RFP 26-0100 - E-RATE PROVIDER SERVICE

ORLEANS PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
Procurement Department
2401 Westbend Parkway, Suite 5055
New Orleans, LA 70114
Telephone (504) 304-3917 | FAX (504) 309-2879
Paul A. Lucius, Executive Director of Procurement
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NO. 26-0100
E-RATE PROVIDER SERVICE
ELECTRONIC PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL DEADLINE:
FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 2026 @ 1:00 P.M.
VIRTUAL PRE - PROPOSAL MEETING: THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2026@ 10:00 A.M.
PROPOSER:
SIGNATURE:
NAME (PRINT OR TYPE):
ADDRESS:
CITY, STATE, ZIP:
TELEPHONE:
EMAIL ADDRESS:
TERMS:
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ORLEANS PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
Procurement Department
2401 Westbend Parkway, Suite 5055
New Orleans, Louisiana 70114
ADVERTISEMENT
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NO. 26-0100
E-RATE PROVIDER SERVICE
Electronic Responses to Request for Proposal relative to the above will be received via email
submission to the Purchasing Department for the Orleans Parish School Board ("OPSB" or "the
District") at 2401 Westbend Parkway, Suite 5055, New Orleans, Louisiana 70114 until 1:00 P.M.
(CST) on Friday, April 10, 2026.
Specifications and qualifications documents may be obtained by visiting the District's website at
www.nolapublicschools.com; or by contacting the Executive Director of Procurement at
procurement@nolapublicschools.com.
The District will host a Virtual Pre-Proposal meeting to be held on Thursday, March 26, 2026, at
10:00 A.M. (CST). The Virtual link can be found below:
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/GOVsfwi8QoeO9okKQ_eKFQ
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the
meeting.
The District reserves the right to reject any or all Responses to Request for Proposal whenever such
rejection is in its best interest in accordance with law. The provisions and requirements of this
advertisement shall not be waived.
Paul A. Lucius
Executive Director of Procurement
FIRST INSERTION DATE: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2026
SECOND INSERTION DATE: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25 , 2026
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Request for Proposal / Invitation to Bid Instructions
1.0 Overview
1.1 Instructions to Proposers
1.2 Purpose
1.3 School District Profile
2.0 Scope of Services
3.0 General Terms & Conditions
4.0 Specifications
5.0 Special Terms & Conditions
6.0 Evaluation Criteria / Process
7.0 Proposal Forms/Submissions Requirements & Specifications
7.1 Proposal Submission Requirements
7.2 Submittal Requirements/Specifications
Appendix A - NOLA-PS Required Documents
8.0 Authority to Contract on Behalf of Company
9.0 Cost Form
10.0 References
11.0 Indemnity and Insurance
12.0 Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility & Voluntary Exclusion
13.0 Certification Regarding Lobbying Form
14.0 Proposer's Certification Form
15.0 Non-Collusion Statement Form
16.0 Vendor Registration and W-9 Form Link
17.0 Conflict of Interest Form
18.0 Proposer Guaranties and Warranties
19.0 EDGAR Contract Form
Appendix B - Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Required Documents
20.0 Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program - Policy & Provisions
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OVERVIEW
1.1 Introductions to Proposers
One signed original proposal shall be submitted electronically and clearly marked: REQUEST
FOR PROPOSAL NO. 26-0100 ON APRIL 10, 2026 AT 1:00 P.M. to Paul A. Lucius, Executive
Director of Procurement: procurement@nolapublicschools.com.
The Orleans Parish School Board will not be responsible for the opening of, post-opening of, or failure
to open a Proposal not properly addressed or identified.
The Orleans Parish School Board will not assume the responsibility for any delay as a result of failure
of any entity to deliver Proposals on time.
The Proposal Submission Checklist is provided in Appendix A of this RFP. The checklist contains the
required documents needed to be submitted with vendor proposal. All vendors shall refer to the
checklist while preparing their proposals to ensure all required documents are submitted (See Appendix
A & B). Failure to submit required documents shall result in rejection and proposals will not be
reviewed by the Evaluation Committee.
No Proposal will be accepted after April 10, 2026 @ 1:00 P.M. under any conditions unless in
the best interest of NOLA-PS by an addendum notification.
March 26, 2026 @
Pre-Proposal Meeting (via Virtual) Thursday
10:00 A.M.
Last Day for Questions@ 4:00 P.M. (CST) Monday March 30, 2026
Last Day for Addendum Thursday April 2, 2026
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION DEADLINE no later than 1:00 P.M. April 10, 2026
Oral Presentations (if applicable) N/A
Evaluation Committee Meeting April 13,2026
Award Notification (approximate) TBD
Execution of Agreement (approximate) TBD
CODE OF SILENCE:
From the date the RFP is issued; through the time the Agreement is finally awarded by NOLA-PS
Elected Officials, Proposers shall not contact any Representatives of NOLA-PS, nor the District Staff,
nor their Advisors or Consultants with respect to this RFP, or RFP process, other than to submit
questions or protest in accordance with the Instructions to Proposers therein. This prohibition does not
apply to questions or comments sent in writing to the Director of Procurement, or questions made at
Pre-Proposal conferences, in presentations before evaluation committees, or during contract
negotiations. Proposers who violate this Code of Silence may be deemed non-responsive, and their
proposal may be rejected for cause.
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DOCUMENTS: A complete set of Request for Proposal documents
shall be used in preparing proposals; neither the Orleans Parish School Board nor its representatives
assume any responsibility for errors or misinterpretations resulting from the use of incomplete sets of
Request for Proposal Documents.
The forms furnished as part of the specifications MUST be used for filing of Request for
PROPOSALS and must be signed by the proposer. No proposals will be considered unless made on
the forms provided and must not be detached from the proposal document of which it forms a part.
Failure to follow these instructions may result in your proposal being disqualified.
OBJECTION TO THE AWARD: If any Proposer who submitted a proposal has an objection to the
award of the contract to the Selected Proposer, the objecting Proposer shall furnish that protest, in writing,
to the Executive Director of Procurement (or Designee) within ten (10) Business Days of the notification
of non-award. The protest shall describe in detail the basis for the protest and shall request a
determination under this section of the Instructions to Proposers.
If a protest is filed in a timely fashion, the Executive Director of Procurement (or Designee) will review
the basis for the protest and relevant facts under such terms and conditions as he considers proper. Upon
completion of the review, the Executive Director of Procurement (or Designee) shall submit applicable
findings and recommendations to the Superintendent and/or Chief Financial Officer, who shall then
review the matter under such terms and conditions, as deemed proper. Upon receipt of authority to act
from the Superintendent or NOLA-PS, the Executive Director of Procurement (or Designee) will notify
those Proposers involved of its decision. The decision shall be final and binding on the objecting
Proposer.
WITHDRAWAL OF BID: Any bid may be withdrawn if clear and convincing sworn, written
evidence of obvious mechanical, clerical or mathematical error is furnished by the proposer to the
Executive Director of Procurement within 48 hours of proposal receipt.
SUPPLIER PERFORMANCE AND EVALUATION: The proposer, vendor, service provider
and/or supplier performance process will involve evaluating the proposer, vendor, service provider
and/or supplier's overall quality status, as well as evaluating the quality of each material or service the
NOLA-PS wishes to purchase. Prior to the invoice submission, the proposer, vendor, service provider
and/or supplier, shall meet with a purchasing representative to discuss and review deliverables and
timeline events for said services. Contract with automatic renewals will be based upon the NOLA-PS
evaluating and analyzing proposer, vendor, service provider, and/or supplier performance.
DEBARMENT AND SUSPENSION: To ensure that the Orleans Parish School Board does not enter
into a contract with a debarred or suspended company or individual, each responsive proposer must
include a certification statement with each bid. By signing the certification statement, the proposer
certifies that neither it nor any of its principals (e.g., key employees) have been proposed for
debarment, debarred or suspended by a Federal Agency. It is the responsibility of each proposer to
sign the attached certification statement and submit it with the bid. Failure to comply with this
requirement will cause your bid to be disqualified and declared non-responsive.
BACKGROUND CHECK: Contractor will not employ any person to provide services who has been
convicted, or pled nolo contendere to, any one of the crimes listed in the Louisiana Child Protection
Act. La R.S. 15:587.1 (C). Criminal History Record must be obtained by contractor for all employees
to be hired and shall be retained during the duration of the employment. Records are to be updated on
an annual basis.
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PERFORMANCE INVESTIGATIONS: As part of the proposal evaluation process, the NOLA-PS
may make inquiries and investigations, including verbal or written references from the firm's
customers, to determine the ability of the firm to provide service.
EMPLOYMENT: It is understood that all employees will be employees of the successful firm(s),
including but not limited to the successful firm's subcontractors, partners, etc.
NOTICE TO OFFEROR: The NOLA-PS shall consider the intentional employment by the selected
firm of unauthorized aliens in violation of U.S. immigration laws cause for unilateral cancellation of
the contract resulting from this RFP.
PROPOSAL FORMAT: Proposals should be prepared simply but completely, providing a
straightforward, concise description of capabilities to satisfy the requirements of the RFP. Please
carefully read Sections as outlines within the Table of Contents. Emphasis should be on completeness
and clarity of content.
SELECTION: Selection shall be made of one or multiple firm(s) deemed to be fully qualified and best
suited among those submitting proposals on the basis of the evaluation factors contained in this RFP.
Fee structure/pricing will be considered, but will be one among many determining factors. The NOLA-
PS may cancel this RFP, reject proposals or any portion thereof at any time prior to an award, and is
not required to furnish a statement of the reason why a particular qualification was not deemed to be
the most advantageous. Should the NOLA-PS determine in writing and in its sole discretion the firm(s)
that is fully qualified, or that one firm is clearly more highly qualified than the others under
consideration, a contract may be awarded to that firm.
DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (DBE) PROGRAM:
The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program is race & gender-neutral, and open to all
business owners regardless of race, ethnicity or gender. DBE firms currently certified with the
Louisiana Unified Certification Program (LAUCP), or the State & Local Disadvantaged Business
Enterprise (SLDBE) Program must submit a copy of their certification letter for eligibility with the
offer/response to this solicitation.
The Proposer shall submit the following forms below:(Appendix B)
* DBE Responsiveness Form 1
* DBE Responsiveness Form 2
* DBE Certification Letter (for each company)
* DBE Professional Services Compliance Certification Checklist
"DBE Provisions (Attached), which is hereby made a part of this RFP. Failure to include DBE
participation; including all signatures and notary, shall cause a firm's proposal to be non-responsive
and cause for rejection. All DBE forms must be properly completed whether or not they are
applicable to Proposer."
DBE PARTICIPATION HAS BEEN WAIVED FOR THIS SPECIFIC SOLICITATION
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COMPUTED COST SCORE:
The cost evaluation shall constitute thirty percent (30%) for eligible goods and services and ten percent
(10%) for ineligible goods and services of the total points assigned and will be based upon standard
cost rates submitted by the proposers. The proposer with the lowest cost shall receive the highest cost
evaluation score. Other proposers will receive a cost score computed as follows:
CSF = (LPC/PC*X)
CSF = Cost Scoring Formula
LPC = Lowest proposed cost
PC = Proposer's cost
X= n% of the total number of points assigned
PURCHASES USING FEDERAL GRANT FUNDS (2 C.F.R. 200).
When NOLA-PS seeks to procure goods and services using funds under a federal grant or contract,
specific federal laws, regulations, and requirements may apply in addition to those under state law.
This includes, but is not limited to, the procurement standards of the Uniform Administrative
Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, 2C.F.R. 200 (sometimes
referred to as the "Uniform Guidance" or new "EDGAR"). (EDGAR FORM ATTACHED)
All Vendors awarded a contract under this proposal must complete the NOLA-PS EDGAR Contract
Addendum before a purchase order can be entered as proof of their willingness and ability to comply
with certain requirements which may be applicable to specific NOLA-PS purchases using federal grant
funds.
This information will be made available to the NOLA-PS for its use while considering their
purchasing options when using federal grant funds.
1.2 Purpose
The purpose of this Request for Proposals is to select providers of E-Rate Category 1 Services with the
competencies, expertise and resources necessary to assist Orleans Parish School Board in effectively
serving the technology needs of the school district. The technology infusion should provide the
foundation for significantly improving student performance and administrative practices in support of
teaching and learning.
Orleans Parish School Board wishes to enter into a partnership with private corporations for the purpose
of implementing, refining and supporting a state-of-the-market technology infrastructure, which will
support world-class education to the students and staff of Orleans Parish School Board. The selected
provider(s) will work under the direction and supervision of the Director of Information Technology.
1.3 School District Profile
OPSB currently oversees 71 charter schools and a school with two educational programs for students
in secure-care facilities.
One of the District's core responsibilities, as a charter school authorizer, is to hold these schools
accountable to a set of performance expectations that help ensure every student is provided with a
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high-quality education.
The vision of the OPSB is as follows: every student receives a high-quality education that fosters their
individual capabilities, while ensuring that they thrive and are prepared for civic, social, and economic
success.
The District's geographical boundaries are concurrent with those of the City of New Orleans. The
District, however, is a separate entity, independent of the City of New Orleans. The District's
governing body is a seven-member elected board.
The District serves more than 43,875 students across Orleans Parish. As of February 2022, the student
population was approximately 77.41% African American, 10.71% Hispanic, 8.09% White, 1.65%
Asian, 1.9% Multi-Racial, and .18% Native American. Further, the District serves a student
population that is 86.22% economically disadvantaged. Approximately 7.28% of the students have
limited English proficiency.
The District's administration has approximately 269 employees. The District's total proposed general
fund budget for 2022-2023 is $556 million dollars, system-wide, and of that $35.5 million is allocated
to the District's administration.
PROPOSAL REJECTION: NOLA-PS shall have the right to reject any or all proposals and in
particular to reject a proposal not accompanied by data required by the RFP or in any way incomplete
or irregular, including omission of cost and budget information, i.e. in the best interest of NOLA-PS.
Conditional proposals will not be accepted.
CONTRACT AWARD: Award shall be made to the Most Qualified Proposer(s) whose proposal is
determined to be the most advantageous; thus, when taking into consideration the evaluation factors
set forth in the sections that follow, including overall long-term value to the NOLA-PS. Fees/pricing
consideration will not be the sole determining factor. There is no obligation on the part of the NOLA-
PS to award a contract.
CONTRACT TERM AND RENEWAL: Contract term will be for a period of one (1) year with an
option to renew two (2) additional one (1) year periods. If warranted terms and conditions for an
amendment to the contract will be in writing, negotiable and subject to NOLA-PS approval.
ERRORS: NOLA-PS is not liable for any errors or misinterpretations made in responding to this
Request for Proposal.
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION: One electronic original Proposal document to be submitted as per date
and time established/set within this Request for Proposal.
INQUIRIES: NOLA-PS will not give verbal answers to inquiries regarding the Request for Proposals,
or verbal instructions prior to the award of a contract. A verbal statement regarding same by any person
shall be non-binding. The NOLA-PS is not liable for any increased costs resulting from the acceptance
of verbal direction. Cost or problems associated with misinterpretation of the intent of the NOLA-PS
will be the responsibility of the proposing firm.
All inquiries must be in writing and addressed to: Paul A. Lucius, Executive Director of Procurement
at procurement@nolapublicschools.com. All inquiries will be answered in the form of an addendum
after the pre-proposal meeting. No contact in any form or manner is to be made with any employee of
the District except through the Executive Director Of Procurement. Violation of this provision shall
be considered grounds for disqualification.
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DOCUMENTS: A complete set of Request for Proposals documents
shall be used in preparing proposals. Neither the Orleans Parish School Board, nor its representatives
assume any responsibility for errors or misinterpretations resulting from the use of incomplete sets of
Request for Proposal Documents.
OPEN COMPETITION: NOLA-PS encourages free and open competition. Whenever possible,
specifications and proposal terms and conditions are designed to accomplish this objective, consistent
with the necessity to satisfy the needs of the NOLA-PS and to guarantee an economically sound
solution. The signature on this proposal guarantees that the prices quoted have been established without
collusion with other firms and without effort to preclude the NOLA-PS from obtaining the best possible
competitive value. The firm certifies that neither its officers nor its employees have bribed or attempted
to bribe or influence in any improper manner any officer, employee or agent of the NOLA-PS.
PREPARATION EXPENSE: All proposals submitted in response to this RFP must be submitted at
the sole expense of the proposing firm, irrespective of the final decision of the NOLA-PS as to contract
award.
TITLE VI SOLICITATION NOTICE:
NOLA-PS, in accordance with the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 252,
42 U.S.C. 2000d to 2000d-4) and the Regulations, hereby notifies all Proposers that it will
affirmatively ensure that any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged
business enterprises will be afforded full and fair opportunity to submit bids in response to this
invitation, and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in
consideration for an award.
EVALUATION PROCEDURES:
All proposals will be evaluated by the RFP Evaluation Committee that will conduct an independent,
objective evaluation of proposals for ERATE Provider Service. All members of the Evaluation
Committee must execute a disclosure certifying they do not possess a conflict of interest with any of
the proposers. Before beginning the evaluation process, the Evaluation Committee must review the
RFP, concerning not only the scope of work but also the qualifications and the evaluation criteria. See
Evaluation criteria - Section 6.0.
The purpose of the Evaluation Committee is to conduct an independent, objective evaluation of Request
for Proposals for ERATE PROVIDER SERVICE.
REVIEW AND EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS:
A Finance Department representative shall serve as the Evaluation Committee coordinator and is solely
responsible for disseminating all information received during the RFP evaluation process. After
completion and tallying of the technical evaluation scores, each Evaluation Committee member shall
sign and date his/her individual score sheet.
NOLA-PS will evaluate proposals on a qualitative basis. This includes our review of the firm(s)
proposal and related materials for evidence of prior experience, value-added services beyond the scope
of work, qualifications of staff to be assigned to the project, cost effectiveness, and the Proposer's
completeness and timeliness in its response, etc.
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After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the
meeting. ALL NOLA Public Schools solicitations/addendums can be found on NOLA-PS website at:
www.nolapublicschools.com. Click Community/business resources/solicitations.
ADDENDUM TO REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL: NOLA-PS reserves the right to revise and amend
the specifications prior to the date set for the opening. Proposers are requested to clarify any ambiguity,
conflict, discrepancy, omission or other error(s) in this RFP in writing and request the modification or
clarification desired. NOLA-PS will issue an addendum to evidence any revisions or amendments made
to this RFP. As a courtesy, every effort will be made to send an issued addendum to the parties known
to have been furnished a complete copy of this RFP. Addenda are made available on the NOLA-PS
website under community/business resources/solicitations. Please acknowledge receipt of addendum
on Signature Page. Failure to acknowledge all Addenda will result in the proposal being rejected.
All questions must be in writing and electronically submitted to the Executive Director of Procurement
at procurement@nolapublicschools.com no later than 4:00 P.M. on Monday, March 30, 2026. No
addendum will be issued later than Thursday, April 2,, 2026 or 72 hours prior to proposal due date,
except an addendum withdrawing the proposal or postponing the opening of the proposal. It is the
responsibility of each Proposer, prior to submitting the qualifications response, to determine if addenda
were issued and, if so, to acknowledge the addendum on the applicable form.
Times and dates are final unless there is an unexpected "emergency" beyond NOLA-PS's control.
ORAL PRESENTATIONS via ZOOM: N/A
PRESENTATION DATES:
NOLA-PS, at its sole discretion may invite the top two to four (2-4) Proposers to provide oral
presentations and justify how they propose to meet the Districts' objectives with RFP No. 26-0100.
Commitments, if any, made by the Proposer at the oral presentation will be considered binding. The
evaluation committee has the option to conduct initial reviews of proposals and only host oral
presentations of the top 1 to 4 firms in the best interest of the District.
Each firm selected should be prepared to conduct a presentation to the NOLA-PS Evaluation
Committee. The presentations must be shown that the firm clearly understands the requirements of the
solicitation and possesses the knowledge, skills, and capacity to complete the work. Firms presenting
for the oral presentation process will be notified of their allotted presentation time with the District on
__________________. The time frame for the presentations will follow the schedule provided below:
* 10 minutes for vendor set-up and brief Introductions
* 20 minutes for presentations to NOLA-PS Evaluation Committee demonstrating firms'
Qualifications and Expertise with the requirements as it relates to the RFP services
* 15 minutes for question/answer session
* 5 minutes for closing
NOLA-PS is requesting firms respectfully adhere to the assigned time allotted for presentations.
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