NEW REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS
for
INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER SERVICES
at
CHARLOTTE DOUGLAS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
for the
CITY OF CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA
Dated September 20, 2013
SCHEDULE
ACTIVITY (All times are EST)
DATE
Issue Request For Proposals (“RFP”)
September 20, 2013
Deadline for Submittal of Written Questions
September 27, 2013
Responses to Questions
October 4, 2013
Proposal Submittal by 1:00 p.m.
October 10, 2013
Evaluation of Proposals (Selection Committee)
October 11-14, 2013
Award Notification
October 15, 2013
Charlotte City Council
October 28, 2013
Service Estimated Start Date
November 1, 2013
Responders must provide six (6) hardcopies of their proposal sealed in either an opaque envelope
or box by one of the methods outlined below, as well as an electronic copy emailed to Ted
Cisine, Aviation Technology Operations Manager at tcisine@cltairport.com, or it may be
included on a flash drive and submitted with the hardcopies of the proposal no later than
OCTOBER 10, 2013 by 1PM, according to CLT’s clock.
1. Proposers may mail their submissions to Charlotte Douglas International Airport; Attn: Ted
Cisine, CLT Center; 5601 Wilkinson Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28208. Proposals must arrive no
later than the proposal deadline outlined above.
2. Proposers may hand deliver their submissions to Ted Cisine at CLT Center, located at 5601
Wilkinson Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28208. Proposals must arrive no later than the proposal
deadline outlined above.
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INTRODUCTION
The City of Charlotte (“City”) as owner and operator of Charlotte Douglas International Airport
(“CLT”) requests the submissions of proposals to provide Internet Service Provider (“ISP”)
Services for CLT. The goals of the RFP are to (1) increase CLT’s bandwidth; (2) economize; (3)
utilize high quality, state of the art internet services; (4) contract with an experienced and
effective ISP; and (5) enhance the passenger experience through minimum service interruptions
and quick resolution times.
The following includes the information, requirements and forms necessary for a complete
proposal. Any questions concerning the RFP may also be submitted in writing to Ted Cisine, at
the email address listed above or by mail at 5601 Wilkinson Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28208,
however, no response will be provided for questions submitted after September 20, 2013.
Answers to all written questions will be provided by written Addendum. All addenda will be
posted on CLT’s website, cltairport.com, and it will be the responsibility of the proposer to
frequently check for such additions. In case any proposer fails to acknowledge opening of any
such Addenda in the space provided in Attachment A, its proposal will nevertheless be
construed as though the addenda had been received and acknowledged, and submission of a
proposal shall constitute acknowledgment of the opening of the same. Proposers may not rely
upon and the Aviation Director, or his designee, will not make any oral representations.
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I.
BACKGROUND
Since 2006, CLT has provided free Wi-Fi internet access to its passengers. As
technology has evolved and more passengers are using the service, it has become
necessary that CLT increase its bandwidth capacity. Currently, CLT averages 2,200 to
2,500 concurrent connections and 18,000 unique users a day. This proposal is for a new
internet connection that will feed the public Wi-Fi system.
II.
SCOPE OF SERVICES
a. Specifications:
i. ISP shall provide no less than one (1) GB of business class internet
connectivity without bursting capabilities. CLT will also consider an addalternative to include 50% bursting capability.
ii. ISP shall provide proof of two redundant upstream providers.
iii. ISP shall provide bandwidth 24 hours per day, 356 days per year.
iv. ISP shall have network engineering support 24 hours per day, 365 days per
year.
v. ISP shall maintain network monitoring capability and notify CLT at the point
of any disruption of service, at no time shall it take longer than thirty (30)
minutes to send notification from the time the outage occurs.
vi. ISP shall provide web-based bandwidth utilization reporting.
vii. ISP shall grant CLT primary and authoritative control over the services.
viii. ISP shall install all services and equipment included in the proposal.
ix. ISP shall guarantee quality of service – minimum uptime 99.999% per month
with minimum of four (4) hours response and resolution to problems, with
documented discounts given for outages that exceed four (4) hours. CLT will
allow for brief pre-arranged outages during off-hours for maintenance
between the hours of 1:00 am and 4:00 am.
x. Network/Transit delay shall not exceed an average of 80milliseconds over a 5minute period where the circumstances are under the ISP’s control.
xi. Packet loss shall not exceed an average of .1% over a 5-minute period where
the circumstances are under the ISP’s control.
b. General Terms
i. Contract Term. The ISP Services Contract will begin November 1, 2013 and
last for three years with CLT having an option to renew the Contract for an
additional three year term.
ii. Pricing. Pricing shall be quoted on the three (3) year contract initial term and
include an option to extend for an additional three (3) years. Pricing shall be
quoted as a monthly cost and will note any potential discounts. For the addalternative option, pricing shall also be quoted as a monthly cost.
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III.
ELIGIBILITY AND DISQUALIFICATION OF PROPOSERS
a. Initial Eligibility of Proposers
Experience
Proposers must be able to demonstrate at least five (5) years of experience with at
least five (5) entities that have a minimum of 2,500 concurrent connections and
18,000 unique users a day within one location. For each entity that the proposer has
worked with, please provide their contact information as well as their number of
concurrent connections and unique users a day.
Outstanding Claims and Litigation
Proposers are not eligible if at the time of submission the proposer, or any individual
or entity of proposer, is in default, has any past due amounts or arrearages or is in
breach of contract with any previous or existing contract with the City. Further, the
City also has the right to disqualify any proposer who includes in its proposal a
subcontractor with whom the City has any existing or pending litigation if the City
deems that such litigation may adversely affect the ability for the parties to
effectively work together.
b. Acknowledgement of Proposer
Proposers shall thoroughly examine and become familiar with this RFP, including
attachments, and any addendum that may be issued. The failure or the neglect of a
proposer to receive or examine any RFP document shall in no way relieve it from any
obligation with respect to its proposal or the obligations that flow from making a
successful proposal. No claim based upon a lack of knowledge or understanding of
any document or its contents shall be allowed.
c. Disqualification of Proposal
Without in any way limiting the Airport’s right to reject any or all proposals,
proposers are advised that any of the following may be considered as sufficient cause
for the disqualification of a proposer and the rejection of a proposal: (i) failure to
meet initial eligibility requirements; (ii) submission of more than one proposal by an
individual, firm, partnership or corporation under the same or different names,
including the names it does business under; (iii) evidence of collusion among
proposers; (iv) improper communication as described in Section VII D, below.
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Proposals will be considered irregular and may be rejected for omission, alterations of
form, additions not called for, conditions, limitation, unauthorized alternate proposals
or other irregularities of any kind. All of the foregoing notwithstanding, however,
CLT reserves the right to waive any such irregularities.
IV.
PROPOSAL FORMAT AND SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
a. Format
The format of the RFP is up to the proposer, except for the company information and
addendum acknowledgement, which must be in the format provided by CLT and
attached below as Attachment A. However, the proposal should, at the least, include
the following:
1. Cover Letter
2. Company Information
3. Addendum Acknowledgement
4. Background and Experience
5. Pricing
6. Scope of Work (detailed breakdown on plan to meet specifications)
7. References (at least 5)
8. Any agreement or terms and conditions CLT will be asked to execute
9. Work Schedule and Timeline for Implementation
10. Other information proposer deems relevant (including additional services)
11. Exceptions requested by Proposer to any of the RFP requirements
b. Submission Requirements
Submission Instructions
Responders must provide six (6) hardcopies and an electronic copy of their proposal
no later than OCTOBER 10, 2013 by 1PM in the manner described on page 1 of the
RFP.
Amendment of Proposal
Amendment of a submitted proposal may occur at any time prior to the submission
deadline by written request. Amendments will only be accepted through the
submission of completely new materials that meet the requirements set forth in the
Submission Instructions section above.
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Withdrawal of Proposal
Withdrawal of the proposal may occur at any time prior to the submission deadline by
written request. Withdrawal of one proposal will not preclude the submission of
another timely proposal but no withdrawal will be allowed after the submission
deadline.
V.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Category & Description
Background and Experience
Pricing
Plan to Meet Specifications
Service Interruptions & Restoration
References
Agreement and Terms and Conditions
VI.
AWARD OF CONTRACT
Upon review and evaluation of all qualifying proposals, including any interviews that the
Airport may elect to require, the selection committee will select the proposer(s) and
proposal(s) that it determines, in its absolute discretion, would best provide the
Concession. CLT will inform the selected proposer(s) that it has been selected, subject to
City Council approval. If the selected proposer(s) are unable to agree on the final terms,
the selected proposer(s) will be excused from further consideration and CLT may, at their
option, select another proposer(s). Until the Agreement and all supporting ancillary
documents have been approved by the City Council and executed by the Aviation
Director, the City shall have no obligations hereunder.
VII.
MISCELLANEOUS
a. Interpretation of the RFP
All questions concerning interpretation of the RFP documents must be made in
writing to Ted Cisine at tcisine@cltairport.com no later than 5 p.m. on
SEPTEMBER 27, 2013. Interpretations and answers to general questions will only
be made by written addenda. The City shall not be responsible for any other
explanation or interpretation.
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b. Consent to Investigate
The selection of the proposer will be based on a thorough investigation into the areas
of interest expressed in the RFP. As part of that, the City may request the proposers
to provide such things as, but not limited to, financial records, information on
managing partners or participation in an interview process. By submitting a proposal,
each proposer consents to any investigation the City deems necessary.
c. City’s right to Cancel, Reject, Modify or Reissue RFP
The City, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to modify, cancel, reissue or take
any other action it deems necessary in the issuance of this RFP. Further, the City also
reserves the right to reject any or all proposals submitted. Prior to the execution of
the Concession Agreement, no action taken by the City may be inferred or construed
to give rise to any obligation by the City.
d. Subcontracting
No subcontracting will be permitted under this contract. Proposers that normally resell or subcontract portions of their work similar to those included under this RFP
must certify in their proposal their intent not to do so with CLT.
e. Attempts to Influence Selection Process
Except for clarifying written questions sent to the Airport, all proposers, including
any and all persons acting on their behalf, are strictly prohibited from contacting
elected or appointed City officials, officers, employees, or Airport Advisory
Committee Members on or regarding any matter relating to this RFP from the time
the RFP is issued until the start of the open business meeting at which City Council is
asked to approve the Concession Agreement.
f. Proposer’s Cost of Proposal Preparation
Proposers are responsible for any and all costs associated with the proposal process
including, but not limited to, the creation of the proposal and any interviews (if
applicable). The City will not accept any promotional items as part of the proposal
process and any such items included will be returned to the proposer at its own cost.
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g. Ownership and Public Record
All proposals and supplementary material provided as part of this process will
become the property of the City. Proposers are advised that all information included
in the material provided may become available to the public under North Carolina’s
Public Records Law.
h. Representation by Brokers
The City will not be responsible for any fees, expenses or commissions for brokers or
their agents. Communications by or between employees of or contractors to the City
and any potential or actual respondent broker or agent are not to be construed as an
agreement to pay, nor will the City pay any such fees, expenses or commissions. By
submitting its proposal, respondent agrees to hold the City harmless from any claims,
demands, actions or judgments in connection with such broker fees, expenses or
commissions.
i. Disclaimer
The information contained in this RFP and attachments, hereto, and any addendum
that may be issued, are provided to assist prospective proposers in the preparation of
proposals. The information has been obtained from sources thought to be reliable, but
the City and its elected officials, officers, employees, agents and contractors, are not
liable for the accuracy of the information or its use by prospective respondents.
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ATTACHMENT A: ADDENDA ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND COMPANY
INFORMATION STATEMENT
PROPOSAL
to
DEVELOP AND OVERSEE COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING CONCESSION
at
CHARLOTTE DOUGLAS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF ADDENDA
Proposer hereby acknowledges receipt of all Addenda through and including:
Addendum No. ___________________, dated______________.
Addendum No. ___________________, dated______________.
Addendum No. ___________________, dated______________.
Addendum No. ___________________, dated______________.
Addendum No. ___________________, dated______________.
Addendum No. ___________________, dated______________.
Addendum No. ___________________, dated______________.
However, submission of this proposal acts as acknowledgement of all addenda regardless on if
such is specifically noted above.
Proposer:_________________________________________________________
Authorized Signature:_______________________________________________
Print Name:_______________________________________________________
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COMPANY INFORMATION STATEMENT
Name of Firm: ________________________________________________________________
Principle Office Address:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Telephone Number: (
) _____-________
Form of Business Entity (check one):
( ) Corporation
( ) Partnership
( ) Individual
( ) Joint Venture
Complete the applicable section below, where there is not enough room provided please attach
additional information as needed:
Corporation Statement
Date of Incorporation: _______________________________
Location of Incorporation: ____________________________
Is the corporation authorized to do business in North Carolina: ( ) Yes
( ) No
Is so, as of what date: _______________________________
The corporation is held: ( ) Publicly
( ) Privately
Furnish the name, title and address of each director and officer of the corporation:
Directors:
Name
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
Title
Address
____________________
____________________
____________________
____________________
____________________
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___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
Officers:
Name
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Title
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
Address
____________________
____________________
____________________
____________________
____________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
Partnership Statement
Date of organization: ________________________________
Type of Partnership: ( ) General Partnership
( ) Limited Partnership
Partnership Agreement Recorded: ( ) Yes ( ) No
___________
Date
____________
Book
_____
______________________
________
Page
County
State
Has the Partnership done business in the State of North Carolina: ( ) Yes
( ) No
If so, when? ______________________
Name, address and ownership share of each general partner owning more than five percent (5%)
of the partnership:
Name
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
Address
% Ownership
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
__________
__________
__________
__________
__________
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Joint Venture Statement
Date of organization: _______________________________
Joint Venture Agreement recorded: ( ) Yes
___________
____________
Date
Book
( ) No
_____
______________________
________
Page
County
State
Has the Partnership done business in the State of North Carolina: ( ) Yes
( ) No
If so, when? _______________________
Name, address and percent of ownership for each joint venturer.
Name
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
Address
% Ownership
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
__________
__________
__________
__________
__________
Acknowledgment
The following proposal is hereby submitted by the entity signed below in accordance with all
terms and conditions as set forth in the Request for Proposals issued by the City of Charlotte for
the right and obligation to develop and oversee the Commercial Advertising Concession at
Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
Name of Proposer:__________________________________________________
By (Signature):_____________________________________________________
By (Name):________________________________________________________
By (Title):_________________________________________________________
Phone: (
)_____-_________
Mailing Address:____________________________________________________
Email Address:_____________________________________________________
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