Bartow Lighting Controls

The City of Bartow, through its Electric Department, is issuing this Request for Proposals (RFP 26-20) to solicit qualified contractors for the supply and implementation of a networked streetlight control system. The project encompasses the furnishing of approximately 3,500 lighting control nodes (devices) and a cloud-based central management system (CMS) to modernize the city's street and area lighting infrastructure. The scope includes hardware, software, communications services, training, support, and integration services to enable remote monitoring, operation, and maintenance of the citywide lighting assets. The City aims to improve operational efficiency, reduce maintenance costs, enhance outage response, and support future smart-city applications through this phased deployment.

The selected contractor will be responsible for providing all necessary equipment and services to deploy the lighting control nodes across Bartow's service territory. The cloud-based management system must allow city staff to remotely monitor individual luminaire status, adjust lighting levels (if required), receive real-time outage alerts, and generate reports for maintenance and energy management. The contractor is expected to deliver comprehensive training for city personnel and provide ongoing technical support to ensure the system's long-term reliability and effectiveness. Integration with existing city systems and the ability to scale for future smart-city initiatives are also key requirements.

Key dates for this solicitation include: a Q&A deadline of August 4, 2026, at 20:00:00 UTC (4:00 PM ET), and the proposal submission deadline on August 12, 2026, at 18:00:00 UTC (2:00 PM ET). The solicitation was released on July 7, 2026. No pre-proposal conference or site visit is currently scheduled, but vendors are encouraged to submit questions by the Q&A deadline. All proposals must be submitted electronically via the City's procurement portal hosted on OpenGov.

Evaluation will be based on criteria detailed in the RFP, including the proposed solution's technical merit, pricing, vendor experience, and ability to meet the City's operational goals. The contract will be awarded to the responsible offeror whose proposal is most advantageous to the City, considering all factors. The City reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to waive any informalities. This project represents a significant opportunity for vendors specializing in streetlight controls, smart-city infrastructure, and cloud-based IoT management systems to partner with a growing Florida municipality.