the following website:
https://evp.nc.gov.
ELECTRONIC VENDOR PORTAL (EVP)
The State has implemented the Electronic Vendor Portal (eVP) to connect vendors with state government
organizations that purchase goods and services and allows the public to retrieve award notices and other
information. Please register at https://evp.nc.gov to receive bid notification and electronic procurement
opportunities from Wake County Public Schools. Results may be found by searching by Solicitation Number. This
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RFP #251-27-113
information may not be available for several weeks depending upon the complexity of the acquisition and the
length of time to complete the evaluation process.
Terms of Use Link: https://eprocurement.nc.gov/evp-terms-use/open
Vendor will be disqualified for consideration if they are listed on either the State of North Carolina
debarred vendor registry, or the Federal Government debarred vendor registry.
(North Carolina) https://ncadmin.nc.gov/documents/nc-debarred-vendors
(Federal Government) https://www.sam.gov/SAM/pages/public/searchRecords/searchResults.jsf
SCOPE OF WORK
BACKGROUND
WCPSS Technology Services Division supports over 200 sites for approximately 161,000 students and
approximately 20,000 staff. TSD provides comprehensive technology support, service request management, and
asset reporting. WCPSS is the 15th largest school district in the United States and the largest in North Carolina,
operating on multiple academic calendars. The school year begins in early July and concludes on June 30. A list of
schools and locations can be accessed via the internet site www.wcpss.net.
PURPOSE
The Wake County Public School System Technology Services Division (TSD) is seeking to secure a contract, or
contracts, to provide IP network monitoring, operational support, troubleshooting, and maintenance services for
all WCPSS facilities throughout the county now or hereafter owned, leased, or possessed by WCPSS. WCPSS
facilities consist of all real property and buildings owned or leased by WCPSS at sites designated.
PROJECT OVERVIEW AND STATEMENT OF WORK
1.1 Project Overview
The Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) is seeking a qualified vendor to provide network monitoring,
operational support, troubleshooting, and maintenance services for the district's enterprise network
infrastructure.
The selected vendor will operate as the primary operational support partner for the WCPSS Network Services team
and will be responsible for monitoring, troubleshooting, configuration management, and operational maintenance
of the district's network environment.
The vendor will work collaboratively with WCPSS technical staff, who retain responsibility for network architecture
and strategic design decisions.
1.2 Network Environment
WCPSS operates one of the largest K-12 enterprise networks in the United States. The current environment includes
254 locations within Wake County:
* 128 Elementary Schools
* 43 Middle Schools
* 39 High Schools
* 9 non-instructional facilities
* Supporting over 161,000 students and approximately 20,000 staff
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RFP #251-27-113
Additional infrastructure details:
* One primary data center, one secondary backup facility
* Two perimeter firewalls
* 100 Gbps Internet connectivity
* 5-10 Gbps fiber WAN connections to each location
* ~30,000 managed network devices (routers, switches, wireless access points, analog voice gateways)
* Approximately 50 tickets per week
The environment is based primarily on Cisco and Meraki network technologies and includes internally developed
monitoring and asset management tools.
1.3 Service Model
The selected vendor will provide network operations services including:
* Monitoring of network infrastructure
* Troubleshooting and incident resolution
* Configuration changes
* Firmware and operating system updates
* Operational maintenance
* Documentation management
* Vendor coordination and escalation
* Operational support of the district's perimeter firewall environment
The vendor will operate within the WCPSS operational governance framework, including established change
management and ticketing procedures.
1.4 Monitoring and Incident Response
The vendor shall provide monitoring and incident response services including:
* Continuous monitoring of network infrastructure using WCPSS tools and/or vendor-provided monitoring
systems
* Proactive detection of outages, performance degradation, and infrastructure faults
* Investigation and troubleshooting of network alerts and incidents
* Identification of root causes and resolution of network issues
Monitoring coverage shall include:
Coverage Type Hours
Extended Monitoring 6:00 AM - 12:00 AM
Engineering / Troubleshooting 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monitoring responsibilities will be shared between WCPSS and the selected vendor. Internet and WAN service
providers perform maintenance between midnight and 6AM, during which time we typically do not respond to
alerts. Critical uptime is 6AM through 4PM weekdays.
Incident Priority Levels
Priority Description
P1 - Critical Network outage affecting multiple schools or core services
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RFP #251-27-113
Priority Description
P2 - High Major service degradation affecting a site or critical system
P3 - Moderate Localized issue affecting limited users
P4 - Low Informational alerts, routine operational tasks
Response Time Requirements
Priority Initial Response Escalation Target Resolution
P1 15 minutes 30 minutes Continuous effort until resolved
P2 30 minutes 1 hour Same business day
P3 4 hours Next business day Within 2 business days
P4 1 business day N/A Scheduled remediation
Monitoring Expectations
Vendor monitoring services must include:
* device availability monitoring
* link health monitoring
* performance monitoring
* alert triage
* anomaly detection
Monitoring shall include:
* core network infrastructure
* site network infrastructure
* perimeter firewalls
Incident Communication
For critical incidents (P1/P2), the vendor must:
* notify WCPSS technical staff immediately
* provide regular status updates
* coordinate incident resolution activities
1.5 Network Operations Responsibilities
The vendor shall be responsible for the following operational activities:
Troubleshooting and Incident Resolution
* Diagnosing and Resolving network issues affecting availability or performance
* Perform root cause analysis
* Restore service within acceptable operational timelines
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Configuration Management
* Implement network configuration changes
* Maintain configuration standards
* Ensure configuration consistency across the environment
Firmware and Software Maintenance
* Plan and implement firmware upgrades
* Maintain device operating system currency
* Ensure compatibility and operational stability
Vendor Escalation and Coordination
The vendor shall:
* Open and manage support cases with manufacturers or service providers
* Coordinate troubleshooting with vendors
* Escalate critical issues to WCPSS leadership as appropriate
1.6 Firewall and Security Operations
Operational support shall include maintenance and monitoring of the district's perimeter firewall environment,
including:
* Monitoring firewall health and availability
* Responding to operational alerts
* Supporting security event response
* Implementing approved configuration changes
Security architecture decisions remain the responsibility of WCPSS.
1.7 Change Management
All configuration changes must be made in accordance with the WCPSS Change Management process. The vendor
shall:
* Submit change requests for all modifications
* Provide documentation of proposed changes
* Implement approved changes within designated maintenance windows
1.8 On-Site Support
The selected vendor shall maintain local engineering resources capable of providing on-site support when
necessary. WCPSS strongly prefers that at least one vendor engineer be regularly present on-site during normal
business hours to assist with troubleshooting coordination and operational response.
1.9 Documentation Requirements
The vendor shall develop and maintain operational documentation including:
* Network diagrams
* Network topology maps
* Configuration standards and baselines
* IP addressing documentation
* Operational procedures
Documentation shall be maintained in collaboration with WCPSS staff and updated as changes occur.
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1.10 Ticketing and Work Tracking
All operational work must be documented within the WCPSS ticketing system. Vendor personnel shall:
* Record incident response activities
* Document troubleshooting steps and resolutions
* Maintain accurate operational records
1.11 Collaborative Troubleshooting and Deployment Support
Collaborative Troubleshooting
The Bidder shall work collaboratively with Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) technical staff during
incident response and troubleshooting activities.
This collaboration includes working directly with WCPSS Instructional Support Technicians (ISTs) to perform
coordinated troubleshooting and fault isolation for network-related issues occurring at school locations.
Responsibilities include:
* Coordinating diagnostic efforts with IST staff during active incidents
* Assisting with fault isolation between network infrastructure, end-user devices, and application
services
* Providing technical guidance to IST staff when network-related issues are suspected
* Escalating incidents internally when advanced engineering support is required
The goal of this collaborative approach is to ensure rapid identification of root cause and restoration of service
while maintaining strong coordination between central network operations and school-based technical staff.
Hardware Deployment Support
The Bidder shall be responsible for the initial configuration and preparation of new network hardware prior to
installation at school sites.
Configuration responsibilities include:
* Pre-staging network devices in accordance with WCPSS configuration standards
* Applying required firmware and software versions
* Loading approved configuration templates
* Verifying device readiness prior to deployment
The Bidder shall work collaboratively with the WCPSS Network Hardware Installation Group to ensure:
* Efficient deployment of network equipment
* Accurate device configuration prior to installation
* Coordination of installation schedules
* Minimal disruption to school operations and instructional activities
This coordination is particularly critical during school network upgrades, infrastructure refresh cycles, and new
school deployments.
Network Asset Tracking and Compliance
Whereas a significant portion of WCPSS network infrastructure is funded through the federal E-rate program, the
Bidder shall maintain accurate records of deployed network assets.
The Bidder shall track and maintain documentation for all network hardware including:
* Device manufacturer and model
* Serial number
* Installation location (school/site and network closet where applicable)
* Date of installation or deployment
* Device role within the network environment
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RFP #251-27-113
Asset tracking information shall be maintained in a format approved by WCPSS and must be made available for E-
rate documentation, auditing, and inventory verification purposes.
The Bidder shall ensure that asset records remain accurate and current following equipment installations,
replacements, or reassignments.
1.12 Operational Reporting Requirements
The vendor shall provide monthly operational reports including:
Incident Metrics
* number of incidents
* incidents by priority
* mean time to resolution
* recurring issues
Network Availability Metrics
* uptime statistics
* outage events
* affected locations
Maintenance Activities
* firmware upgrades
* configuration changes
* preventive maintenance
Operational Improvements
* recommendations for operational improvements
* infrastructure risk observations
* capacity planning insights
1.13 Personnel Requirements
The vendor shall provide named engineering resources assigned to the contract. WCPSS reserves the right to
approve or reject proposed personnel. Replacement of key personnel after contract award must receive prior
written approval from WCPSS. Replacement personnel must possess equal or greater qualifications than the
originally proposed individual. The proposal must include:
* Resumes of proposed personnel
* Relevant certifications
* Experience supporting large enterprise networks
* Experience supporting K-12 or public sector organizations
Subcontractor Disclosure
Vendors must disclose all subcontractors that may participate in the delivery of services. Undisclosed
subcontractors may not be used without prior written approval from WCPSS.
Location of Support Services
All monitoring and operational support services must be performed by U.S.-based personnel. Offshore or near-
shore network operations services are not permitted under this contract.
Background Checks
All vendor personnel providing services under this contract must complete required criminal background checks
and registry checks in accordance with WCPSS policy. Personnel failing these checks may not be assigned to the
contract.
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