- Title
- Telecommunication Services at Buffalo & Erie County Library Locations
- Bid Type
- RFP
- Pdf Text
- 1
Request for Proposals
Telecommunication Services at Buffalo & Erie
County Library Locations
RFP 26-5024
October 30, 2026
Buffalo & Erie County Public Library
1 Lafayette Square
Buffalo, NY 14203-1887
2
1. Scope and Overview
a. The Buffalo & Erie County Public Library ("Library") seeks quotes for
Telecommunication Connectivity Services to provide local and long-distance voice
service, delivered as Voice over IP (VoIP), to 36 Library locations in Erie County, NY.
Appendix A lists each location and line quantity, for approximately 100 lines, ranging
from one to five per location.
b. The Contractor shall provide all services, equipment, connectivity, configuration, and
support necessary for a fully functional voice service, and shall transition the Library's
existing local and long-distance service from the current provider, if applicable, with no
loss of service during Library open hours. The Library’s current Internet and Phone
Service Provider is Spectrum.
c. Vendor must provide for the move of current telephone numbers from current system
to new virtual VoIP. For the duration of the contract, the Cloud Solution shall conform
to the Cloud Solution Manufacturer’s specifications, Documentation, performance
standards (including applicable license terms, warranties, guarantees, Service Level
Agreements, service commitments, and credits). Vendor must provide quote for
product prices which shall be available for duration of contract should need to purchase
additional hardware and/or products arise.
d. Cloud Service Model: Virtual PBX must be provided as a SaaS product, hosted in
vendor’s cloud. On site telephones will connect to and interact with it via a dedicated
line provided for that purpose. End users may interact with it via a web portal to
perform configuration functions, possible ‘soft phone’ use and other functions.
e. Cloud Deployment Model: Deployment Model is Public cloud. The main system must
be hosted by vendor in their cloud. Only phones themselves would be located at library
location.
f. Data Ownership & Location: The Library shall own all right, title and interest in Data.
i. All Data shall remain in CONUS.
g. Encryption: Any voice or transaction data must be encrypted using current industry
standards.
h. Security: System must be secured from access by unauthorized users, unregistered
telephone hardware and software.
i. Maintenance & Support: Vendor shall perform virtual PBX system software upgrades
and patches. Telephones must be preconfigured where possible.
i. Vendor must provide detailed telephone configuration instructions and setting
information and provide assistance as needed to troubleshoot call issues.
j. Infrastructure Support Services: Infrastructure support services that do not directly or
indirectly access Data may be provided in a Follow the Sun format.
k. Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery (BC/DR) Operations: Vendor must provide a
continuity/disaster recovery plan for consideration. Plan must include how it will
impact features and functionality. What options may be available for call reception or
redirection while service is restored.
l. Application Program Interface (API) or Self Electronic Portal: Virtual PBX must provide
a web portal for administration and configuration of the environment.
i. Functions must include phone number assignment to devices, hunt group
configuration, call attendant configuration, user account creation and
maintenance, and log access
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2. Statement of Work
a. Implementation of Cloud Solution: Vendor must provide information and training or
self-training resources on configuration of VOIP services, user creation, telephone
configuration and installation. Vendor must provide and install dedicated data line for
VOIP traffic between the library location and the virtual PBX hosted solution. Vendor
must provide assistance with any network configuration/requirements to support
connectivity with their solution (i.e. router and firewall settings such as NAT or SIP ALG
etc.). Vendor must provide assistance with testing prior to going live, and must ‘port’
the current phone numbers when system goes live.
b. Recurring Solutions: Recurring services include phone service for approximately 100
lines and dedicated data line to vendor network for VOIP traffic.
c. Transfer of Data: Call log data must be made available in text format. Contractor cannot
charge for the transfer of Data unless the charges are provided for in response to this
RFQ.
d. Timeframe: Implementation of Cloud Solution as set forth above shall be complete no
later than January 31, 2027. See Section 9a for billing commencement.
3. Terms & Conditions
a. Required Contractor Actions: Contractor must comply with applicable New York State
laws governing reasonable safeguards and safety requirements, as well as breach
notification requirements.
b. Library Access to Data: The Library shall have access to its Data at all times, plus no
less than 60 days from termination of suspension of services. The Library shall have
the ability to import or export Data in piecemeal or in its entirety at the Library’s
discretion at no charge to the Library. This includes the ability for the Library to import
or export Data to/from other Contractors. Access to web portal or similar interface for
logs and other data retrieval must be maintained.
c. Contractor Access to Data:Vendor may not share usage or log data with any other
entity unless mandated by law. Vendor may not use such data for purposes other than
monitoring performance and troubleshooting problems.
d. Suspension of Services: During any period of suspension of service, the Library shall
have full access to all Data at no charge. The Contractor shall not take any action to
erase and/or withhold any Library Data, except as directed by the Library.
e. Expiration or Termination of Service: Upon expiration or termination of the contract,
the Library shall have full access to all Data for a period of 60 calendar days. During
this period, the Contractor shall not take any action to erase and/or withhold any Data,
except as directed by the Library.
f. Access to Security Logs and Reports: When requested, logs and report data must be
provided in text format.
g. Modification To Cloud Service Deployment Model, Service Model, and/or Initial
Functionality
i. As Cloud services, can be flexible and dynamic, delivery mechanisms may be
subject to change. This may result in changes to the deployment model, service
model, functionality, or SKU. The Library requires notification of any such
changes to ensure security and business needs are met. Any changes to the
deployment model, service model, functionality, or SKU (e.g., PaaS to IaaS) must
be provided to Library in writing. In addition, notification must be provided to
the Library for review and acceptance, prior to implementation. Any changes to
the contract will require the Library to re-assess the risk mitigation
methodologies and strategies and revise the contract as needed.
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4. How to Respond
a. To be considered, respondents must submit an electronic copy to the Library Contact
listed in Section 4 by the Submittal Deadline specified in Section 6.
b. Submittal must be delivered in an email, clearly labeled: Bid Response for
Telecommunication Services.
c. Respondents have sole responsibility to assure that their submissions are received on
time.
d. Library Contact:
James Mitaritonna
Assistant Deputy Director, Controller
1 Lafayette Square
Buffalo, New York, 14203-1887
Phone Number: 716-858-6095
E-Mail Address: MitaritonnaJ@BuffaloLib.org
Justin Rosado
IT Administrator
1 Lafayette Square
Buffalo, New York, 14203-1887
Phone Number: 716-858-6044
E-Mail Address: RosadoJ@BuffaloLib.org
5. Questions / Responses
a. Contractors are strongly encouraged to submit questions as early as possible. However,
all questions must be submitted by the Question due date and time listed in the Section
7 Due Date. All questions can be emailed to Justin Rosado RosadoJ@buffalolib.org and
James Mitaritonna MitaritonnaJ@buffalolib.org.
b. The subject of any emails must be clearly labeled “RFQ 26-5024”. The Library will
acknowledge receipt of a question via return email. If a contractor does not receive an
acknowledgement, he/she should assume the question was not received. Answers to
all questions of a substantive nature shall be provided to all contractors who received
this RFQ in the form of a question and answer document sent via email.
6. Due Date
Advertisement Date/Release of RFQ: 11/02/2026
Closing Date for Inquiries: 11/06/2026 12:00 PM
Release of Questions: 11/09/2026 12:00 PM
Submittal Deadline: 11/13/2026 12:00 PM
Anticipated Statement Review Period 11/2026
Anticipated Decision: 11/2026
7. Evaluation & Award
a. Respondents must submit a complete and detailed cost proposal covering all hardware,
installation, and recurring services required to service all 36 Library locations listed in
Appendix A.
b. To ensure a fair and consistent evaluation, vendors must use the pricing format below
or attach a detailed spreadsheet mirroring this structure. All costs must be fixed for the
duration of the Initial Term.
One-time Implementation and Hardware Costs
Unit Cost Extended Total
5
Hardware / IP Telephones
(Approx. 100)
One-time installation & Set-
up Fees
Number Porting / Migration
Fees
Dedicated Data Line / Circuit
Set-up Fees
Recurring Monthly Service Costs (MRC)
Unit Cost Extended Total
Monthly Voice Service per
Line (approx. 100 lines)
Monthly Dedicated Data Line
/ Circuit Charges (per location
or total)
Any Additional Recurring Fees
(e.g., E911, cloud
maintenance, licensing)
Total Monthly Recurring Cost
Total Annual Recurring Cost
c. The Library will evaluate vendor proposals on the following criteria:
Category Criterion Points
Cost (50) One-time implementation
costs
15
Total monthly cost over the
contract term (Section 9)
35
Vendor Qualifications (15) Company size / committed
staff
3
Years providing hosted VoIP 5
Clients of similar size 4
Support hours availability 3
Demonstrated Ability (15) Delivers the entire package 5
Controls, monitors, and
maintains services
5
Service levels during Library
business hours
5
Implementation (20) Implementation plan and ease
of migration
20
d. Cost points will be calculated at: (lowest quote / vendor’s quote) x max allowable
points. For each category, the vendor’s proposal will be evaluated on a scale of 0-5,
where 0 = no response, 1 = partially meets, 3 = meets, 4 = exceeds and 5 = outstanding.
Each will be calculated at: (score / 5) x max allowable points.
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e. Proposals that do not include the following mandatory requirements as specified in
Section 1, may be rejected without scoring, including data ownership, number porting,
dedicated date line, data location, encryption, and security.
f. The Library reserves the right to award all or part of the services. In addition, the Library
reserves the right to reject all proposals.
8. Contract Term
a. The initial contract term shall commence upon signature and expire 12-months
following ("Initial Term"). The Library reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to extend
this Agreement for up to five (5) additional one-year periods (each an "Option Year")
under the same non-price terms and conditions, subject to the mutual written
agreement of both parties.
b. If Contractor seeks a price adjustment for any proposed Option Year, Contractor must
submit a written request to the Library Controller no later than ninety (90) calendar
days prior to the expiration of the then-current term.
c. Any proposed annual price increase for recurring monthly services or line charges shall
not exceed 3.0% above the pricing in effect during the immediately preceding term.
One-time installation fees, hardware charges, and non-recurring expenses shall not be
subject to increase during Option Years.
d. The Library is under no obligation to accept a price escalation. In the event Contractor
submits a price increase request that the Library, in its sole discretion, deems
unacceptable, or if Contractor fails to provide timely written notice, the Library may:
i. Reject the price increase and extend the Agreement at the existing contract
rates; or
ii. Decline to exercise the option to renew, allowing the Agreement to expire at
the conclusion of the then-current term without penalty to the Library.
9. Vendor information
a. Vendor shall submit information regarding their company, including description of
ownership, history, time in the telecommunications industry and future direction.
Publicly held companies may submit their annual report. Subsidiary corporations shall
submit a corporate organizational chart indicating the parent company, other corporate
subsidiaries and the subsidiary’s relation to the above.
10. Services Description
a. The Library requires a statement and description of the vendor’s service offering,
technical design and equipment specifications so that required service performance
will be sustained or exceeded. Please address the following:
i. Describe your network configuration and local service points
ii. List the number of days from notice to proceed to cut-over
iii. Confirm that all telephone numbers and related directory listings will remain the
same
iv. Describe your network support.
v. Location of your network operation center
vi. What are the automatic monitoring capabilities of your network support operation?
vii. Describe the troubleshooting and dispatch procedures
11. Detailed terms and conditions
All terms and conditions must be cited.
a. Penalties
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i. Information on any termination penalties, with related dates and contract
requirements, must be provided.
b. Billing Requirements
i. Vendor must provide a single master bill for all services that includes detail
charges by location.
c. Directory Listing
i. The existing directory listing structure shall be maintained and continued as is
at no additional charge.
d. Cancellation
i. The Library may cancel service upon 30 days written notice to contractor.
12. Implementation
a. Implementation Process
i. If applicable, describe in detail the procedure to be followed to transition the
existing service from Spectrum (local and long distance) to your network and
services. The description should include when and how long the process will
take.
ii. Note: the primary objective of the migration is to avoid downtime during hours
that a library is open. Library hours vary by location but begin as early as 8: 30
AM and end as late as 9:00 PM. A schedule of the hours of all Library locations
may be found at: https://www.buffalolib.org/locations-and-hours.
b. Projected Timeline
i. A timeline for the migration from the date of award to cutover should be
provided. The timeline should include all steps and procedures. Realistic circuit
ordering and provisioning estimates based on prior installations, which can be
independently confirmed, should be used.
c. Actual Timeline
i. Note that details of the installation and times and dates should be submitted to
the Project Manager at least two weeks in advance prior to installation. Detail
plans will be subject to approval by the Library.
d. Reporting
i. Vendor must provide the Library with comprehensive and actionable
Performance Reports for each line.
13. Partial Award
a. The Library reserves the right to award all or part of the services. In addition, the
Library reserves the right to reject all Proposals.
14. Acceptability
a. The installation will be deemed acceptable when all components of the installation
have been proven operational.
15. Liability and Insurance Requirements
Insurance shall be procured by the contractor before commencing work, no later than 14 days
after notice of award, and maintained without interruption for the duration of the contract in the
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kinds and amounts specified in the Library’s Standard Insurance Requirements and Erie County
Standard Insurance Requirements (attached as Appendix B), unless modified by mutual agreement.
If the insurance is not provided in acceptable form within this period of time or lapses during the
contract period, the Library may immediately terminate the contract.
Appendix A – Library Locations
Library Address City ZIP Qty.
Hon. Shirley Chisholm Library 350 John James Audubon
Pkwy
Amherst 14228
5
Kenmore Branch 160 Delaware Rd Kenmore 14217 5
Julia Boyer Reinstein Library 1030 Losson Rd Cheektowaga 14227 5
Hamburg Public Library 102 Buffalo St Hamburg 14075 4
West Seneca Public Library 1300 Union Rd, Unit Main West Seneca 14224 3
Concord Public Library 18 Chapel St Springville 14141 3
Grand Island Memorial Library 1715 Bedell Rd Grand Island 14072 3
Clarence Public Library 3 Town Pl Clarence 14031 3
Aurora Town Public Library 550 Main St East Aurora 14052 3
Clearfield Branch 770 Hopkins Rd Williamsville 14221 3
Leroy R. Coles, Jr. Branch Library 1187 E Delavan Ave Buffalo 14215 3
Eggertsville-Snyder Branch 4622 Main St Snyder 14226 3
Collins Public Library (Town of) 2341 Main St Collins 14034 3
Lancaster Public Library 5466 Broadway St Lancaster 14086 3
Frank E. Merriweather, Jr. Library 1324 Jefferson Ave Buffalo 14208 3
Newstead Public Library 33 Main St Akron 14001 3
Anna Reinstein Memorial Library 2580 Harlem Rd Cheektowaga 14225 3
Williamsville Branch 5571 Main St Williamsville 14221 3
Orchard Park Public Library 4570 S Buffalo St Orchard Park 14127 3
Boston Free Library 9475 Boston State Rd Boston 14025 2
Angola Public Library 34 N Main St Angola 14006 2
Crane Branch Library 633 Elmwood Ave Buffalo 14222 2
Dudley Branch Library 2010 S Park Ave Buffalo 14220 2
East Clinton Branch Library 1929 Clinton St Buffalo 14206 2
Eden Library 2901 E Church St Eden 14057 2
Elma Public Library 1860 Bowen Rd Elma 14059 2
North Collins Public Library 2095 School St North Collins 14111 2
North Park Branch Library 975 Hertel Ave Buffalo 14216 2
Lackawanna Public Library 560 Ridge Rd Lackawanna 14218 2
Lake Shore Branch Library 4857 Lake Shore Rd Hamburg 14075 2
Isaías González-Soto Branch
Library
280 Porter Ave Buffalo 14201
3
City of Tonawanda Public Library 333 Main St Tonawanda 14150 2
Elaine M. Panty Branch Library 820 Tonawanda St Buffalo 14207 2
Kenilworth Branch 318 Montrose Ave Buffalo 14223 2
Alden Ewell Free Library 13280 Broadway St Alden 14004 1
Marilla Free Library 11637 Bullis Rd Marilla 14102 1
2
Appendix B – Insurance Requirements
- Page Type
- rfps
- Bid Number
- RFP-purchasing-sites-www3.erie.gov.purchasing-files-2026-10-2026-10-telecommunications-rfp
- Department
- Buffalo & Erie County Public Library
- Opening Date
- Friday, November 13, 2026
- Pdf Enriched
- Yes
Buffalo & Erie County Public LibraryIssuing agency·Buffalo, NY·via the Erie County NY Purchasing Department