Network Infrastructure & Internet Services

Request For Proposals (RFP) No. 26-048 for
Network Infrastructure & Internet Services
Research Triangle Regional Public Transportation Authority dba GoTriangle (GoTriangle),
as authorized under the 160A-610, is seeking to establish a contract for the above
referenced services.
The Request for Proposal (RFP) document is available for download at the GoTriangle's
website: https://gotriangle.org/procurement
Submission Date & Time: April 15, 2026 by 2:00 pm local NC time
Submission Location: Via email to:
Steven Jones, Procurement Officer
Email: Sjones@gotriangle.org
Pre-O(cid:431)er Conference:
Pre-Offer Conference will not be conducted
Instructions for preparing and submitting a proposal are provided in the Instructions
to Offerors Section 5. Proposal Content of this document. To be deemed responsive
and responsible, offerors must submit all items specified in the referenced section.
All Inquiries regarding this solicitation shall be submitted to:
Steven Jones, Procurement Officer
Email: Sjones@gotriangle.org Office: 919-485-7559
LATE PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
GOTRIANGLE RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REJECT ANY OR ALL PROPOSALS.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
BACKGROUND ................................................................................................. 4
SCOPE OF SERVICES ........................................................................................ 4
TERMS AND CONDITIONS ................................................................................. 8
1. Services .............................................................................................................................. 8
2. Contract Term ..................................................................................................................... 8
3. Invoicing and Compensation ................................................................................................ 8
4. Changes in the Services ....................................................................................................... 9
5. Services on GoTriangle's Premises ..................................................................................... 10
6. Conflict of Interest ............................................................................................................. 10
7. Contract Termination......................................................................................................... 10
8. Transition Assistance ........................................................................................................ 13
9. Indemnification and Hold Harmless ................................................................................... 13
10. Dispute Resolution ............................................................................................................ 14
11. Permits ............................................................................................................................. 15
12. Choice of Law / Forum ....................................................................................................... 15
13. Insurance.......................................................................................................................... 15
14. Independent Contractor .................................................................................................... 15
15. Accuracy of Financial Statements ...................................................................................... 16
16. Non-Discrimination ........................................................................................................... 16
17. Covenant Against Contingent Fees ..................................................................................... 16
18. Delegation and Assignment ............................................................................................... 16
19. Nonwaiver......................................................................................................................... 17
20. Merger .............................................................................................................................. 17
21. Reference ......................................................................................................................... 17
22. Contractor's Personnel ...................................................................................................... 17
23. Certification on Israel Boycott ............................................................................................ 17
24. Notices ............................................................................................................................. 17
25. No Third-Party Rights ......................................................................................................... 18
26. Severability ....................................................................................................................... 18
27. Survivorship ...................................................................................................................... 18
28. Attachments ..................................................................................................................... 18
29. Separate Counterparts ...................................................................................................... 19
30. Iran Divestment Act ........................................................................................................... 19
31. E-Verify ............................................................................................................................. 19
32. Debarment Policy .............................................................................................................. 19
33. Force Majeure ................................................................................................................... 20
34. Operational Continuity ...................................................................................................... 20
35. Acceptance Process .......................................................................................................... 20
36. Patent, Copyright and Trade Secret Protection .................................................................... 21
INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS ........................................................................ 23
1. Anticipated Project Schedule ............................................................................................. 23
2. Requests for Clarification .................................................................................................. 23
3. Pre- Offer Conference ........................................................................................................ 23
4. Addenda ........................................................................................................................... 23
5. Proposal Content .............................................................................................................. 24
6. Proposal Submittal ............................................................................................................ 25
7. Exceptions to Terms and Conditions ................................................................................... 26
8. Addenda ........................................................................................................................... 26
9. Pre-Offer Conference ........................................................................................................ 26

10. Selection Procedures ........................................................................................................ 27
11. Evaluation ......................................................................................................................... 27
12. Public Records and Proprietary Information ........................................................................ 28
13. Contractual Relationships ................................................................................................. 29
14. Disadvantage Business Enterprise (DBE) Participation ........................................................ 29
15. Modification and Withdrawal of Proposals .......................................................................... 29
16. Proposal Rejection / Reserved Rights .................................................................................. 29
17. News Releases .................................................................................................................. 30
18. Identifying Conflicts of Interest ........................................................................................... 30
19. Protest Procedures ............................................................................................................ 30
ATTACHMENTS .............................................................................................. 32
Attachment A - Offeror Form ....................................................................................................... 33
Attachment B - Cost Proposal ..................................................................................................... 34
Attachment C - Minimum Insurance Requirements ...................................................................... 35
Attachment D - E-Verify Employer Compliance Statement ............................................................ 38
Attachment E - Iran Divestment Act Certification .......................................................................... 39
Attachment F - Boycott of Israel Divestment Act Certification ....................................................... 40
Attachment G - Certification Regarding Conflict of Interest ........................................................... 41
Attachment H - Statement of Non-Collusion ................................................................................ 42
Attachment I - Conformance Statements ..................................................................................... 43
Attachment I1 - Exceptions Form ................................................................................................ 44
Attachment J - Offeror References ............................................................................................... 45
Attachment K - Statement of Judgments ...................................................................................... 46
Attachment L - Responsiveness and Responsibility Statement...................................................... 47
Attachment M - RFP Response Checklist ..................................................................................... 48

RFP No. 26-048, Network Infrastructure & Internet Services Provider
BACKGROUND
Research Triangle Regional Public Transportation Authority d/b/a GoTriangle (GoTriangle) is a
public transit agency serving Durham, Orange, and Wake counties in North Carolina, providing
essential mobility services through fixed-route bus, paratransit, and other commuter services. As
authorized under the North Carolina General Statues (N.C.G.S) 160A-610, GoTriangle is seeking
to establish a contract for the provision of Network Infrastructure & Internet Services. Whether
or not GoTriangle actually enters into any contract and how the work is awarded will be decided at
GoTriangle's discretion. Furthermore, GoTriangle will use any awarded contract on an as-needed
basis, with no guarantee as to the actual spending under any awarded contract.
SCOPE OF SERVICES
1. Mandatory Technical Requirements
The Contractor shall provide:
1.1. Fiber-based internet services.
1.2. Bandwidth Capacity:
1.2.1. Minimum of 1 Gbps symmetrical for the current, and any additional sites:
4600 Emperor Blvd, Durham 27706
5201 Nelson Rd, Morrisville, NC 27560
1.2.2. Scalable options (up to 10 Gbps) for future growth and redundancy.
1.3. Redundancy & Failover:
1.3.1. Require dual-homed connectivity with secondary link have at least half the
bandwidth of the primary.
1.3.2. Diverse paths (e.g., fiber route diversity) to eliminate single points of failure.
1.4. Service Level Agreements (SLAs):
1.4.1. 99.9% uptime per circut.
1.4.2. 4 hour MTTR
1.4.3. Guaranteed average roundtrip network latency (<50ms), packet loss (<0.1%), and
average/maximum jitter (<2ms / <10ms).
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RFP No. 26-048, Network Infrastructure & Internet Services Provider
1.4.4. Defined escalation and credit process for SLA breaches.
1.5. IPv6 Readiness and dual-stack capability.
1.6. Static IPv4 addressing with a /29 for all sites.
2. Operational & Support Requirements
The Contractor shall:
2.1. Provide access to 24/7 Network Operations Center (NOC) with direct escalation
contacts.
2.2. Provide proactive monitoring and establish notifications for outages, bandwidth
saturation, or latency spikes.
2.3. Grant portal access for circuit utilization reports, ticket management, and billing.
2.4. Meet the installation timeline by completing provisioning for primary sites within 60
days.
2.5. Ensure the maintenance is communicated and coordinated with the assigned
GoTriangle staff in advance and provided with minimal disruption.
3. Security & Compliance
The Contractor shall:
3.1. Ensure the carrier supports traffic encryption at the transport layer (IPSec, MACsec, or
SD-WAN encryption).
3.2. Comply with FTA and state data handling requirements for public agencies.
4. Future-Readiness
The Contractor shall describe its capabilities for the following optional services:
4.1. Managed SD-WAN with support for static and dynamic routing (BGP/OSPF), Layer 3
VPN, and QoS for prioritizing VoIP, D365, and Teams traffic.
4.2. Support with cloud phone provider (RingCentral, 8x8, etc.).
5. Testing and Verification
5.1. GoTriangle shall have ten (10) business days following initial installation, configuration,
and activation of Internet Services at each site to notify the Contractor in writing of any
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RFP No. 26-048, Network Infrastructure & Internet Services Provider
material non-conformance with Contract requirements, including but not limited to
bandwidth, latency, packet loss, redundancy, or other technical specifications.
5.2. GoTriangle may perform testing and verification to confirm that Internet Services meet
technical specifications, including
5.2.1. Confirmed bandwidth (e.g., 1 Gbps symmetrical or as specified in the SOW);
5.2.2. Redundancy and failover functionality;
5.2.3. Latency, jitter, and packet loss thresholds;
5.2.4. Proper routing, IP allocation, and network configuration; and
5.2.5. Network monitoring and reporting capabilities.
5.3. The Contractor shall fully cooperate with testing, providing documentation,
certifications, and test results as reasonably requested.
5.4. Failure to meet required performance standards during testing shall constitute grounds
for non-acceptance.
5.5. If GoTriangle does not provide written notice of non-acceptance within this period, the
Services shall be deemed accepted for initial activation only. Such acceptance does not
waive the Contractor's ongoing obligations under warranties or Service Level
Agreements (SLAs).
6. Notice of Non-Acceptance and Cure
6.1. Any notice of non-acceptance shall specify the nature of the deficiency or non-
compliance. The Contractor shall promptly, at no additional cost to GoTriangle:
6.1.1. Correct the deficiency;
6.1.2. Re-perform any nonconforming Services; or
6.1.3. Replace any defective equipment or components.
6.2. If the Contractor fails to cure the deficiency within the time specified in the Contract, or
within a commercially reasonable period if not specified, GoTriangle may exercise any
remedies available under the Contract or law, including:
6.2.1. Withholding payment for nonconforming Services;
6.2.2. Assessing SLA credits or liquidated damages, if applicable;
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RFP No. 26-048, Network Infrastructure & Internet Services Provider
6.2.3. Procuring substitute services from another provider and charging Vendor for any
excess costs;
6.2.4. Terminating the Contract for cause.
7. Ongoing Service Acceptance and SLA Compliance
7.1. The Contractor shall maintain all performance standards, uptime requirements, and
SLA commitments after acceptance of the initial installation.
7.2. GoTriangle shall monitor the ongoing performance of Internet Services. Repeated
service interruptions, failure to meet uptime guarantees, or failure to meet minimum
performance metrics by the Contractor shall constitute a material breach of the
Contract.
8. Latent Defects and Non-Conforming Services
8.1. GoTriangle reserves the right to reject services at any time if defects, performance
deficiencies, or non-compliance were not reasonably discoverable during initial testing
or inspection.
8.2. Acceptance shall not waive GoTriangle's rights regarding latent defects, fraud, gross
errors, or ongoing failure to meet performance standards.
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RFP No. 26-048, Network Infrastructure & Internet Services Provider
Terms and Conditions
1. Services
Contractor agrees to perform the services outlined in the contract (hereinafter "Services").
Contractor hereby represents and warrants that it has the experience, capability and resources,
including but not limited to sufficient personnel and supervisors, to efficiently and expeditiously
perform the Services to be provided hereunder with the highest professional standards, and
Contractor further represents and warrants that it will at all times devote the necessary
personnel and supervisors to perform the Services hereunder in such a manner. Contractor
warrants and represents that prior to submitting a proposal for any Services, Contractor will
examine all of the specifications, directions and conditions relating to the Services, investigate
the scope of the project and the difficulties which may be encountered in performing the
Services, and hereby assumes full and complete responsibility for, and risk in connection with,
said Services.
2. Contract Term
The term of the resulting contract shall begin on the date of execution and continue for an initial
period of two (2) years, unless canceled, terminated, or otherwise extended as permitted. At
its sole discretion, GoTriangle may extend the contract for up to three (3) additional one-year
periods, for a total maximum term not to exceed five (5) years.
3. Invoicing and Compensation
3.1. GoTriangle agrees to pay the Contractor, and the Contractor agrees to accept payment,
for services rendered under the resulting contract in accordance with the mutually agreed-
upon project milestones. Payment for each milestone shall be due within thirty (30) days
following (i) the Contractor's submission of a valid invoice for the completed milestone,
and (ii) written approval of milestone completion by the designated end user or authorized
representative of GoTriangle.
3.2. Contractor shall submit an original invoice in a form satisfactory to GoTriangle and shall
reference this Contract Number 26-048. Invoices shall be submitted in an electronic form
to the following address: invoice@gotriangle.org.
3.3. GoTriangle hereby requires and Contractor agrees that Contractor will submit with the
final invoice, a waiver of lien and all applicable Subcontractor's and Materialman's release
and waivers of lien, in form and substance acceptable to GoTriangle, at the conclusion of
Services performed and receipt by Contractor of a Notice of Acceptance from GoTriangle.
Contractor shall also furnish all permits, licenses, certificates of approval from all
governing inspection authorities including, as applicable, certificates of occupancy and
inspection, applicable warranties, manufacturer's assigned guarantees and
authorizations in the possession of Contractor. Additional completion documents may be
required by GoTriangle's Contracts and Grants Coordinator.
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RFP No. 26-048, Network Infrastructure & Internet Services Provider
3.4. GoTriangle will forward payments of Contractor's invoices to the "remit to" address on the
invoice which has been approved for payment.
3.5. GoTriangle may withhold full or partial payment of any invoice as GoTriangle deems
necessary due to:
3.5.1. Non-satisfaction of Services that are not remedied;
3.5.2. Third-party claims filed or information in possession of GoTriangle reasonably
indicating probable filing of such claims;
3.5.3. Damage to GoTriangle or another party for which Contractor is partially or wholly
responsible;
3.5.4. Persistent failure to carry out the Services in accordance with this Agreement.
3.6. In the event any full or partial payment is withheld, full payment shall be made when the
offending condition is cured.
3.7. The prices shall remain firm for the duration of the current contract term. The Contractor
may request a price adjustment in connection with any renewal term by providing written
notice to GoTriangle not less than sixty (60) days prior to the expiration of the then-current
term. Any such request shall include detailed supporting documentation and justification
for the proposed adjustment, including evidence of increases in labor, materials, market
conditions, or applicable price indices. All requested price adjustments shall be subject
to GoTriangle review and written approval and shall become effective only upon renewal
of the contract.
4. Changes in the Services
4.1. Only a Contract Amendment signed by duly authorized representatives of both parties,
can modify the Contract, as long as it does not change the Contract's general scope.
Purported changes to the Contract by an unauthorized person or made unilaterally by the
Contractor will be void and without effect; Contractor will not be entitled to any claim
made under the Contract based on any such purported changes.
4.2. No Change Order shall be issued where:
4.2.1. The change was necessitated in whole or in part by Contractor's failure to comply
with a requirement of this Contract;
4.2.2. Contractor's work would have been affected by any other cause that would not be
considered an alteration in, addition to, or deduction from the Services requested
by the GoTriangle;
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RFP No. 26-048, Network Infrastructure & Internet Services Provider
4.2.3. Contractor proceeds with any Services without giving notices as required under
the Contract; or
4.2.4. The changes are required to correct deficient Services, to achieve compliance with
the requirements set forth in this Contract, or due to Services which do not
conform with good industry practices, or is otherwise faulty or defective.
5. Services on GoTriangle's Premises
5.1. Contractor understands and agrees that it is solely responsible for ensuring that its
personnel will perform the Services called for hereunder in a safe manner and in
accordance with all applicable safety laws and regulations, including but not limited to the
Occupational Safety and Health Act and its implementing regulations. Contractor further
agrees that it will ensure all of its personnel performing Services on GoTriangle's premises
will observe all applicable GoTriangle safety rules and standards. Contractor also agrees
that it is required to discharge any duty or responsibility of Contractor to its personnel or
other persons. Contractor will provide all necessary training and supervision to ensure
compliance with all requirements of this Section.
5.2. The Services of Contractor should be done in such a manner that the Services do not
interfere with the continuous operation of GoTriangle's business or the work of other
contractors. In the event that the Services performed hereunder may conflict in any way
with such continuous operation or the work of other contractors, agreement will be
reached with GoTriangle as to the sequence to be followed in performing the Services.
5.3. Personnel required to work on the GoTriangle's property must obtain a GoTriangle's
vendors' badge. Contractor must advise its affected Personnel that, to obtain a vendor's
badge and to access GoTriangle's confidential information, the Contractor will perform a
background check.
6. Conflict of Interest
GoTriangle has adopted a Code of Ethics that establishes standards of conduct for GoTriangle
officials and employees. No director, officer or employee of GoTriangle shall have, during their
tenure, any interest, direct or indirect, in Contractor, its subcontractors, this Agreement or the
proceeds thereof. Contractor shall not, directly or indirectly, offer to the aforementioned
individuals, nor shall such individuals accept from Contractor, gifts, gratuities, favors, or
anything of monetary value.
7. Contract Termination
7.1. Termination for Convenience
7.1.1. GoTriangle may terminate the Contract for the convenience of GoTriangle by giving
the Contractor thirty (30) calendar days prior written notice of such termination.
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