REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL EBS Wireless Broadband Network Design, Deployment, and Operations

Attachments

Exhibits

 

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

EBS Wireless Broadband Network Design, Deployment, and Operations
COLORADO RIVER INDIAN TRIBES

October 5, 2026

ISSUED BY:
Colorado River Indian Tribes
Tribal Council
26600 Mohave Rd.
Parker, AZ 85344

Important legal notice: Nothing in this RFP or any resulting contract shall be construed as a waiver of the sovereign immunity of the Colorado River Indian Tribes.

 

1. General

CRIT is soliciting proposals from qualified design-build entities to deliver an integrated wireless broadband project consisting of two coordinated scopes under a single procurement.

Scope A is a mandatory point-to-point (PtP) institutional transport/backbone network using CRIT’s 2.5 GHz Educational Broadband Service (EBS) spectrum and related facilities as appropriate. This scope is tied to CRIT’s EBS Tribal Priority Window license performance obligations and must be engineered so that CRIT can rely on the resulting operating links for FCC compliance.

Scope B is a mandatory point-to-multipoint (PtMP) access network serving the ACA grant locations identified in the attached service-location schedule. This scope is funded separately from the EBS compliance scope and must therefore be priced, invoiced, documented, and asset-tracked separately even where infrastructure is shared.

CRIT is not seeking a generic feasibility study or a high-level concept paper. CRIT seeks a practical, field-verifiable, design-build solution that can be permitted, constructed, placed into operation, tested, documented, and accepted.

• Serve all mandatory PtP institutional endpoints identified in Attachment 2 through an operational PtP network and associated transport architecture.
• Serve all ACA PtMP service locations identified in Attachment 3 through an operational PtMP access network, including associated base-station, backhaul, and subscriber-side components required by the proposer’s design.
• Use the provided CRIT candidate tower locations as the baseline starting point for design, validate them in the field, and identify any new or alternate sites required to complete the work.
• Provide a current FCC compliance approach based on 47 C.F.R. § 27.14(u) and current FCC guidance applicable to Tribal Window licenses.
• Provide separate pricing, schedule logic, schedules of values, invoicing support, and asset identification by funding source/scope.

1. Background

CRIT holds or controls 2.5 GHz EBS spectrum that was acquired through the FCC’s Rural Tribal Priority Window process. CRIT intends to preserve the value of this spectrum by constructing and operating facilities that satisfy current FCC performance requirements while also leveraging the network to support Tribal governmental, community, and grant-funded broadband objectives.

 

CRIT also has a separate ACA-funded PtMP service scope supported through ARPA-related state grant funding. The PtMP portion of this project is to be treated as a required project component, but it remains distinct from the EBS compliance scope for purposes of cost allocation, contract administration, reporting, and documentation.

 

The information provided with this package is planning-level information only unless expressly stated otherwise. Proposers are responsible for independent verification of all design assumptions, site conditions, line-of-sight, structural capacity, utility availability, access, permitting needs, and installation conditions.

 

1. Design-Build Delivery Expectations

 

• CRIT expects one prime contractor/design-builder to take full responsibility for design, engineering, procurement, subcontractor coordination, construction, integration, testing, commissioning, training, warranty, and closeout.
• The design-builder shall provide the complete solution required for acceptance, including all labor, materials, equipment, software, licensing, mounting hardware, poles/supports/modifications, power systems, grounding, surge protection, shelters/enclosures, cabling, labeling, and test instruments required by the design.
• Design-builder proposals shall be performance-based and vendor-neutral. No brand is preselected by CRIT. Proposers may recommend any manufacturer(s) that satisfy the functional requirements of this RFP.
• The design-builder shall produce a complete and buildable design. Any proposer that intends to rely on later scope qualification, undefined owner allowances, or vague engineering assumptions must clearly identify those items in Exhibit D.
• CRIT may award one integrated contract with separate notices to proceed, separate line-item scopes, or staged authorizations, but all proposals shall cover the entire base project.

 

1. Project Goals

 

1. Deliver a field-verifiable, operational PtP network that connects the mandatory institutional endpoints and supports CRIT’s EBS license compliance strategy.
2. Deliver a field-verifiable, operational PtMP network serving the listed ACA grant service locations.
3. Maximize use of existing CRIT and candidate infrastructure where feasible, while allowing justified alternative or new sites where required to achieve a reliable design.
4. Provide a design that is maintainable, scalable, monitorable, and supportable by CRIT after project completion.
5. Provide a procurement package and proposal response that produces apples-to-apples evaluation and clear cost segregation between the EBS and ACA scopes.

 

1. Contracting Structure and Cost Segregation

 

Proposals shall be structured so CRIT can clearly distinguish among: (a) preconstruction/design services; (b) shared infrastructure; (c) the EBS PtP compliance scope; (d) the ACA PtMP scope; and (e) optional operations and maintenance services.

Where a proposer intends to use shared infrastructure for both scopes, the proposal shall identify the shared element, describe why it is shared, and explain the proposed cost-allocation methodology. CRIT reserves the right to accept, reject, or revise any proposed allocation approach during negotiations.

 

Invoices, schedules of values, equipment schedules, as-builts, and closeout documentation shall separately identify costs and assets attributable to each funding source/scope.

 

1. Owner-Furnished Information and Baseline Inputs

 

The design-builder shall use the following baseline inputs provided by CRIT and included with this package:

• Attachment 2 – mandatory PtP institutional endpoints and candidate tower inventory.
• Attachment 3 – ACA PtMP service-location schedule derived from CRIT-provided source data.
• Attachment 4 – planning map showing candidate tower sites and PtMP location distribution.
• Attachment 5 – FCC EBS Performance and Compliance Reference Sheet.
• Attachments 6 through 12 – CRIT tower-site sheets/PDFs for the seven candidate tower sites.
• Attachments 13 and 14 – raw ACA location data files (CSV and shapefile ZIP).
• Attachment 15 and Attachment 16 – FCC/license reference documents provided for bidder context.

 

Use of the above information does not relieve the design-builder from independently validating all assumptions and producing a complete, sealed, and constructible design.

 

1. Scope of Services

 

G.1 Preconstruction and Project Management

• Kickoff meeting, project controls, communication plan, submittal log, risk register, and action-item tracking.
• Detailed site validation plan covering the mandatory endpoints, candidate tower sites, and all proposer-identified additional sites.
• Coordination meetings with CRIT staff, Tribal departments, utilities, property representatives, and grant/regulatory stakeholders as directed by CRIT.
• Development of a cost-loaded schedule and design/construction phasing plan.
• Preparation of all design, construction, and closeout deliverables identified in this RFP.

 

G.2 Field Investigation and Due Diligence

• Site walks, access verification, utility verification, and photographic documentation.
• Line-of-sight analysis, path profiling, fade-margin analysis, and spectrum/interference assumptions.
• Structural evaluation of existing towers, tanks, rooftops, poles, and mounting surfaces proposed for use.
• Electrical/power availability verification, grounding evaluation, enclosure/shelter needs, and environmental exposure review.
• Identification of any right-of-entry, site-use agreements, access constraints, or special Tribal approvals required.

 

G.3 Final Design and Engineering

• Basis of design, network architecture, topology drawings, site plans, path studies, equipment schedules, link budgets, channel plans, capacity models, and bill of materials.
• Civil, structural, electrical, grounding, mounting, and enclosure design as required by the proposer’s solution.
• Detailed identification of which facilities/links CRIT may rely on for FCC EBS compliance and why.
• Detailed identification of how the PtMP scope will serve all ACA locations listed in Attachment 3.
• Identification of any alternate or new sites required beyond the provided candidate tower set, including justification, schedule impact, and cost impact.

 

G.4 Mandatory PtP/EBS Scope

 

The design-builder shall provide an operational PtP network or integrated transport architecture that serves all mandatory institutional endpoints listed in Attachment 2. The proposer may determine the final topology, number of hops, exact path routing, and final site utilization, but each listed endpoint must be connected and accepted.

 

The proposer shall clearly identify the operating PtP links that CRIT may rely on for FCC EBS performance compliance. The design-builder shall not assume that simply constructing a site, mounting equipment, or energizing a path is sufficient. Any facilities proposed for compliance purposes must be placed into operational service.

 

• Serve all Attachment 2 endpoints in the base bid.
• Use the candidate tower inventory as the initial planning basis and identify any required new sites.
• Provide endpoint-to-endpoint path studies, bandwidth assumptions, and transport capacities.
• Provide a clear mapping between the proposed operational links and the FCC benchmark methodology used by the proposer.
• Support CRIT’s preparation of the FCC construction notification and technical appendices, including narrative, coordinates, link count information, bandwidth information, and supporting engineering materials.

 

 

G.5 Mandatory PtMP/ACA Scope

The design-builder shall provide an operational PtMP network serving the ACA grant locations listed in Attachment 3. The base bid shall assume that all listed locations are required service locations.

 

The design-builder shall include all network elements required by its proposed approach, including base stations, sectors, backhaul, switching/routing, network management, customer-premises equipment (CPE), mounting hardware, power supplies, and installation components needed to activate or place each listed location into a service-ready state, as specified by the proposer’s design and price form.

 

• Provide a coverage/serving strategy for all listed ACA locations.
• Identify the serving site or sector for each location, or explicitly identify exceptions and the additional infrastructure required to cure them.
• Include subscriber-side installation assumptions in the price proposal.
• Provide per-location installation pricing or cost allocation as required in Exhibit B.
• Identify design assumptions for throughput, oversubscription, modulation, service availability, and upgrade path.

 

G.6 Construction, Integration, Testing, and Commissioning

• Procurement, logistics, staging, installation, alignment, antenna mounting, cabinet/enclosure installation, power work, grounding/bonding, cabling, labeling, and startup.
• Cutover, configuration, network management integration, alarm reporting, acceptance testing, throughput testing, path verification, and end-to-end commissioning.
• Preparation and execution of site-specific test plans and final acceptance test reports.
• Training for CRIT operations/technical staff, including basic system administration, troubleshooting, and warranty support procedures.

 

G.7 Documentation and Closeout

• Issued-for-construction and record/as-built drawings.
• Site binders and digital closeout packages for every active site.
• Inventory schedule with serial numbers, asset tags, and funding-source attribution.
• Warranty register and manufacturer warranty assignments.
• Operations manuals, network diagrams, IP/addressing documentation, and maintenance procedures.
• FCC support package for the EBS compliance portion of the work.
• Grant-support documentation for the ACA scope as reasonably requested by CRIT.

 

1. Technical and Functional Requirements

 

• Design shall be complete, constructible, and suitable for the environmental conditions of the reservation service area.
• All proposed tower/rooftop /tank/pole use shall be validated for structural adequacy by the proposer.
• All proposed links shall include path studies and link budgets appropriate to the technology being proposed.
• All proposed equipment shall be suitable for lawful operation in the frequency bands and channelization plan proposed by the design-builder.
• The network shall include monitoring and management capabilities sufficient for CRIT to determine service status, alarms, and basic performance.
• Design shall include grounding, surge protection, and power-conditioning measures appropriate to the site conditions.
• The proposer shall identify assumed throughput and service characteristics rather than relying on generic marketing statements.
• Proposer shall identify any third-party backhaul, internet transport, or utility dependency required for successful operation.

 

1. Regulatory and Funding Requirements

 

The design-builder shall base its EBS compliance approach on the current version of 47 C.F.R. § 27.14(u) and applicable FCC public notices and guidance for Rural Tribal Priority Window licensees. Proposals shall not rely on outdated Tribal-specific two-year/five-year deadlines or outdated legacy EBS educational-use assumptions.

 

The design-builder shall expressly acknowledge that any equipment or links proposed for FCC compliance purposes must be in use and actually providing service as of the applicable performance deadline.

 

The design-builder shall support CRIT in preparing the information needed for FCC construction-notification filings and shall provide CRIT all underlying technical material used for the showing.

The design-builder shall comply with all applicable Tribal law, licensing, business-registration, site-access, safety, and permit requirements. The design-builder shall also comply with grant conditions, procurement conditions, and record-retention requirements applicable to the ACA scope to the extent provided by CRIT in the contract documents or subsequent instructions.

 

1. Milestones and Delivery Schedule

 

CRIT desires an expedited, compliance-focused delivery sequence. Proposers shall submit a detailed project schedule in Exhibit C that at minimum addresses the following milestones:

• Contract award/notice to proceed
• Kickoff meeting
• Site validation complete
• Basis of design/preliminary design submittal
• Final design/issued-for-construction submittal
• Procurement release and long-lead equipment status
• First active PtP link in service
• All mandatory PtP endpoints in service
• All mandatory PtMP locations service-ready or activated
• Substantial completion
• Final completion and closeout
• FCC support package complete

 

1. Proposal Organization and Required Contents

 

Proposals shall be organized into the following volumes or sections:

• Volume 1 – Technical Proposal.
• Volume 2 – Price Proposal.
• Volume 3 – Forms, certifications, assumptions, and exceptions.
• At minimum, the technical proposal shall include the following:
• Executive summary and statement of understanding.
• Description of the design-build team, subcontractors, and single-point project responsibility.
• Preliminary system architecture for both the PtP and PtMP scopes.
• Site utilization strategy showing use of candidate towers and any proposed additional sites.
• Preliminary path design/RF strategy sufficient to understand how each mandatory endpoint and ACA location will be served.
• Narrative FCC compliance approach for the EBS scope.
• Design assumptions, utility assumptions, backhaul assumptions, and any owner dependencies.
• Project schedule using Exhibit C.
• Completed Exhibit A and Exhibit D.
• Relevant project experience and key staff using Exhibit E.
• At least three references.
• Indian-owned business certification or statement of non-applicability.

 

The price proposal shall include all information required by Exhibit B and shall clearly separate the EBS PtP scope, the ACA PtMP scope, shared infrastructure, and optional services.

 

1. Evaluation Criteria

Criterion	Weight (%)
Design-build approach, completeness, and constructability	20
PtP/EBS compliance strategy and clarity of FCC support approach	15
PtMP service approach for the ACA locations	15
Relevant experience, key staff, and references	10
Project schedule and ability to expedite critical work	10
Price, value, and transparency of cost allocation	15
Tribal Ownership, Experience, and Training (Proposers claiming Tribal ownership preference shall identify the basis for the preference, including any applicable TERO ordinance compliance, Tribal enrollment status, or certified Indian-owned business designation.)	15

 

CRIT may request interviews, clarifications, best-and-final offers, or revised pricing. CRIT may also conduct scope normalization during evaluation.

 

1. Submission Instructions

 

• Thirteen (13) hard copies and one (1) electronic copy in PDF
• Proposal due date and time: 11.04.2026 5pm Arizona Time.
• Questions by Pre-bid meeting which will be held 10.14.2026 at 2pm AZ time.

 

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• Proposals shall be submitted electronically in searchable PDF format, plus any editable pricing workbook or form requested by CRIT.
• Submit to:

Colorado River Indian Tribes

Broadband Director

26600 Mohave Road

Parker, AZ 85344
and
thai.yang@crit-nsn.gov

 

1. Attachments and Exhibits

 

Document	Description
Exhibit A	Technical Proposal and Compliance Matrix
Exhibit B	Price Proposal Form
Exhibit C	Project Schedule Form
Exhibit D	Assumptions, Exceptions, and Deviations Form
Exhibit E	Relevant Experience and Key Personnel Form
Attachment 1	Project Scope and Funding Structure
Attachment 2	Mandatory PtP Endpoints and Candidate Tower Inventory
Attachment 3	ACA PtMP Service Location Schedule
Attachment 4	PtMP Planning Map and Cluster Summary
Attachment 5	FCC EBS Performance and Compliance Reference Sheet
Attachments 6-12	CRIT candidate tower site sheets (raw PDFs)
Attachments 13-14	ACA location raw data files
Attachments 15-16	FCC interim and final performance guidance reference documents

 

Use of CRIT seal, flag, or four tribal seals on proposals is not permitted.

 

1. Insurance and Bonding Requirements

 

The successful proposer shall maintain, at a minimum, the following insurance coverages throughout the term of any resulting contract:

• Commercial general liability: $2,000,000 per occurrence/$4,000,000 aggregate
• Professional liability/errors and omissions: $2,000,000 per claim
• Automobile liability: $1,000,000 combined single limit
• Workers’ compensation: statutory limits
• Employer’s liability: $1,000,000 per accident

 

The design-builder shall name the Colorado River Indian Tribes as an additional insured on all liability policies. Certificates of insurance shall be provided prior to contract execution and annually thereafter.

 

CRIT reserves the right to require a performance bond and a payment bond, each in the amount of 100% of the contract price, from a surety authorized to do business in Arizona. Bond requirements, if any, will be specified in the contract documents.

 

1. Warranty Requirements

 

The design-builder shall warrant all work, including design, equipment, installation, and workmanship, for a minimum period of two (2) years from the date of final acceptance. Manufacturer warranties shall be assigned to CRIT where assignable and shall be no less than the design-builder’s warranty period. The design-builder shall provide a warranty register identifying all warranted items, warranty durations, and points of contact for warranty claims.

 

1. Acceptance Criteria and Testing Standards

 

Final acceptance of the work shall require successful completion of acceptance testing demonstrating, at a minimum:

1. All mandatory PtP links operational and meeting the design throughput and availability specified in the accepted basis of design.
2. All mandatory PtMP service locations in a service-ready or activated state as defined in the accepted design.
3. All path studies validated against field-measured performance.
4. All documentation deliverables submitted and approved by CRIT.
5. The design-builder shall propose detailed acceptance test procedures in its proposal. CRIT reserves the right to modify acceptance criteria during contract negotiations.

 

1. Liquidated Damages

 

Time is of the essence. If the design-builder fails to achieve substantial completion of the PtP/EBS scope by the date required for FCC compliance, the design-builder shall pay CRIT liquidated damages in the amount of $500 per calendar day of delay, not as a penalty but as a reasonable estimate of the damages CRIT will sustain from the delay, including potential loss of spectrum rights. Liquidated damages for the ACA PtMP scope, if applicable, will be addressed in the contract documents.

 

1. Dispute Resolution

 

Any dispute arising under or related to any contract awarded under this RFP shall first be submitted to the CRIT Broadband Director for informal resolution. If the dispute is not resolved within thirty (30) calendar days, either party may submit the dispute to the courts of the Colorado River Indian Tribes. Nothing in this section shall be construed as a waiver of the sovereign immunity of the Colorado River Indian Tribes.

 

1. Data Security and Cybersecurity Requirements

 

The design-builder shall implement commercially reasonable cybersecurity measures to protect the network and all associated data, including:

• Compliance with current NIST Cybersecurity Framework guidelines applicable to broadband infrastructure.
• Secure configuration of all network equipment, including changing default credentials and disabling unnecessary services.
• Encryption of management-plane traffic and remote-access sessions.
• Background checks for all contractor personnel who will have physical or logical access to CRIT network infrastructure or data.
• A cybersecurity incident response and notification plan, to be provided to CRIT prior to system activation.

 

The design-builder shall cooperate with CRIT in developing and implementing network security policies appropriate for Tribal government communications and data.

 

1. Reservation of Rights

 

Receipt of proposals and interviews with the company does not obligate CRIT to award a contract or pay any costs incurred in preparing said proposals. CRIT reserves the right to reject any proposals for any reason, waive irregularities, request additional information from any company, revise the RFP, extend or modify any timeframes indicated herein, and to re-issue requests for proposals.

CRIT reserves the right to disqualify, at its sole discretion, any company that fails to provide information or data requested herein or who provides materially inaccurate or misleading information or data. CRIT reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any design-builder based on a real or apparent conflict of interest that is disclosed by the company or discovered by CRIT.

 

1. Confidentiality

 

In the course of performance of the services by the design-builder for CRIT, it is possible that certain confidential information will be revealed to the design-builder by CRIT or that CRIT will obtain knowledge of such confidential information through other sources. Likewise, CRIT may become acquainted with certain techniques and procedures used by the design-builder, which the design-builder considers confidential. The design-builder and CRIT will maintain the confidentiality of, and will not release or allow access to, any information, documents, or material that is confidential to the design-builder or CRIT. The obligations set forth in this section shall survive the expiration or termination of any contract awarded hereunder.

1. Expenses

The proposal shall be prepared at the sole cost and expense of the company submitting the proposal, including any and all travel costs should an interview be requested with the Tribal Council.

1. Effective Period of Proposals

All proposals must state the period for which the proposal will remain in effect, and such period shall not be less than 120 days from the proposal due date.

1. Indemnification

By submission of a proposal hereunder, the consulting company and each member of its team agree to hold the officers, agents, and employees of the Colorado River Indian Tribes and its enterprises harmless for, from, and against any liability, including damages and costs of claims, suits, and attorney’s fees arising from, growing out of, or incidental to the actual or alleged use of any copyrighted composition, secret, or proprietary process, patented or unpatented invention, article or appliance.

 

The design-builder shall agree to hold harmless and indemnify CRIT from and against any claims, demands, actions, or cause of action, including, but not limited to, any costs, expenses, legal fees, and liabilities incurred in the defense thereof, for personal injuries, or property damage suffered by any person, firm or corporation whatsoever and arising from or in any way connected with the performance of the design-builder, its agents, servants or employees under this Agreement.

 

1. Applicable Law and Jurisdiction

Any disputes arising under any contract to be negotiated hereunder or out of the proposal submitted in response to this RFP shall be governed by the laws of the Colorado River Indian Tribes. The company agrees to submit to the jurisdiction of the courts of the Colorado River Indian Tribes to enforce the provisions of any contract entered into. The consulting company agrees to comply with CRIT law, including but not limited to obtaining a business license under CRIT’s Business and Professions Code. Nothing within this RFP or any contract awarded hereunder shall be construed as a waiver of the sovereign immunity of the Colorado River Indian Tribes or its enterprises, officers, agents, or employees. Any Professional Services Agreement entered into as a result of this RFP shall contain this same provision.