The City of Grande Prairie hereby provides notice of its intent to directly award to Softchoice LP for the supply and delivery of Cisco Meraki Hardware and Licences.

The City has chosen to direct award a one year spend of $84,921.32 for these goods/services and not to request proposals for the following reasons: 

1. Where an unforeseeable situation of urgency exists and the goods, services, or construction cannot be obtained in time means of open procurement procedures.  (NWTPA, CFTA)

BACKGROUND

The Service is a license to use the hardware already in place for our corporate network and compute needs.  Without the license, no information will be allowed to pass through the hardware and this would mean no Internet or network connectivity for all sites, users, and devices.

RATIONALE

The City is undertaking a re‑architecture of its existing enterprise network to improve reliability, security, and scalability. This work includes the integration of a separate, complementary network solution that must operate alongside the current production environment. The scope and scale of the enterprise network re‑architecture—including required hardware capacity and licensing levels—could not be clearly defined until the design, timelines, and technical requirements of the new network solution were finalized, as the two environments are interdependent. Given vendor response timelines associated with defining the new solution, the enterprise network equipment and licensing requirements were not available in a timeframe that would support earlier procurement. The proposed services support continuity of operations while introducing new architecture components that require specialized expertise and direct compatibility with the City’s existing network infrastructure.

Given the complexities of this re-license and re-architecture of our network as well as time limitations, 4 quotes were requested from Cisco Networking Partners; Kaco Systems, Longview Systems, CDW, and Softchoice. 

The City has determined that the definition and timing of the new network solution were prerequisites to accurately scoping the enterprise network re‑architecture. Given the interdependency of the solutions, vendor response timelines, and the need for accurate hardware and licensing acquisition, a direct award is justified and consistent with procurement policy, risk management principles, and best value considerations, while still demonstrating appropriate market due diligence.

This Notice is issued for transparency purposes only.  Notices of Intent, Expressions of Interest, or Challenges are not being considered in response to this posting.