RFP for Long Distance and WATS Telephone Service

Grant Wood Area Education Agency
4401 Sixth Street, SW.
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404-4499


 

The Grant Wood Area Education Agency in seeking bids for long distance telephone service. We have 36 lines into our facility that need long distance service. We use an average of approximately 20,000 minutes of long distance time per month. We are seeking bids for a 1-year contract (July 1, 1999 - June 30, 2000).

The long distance service we are seeking must include flat rate long distance toll charges for intralata, interlata, and interstate calls. This long distance service must be at least as good or better than the existing service.

In addition, the Grant Wood Area Education Agency currently has 6 WATS lines that service us. We are also seeking bids for this WATS service.

We also request that each vendor responding to this RFP address the following:

Do you offer pager service? _______________

Do you offer calling cards? _______________

If your response to either, or both, of the above questions is "yes,"
please include a price sheet explaining your offerings and costs
for these services.

We reserve the right to award the contract for long distance and WATS service to a single vendor, or to split the services between multiple vendors.

The Grant Wood Area Education Agency is currently under a preexisting long-term contract for long distance telephone services with a vendor who is seeking approval from the FCC to operate as a common carrier for telephone services. If this current vendor receives such approval, our contract with them will stand, and this RFP and any bids associated with it will become null and void. If this current vendor does not receive approval as a common carrier, we will request release from our current contract and consider the bids from vendors responding to this RFP only upon release from the contract with the current vendor.

There shall be no compensation made to companies that submit bids and are not awarded this order.

The successful vendor must be prepared to split the billing process. The vendor will be required to invoice the Schools and Libraries Corporation for the discount portion of each bill, and to invoice Grant Wood Area Education Agency for the non-discount portion of each bill.


All quotations and questions should be addressed to:

Dr. Cliff Ehlinger, Director of Operations
Grant Wood Area Education Agency
4401 Sixth Street, SW.
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404-4499
Telephone: 319-399-6730
FAX: 319-399-6457
E-Mail: cehlinger@aea10.k12.ia.us

All quotations must be received at the above address no later than 4:00 p.m.
Friday, March 26, 1999.

The following Board policies apply to the bidding process for Grant Wood AEA, and will be taken into consideration when determining award of contract:

The Agency shall purchase goods or services from vendors located in Area 10 unless the interests of the Agency are better served by purchasing from vendors located outside of the Area.

The Agency will attempt each year to purchase at least 10% of its goods and services, including construction, but not including utilities, from certified targeted small businesses located within Area 10.


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