2026-03-09 Virtualization and Backup System

Location:	Kansas
Posted:	Mar 7, 2026
Due:	Apr 13, 2026
Agency:	Shawnee Heights District
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	70 - General Purpose Information Technology Equipment (including software).
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

Attachment Preview

Request for Proposals

2026 Virtualization and Backup System

Issued by:

Shawnee Heights USD 450

4401 SE Shawnee Heights Road

Tecumseh, KS 66542

Point of Contact

bids@usd450.net

Introduction & Background

Shawnee Heights USD 450 is accepting proposals starting March 9, 2026. Shawnee

Heights is seeking proposals for virtualization software, virtualization hardware, data

backup equipment and installation. Price is the most significant factor, but other criteria

will form the basis of our award decision, as depicted in the evaluation factors section

below.

Important Information

• All quotes must be submitted with the understanding that implementation

will be dependent upon:

o Board of Education “Board” approval

o Funding availability

• Start date will be dependent upon several factors, such as:

o Product Availability

o Vendor Availability

o District approval/availability

• The ideal completion date is July 31, 2026, but is dependent upon the above

listed criteria.

• Specifications are to be used as guidelines in quoting a solution. Specification

changes are permitted based upon the quality of the product, industry

standards and time to complete the project.

• The items, products, and services requested within this RFP must be

itemized.

• The district reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals.

Current Systems

The district utilizes the following hardware: a 4 node Dell VxRail E560F system with each

host having the following specifications CPU: Intel(R) Xeon(R) Gold 6242 – 32 Cores.

Memory: 380 GBs. More information on our current system: 6 – 3.5 TB SSD Drives and 2 –

1.5 TB NVMe Drives comprise the Data Drives. 2 – 250 GB SSD in Raid-1 for OS.

The district utilizes the following software: VMware ESXi and vCenter for management.

The district is open to other software solutions. Our Data Backup system is a Dell IDPA

4400 with 21.83 TiB of space utilizing 14 TiB all on premises. Our data storage needs are

unlikely to increase substantially in the future.

Project specifications requirements are listed as follows:

• All hardware must be able to fit in a 482mm (19 Inches) data cabinet.

• All virtualization hardware must meet the following minimum criteria.

o 3 or more nodes

o 1.25 TB total memory

o 128 total cores with better performance than current system

o Storage needs to be a total of 96 TBs for data

o Separate drives for the virtualization OS not to be included in the 96 TB data

storage

• Virtualization Software must meet the following minimum criteria:

o Compatible with selected hardware and data backup system

o Able to manage virtual machines and hosts in a single interface.

o Allow snapshots to be taken while virtual machines are active.

o Ability to move servers between hosts without the need to shut down virtual

machines.

o Compatible and supported on generic server hardware.

• Backup software/hardware must meet the following minimum criteria:

o Capture backups from selected hardware/software without the need to shut

down virtual machines.

o Restore VM’s to the selected virtualization hardware/software.

o Ability to backup data from non-virtualized hosts running Windows, MacOS,

or Linux operating systems

o Must be on premises.

o Hardware must support alternative operating systems.

Submission Guidelines & Requirements

The following submission guidelines and requirements apply to this RFP.

• Proposals must be submitted in separate sections for Virtualization Hardware,

Virtualization Software, and Data Backup.

• A price proposal must be provided for each of the aforementioned sections.

• This price proposal should also indicate the overall fixed price for the project as

well as any reoccurring fees.

• Proposals must be signed by a representative that is authorized to commit to the

bidder’s company.

• Shawnee Heights’ terms and conditions are included with this request. If you have

a standard set of terms and conditions, please submit them with your proposal. All

terms and conditions will be subject to negotiation.

• Questions can be submitted by email to bids@usd450.net and all questions must

be received by Friday, March 20, 2026.

• All questions and answers will be compiled and posted with this request on our

website by Friday, March 27, 2026.

• Proposals must be submitted no later than 2pm on Monday, April 13, 2026 and will

be opened and read at this time. Proposals received after 2pm on Monday, April 13,

2026 will be unread and not considered.

• Proposals must be submitted via email to bids@usd450.net. Submissions must

contain the following language in the subject line of the email: 2026 Virtualization

and Backup System

Evaluation Factors

The following scoring criteria will be used in our evaluation process:

• Cost of the project, including re-occurring fees (50 points)

• Prior experience with PreK-12 school districts (5 points)

• Understanding of district needs (5 points)

• Provide lower long-term cost of ownership (15 points)

• Ability to upgrade and adapt to technological advances (5 points)

• Completeness of response and adherence to bid specifications (5 points)

• Summary of project implementation plan (5 points)

• Capability of the bidder to successfully complete the installation within the

required timeframe (5 points)

• Ability to expand service should district need warrant (5 points)

RFP and Project Timelines

• Proposals must be received by 5pm Friday, April 10, 2026, to be considered.

• Bid opening date is Wednesday, April 15, 2026, at 1pm in the Central Office, located

at 4401 SE Shawnee Heights Road.

• After the Board of Education approval is given, awarded and non-awarded vendors

will be emailed. Project discussion with the awarded vendor will occur at this time

as well.

Terms and Conditions

1.1) RESERVATIONS: The Board of Education reserves the right to cancel this RFP at any

time and for any reason. The Board also reserves the right to reject any or all offers,

to accept any item or items in an offer, and to waive any informal or immaterial

defects in offers. Failure to adhere to any of these terms and conditions may result

in the rejection of the offending bid.

1.2) QUANTITIES: The Board reserves the right to increase or decrease the quantity of

any bid item. Every effort has been made to provide an accurate estimate of desired

quantities or usage, but it is understood that quantities are indefinite until time of

order.

1.3) PRICING: Prices quoted must remain firm for a minimum period of (45) days from

Response Due date. Prices shall remain firm for the contract period. Prices quoted

are to be the full delivered, setup, and purchase price to the district, including

charges of every kind and nature, unless otherwise indicated.

1.4) TAXES: Shawnee Heights USD 450 is exempt from all federal and local taxes unless

otherwise imposed by a governmental body and applicable to the items on the

proposal. Reference K.S.A. 79-3606 (c) governing items purchased directly by a

public or private elementary or secondary school or educational institution.

1.5) EQUIVALENT ITEMS: Whenever a material, article or piece of equipment is identified

in the specifications by reference to a manufacturer or vendor’s name, trade name,

catalogs or model number, etc., it is intended to establish a standard, otherwise

specifically stated. Any material, article or equipment of other manufacturers or

vendors shall perform to the standard of the item specified. Equivalent bids must be

accompanied by sufficient descriptive literature and specifications to provide

detailed comparison. Samples or demonstrations, if required, will be furnished at

no expense to the district.

1.6) ALTERNATES: Alternate offers on items comparable to the material, articles or

pieces of equipment listed in this Invitation for Bid are invited. Bidders should

indicate clearly any deviation from the specifications of this solicitation. The district

is under no obligation to consider or accept such offers.

1.7) DISCOUNTS: Cash discounts will not be considered in awarding a contract. Where

cash discounts for prompt payment are offered, the discount period shall begin

with the date of receipt of a correct invoice, or acceptance of final receipt of goods,

whichever is later.

1.8) AWARD: Bids will be analyzed and the award given to the lowest responsible bidder

whose offer conforms to the solicitation and is considered the most advantageous

to Shawnee Heights USD 450. Awards may be made on an item-by-item basis or on

a group or total award. The district may issue a purchase order, contract, or both as

its notification of award to the successful bidder.

1.9) NEW GOODS: Unless otherwise specified, all materials, supplies, articles or

equipment offered by vendors must be new, unused and be the best of their

respective kinds, free from defects in material or workmanship. Items will be

subject to our inspection and approval. If a substitution is made at the time of

delivery, it will be the decision of a Board of Education representative or District

Purchasing Department to determine if it is acceptable.

1.10) DELIVERY: Delivery of goods or materials to be F.O.B. stated location. All items

must be properly packed and created to ensure delivery is in good condition, and in

accordance with any special instructions included in the Invitation for Bid or

purchase order.

1.11) DEFAULT ON DELIVERY: If the supplier refuses or fails to make deliveries of the

materials, supplies, articles or equipment as defined in this solicitation or on our

purchase order, the Board of education may terminate the right of the supplier to

proceed with the transaction. A vendor who defaults on delivery may be barred from

bidding on any subsequent Solicitation for a period to be determined.

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

2026-03-09 Virtualization and Backup System

Attachment Preview

See also