Request for Quotations (RFQ) for Internet Services

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This document is a Request for Quotations (RFQ) for Internet Services for the U.S. Embassy in Lilongwe, Malawi. The U.S. Government intends to award a contract to a responsible company offering an acceptable price.

• Provision of dedicated Internet services at the U.S. Embassy, Lilongwe, Malawi.

• A dedicated Internet channel with a minimum speed of 70,000 Kbps (70Mbps).

• HSRP protocol is required.

• High-end, professional-grade internet circuit, differing from residential service.

• Dedicated, 24/7, "always-on" bandwidth with unlimited usage.

• Fiber optic or terrestrial connectivity is preferred.

• Access circuit to the Post must meet specified requirements.

• Provision of A/28 subnet static Public IP addresses for VPN equipment, network mask, and default gateway IP address.

• LC fiber connector (MM-multimode) – Gigabit interface.

• No Network Address Translation (NAT) for ISP connection.

• Unfiltered access to the Internet is required.

• Installation of Customer VPN encryption devices on the circuit.

• Service Level Agreement (SLA) parameters: Packet Loss <=.5%, Availability of 99.9%.

• Network devices must not be ZTE, Huawei, Xiaomi, or affiliated branded products.

• 7x24x365 warrantied service support, including on-site support if necessary.

• Direct connection capability with major U.S. telecommunication providers.

• Central IT point of contact for technical issues.

• The circuit must be completely transparent to 70000 kbps data.

• Availability of the circuit shall not be less than 99.9 percent per month.

• Service is for the exclusive use of the Department of State, 24-hours per day, 7 days per week, and 52 weeks per year.

• Bit Error Rate Test (BERT) not greater than 1 in 10 to the 6 bits for 99.9% of the time.

• Initial Installation (Non-Reoccurring) is also required.

• Contract Type: Firm Fixed Price (FFP).

• Period of Performance: One-year base period, with potential for option years.

• Pricing: In Malawi Kwacha.

• An excise tax of 2% may apply to payments.

• Quotations are due by June 11, 2026, at 14:00 PM.

• Proposals must be in English.

• Submissions must be electronic to LilongweGSOProcurement@state.gov in MS-Word, MS-Excel, or Adobe Acrobat (pdf) format.

• File size must not exceed 30MB per file; larger submissions must be in separate emails.

• Required submission items: SF-1449, Section I (Pricing), Section 5 (Representations and Certifications), and additional information as required in Section 3.

• Offerors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database prior to submission.

• Award will be made to the lowest priced, acceptable, responsible offeror.

• The acquisition is listed as "UNRESTRICTED" in Block 10 of SF-1449.

• Offerors must be registered in SAM.

• A pre-quotation conference will be held on June 2, 2026, at 9:00 AM at the US Embassy Lilongwe.

• Offerors/quoters should contact LilongweGSOProcurement@state.gov by June 1, 2026, at 10:00 AM to arrange entry.

• Value Added Tax (VAT) is not included in the Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) rates and will be priced as a separate Line Item.

• The solicitation incorporates FAR clauses by reference, including those related to commercial items, prohibitions on certain telecommunications equipment, and representations and certifications.