RFP for IT Services

The Cape Light Compact JPE, a regional energy services governmental organization serving 21 towns on Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard with approximately 205,000 customers, seeks a qualified Managed Service Provider (MSP) to deliver comprehensive information technology services. The MSP will provide active monitoring and Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) services along with managed Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) for the Compact's network and information technology environment.

The scope of work includes eight core service categories: Network Management, Endpoint Detection and Response, Managed SIEM Services, Software Management, End User Support, Backup and Restore Services, Email Gateway Security Services, and License and Warranty Management. The MSP must monitor primary and secondary internet services, manage Cisco Meraki network equipment, configure and troubleshoot firewalls, implement security updates, provide Help Desk support via telephone, chat, email and web services, manage software licensing for Microsoft 365, Adobe, Zoom and other applications, oversee data backup and recovery for Exchange, SharePoint and OneDrive, and administer email security services using Barracuda Defense filtering.

Key requirements include a minimum of five years of MSP experience providing similar IT Network and Technical Support Services to Massachusetts municipal agencies or comparable organizations. The MSP must be a Microsoft-Certified Solution Provider and Cisco/Meraki partner in good standing. The infrastructure environment includes two Cisco Meraki switches, two MR42 access points, approximately 20 staff laptops running Windows 11, approximately 30 board members with Microsoft Exchange Online licenses, SentinelOne EDR deployment on all workstations, and cloud-based data storage via SharePoint and OneDrive. The organization has access to customer PII including names, account numbers, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses.

Service delivery requires 8x5x52 remote Help Desk support with an Account Manager interface. Response times are tiered from 30 minutes for critical issues (server/switch/firewall/Internet down) to 8 hours for standard requests (PC installs, software upgrades, new employees). The MSP must provide weekly project status meetings, monthly service ticket activity reports, monthly/quarterly/annual EDR reports, and SIEM service reports as requested. Contract term is two years with one optional one-year extension, with potential for additional extensions up to a maximum of ten years if deemed in the Compact's best interest. Initial term pricing must remain firm for the full term. The MSP will be required to maintain cyber liability insurance with minimum coverage of three million dollars per occurrence.