School Board Agenda Item

Accept the Request for Proposal (RFP) Submitted by Sprint Solutions, Inc. - #4922-CD Cellular Telephone Services (Business Division)

On December 12, 2006, the Purchasing Department in conjunction with the Technology Customer Service and Support Department issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to provide cellular telephone services for district-owned cellular telephones, to include the purchase of cellular services, telephones, accessories, airtime, repair, and maintenance. To evaluate this RFP, firms were asked to provide their implementation plan, qualifications and experience, small business utilization, references, and cost/fees for services. Proposals were due on January 16, 2007. The District utilizes an online vendor registration system to notify potential bidders of opportunities. Through this system, three (3) firms responded (Attachment A). Proposals were received from Alltel Wireless, Sprint Solutions, Inc., and Verizon Wireless. One (1) proposal was deemed non-responsive by the committee. The evaluation process included a committee of district-level personnel (Attachment B). Prior to Phase I, Purchasing staff contacted references to assist the committee in determining which firms would advance. The committee evaluated the proposals during Phase I on January 18, 2007, based on the RFP criteria (Attachment C). The committee reviewed key points as a group and individually rated each firm for final compilation and ranking (Attachment D). The initial term of the contract shall be for a three (3) year period with an effective date of July 1, 2007. The fee schedule for the requested service is shown on Attachment E.

As stated in OPPAGA report: “Efficient purchasing and warehousing require that management processes be in place to ensure that supplies, equipment, and services vital to the school’s education mission are purchased from a competitive source, in the right quantity, delivered timely to the correct location, and stored in a secure location. These criteria should be met for each purchase without sacrificing quality.”

These funds are, or will be, included in the General Fund Budget in an amount not to exceed $136,000. The District staff will follow the E-Rate procedures to ensure eligible services receive the maximum rebate of 66%. The value of goods and services is approximately $400,000, which represents an estimated cost savings of $264,000.

Contract administration or evaluation is performed by the Project Manager (end user) and Purchasing Agent, who function as a team. Reviews are conducted face to face, typically quarterly, or by utilizing an online vendor performance report. Prior to soliciting a new contract, the Contract Administration team must first give consideration to the specifications and supporting data of the expiring contract.

Jack E. Davis Chief Information Officer (813) 272-4600	Gretchen Saunders Chief Business Officer (813) 272-4270
5.02
Hillsborough County Public Schools (Florida) * Mtg.#20070130_273 * Section E Item# 5.02