Cable relocating along Hwy 13 from Firefly Rd to Hwy 3 in Manchester, IA.

Agency:	The Iowa Communications Network
State:	Iowa
Type of Government:	State & Local
Posted Date:	Nov 6, 2023
Due Date:	Dec 6, 2023
Solicitation No:	ITB 23-070
Bid Source:	Please Login to View Page
Contact information:	Please Login to View Page
Bid Documents:	Please Login to View Page

ITB 23-070

The State of Iowa, Iowa Telecommunications and Technology Commission, operating the Iowa Communications Network (collectively ICN) is seeking proposals for cable relocating along Hwy 13 from Firefly Rd to Hwy 3 in Manchester, IA. It will involve approximately 8471’ of new cable installation in new 1 ¼” conduit and 38,265’ of new cable installation direct bury.

Bid proposals for ITB 23-070 must be received by 3:00 p.m. CST Wednesday, December 6, 2023.

28230101 Manchester Hwy 13 SOW

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NOTICE TO VENDORS

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

The Iowa Telecommunications and Technology Commission operating the Iowa

Communications Network (ICN) will be receiving sealed Bid Proposals until 3:00 p.m.,

Thursday, November 30, 2023 for:

RFP 23-050

PRE-QUALIFY VENDORS WHO CAN PROVIDE

TELECOMMUNICATIONS OUTSIDE PLANT SERVICES IN SELECTED ZONES

Sheri Stephens, Contracting

Iowa Communications Network

Grimes State Office Building

400 East 14th Street

Des Moines, IA 50319

Telephone 515-725-4747

FAX 515-725-4774

sheri.stephens@iowa.gov

Vendors must comply with all affirmative action/equal employment opportunity

provisions of State and Federal laws.

THIS REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL CONSISTS OF FOUR CHAPTERS AND SIX ATTACHMENTS:

CHAPTER

Attachment 1

Attachment 2

Attachment 3

Attachment 4

Attachment 5

Attachment 6

TITLE

Administrative Issues

Contractual Terms

Technical Specifications

Evaluation Criteria

Contractual Terms and Conditions

Bid Proposal Compliance Form

Authorization To Release Information

Bid Proposal Submittal Form

Zone Bid

Unit Price Sheet

CHAPTER 1

ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES

1.1 Purpose. The State of Iowa, Iowa Telecommunications and Technology Commission, operating the Iowa

Communications Network (collectively ICN) is seeking proposals for Vendors capable of providing telecommunications outside

plant services in the 5 zones of the State as needed and requested by the Iowa Communications Network. The ICN intends

to pre-qualify 3 Vendors in each zone to provide this service.

1.2 Schedule and Submission of Proposal.

1.2.1 Vendor Conference. A Vendor Conference is not being scheduled for this solicitation.

1.2.2 Questions and Answers. Vendors are invited to submit written questions and/or requests for

interpretation/consideration/acceptance concerning this RFP on or before 4:00 p.m. central time October, 31, 2023.

Vendors with questions concerning this RFP may submit their questions in writing by mail or hand delivery to Sheri

Stephens, ICN Purchasing Agent II, at the address below, facsimile at (515) 725-4774 or electronic mail at

sheri.stephens@iowa.gov. Oral questions will not be accepted, and verbal communications shall not override written

communications. Only written communications are binding on ICN. ICN will prepare a written response to all

pertinent questions submitted by Vendors. These questions and responses will be transmitted via fax or e-mail no

later than November 2, 2023, to all Vendors to whom the RFP has been sent.

1.2.3 Changes and Amendments. In the event it becomes necessary for ICN to amend, add to or delete any

part of this RFP, the amendment will be provided to all Vendors to whom the RFP has been sent. Vendors’ Bid

Proposals must include acknowledgment of all addenda issued by ICN.

1.2.4 Receipt of Bid Proposals. Bid Proposals must be received at ICN’s office no later than 3:00 p.m. central time

November 30, 2023. This requirement is a mandatory requirement and is not a minor deficiency subject to waiver by

the ICN. No Bid Proposals will be accepted after the date and time specified. A late Bid Proposal shall be returned

unopened to the Vendor. Additionally, no Bid Proposal will be accepted by telephone, electronic mail or facsimile.

The Bid Proposals must be mailed (with mailing in sufficient time to arrive on or before this deadline

requirement) or be delivered as follows:

Mailing and Delivery Address:

Iowa Communications Network

Attn: Sheri Stephens

Grimes State Office Building

400 East 14th Street

Des Moines, IA 50319

If Bid Proposals are delivered by mail service, express courier, delivery service or company, or in person, it

shall be the sole responsibility of the Vendor submitting the proposal to ensure that such delivery takes

place prior to the aforementioned deadline. There shall be no waiving of the deadline due to mis-deliveries on

the part of the Vendor, Vendor’s delivery staff or Vendor’s choice of delivery service(s). Deliveries made

directly to ICN must be placed with the ICN Contracting Section or with an ICN staff person able to accept

such delivery.

1.2.5 Bid Proposal Opening. Bid Proposals will be opened at 3:00 p.m. central time on November 30, 2023. The

Bid Proposals and the evaluation documents created by the ICN will remain confidential subject to Iowa Code

Section 72.3 until the evaluation committee has evaluated all of the Bid Proposals submitted in response to this

RFP and the selection process is complete. The Bid Proposals submitted and the evaluation documents created

by the ICN will be available for inspection subject to the exceptions described in Iowa Code Chapter 22 or other

applicable law after the selection process is complete.

1.2.5.1 Failure to comply with or supply any and all information requested to accompany Bid Proposals

may be cause for rejection of the proposal as non-compliant.

1.2.5.2 All Bid Proposals shall be firm for a period of 120 days to allow the evaluation committee to fully

evaluate all proposals and make an award deemed to be in the best interest of ICN and the State of Iowa.

1.2.5.3 By submitting a Bid Proposal the Vendor agrees to the terms and conditions contained within this

RFP.

1.3 Proposal Format.

1.3.1 Proposals shall be printed on 8.5” x 11” paper. One original and one (1) copy must accompany each

submission. In addition, one copy shall be provided on USB drive using Microsoft Word software. The original Bid

Proposal must be in a package CLEARLY MARKED RFP 23-050 on the outer envelope or wrapping. This is

necessary to ensure that the response package is handled properly for verification against the RFP deadline. Lack of

notation of the RFP number may affect the receipt timing and affect the evaluation process. Vendor should consider

this item as a critical factor when submitting a response.

1.3.2 To achieve a uniform review process and the maximum degree of comparability, proposals shall be

organized in the following manner:

1.3.2.1 Completed Proposal Compliance Form (Attachment 2).

1.3.2.2 Completed Authorization to Release Information Form (Attachment 3).

1.3.2.3 Completed Bid Proposal Submittal Form (Attachment 4).

1.3.2.4 Completed Counties Bid Form (Attachment 5).

1.3.2.5 Completed Unit Price Sheet (Attachment 6).

1.4 Clarification of Proposals and Obtaining Information. ICN reserves the right to contact a Vendor after submission

of Bid Proposals for the purpose of clarifying a Bid Proposal to ensure mutual understanding. This contact may include

written questions, interviews, site visits, a review of past performance if the Vendor has provided goods or services to the

ICN, or any other political subdivision wherever located or requests for corrective pages in the Vendor’s Bid Proposal.

This information may be used to evaluate the Vendor’s Bid Proposal. However, the information received from the Vendor

shall not be considered in the evaluation of a Vendor’s Bid Proposal if the information materially alters the content of the Bid

Proposal. ICN reserves the right to obtain information concerning any Vendor or any proposal from any source and to

consider such information in evaluating the Vendor’s Bid Proposal.

1.5 Waiver of Deficiencies. ICN reserves the right to waive minor deficiencies in a Bid Proposal if, in the judgment of

ICN, ICN’s best interest will be served. The decision as to whether a deficiency will be waived or will require the rejection

of a Bid Proposal will be solely within the discretion of ICN. There is no guarantee or assurance that any deficiency will be

deemed minor and that a deficiency will be waived. Each Vendor is specifically notified that failure to comply with or

respond to any part of this RFP requiring a response may result in rejection of the Bid Proposal as not responsive.

1.6 Cost of Bid Proposal. ICN is not responsible for any costs incurred by a Vendor which is related to the

preparation or delivery of the Bid Proposal or any other activities carried out by the Vendor as it relates to this RFP.

1.7 Bid Proposal Obligations. The contents of the Bid Proposal and any clarification thereto submitted by the successful

Vendor shall become part of the contractual obligation and incorporated by reference into the ensuing Contract.

1.8 Bid Proposals Property of ICN. All Bid Proposals become the property of the ICN and the State of Iowa and shall

not be returned to the Vendor unless all Bid Proposals are rejected. In the event all Bid Proposals are rejected, Vendors

will be asked to send prepaid shipping instruments to the ICN for return of the Bid Proposals submitted. In the event no

shipping instruments are received by the ICN, the Bid Proposals will be destroyed by the ICN. Additionally, the evaluation

documents created by the ICN will be destroyed in the event all Bid Proposals are rejected. Otherwise, at the conclusion

of the selection process, the contents of all Bid Proposals will be placed in the public domain and be opened to inspection

by interested parties subject to the exceptions provided in Iowa Code Chapter 22 or other applicable law.

1.9 Rejection of Bid Proposals.

1.9.1 ICN reserves the right to reject any and all Bid Proposals, in whole and in part, received no response to

this RFP at any time prior to the execution of a written Contract. Issuance of this RFP in no way constitutes a

commitment by ICN to award the Contract. This RFP is designed to provide Vendors with the information

necessary for the preparation of competitive Bid Proposals. This RFP process is for ICN’s benefit and is intended

to provide ICN with competitive information to assist in the selection of goods and services.

1.9.2 A Bid Proposal shall be rejected outright and not evaluated for any one (1) of the following reasons:

1.9.2.1 Failure of Vendor to deliver the Bid Proposal by the due date and time.

1.9.2.2 Failure of Vendor to include the Bid Proposal Compliance Form signed by an officer of the

Vendor submitting the Bid Proposal (Attachment 2).

1.9.2.3 Failure of the Vendor to include the Authorization to Release Information Form (Attachment 3).

1.9.2.4 Failure of Vendor to include the Bid Proposal Submittal Form (Attachment 4).

1.9.2.5 Failure of the Vendor to include the Zone Bid Form (Attachment 5).

1.9.2.6 Failure of the Vendor to include the Unit Price Sheet (Attachment 6).

1.9.3 Failure of the Vendor to comply with additional information requests may be cause for rejection of the Bid

Proposal as non-compliant.

1.10 Public Records and Requests for Confidentiality.

1.10.1 The release of information by ICN to the public is subject to Iowa Code Chapter 22 and other applicable

provisions of law relating to the release of records in the possession of a State agency. Vendors are encouraged

to familiarize themselves with these provisions prior to submitting a Bid Proposal. All information submitted by a

Vendor may be treated as public information by ICN unless the Vendor properly requests that information be

treated as confidential at the time of submitting the Bid Proposal. In the event the Vendor marks each page of

its Bid Proposal as proprietary or confidential without adhering to the requirements of this Section, the

ICN may reject the Bid Proposal as noncompliant.

1.10.2 Any requests for confidential treatment of information must be included in a cover letter with the Vendor’s

Bid Proposal and must enumerate the specific grounds in Iowa Code Chapter 22 or other legal reasons which

support treatment of the material as confidential and must indicate why disclosure is not in the best interests of

the public. The request must also include the name, address and telephone number of the person authorized by

the Vendor to respond to any inquiries by ICN concerning the confidential status of the materials.

1.10.3 Any documents submitted which contain confidential information must be marked on the outside as

containing confidential information, and each page upon which confidential information appears must be marked

as containing confidential information. The confidential information must be clearly identifiable to the reader

wherever it appears. All copies of the proposal submitted, as well as the original proposal, must be marked in this

manner. Failure to properly mark information as confidential shall relieve the ICN from any responsibility

if the information is viewed by the public, a competitor, or is any way accidentally released.

1.10.4 In addition to marking the material as confidential material where it appears, the Vendor must submit one

copy of the Bid Proposal from which the confidential information has been excised. The confidential material

must be excised in such a way as to allow the public to determine the general nature of the material removed and

to retain as much of the document as possible. These pages must be submitted with the cover letter and will be

made available for public inspection.

1.10.5 The Vendor’s failure to request in the Bid Proposal confidential treatment of material pursuant to this

Section and the relevant laws and administrative rules will be deemed by ICN as a waiver of any right to

confidentiality which the Vendor may have had.

1.11 Restrictions on Gifts and Activities. Iowa Code Chapter 68B contains laws which restrict gifts which may be given

or received by State employees and requires certain individuals to disclose information concerning their activities with

State government. Vendors are responsible for determining the applicability of this Chapter to their activities and for

complying with these requirements. In addition, Iowa Code Chapter 722.1 provides that it is a felony offense to bribe a

public official.

1.12 Restriction on Communication. In the event that a Vendor or someone acting on the Vendor’s behalf attempts to

discuss this RFP orally or in writing with any Commission member or any employee of the ICN other than the ICN Purchasing

Agent II, Vendor may be disqualified. No questions are to be asked of State of Iowa employees regarding this RFP, except for

contact with the State Targeted Small Business Office by Vendors certified as Targeted Small Business Entities, without prior

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Cable relocating along Hwy 13 from Firefly Rd to Hwy 3 in Manchester, IA.

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