RFP No. 902705 Network Systems Modernization

It is the intent of these specifications, terms, and conditions to describe network systems modernization being requested by the County.

The County intends to award a three (3) year contract (with the option to renew for two (2) years) to the Bidder selected as the most responsive and responsible Bidder whose response conforms to the RFP and meets the County’s requirements.

Background

The Network Modernization Project will encompass both on-premises enterprise data centers and public cloud environments to deliver resilient, secure, and scalable network services across approximately 200 locations throughout the County of Alameda’s  geographically dispersed footprint. The modernization effort will address an environment supporting 30,000 wired switchports and approximately 10,000 remote and on-site users, ensuring seamless connectivity and optimized performance. This infrastructure supports essential County operations serving approximately 1.6 million residents who rely on these systems for critical public services.

The County of Alameda’s current technology infrastructure has reached a point where modernization is essential to meet the demands of emerging technologies and evolving County initiatives. The County’s agencies require a secure, scalable, and efficient infrastructure framework capable of supporting diverse services and continuous innovation. To achieve this, the County of Alameda is advancing toward automated device and network management solutions designed to improve operational efficiency, consistency, and resiliency. The new architecture will be built upon Zero Trust principles, emphasizing continuous verification, least privilege access, and robust endpoint security.

A key objective of this modernization effort is to strengthen software and configuration management across all infrastructure components, ensuring standardized deployment, improved governance, and enhanced visibility. These improvements will deliver stronger security controls, better compliance, and improved oversight of County assets. As part of this initiative, the County of Alameda is also embarking on a comprehensive branch and campus modernization program to upgrade network infrastructure, enhance connectivity, and enable secure, high-performance access across all County locations. This modernization will support both remote and on-site operations, aligning with the County’s goals for automation, security, and efficient service delivery.

The County of Alameda has adopted a hybrid computing model that integrates on-premises and cloud environments. This includes virtualization technologies such as Broadcom VMware, Microsoft Hyper-V, and Oracle VirtualBox, as well as cloud platforms including Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Google Cloud Platform (GCP). The awarded Contractor will be expected to assist in maintaining, optimizing, and evolving this hybrid and distributed environment to ensure ongoing alignment with industry’s best practices and County standards and integrating this architecture with the current County systems and operations.

The County’s vision is to evolve toward a zero-trust architecture that ensures every user, device, and workload connecting to the County of Alameda network is authenticated, authorized, and continuously monitored. This initiative will strengthen County operations, improve service delivery, and enhance the overall security posture while aligning with modern technologies and regulatory requirements. The modernization effort includes significant upgrades to branch and campus networks, ensuring that all County locations benefit from standardized, automated, and policy-driven network infrastructure. These enhancements will improve performance, security, and manageability across all campuses and remote sites, providing consistent user experience and unified security posture regardless of location.

Project Details

• Reference ID: 902705
• Department: General Services Agency-Procurement
• Department Head: Detra Dillon (Purchasing Administrator)

Important Dates

• Questions Due: 2026-05-14T00:00:00.000Z
• Pre-Proposal Meeting: 2026-05-12T17:30:00.000Z — Microsoft Teams meeting Join: RFP 902705 Bidders Conference Meeting ID: 242 162 769 394 2 Passcode: 6Pi67AN3 Dial in by phone: +1 415-915-3950 Phone conference ID: 173 526 169

Evaluation Criteria

• Completeness of Response (1 pts) —

  Responses to this solicitation must be complete.  Responses must address all the requirements identified within this solicitation and all related documents, including any Addenda. Failure to meet the Bidder Minimum Qualifications may also be considered an incomplete response and may result in the disqualification of the Bidder.

• Debarment and Suspension (1 pts) —

  Bidders, its principal, and named subcontractors are not identified on the list of Federally debarred, suspended, or other excluded parties located at www.sam.gov/SAM.

• Cost (75 pts) —

  The points for Cost will be computed by dividing the amount of the lowest responsive and responsible bid received by each Bidder’s total proposed cost.

  Cost evaluation points may be adjusted by considering:

  1. Reasonableness (i.e., how well does the proposed pricing accurately reflect the Bidder’s effort to meet requirements and objectives?).
  2. Realism (i.e., is the proposed cost appropriate to the nature of the products and/or services to be provided?).
• Technical Criteria (75 pts) —

  In each area described below, an evaluation will be made of the probability of success and risks associated with the proposal response:

  1. Design - A comparison will be made of the proposed modernization solutions designs.  The proposal will be rated higher for features of the proposed design that offer enhanced utility, ease of use, comprehensiveness of management and  ease of integration with existing infrastructure equipment and systems.
  2. Solution Implementations- The evaluation will compare the proposed software capabilities with the requirements of this RFP and in terms of the software’s compatibility with existing infrastructure management and infrastructure systems.
  3. Life-Cycle Support - An assessment will be made of the scope and extent of resources required to operate and maintain the proposed modernization solutions.
  4. Ancillary Services - A comparison will be made of the proposed services with the requirements of this RFP.  Scoring will take into account convenience, responsiveness, and technical expertise. 
• Description of Proposed Services (50 pts) —

  Proposals will be evaluated considering the RFP specifications and the questions below:

  1. How well has Bidder demonstrated a thorough understanding of the purpose and scope of the project?
  2. How well does the description of proposed services depict a logical approach to fulfilling the requirements of the RFP?
  3. How well does the description of proposed services achieve all the requirements in the RFP, including the deliverables and reports the County expects it to provide?
  4. How thorough, thoughtful, and relevant is Bidder’s plan to collect data to monitor the progress of the proposed services?
  5. How well has Bidder identified pertinent issues and potential problems related to the project?
• Implementation Plan and Schedule (50 pts) —

  Evaluation will include the likelihood that Bidder’s implementation plan and schedule will meet the County’s schedule and is reasonable. Identification and planning for mitigation of risks that Bidder believes may adversely affect any portion of the County’s schedule may be considered.

  1. How effectively did the Bidder’s plan and schedule detail the information provided in the RFP?
  2. How well has the Bidder demonstrated that it understands the County’s schedule and can meet it? 
• Relevant Experience (100 pts) —

  Proposals will be evaluated, including considering the RFP specifications and the questions below:

  1. How much experience does the Bidder have with similar projects?
  2. How much experience does the individuals assigned to the project have experience on similar projects?
  3. How extensive is the applicable education and experience of the personnel designated to work on the project?
• References (25 pts) —

  References

• Understanding of the Project (50 pts) —

  Proposals will be evaluated considering the RFP specifications and the questions below:

  1. How well has the Bidder demonstrated a thorough understanding of the purpose and scope of the project?
  2. How well has the Bidder identified pertinent issues and potential problems related to the project?
  3. How well has the Bidder demonstrated that it understands the deliverables the County expects it to provide?
  4. How well has the Bidder demonstrated that it understands the County’s schedule and can meet it? 
• Methodology (50 pts) —

  Proposals will be evaluated considering the RFP specifications and the questions below:

  1. How well does the methodology depict a logical approach to fulfilling the requirements of the RFP?
  2. How well does the methodology match and contribute to achieving the objectives set out in the RFP?
  3. How well does the methodology interface with the County’s schedule? 
• Budget Detail (25 pts) —

  Proposals will be evaluated against the RFP specifications and the questions below:

  1. How well does Bidder’s cost capture all activities and staff needed to meet the services requested?
  2. How well does the Bidder allocate staff and resources?
  3. How well does the Budget Justification detail how Bidder arrived at particular calculations?
  4. Is the proposed cost appropriate to the nature of the services to be provided?
  5. How clear, realistic, and reasonable are costs in relation to the services provided and the number of clients to be served?
  6. How well does the Bidder describe its fiscal oversight and management practices?
  7. How well does the Bidder identify all County resource assumptions, including estimated County staff hours by phase and domain, required skill sets/roles, and any corresponding effort tied to County participation? 
• Small Local Emerging Business Preference (25 pts) —

  Points equaling 5% of the Bidder’s total score for the above Evaluation Criteria will be added.  This will be the Bidder’s final score for purposes of award evaluation.

• Local Preference (25 pts) —

  Points equaling 5% of the Bidder’s total score for the above Evaluation Criteria will be added.  This will be the Bidder’s final score for purposes of award evaluation.

Submission Requirements

• Submit Bid Response and Bid Form (required) —

  Please confirm that both your response and the Bid Form have been uploaded here.

• Submit Bid Response (required) —

  Please confirm that your response has been uploaded here.

• Has your response addressed all the requirements identified within the solicitation and all related documents, including any addenda? Failure to meet the Bidder Minimum Qualifications may also be considered an incomplete response and may result in the disqualification of your bid. (required)
• Your company, its principal, and named subcontractors are not identified on the list of Federally debarred, suspended, or other excluded parties located at www.sam.gov/SAM. (required)
• I certify that I have read, understood and agree to the terms in this solicitation, and that I am authorized to submit this response on behalf of my company. (required)
• Pricing (required) —
  • Choose Option 1 when you have set line items, for example:
    • This is a quote for goods or commodities.
    • This is a public works bid, with a pricing table that can be uploaded into OpenGov Procurement from an Excel spreadsheet.
    • Seeking services for hourly rate schedules.
  • Choose Option 2 when you need vendors to provide you with the line items. 
• Evaluation Committee? (required) —

  Will there be an evaluation committee to review the proposals and score them based on weights and multiple criteria?

• Procurement and/or Project Contact (required) —

  Select the information you would like display.