This Request For Proposals is closed.
Eastgate is issuing this Request for Proposal ("RFP") for strategic broadband network engineering and deployment to improve broadband access for education, job creation, healthcare, and more in the Target Townships of Mahoning County (collectively the "ConnectMahoning Project"). It is Eastgate’s intent through this RFP for a third-party provider to expand Broadband Infrastructure, as hereinafter defined, to benefit the Target Townships' residents, businesses, community institutions, government, and overall economic development, and catalyze local innovation. Eastgate further desires to create an environment that serves Mahoning County citizens' current and future technology needs, and establishes a platform that supports and facilitates existing and new ISP, telecom carrier, and data center services expansion into Mahoning County.
It is Eastgate’s preference that any response includes fixed wireless solutions to ensure the Target Townships residents, businesses, and community institutions are provided with competitive, affordable, immediate, and long-term connectivity options.
Eastgate will contribute funds not to exceed $1.5 million for the ConnectMahoning Project. This project is being supported, in whole or in part, by funds awarded to the Board of Mahoning County Commissioners under Assistance Listing No. 21.027 by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
All proposals must be electronically generated in a format capable of being used by Eastgate. Respondents must submit four (4) printed paper copies of their proposal and one (1) Portable Document Format (PDF) version of all proposal materials saved on a USB flash drive to the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments at 100 E. Federal Street, Suite 1000, Youngstown, Ohio 44503.
Following the RFP Issue Date, Respondents may submit questions regarding this RFP at any time before 3:00 pm Eastern on August 4, 2023, via electronic mail to the following address (the "Eastgate Authorized Representative"): Mark Ragozine at mragozine@eastgatecog.org. Any individual who would like to receive future updates on this RFP must submit their name, organization, and email address to the Eastgate Authorized Representative by such deadline as well. Questions submitted to the Authorized Representative do not create exceptions to the terms and conditions of this RFP.
All questions submitted to, and answers provided by the Eastgate Authorized Representative shall be shared on or before August 8, 2023, on Eastgate’s website at www.eastgatecog.org. Respondents shall not contact any person who is an employee of Eastgate concerning this RFP, except for the Authorized Representative. Eastgate may disqualify any Respondent who makes such contact.
The deadline for Eastgate’s receipt of a Respondent's proposal, in both the printed and PDF versions as outlined above, is August 18th, at 2:00 PM Eastern. Respondents may submit their proposals at any time before the above-stated deadline. Failure to submit the required formats and the number of copies by this deadline may be subject to disqualification from the RFP process. Eastgate shall bear no responsibility for submitting proposals on behalf of any Respondent. No extensions shall be granted for responses to this RFP.
Read The Full RFP
* Questions and Answers regarding the RFP can be found below *
Q1: The RFP notes that all funds dispersed under this contract must be spent by June 30, 2024. Is that also the date by which you expect construction to be completed?
A1: No, construction does not need to be completed by June 30, 2024. This is the date that the funds need to be encumbered.
Q2: As referenced on page 1 of the RFP, Is there an existing list of Mahoning County (or Local Publicly owned) Assets? Primarily, Fiber, Vertical Assets (Wireless Towers, Water Towers, County-owned Buildings) in or near the target communities which would / could be available for use with this Project?
A2: Mahoning County is expanding the capacity of MYORIS (Mahoning Youngstown Regional Information System) which connects government locations across the county. This expansion project will enhance bandwidth and network speeds by adding additional fiber to government locations (see the attached KMZ file here).
Mahoning County has an IRU with Involta for excess fiber capacity which the County will make available to the selected provider to assist in this project. Note that while the excess fiber capacity is being offered by the County, the selected provider is not required to use it. If the provider chooses to use the excess fiber capacity, there will be an MOU established between the County and the provider for the use of the county’s IRU’ed fiber assets to service those five selected townships. The provider will obtain an agreement with Involta for the maintenance and splicing of that fiber.
Q3: Is there availability of publicly owned land within the target areas?
A3: Yes, to accelerate the ConnectMahoning project deployment, the County is committed to leveraging county owned vertical assets to permit the selected provider to place equipment on these assets. The county owned assets may include, but not limited to, wireless towers, water towers, county buildings, and any subsequently acquired rights, for direct use in this project. The access and use of these vertical assets by the selected provider would be established in an MOU.
Q4: Is there a list of usable assets or should we submit prospective vertical assets or land parcels to county for review?
A4: We direct respondents to include the assets or land parcels in their proposal as possible locations for usage. In the Eastgate Regional Broadband Feasibility Study, completed in 2021, Section 4: Site Analysis, includes an inventory of various Mahoning County assets that could potentially be utilized for this project. The feasibility study can be found by navigating to www.eastgatecog.org/broadband