About this opportunity
AI summaryNETC seeks proposals on behalf of St. Joseph Hospital (NH) under the Healthcare Connect Fund for the acquisition, configuration, and installation of core and edge WAN, PRI, and dark fiber or equivalent services. The awarded vendor will deliver private network services and commodity internet connections to interconnect participating healthcare provider sites. Solutions must offer any-to-any connectivity using technologies such as Carrier Ethernet Services or MPLS/VPLS, support static IP addresses, and permit site and service substitutions. Eligibility is restricted to onshore United States organizations, with work performed offsite. Vendors must submit signed electronic proposals matching the numbering convention in the RFP, including proof of insurance policies, fiber path routes, route lengths, and operational network availability metrics. Proposals remain valid for one year or until contract execution. NETC evaluates submissions based on USAC cost-effectiveness requirements, allocating a 20 percent scoring weight to vendor experience, while factoring in overall costs and technical capabilities.
Buyer and opportunity details
- Client
- NETC
- Solicitation No.
- RFP-3562
Scope of work
- Multipoint-to-multipoint Layer 2 service E-LAN (or equivalent) connecting designated hospital sites
- Symmetrical bandwidth increments from 1 Gbps to 5 Gbps for St. Joseph Hospital
- Symmetrical bandwidth increments from 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps for multiple regional clinic locations
- Two diverse-path circuits from 1 Gbps to 5 Gbps for Data Center in Brunswick, ME
- 10 Gbps copper and fiber handoffs for connections greater than 1 Gbps
- Pricing for four Primary Rate Interface (PRI) (or equivalent) services
- SIP (or equivalent) service supporting 100 concurrent calls with dedicated private circuit to soft switch network
- Dark Fiber (or equivalent) services
How proposals are evaluated
| Criterion | Weight / scoring |
|---|---|
| Costs | 20% |
| Ease of Implementation | 20% |
| Experience with Vendor | 20% |
| Technical Merit of Proposal | 20% |
| Compliance with HCF Payment Process and Rules | 20% |
Minimum qualifications
- Trained and qualified employees to perform the work and operate required equipment
- Necessary facilities, experience, ability and financial resources to perform work satisfactorily
- Current FCC Registration Number (FRN)
- Current USAC 498 ID (Service Provider Identification Number / SPIN)
- Experience with the FCC Rural Healthcare USF program and process
Documents to include with your response
- Signed electronic proposal by authorized person
- Proof of General Liability, Worker's Compensation, and Employer's Liability Insurance policies
- Project manager name and description of qualifications
- Professional references from similar projects
- Fiber path routes, route length, and transmission path length documentation
- Service Level Agreement metrics operational expectations
- Listing of credit allowances and/or refunds for service outages
- Detailed pricing for all bandwidths, non-recurring costs, monthly recurring costs, taxes, and fees
- Statement of Universal Service Fund fee or percentage if applicable
- NOC initial point of contact, trouble escalation procedures, and security incident procedures
Key dates
- Questions due
- on or before the 14th day following the posting of this RFP on the USAC website
- Answers to questions posted
- on or before the 20th day following the posting of this RFP on the USAC website
- Proposals due
- prior to the Allowable Contract Selection Date (ACSD) listed on USAC website (28-day competitive bidding period)
- Expected bid evaluation period
- 7 days after the RFP end date
How to submit
- Method
- Instructions
- Submit electronic copy in Microsoft Word or Portable Document Format (preferred) to [email protected] with subject line 'NETC RFP-3562 Proposal'.
Contract details
- Term
- Up to a 120-month term, with particular interest in 36-month agreements
- Place of performance
- St. Joseph Hospital and clinic locations in Nashua, Hudson, Merrimack, and Milford, NH; Andover and Lawrence, MA; and Data Center in Brunswick, ME.
- Insurance and bonding
- General Liability Insurance, Worker's Compensation and Employer's Liability Insurance covering personnel and damages; subcontractors must also maintain coverage in reasonably determined amounts.
- Funding
- Healthcare Connect Fund (FCC Universal Service Fund program administered by USAC)