Data Center Design & Planning RFP PDF
Data Center Design & Planning RFP PDF
For
Table of Contents
1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................................... 3
1.1 Overview .....................................................................................................................................................3
1.2 Intent and Purpose of RFP ..........................................................................................................................3
1.3 Organization of this RFP Document ............................................................................................................3
2 Background ..................................................................................................................................................... 4
2.1 Scope of Work ............................................................................................................................................4
2.1.1 Conceptual Design Options ....................................................................................................................4
2.1.2 Detailed Design Plan ..............................................................................................................................4
3 Terms and Conditions ..................................................................................................................................... 5
3.1 Award .........................................................................................................................................................5
3.2 Contacts and Clarifications .........................................................................................................................5
3.3 Cost of Bidding ............................................................................................................................................5
3.4 Reservation of Rights ..................................................................................................................................5
3.5 Period of Validity of Proposal .....................................................................................................................6
3.6 Addenda to RFP ..........................................................................................................................................6
3.7 Price Quotations and Currency Instructions ...............................................................................................6
3.8 Use and Disclose of Information ................................................................................................................6
3.9 Contractual Requirement ...........................................................................................................................6
3.10 Hand Holding Period ...................................................................................................................................7
3.11 Contract Negotiations ................................................................................................................................7
3.12 Proposal Evaluation ....................................................................................................................................7
3.13 Scoring Procedure ......................................................................................................................................8
3.14 Patent Rights ..............................................................................................................................................9
3.15 Standards ....................................................................................................................................................9
3.16 Liquidated Damages ...................................................................................................................................9
3.17 Delays in the Vendor’s Performance ..........................................................................................................9
3.18 Third Parties..............................................................................................................................................10
3.19 Vendor Designated Contact ......................................................................................................................10
3.20 Submission of Responses to the RFP ........................................................................................................10
3.21 Timeline/Schedule of Events ....................................................................................................................11
3.22 Eligible Bidders .........................................................................................................................................11
4 Technical Specification ................................................................................................................................. 12
4.1 Modelling & Simulation ............................................................................................................................12
4.2 Electrical/Power Quality Design ...............................................................................................................12
4.3 Mechanical/Cooling Design ......................................................................................................................12
4.4 Architectural & Civil Design ......................................................................................................................12
4.5 Data Center White Space Design ..............................................................................................................13
4.6 Network & Connectivity Design................................................................................................................13
4.7 Security & Access Control Design .............................................................................................................13
4.8 Fire Protection Design ..............................................................................................................................13
4.9 NOC & DC Management Design ...............................................................................................................14
5 Vendor Profile............................................................................................................................................... 15
5.1 Company Size, Organization and Location ...............................................................................................15
5.2 Number of Customers/Related Sites ........................................................................................................15
5.3 Client References ......................................................................................................................................15
5.4 Implementation Timeline .........................................................................................................................15
5.5 Support Information .................................................................................................................................15
5.6 Strategic Alliances and Partnerships ........................................................................................................16
5.7 Industry Awards and Certifications ..........................................................................................................16
5.8 Project Team.............................................................................................................................................16
5.9 Financial Statement ..................................................................................................................................16
Page 2 of 16
Request for Proposal (RFP)
Data Center Design & Planning
Version 3.0
1. Introduction
1.1 Overview
Bestline Communications, LP acquired a 5000 square foot, 1 story office space at 13945 Highway 183 North, Austin, Texas
78717. Bestline purposes to design and construct a data center to harmonize and house various customer applications and
equipment. The purpose of this RFP process is to identify qualified firms to provide datacenter design and planning for the
acquired space. Interested vendors, therefore, are required to develop a proposal for the service(s) to be deployed covering all
bid areas and the implementation plan for meeting the specified requirements. The proposal must be submitted by 3:00 PM on
August 29, 2014.
The purpose of this RFP is to enter into a firm fixed price agreement with a Consultant for Phase One of Bestline’s Data Center
Project (“Project”). Phase One includes Development of Data Center Strategy, Conceptual Design Options and a Detailed Design
Plan of the option selected by Bestline.
A consultant awarded an agreement as a result of this RFP for Phase One will be eligible to propose and be awarded an
agreement for Phase Two of the Project, Implementation & Construction.
Section 1 – Introduction
This section introduces the RFP, and explains its structure.
Section 2 – Background
This section provides the background of the project.
Page 3 of 16
Request for Proposal (RFP)
Data Center Design & Planning
Version 3.0
2 Background
The Consultant awarded a contract as a result of this RFP for Phase One shall perform the following services and
provide associated deliverables.
Page 4 of 16
Request for Proposal (RFP)
Data Center Design & Planning
Version 3.0
3.1 Award
Bestline reserves the right to award the contract to the best vendor without necessarily holding discussion with
other vendors that submitted a response to the RFP. Therefore, proposals must be submitted initially on the most
favorable terms possible from a pricing, solution coverage, delivery, support and technical standpoint.
Should there be any clarifications concerning RFP, the prospective bidder shall notify the same to Bestline in
writing. The time for clarifications shall be extended until the deadline for submission of bids.
In an effort to maintain consistency and uniformity in responding to questions concerning the RFP, bidders are
encouraged to direct all the questions to:
Kerry Myers
Project Management Office
Bestline Communications
[email protected]
512-328-9095
Copies of the response, where appropriate, shall be forwarded to all the bidders.
All costs incurred by the Bidder in responding to this Request for Proposal, including cost for embarking on client
reference, will be entirely absorbed by the Bidder.
Accept or reject any bid, in part or in full, and to annul the bidding process and reject all bids at any time
prior to Contract award.
Accept the bid(s) that is/are in the best interest of Bestline.
Accept other than the lowest quoted price.
Cancel the project at any time prior to the signing of the contract without assigning any reasons thereof.
Bestline has no obligation to explain to unsuccessful Bidders the reasons for not proceeding with the
contract.
Bestline bears no responsibilities to issue a contract. All responses remain the property of Bestline. In the event a
contract is agreed upon, responses to RFP may be referenced, in whole or in part, and considered binding.
Proposals, which, in the sole judgment of Bestline, are incomplete or considered non-responsive may be rejected.
Page 5 of 16
Request for Proposal (RFP)
Data Center Design & Planning
Version 3.0
Proposals are valid for one (1) year from the closing date of submission of proposals and Bestline reserves the right
to extend for an additional period of thirty (30) days with the same terms and conditions. A proposal valid for a
shorter period shall be rejected by Bestline as non-responsive.
Bestline may amend or modify the RFP Documents by issuing addenda, for any reason, and at any time
prior to the deadline for submission of proposal. Any addenda to the RFP Documents shall be part of the
RFP Document.
All Bidders will be notified of the addenda to the RFP through email and in writing and it shall be binding
on the prospective Bidders.
To allow Bidders reasonable time to take any addenda into account in preparing their proposal, Bestline
will extend, if necessary, the deadline for the submission of proposal.
Price quotations will include but not limited to the following items; details of all proposed products (hardware,
software, network, etc), training, documentation and services necessary for the successful implementation of the
contract except as may be otherwise expressly provided herein and awarded.
The Bidder should quote the rates, inclusive of all taxes, in US Dollars.
All quotations should be final, not estimates. Bidders should state clearly that the quotations include all costs.
Bidders may be invited for further negotiations on their quoted bids. However, invitation for further negotiations
does not in any way imply a successful bid or intention by Bestline to award the bid to the Vendor.
The Bidder shall not disclose information within this RFP to any third party without a written approval from
Bestline. Likewise, information within this RFP shall not be used for any other purpose not directly related to the
response to this RFP or to the job in the case of an award.
Vendors are requested to indicate their acceptance of each of the following terms and conditions and provide the
additional information requested below:
This RFP, Bidders’ proposals, any associated documentation, and any interchange of correspondence or
information by way of elucidation or amplification, will form the basis of the Bidder’s contractual obligations.
However, such contractual obligation will be solely under the discretion of Bestline.
Page 6 of 16
Request for Proposal (RFP)
Data Center Design & Planning
Version 3.0
Vendors should note that final contracts will be based on provided Terms and Conditions, and would be expected
to include the following provisions:
The vendor shall be part of the Infrastructure Stabilization Period for any reconfiguration or optimization of the
infrastructure components. Bestline expects a minimum of 5 months for handholding/stabilization of the deployed
solution(s). The vendor should specify the duration of Infrastructure Stabilization Period, with the minimum of 5
months for stabilization of the deployed solution(s), they are willing to support with details of support engagement
during this period. The Infrastructure Stabilization Period commences from the day the proposed solution(s) are
accepted by Bestline.
After selection of the highest ranking bidder, Bestline may enter into negotiations with the bidder for purpose of
signing a contract with response to the proposed solution(s). If the highest ranking bidder fails to negotiate,
Bestline shall enter into negotiation with the second highest ranking bidder and so on.
Bestline’s evaluation of your response to this Request for Proposal will be based on its subjective assessment of
each element of the Bidder’s response, including intangible factors, such as Bestline’s perception of ability to meet
its commitments.
Bestline reserves the right to accept or reject any or all responses at its sole discretion and to negotiate the terms
of any subsequent agreements. Bestline is looking for reliable, competent Consultants who have the ability to
meet or exceed the stringent selection criteria. These selection criteria include, but are not limited to the
following:
Page 7 of 16
Request for Proposal (RFP)
Data Center Design & Planning
Version 3.0
Company Evaluation – Detailed assessment of the history of the Consultant (in terms of financial stability, profile
of the key technical staff proposed for the solution, project management standards and procedure, training etc).
Solution Capabilities – Assessment of the functional fit of the proposed solution(s) to the business requirements of
Bestline.
Solution Coverage – Vendors should bid on all requirements covered by this Request for Proposal. In this context,
Consultants who are able to reliably provide a broader range and depth of solution(s) to Bestline will receive
preference in the selection process.
Cost Competitiveness – Vendors must provide highly competitive pricing – pricing reserved for their largest and
most important accounts – both at the outset of the relationship and on an ongoing basis. Vendors should include
any discounts associated with future RFPs for construction, hardware purchase and implementation. Bestline
expects its providers to assist in identifying opportunities to reduce the total cost of ownership of the proposed
solution.
Project Experience – Bestline wishes to work closely with proven and tested end-to-end Consultants. This will be
judged, in part, through similar project implementation and customer references. It is also expected that venders
live up to the commitments they make with Bestline.
Project Delivery Timeline – Vendors with strong capacity to deliver the required solution(s) in good time, based on
past experience will receive higher consideration.
The scoring parameter for the evaluation of vendor response is segregated into different bid areas, which will
include each bid area defined in the RFP. The evaluation will be carried out in a discreet manner covering two
major attributes, the Technical and Financial.
Technical Bid – the evaluation criteria set for design of the Data Center is subjected to a wide range of scoring
parameters such as company expertise, company profile, human resource, financial capability, maintenance,
warranty, etc.
The following are the major components for the overall technical evaluation procedure:
Meeting the specified technical specifications of the products proposed by Bestline – compliance
statement
Company profile of the bidding firm
Technical manpower of the firm (trained, experienced and qualified personnel for the performance and
completion of all the contractual obligations arising out of this document)
Financial Bid – the financial bid score will consist 40% of the total evaluation score. The lowest bidder will be
awarded 40% directly.
E=[(F1/F)*40] + [T/Th)*60]
Where
E=total score for the vendor response (combining technical and financial bids)
F=financial bid quoted by a particular vendor
Page 8 of 16
Request for Proposal (RFP)
Data Center Design & Planning
Version 3.0
(Bestline retains the right to alter the evaluation criteria at any point in the process.)
The highest scoring firm shall be invited for negotiation. Should the negotiation fail, the next highest scoring firm
shall be invited for negotiation.
The representative, other than the proprietors themselves, conducting negotiations on behalf of the selected
bidder must have written authority to negotiate and to conclude a binding agreement.
The successful Bidder will be required to sign an agreement incorporating entire terms and conditions covered in
this RFP and any additional terms and conditions agreed during the negotiation.
The Vendor shall indemnify Bestline against all third party claims of infringement of patent, trademark or industrial
design rights arising from us of the provided services/solutions or any part thereof.
3.15 Standards
These General conditions shall apply to the extent that they are not superseded by provision in other parts of the
contract. The components (hardware, software, network etc) of the solution provided by the vendor under this
Contract shall conform to the standards mentioned in the Technical Specifications/Requirement List and, when no
applicable standard is mentioned, to the authoritative standard appropriate to the solution required, and such
standards shall be the latest issued by the concerned institution.
The Vendor shall be liable to pay liquidated damages at the rate of zero point one (0.1%) percent of the Contract
Price for every day of delay. The aggregate liquidated damages, payable by the Vendor shall not exceed 10% of the
Contract Price.
Delivery of the solution(s) and performance of services shall be made by the Vendor as specified in the
Implementation Timeline and/or the Contract.
An unexcused delay by the Vendor in the performance of its delivery obligations shall render the Vendor liable to
any or all of the following sanctions: imposition of liquidated damages, and or termination of the Contract for
default.
If at any time during performance of the contract, the Vendor or its subcontractor(s) should encounter conditions
impeding timely delivery of the agreed solution(s) and performance of services, the Vendor shall promptly notify
Bestline in writing of the fact of the delay, it’s likely duration and its causes. As soon as practicable after receipt of
Page 9 of 16
Request for Proposal (RFP)
Data Center Design & Planning
Version 3.0
the Vendor’s notice, Bestline shall evaluate the situation and may at its discretion extend the Vendor’s time for
performance, in which case the extension shall be ratified by the parties by amendment of the contract.
Bestline will have the right, at any time at its sole discretion, to contract with third parties to perform all or any
part of the services provided for in this RFP. In case the Vendor is not directly present within Austin, Texas, the
Vendor should detail the engagement model for the delivery of products and services to Bestline as part of the
response. The Vendor will cooperate with such third parties and Bestline. Additionally, the Vendor will adhere to
the following requirements:
Delegation – The Vendor will neither delegate nor subcontract any of its responsibilities, without prior written
approve of Bestline.
Sub-contractors – If the Vendor intends to use sub-contractors, the Vendor’s proposal must include a list of
proposed material subcontractors containing the firm name, a description of the work to be subcontracted, an
explanation of why that work is to be subcontracted, and descriptive information about each subcontractor’s
ability to perform the work.
Standards – Sub-contractors will adhere to the standards, policies, and procedures of Bestline and the primary
Vendor’s which are in effect.
Vendor Capability – The Vendor must confirm that it will be responsible for all obligations performed by sub-
contractors to the same extent as such obligations were performed by the Vendor.
The respondent should identify the name, title, address, telephone, fax and email of a single point of contact (and
one alternate) for the duration of this RFP process. The availability of this person should be specified.
Vendor shall give the postal address, telephone, fax numbers and email addresses of the contact person
authorized to receive all communications on the Vendor’s behalf. Bestline will only send communication to this
address. Initials/seals of the bidders must be placed on all the pages of the proposal.
These copies should be sealed in separate envelopes, subscripted as “Proposal for Design of Data Center -
Technical” and “Proposal for Design of Data Center – Commercial” respectively. Thus, the Vendor shall submit
one sealed envelope containing two separate sealed envelopes labeled Technical and Commercial.
The Technical and Commercial offers would need to be delivered in person, by the Vendor’s representative to:
Page 10 of 16
Request for Proposal (RFP)
Data Center Design & Planning
Version 3.0
The electronic version of the response must also be submitted in a CD-ROM, Thumb Drive or via Email prior to the
deadline, and must be placed in the sealed cover only. This copy of the response must be in any of the Microsoft
Office Suite formats (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Visio). The electronic version is in addition to the two sealed
copies outlined above.
All packages must be delivered to Bestline by 3:00 PM on Friday, August 29, 2014.
Bestline reserves the right to disqualify Bidders whose responses are not submitted by this date and time. No
responses will be accepted after the deadline for submission of bids unless Bestline determines in its sole
judgment, to do so. Bestline may, at its discretion, extend the deadline for the submission of Bids by amending the
Bidding Documents, in which case all rights and obligations of Bestline and Bidders previously subject to the
deadline shall thereafter be subject to the deadline as extended. The proposal, along with all supporting
documents shall become the property of Bestline.
This Request for Proposal (RFP) represents one of several steps taken to assist Bestline efficient solution that will
meet its business requirement. Bestline reserves the right to adjust the RFP schedule listed below:
ACTIVITY DATE/TIMELINE
RFP Announcement August 13, 2014
Vendor Walk Through August 22, 2014
Questions & Clarifications August 29, 2014
Receive response to RFP (deadline) August 29, 2014
Evaluate Technical Bids vendor response, Selected vendor presentations September 8, 2014
Cost negotiation, selection and award of contract September 15, 2014
Bestline will do all that is feasible within foreseeable limits to ensure strict adherence to this timeline.
Invitation to bid is open to all registered firms in Texas who hold a valid license, with competency in Network and
Data Center design. Bids unaccompanied by such license will be rejected. For availability of prompt services &
support, the Bidder must have an office residing in or around Austin, TX.
I. Valid trade License or other documents to prove the legal status and place of registration of the business.
II. A record of similar assignments carried out in Texas by the firm or strategic partner in the last 3 years.
III. Manufacture’s authorization letter for major equipment
IV. Bidding firm or alliance partner must have at least one certified Technical consultant for Data Center.
Page 11 of 16
Request for Proposal (RFP)
Data Center Design & Planning
Version 3.0
4 Technical Specification
This section provides information on the technical requirements/specifications for the required
solution(s)/service(s).
Design of system room power starting from the building distribution transformer, including
main distribution switchgear, power factor compensation equipment, cable routing,
system room distribution switchboards, cables and sockets.
Engineering drawings for electrical, automation and data lines.
Design of protection system including proper circuit breaker selection and coordination.
Earthing/Grounding conforming to the protection system design, covering the entire
grounding network.
Lighting design drawings of the system room.
UPS installation and alignment of the electrical installation (connector room, system room
distribution board and shaft, system room distribution cabinet and feeder cables, sockets)
with the related standards.
Generator system design including sub base fuel tank and remote fuel tank along with fuel
delivery system design for diesel generator or design for existing natural gas utilities.
Power distribution and redundancy level details per the Tier standard followed.
Simulation of the entire design to ensure safety and desired redundancy.
Sizing of equipment such as fuses and cables used in electrical panels.
Design parts related with Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) rating for the facility.
Energy Consumption, Peak Demand and Energy Installation Designs.
Design of Data Center general layout such as Technical Rooms, Entrance Room, Open Area,
Wall Space, Fire Rated Doors, Windows etc.
Design of Ceiling Construction and Specification of Ceiling height.
Design of rooms which have to be physically separate from the Data Center.
Specification of floors, walls and ceiling such as anti-static, fire rated properties.
Design of lighting fixtures and emergency lighting.
Exterior bearing & non-bearing walls.
Page 12 of 16
Request for Proposal (RFP)
Data Center Design & Planning
Version 3.0
Design of the fire detection, warning and extinguishing system for the system room and
other service rooms.
Design of wet-based fire suppression system
Page 13 of 16
Request for Proposal (RFP)
Data Center Design & Planning
Version 3.0
Location and operating principles of fire detection sensors, including definition of zones for
easier access to fire.
Formation of leakage prevention (non-leakage) test procedures.
Location of the fire detection, warning and extinguishing control panels.
Locations of manual fire extinguishing equipment.
Operating principles of air-conditioning and electrical installation in case of a fire.
Operating principles of doors for the evacuation of personnel in the building and in the
system room in cases of fire and emergency.
Design of fireproof walls and doors of the system room.
Page 14 of 16
Request for Proposal (RFP)
Data Center Design & Planning
Version 3.0
5 Vendor Profile
This section is intended to provide Bestline with sufficient information to enable an evaluation of Bidder’s
company’s stability and ability to provide the service(s) described in the response. Please include the following
information:
Provide brief profile of Bidder’s company detailing the description of corporate ownership, number of employees,
number of divisions and/or product lines, number and description of location(s), etc.
List organization where similar service(s) have been provided, in a chronological sequence of platform or services
provided, as appropriate.
Names of at least three (3) client references similar in size, industry, scope, and complexity to Bestline and which
have purchased the vendor’s proposed service(s)/solution(s) for a comparable environment. Information must
include these points at a minimum:
A complete set of Reference (as stated above) must be provided for each Bid area as outlined in Section 4.
Vendors are required to provide a logical implementation plan (and state possible delivery date barring all
unforeseen circumstances) to be adopted.
Please note that for each bid area, Bestline expects the successful Vendor(s) to complete implementation within
the negotiated timeframe.
Specify the number of support sites of company. Which support site will be responsible for Bestline?
Page 15 of 16
Request for Proposal (RFP)
Data Center Design & Planning
Version 3.0
Outline the support structure of your organization, i.e. the number of staff allocated to customer support,
development and maintenance.
Include copies of Escalation procedures, help desk procedures and direct contact with owner/developers.
Submit relevant documentation on, and describe all technical partnerships and strategic alliances the company is
involved in.
Please provide necessary information on significant awards/certifications possessed by Bidder’s organization or its
employees that are relevant to the successful delivery of this project.
Provide detail structure of the overall project team, the number of staff and the profile (qualification, experience,
individual role in the project) of those that will be involved in the execution of the various solutions as stated in
section 4.0.
Explain the roles and responsibilities of sub-contractors (if any) that would be engaged on the project (see section
3.19).
Include copies of audited financial statement. (E.g. balance sheet, profit & loss, cash flow statement for the past 3
years).
END OF DOCUMENT
Page 16 of 16