Active SLED Opportunity · CALIFORNIA · GOLDEN STATE CONNECT AUTHORITY
AI Summary
Golden State Fiber seeks proposals for Passive Optical Network (PON) equipment including OLT and ONT hardware, software support, and services for an open-access fiber network across California. Proposals are due August 19, 2026, with a non-mandatory pre-proposal meeting on July 27, 2026. The RFP emphasizes technical compliance, cost evaluation, and legal requirements.
Golden State Fiber ("GSF") invites you to submit a proposal to provide Passive Optical Network (“PON”) Network Equipment. This Request for Proposals ("RFP") outlines the requirements for your proposal.
This RFP is a competitive proposal process whereby GSF may award contracts to one or more PON network system vendors. All proposals will be reviewed and scored according to the requirements outlined in this RFP.
This is a public process designed to provide transparency into the contract process. Following the close of the proposal period, all proposals will be made public. Please carefully review the confidentiality provisions of this RFP and direct any questions to GSF in advance of submitting any documentation you consider to be confidential.
Final proposals must be submitted through the Procurement Portal no later than 11:59 pm on Wednesday, August 19, 2026. Interested parties that do not meet the deadlines specified in this RFP will not be considered.
Please direct all questions via the "Question and Answer" feature of the Procurement Portal. Answers to questions will be provided to all applicants.
We look forward to receiving your response.
GSF will review each proposal in detail to determine its compliance with the solicitation requirements. GSF reserves the right to use multiple means to validate and determine the respondent’s response to a requirement. This may be through details in its description and/or supporting documentation provided or material that is publicly available, that may either support or contradict the respondent’s claim of intended compliance.
OLT and ONU hardware may be selected from different vendors. Vendors may submit OLT only or ONU only proposals.
This is a best-value request and shall not be determined solely based on price. Proposals will be scored according to how each Respondent will meet the above requirements, as follows:
Technical Scoring
Respondents will gain points on each proposed device based on the following criteria.
Cost Scoring
OLT
Given the location and subscriber data attached in this RFP, make a proposal on the best OLT device with enough optics for each location, and any other costs associated with servicing the location. The proposals will be scored based on the following criteria.
*See “Vendor TCO Form” on “Appendix B - GSF Estimated Forecast and Cost Template in the ATTACHMENTS
ONU
Scoring will be done on the following criteria
Golden State Fiber ("GSF"), a division of the Golden State Connect Authority (“GSCA”), exists to connect residents and businesses to their choice of internet service provider (ISP) on an open-access network backed by infrastructure GSF owns and operates. GSF's network allows customers to choose an ISP and service plan that best suits their needs.
GSCA is a joint powers authority and public agency organized and existing under Chapter 5 (Section 6500 et seq.) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the California Government Code. GSCA’s objective is to increase access to reliable, affordable high-speed internet for the residents and businesses of our member counties. GSCA’s membership represents 40 of California’s 58 counties, 14.7% of the California population, and 61% of the California land mass.
GSCA’s member California counties are: Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Glenn, Humboldt, Imperial, Inyo, Kings, Lake, Lassen, Madera, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Santa Barbara, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Yolo, and Yuba.
GSF has established a Procurement Portal which includes this complete RFP. GSF requires electronic submission of proposals through the Procurement Portal. All questions must be submitted through the Procurement Portal and all question responses and addenda will be hosted exclusively in the Procurement Portal.
The submission deadline is Wednesday, August 19, 2026 at 11:59 pm. The Procurement Portal clock is the official clock for the determination of all deadline dates and times. Without exception, responses will not be accepted after the submission deadline regardless of any technical difficulties such as poor internet connections. GSF strongly recommends respondents complete their response well ahead of the deadline.
The requirements and recommendations included in this RFP are created to provide interested parties and those who submit proposals (“respondents”) with enough information to readily understand the nature of the project and the information required in a complete proposal. This RFP is not intended to limit proposal content or to exclude any potential respondent from submitting a proposal. Respondents who do not meet certain requirements may still submit proposals so long as they include supporting documentation and/or information on why and how they may work to fulfill those requirements.
Respondents are reminded that they have the following responsibilities:
Before submitting a proposal, the respondent shall understand all contract conditions referred to in this document, and any addenda issued before the RFP submission date. It shall be the respondent’s responsibility to ensure that their final proposal, including all supporting documentation, is submitted by the final RFP submission date. By submitting a proposal, the respondent acknowledges and accepts the Terms and Conditions described herein.
Respondents will be scored on their ability to meet the technical requirements listed below. Note that no device (except for ONTs with silk screening) should have a minimum order quantity.
ONTs should have an option for a default vendor silk-screened image that can be ordered without a minimum order quantity.
General Qualifications
Quoted Design
OLT
ONT
Software Controller/Support
All proposals, including all supporting documentation, become public after contracts are awarded. GSF reserves the right to delay release of these records to other respondents or the public until the contract award date.
GSF is subject to the California Public Records Act (Government Code section 7920.000 et seq.), which provides public access to all records in GSF's possession – including submissions for this RFP. Everything submitted to GSF is presumptively a public record. Such disclosure may be made regardless of whether the proposal (or portions thereof) is marked “confidential,” "trade secret," “proprietary,” or otherwise, and regardless of any statement in the proposal (a) purporting to limit the GSF’s right to disclose information in the proposal, or (b) requiring GSCA to inform or obtain the consent of the Proposer prior to the disclosure of the proposal (or portions thereof).
Exceptions to disclosure are those parts or portions of a proposal that are justifiably defined as business or trade secrets, as determined by GSF in its sole discretion, and are plainly marked by the respondent as “confidential,” "trade secret," or “proprietary.”
GSF will not, in any way, be liable or responsible for the disclosure of any such record or any parts thereof, if disclosure is required or permitted under the California Public Records Act or otherwise by law, as determined by GSF in its sole discretion. A blanket statement of confidentiality or the marking of each page of the proposal as confidential will not be deemed sufficient notice of exception. The Proposers must specifically label only those provisions of their respective proposal which are “confidential,” "trade secret," or “proprietary” in nature.
In the event GSF is required to defend an action on a Public Records Act request for any of the aforementioned documents, information, books, records, and/or contents of a proposal marked “confidential,” "trade secret," or “proprietary,” Proposer agrees to defend and indemnify GSF from all costs and expenses, including reasonable attorneys' fees, incurred in connection with any action, proceedings, or liability arising in connection with the Public Records Act request.
Respondents should be aware that marking a document “confidential,” “proprietary,” or “trade secret” in a proposal may exclude it from consideration for award and will not keep that document from being released after notice of award as part of the public record unless a court has ordered GSF not to release the document. The content of all working papers and discussions relating to any proposal shall be held in confidence indefinitely, unless the public interest is best served by an item’s disclosure because of its direct pertinence to a decision, agreement, or the evaluation of the proposal.
Any disclosure of confidential information by a respondent is a basis for rejecting a proposal and ruling the respondent ineligible to further participate.
Please describe how you would respond to an incident where a software fix is needed to address the issue. How quickly would you be able to issue a software patched version that could be installed on production hardware? How often do emergency fixes get merged into a normal minor/major release.
To open the PDF construction drawings (Plans), due to their size, it is recommended that bidders use BlueBeam or FoxIT PDF applications. Some files may render improperly using other software such as Adobe Acrobat. Bidders should contact GSCA prior to the bid submission deadline to resolve any issues regarding PDF files.
Respondents must attest and confirm their participation and agreement to the following:
GSCA is in the process of constructing a wholesale, advanced communications network. The network is being constructed at the time of this RFP.
The network will use fiber optic technology, which provides transmission of voice, data and video at speeds that are significantly faster than existing copper, cable, or satellite systems. Fiber is currently used for the backbone of the internet and other high demand applications but has not been widely implemented over “the last mile” into homes and businesses. GSCA will lay the fiber optic cable necessary to connect homes and businesses to the network. The fiber optic cable is being laid both underground and overhead aerial.
The network is divided into service areas or footprints. The network will use a passive optical network (PON) system. The Optical Line Terminal (OLT) network equipment will be placed in non-climate-controlled environments that are constantly monitored by GSCA. The Optical Network Terminal/Optical Network Units (ONT/ONU) will be installed at customer premises. GSCA is seeking qualified vendors to provide the PON network equipment and supporting systems and services to deploy and operate the fiber to the premise network.
Network Development Timeline
The network consists of seven projects across three service areas (Northern, Central, and Southern California), totaling approximately 1,065 route miles and 31,427 homes passed. Construction will begin in June 2026 in Glenn County, with a second project area anticipated to start in Q3 or Q4 of 2026. The remaining projects will follow as permitting and other conditions allow, with full deployment expected to be completed within approximately 18 - 24 months from the start of construction. GSCA expects to begin active customer onboarding in Q1, 2027.
Project Service Areas
Network electronics will be installed in approximately 37 hut/cabinet locations throughout seven project areas in California, as shown in the table below. At these locations, it is anticipated to have a distributed split design, but some locations will have a centralized split. All needed OLT ports installed are planned to be connected and lit to all splitter paths. It is anticipated that a ~50% take rate will be attained.
| Project | Service Area | Planned Miles | Homes Passed |
| Amador | Central | 283.64 | 2,706 |
| Alpine | Central | 37.19 | 1,063 |
| Town of Mammoth Lakes | Central | 96.04 | 12,300 |
| Mono | Central | 36.54 | 1,085 |
| Glenn | North | 106.68 | 2,089 |
| Tehama | North | 426.78 | 9,479 |
| Imperial | South | 78.21 | 2,705 |
Additional detail is included in Appendix B – GSF Estimated Forecast and Cost Template, which can be found in the ATTACHMENTS.
A Non-Mandatory pre-response meeting will be held virtually on Monday, July 27, 2026 at 2:00 pm using the following meeting information:
Zoom Meeting: https://rcrcnet.zoom.us/j/85780798188 Meeting ID: 857 8079 8188 Passcode: GSFRFP
The Golden State Fiber network will be Open Access, and is designed for use by several service and content providers. Content and service providers will have unique Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) that house their customers and will be separated from other providers. Customer may be further separated into IEEE 802.1Q-in-802.1Q encapsulation, sometimes referred to as Q in Q or VLAN double tagging. This will further keep customers isolated from each other.
Scores for all proposals will be posted in the Procurement Portal. Respondents will receive electronic communication on award status.
GSF is not liable for any cost incurred by a respondent associated with the preparation of their Proposal nor the negotiation of a contract prior to the issuing of the contract.
Respondent must agree that all losses or liabilities incurred by a party shall not be shared pro rata. Instead, the respondent must agree to hold harmless, defend, and indemnify GSF, its agents, officers, and employees, against all claims, suits, actions, costs, expenses (including but not limited to reasonable attorney's fees, expert fees, litigation costs, and investigation costs), damages, judgments or decrees by reason of any person’s or persons’ bodily injury, including death, or property (including respondent’s property) being damaged by the negligent acts, willful acts, or errors or omissions of respondent, or any person employed by or under respondent in any capacity, during the provision of services, except when the injury or loss is caused by the sole negligence or intentional wrongdoing of GSF.
As stated previously, the current plan for open access is to use a Q in Q design where an ONT has an outer tag and each ONT port has an inner tag. All ONTs must support Q in Q encapsulation and have an MTU high enough to accommodate the tags while still allowing for an IP MTU of 1500 to a customer.
An OLT must accommodate the following scaling guidelines
Submission of a proposal shall constitute acceptance of all terms and conditions in this RFP. Conditional proposals may be rejected.
The issuance of this RFP does not constitute an assurance that GSF will enter into a contract with any respondent. GSF expressly reserves the right to:
GSF reserves the unequivocal right to decline awarding a contract to any of the participants at its sole discretion, without being bound to provide any justification or compensation for such decisions.
The purchase of PON network equipment contemplated under this RFP is sponsored by the Golden State Connect Authority (GSCA) and are funded through a combination of grant awards from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Federal Funding Account (FFA) and bond financing. CPUC FFA grant funds are used to support the planning, design, and construction of open‑access broadband infrastructure, while bond proceeds are used to supplement grant funding and support project delivery, capital financing, and long‑term network sustainability, all subject to applicable state and federal requirements and GSCA approvals.
GSF may choose multiple vendors. Contract(s) shall be awarded by the GSF Executive Director, consistent with scoring determined by a team of evaluators. Respondents may opt not to accept the award at that time.
GSF may choose to not award the contract to the next highest scored proposal, and so on; reject all remaining proposals; or reissue the RFP. An award does not guarantee a purchase of equipment and/or services. GSF will place orders based on need, current availability, lead-times, and other factors as needed.
Respondents are required to register for an account via the Procurement Portal in order to submit and receive answers to questions. Once the respondent has completed registration, they will receive addenda notifications to their email by clicking “Follow” on this project. It is the sole responsibility of each respondent to check the site for any question responses and addenda.
Respondents requiring clarification on the intent, terms and conditions, content of this RFP, or on procedural matters regarding the competitive award process may request clarification by submitting questions in writing to GSF via the Procurement Portal. Only questions submitted in writing in this manner shall be binding and official.
If a respondent who desires clarification or further information on the content of the solicitation, but whose questions relate to the proprietary aspect of its proposal and disclosure exposes its proposal to other respondents, the question may be submitted using the same criteria above with the notation “CONFIDENTIAL”. The respondent must explain why the question is sensitive in nature. If GSF, in its sole discretion, concurs that the disclosure of the question or answer would expose the proprietary nature of the Proposal, the question will be answered, and both the question and answer will be confidentially maintained. If GSF does not concur with the proprietary aspect of the question, the question and answer will not be confidentially maintained, and the respondent will be so notified.
Respondents are solely and exclusively responsible for submitting such inquiries or clarification requests not less than five (5) calendar days prior to the scheduled closing date for the receipt of proposals. GSF will only respond to respondent inquiries or clarification requests submitted timely and by this method. Responses, and any addenda to the RFP, shall be posted in the Procurement Portal and made available to all potential respondents. Responses may be provided on a flow basis, but will be posted no later than Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
An unsuccessful respondent shall have the right to appeal any scoring decision or contract award decision to GSF's Executive Director. The Executive Director, at their sole discretion, may award a contract notwithstanding the scoring process. In exercising this discretion, the Executive Director may request to confer with a respondent and/or request additional information or documentation. Should a respondent fail to confer or provide such information or documentation, the Executive Director may decline to consider the appeal. The Executive Director shall have an unlimited amount of time to make any such decisions.
The OLT should support third party ONTs. Please provide examples of third party ONTs that you have integrated into the control software and OLT. Please answer the following questions:
GSF's normal business hours are from 7:00AM to 5:00PM Pacific Time. Respondents will be responsible to coordinate with GSF during these times.
It is each respondent’s responsibility to ensure its proposal is submitted in a manner that enables GSF to easily locate all requirements stated in this RFP Packet. A respondent is responsible for ensuring all submission material is submitted by the deadline.
Final submissions must be signed by an individual authorized to bind the respondent’s organization contractually, if applicable. An unsigned final proposal may be rejected. A proposal must include a Company Profile that includes, at a minimum, the Business Name, Address, Contact Information, Type, State of Organization, and Names and Titles of all officers.
While not required, present options on how you could comply with the US government’s requirements in BEAD or similar projects that required made in the US devices.
Each respondent must have all requisite licenses, in active status, necessary to provide the Deliverables. The proposal must include sufficient information and supporting document to confirm that it meets this requirement.
This procurement process does not include any additional provision beyond the aforementioned appeal to protest either the process or resulting contract award(s).
Provide information regarding any technical support and hardware replacement options. Also provide details on the general location of where technical support is located during North America business hours and off hours. Please also provide the technical support escalation path. Hardware replacement should include options for advance replacement with overnight shipping.
Respondents who are awarded a contract under this RFP are expected to meet with GSF technical representatives for a “technical onboarding” where the different organizations can establish a comprehensive, mutual understanding of technical requirements, expectations, and preferences.
A Respondent may withdraw its proposal at any time prior to the submission deadline by using the withdrawal feature in the Procurement Portal. The Respondent may thereafter submit a new or modified proposal prior to the respective submission deadline. Modification offered in any other manner, oral or written, will not be considered.
Other than as allowed by law, final Proposals cannot be changed or withdrawn after the submission deadline date and time. A respondent’s final submission is an irrevocable offer for 180 days from the submission deadline, and after that period respondents may still contract for services under this RFP but will not be required to. Respondents may, but will not be required to, accept a contract award after this 180 day period.
Respondents must provide financial statements for the past fiscal year. These include at minimum: Income Statement, Balance Sheet, and Statement of Cash Flow. Tax returns or other similar tax documents will not be accepted. Respondents who provide audited financial statements must provide, to the extent they exist, an Auditor’s Opinion or Notes. Financial statements meeting these requirements provided by any external accounting firm are acceptable.
Prior to the award of a contract, GSF must be assured that a selected Respondent has the resources to successfully perform under the contract. This includes, but is not limited to, personnel in number and requisite skill; equipment of appropriate type and quantity; financial resources sufficient to complete performance under the contract; and experience in similar endeavors. If, during the evaluation process, GSF is unable to assure itself of the Respondent’s ability to perform under the contract if awarded, GSF has the option of requesting from the Respondent any information that GSF deems necessary to determine the Respondent’s responsibility. If such information is required, the Respondent will be so notified and will be permitted five (5) business days to submit the information requested in writing.
(insert language for Federal Funding Procurement Requirements)
Contractor agrees to comply with the requirements of the Secretary of Labor and the latest amendments to: Executive Orders 11246 and 11375, as supplemented in Department of Labor regulations (41 C.F.R. chapter 60); the Copeland “Anti-Kickback” Act (18 U.S.C. § 847) as supplemented in Department of Labor regulations (29 C.F.R. part 3); Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. §§ 2000); Section 109 of Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. §§ 5301 et seq.); the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 (42 U.S.C. §§ 6101 et seq.); and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. §§ 701 et seq.). Contractor agrees to comply with the requirements of all other applicable State, and local laws and regulations.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) provides a toll-free hotline to report bid rigging activities. Use the hotline to report bid rigging, bidder collusion, and other fraudulent activities. The hotline number is (800) 424-9071. The service is available 24 hours 7 days a week and is confidential and anonymous. The hotline is part of the DOT's effort to identify and investigate highway construction contract fraud and abuse and is operated under the direction of the DOT Inspector General.
Respondents must provide a minimum of three references where their equipment has been used in a production network.
In submitting this proposal, respondent declares each of the following:
GSF reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and/or waive any irregularity in any proposal received.
Each respondent must have all requisite licenses, in active status, necessary to provide the Deliverables. The proposal must include sufficient information and supporting document to confirm that it meets this requirement.
Provide financial statements for the past fiscal year. These include at minimum: Income Statement, Balance Sheet, and Statement of Cash Flow. Tax returns or other similar tax documents will not be accepted. Respondents who provide audited financial statements must provide, to the extent they exist, an Auditor’s Opinion or Notes. Financial statements meeting these requirements provided by any external accounting firm are acceptable.
Respondent must include a minimum of three (3) business references to vouch for their financial stability, customer service, and/or character.
Provide the following for each reference:
Company Name and Address:
Contact Person and Phone Number:
Respondent must agree that all losses or liabilities incurred by a party shall not be shared pro rata. Instead, the respondent must agree to hold harmless, defend, and indemnify GSF, its agents, officers, and employees, against all claims, suits, actions, costs, expenses (including but not limited to reasonable attorney's fees, expert fees, litigation costs, and investigation costs), damages, judgments or decrees by reason of any person’s or persons’ bodily injury, including death, or property (including respondent’s property) being damaged by the negligent acts, willful acts, or errors or omissions of respondent, or any person employed by or under respondent in any capacity, during the provision of services, except when the injury or loss is caused by the sole negligence or intentional wrongdoing of GSF.
Describe how you will provide all Deliverables. Please clearly label your responses to ensure all requested technical requirements can be met:
Example: Class A General Engineering license or Class C-34 Pipeline Contractor’s license and C-10 High Voltage license
For example: "To open the PDF construction drawings (Plans), due to their size, it is recommended that bidders use BlueBeam or FoxIT PDF applications. Some files may render improperly using other software such as Adobe Acrobat. Bidders should contact GSCA prior to the bid submission deadline to resolve any issues regarding PDF files."
SLED stands for State, Local, and Education. These are solicitations issued by state governments, counties, cities, school districts, utilities, and higher education institutions — as opposed to federal agencies.
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