IREX (International Research & Exchanges Board), a Washington, D.C.-based global nonprofit organization and the U.S. Department of State’s selected implementing partner for the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders requests quotes and proposals from qualified respondents to supply smartphones and no-contract plans to 700 international fellowship participants.  The 700 participants will be in groups of 25 at host universities located in cities across the United States, from June 2024 until August 2024. The cell phones will be shipped in batches to host universities prior to or in June 2024 and need to be activated on or around June 15, 2024.  These cities may include the following:  

Athens GA, Atlanta GA, Washington D.C., New Brunswick NJ, Des Moines IA, Iowa City IA, Austin TX,  East Lansing MI,  Phoenix AZ, Davis CA, Newark DE, Reno NV, Minneapolis MN, West Lafayette IN, Baltimore MA,  Charlottesville VA, Jackson MI, Philadelphia PA,   Detroit MI,  Ithaca NY,  Boone NC,  Baltimore MD,  Fort Myers FL,  South Bend IA,  Manhattan KS,  Bethlehem PA Bridgewater MA.   

Additionally, 100 out of the 700 participants will remain in the United States for an additional month to complete a Professional Development Experience internship in a major U.S. city. These cities may include the following: 

Atlanta GA, Austin TX, Baltimore MD, New York NY, Minneapolis MN, Columbus OH, Chicago IL, Cincinnati OH, Denver CO, San Francisco CA, Phoenix AZ, Philadelphia PA, Seattle WA, Washington, D.C. 

Proposal Requirements 

Organizations interested in providing this service must submit a proposal, including a breakdown of costs, which demonstrates the organization’s capacity to provide: 

• At least 700 unlocked smartphones;  

• The cell phone provider must be in compliance with Section 889 (Prohibited Telecommunications and Equipment) set forth by the U.S. Government.  

• The cell phone model should be similar in price and capability to TCL 10 Plus, NUU A23, RCA Reno max, Samsung Galaxy A03, and LG Phoenix 4. 

• For reference, the cell phone model used in the 2023 Mandela Washington Fellowship was NUU A11. 

• All 700 phones will be activated by the cell phone provider starting on or around June 15, 2024; 

• Unlimited talk and text plus unlimited data (high speed and reduced speed) for 600 phones from on or around June 15 through on or around August 15, 2024 (2 months); 

• Unlimited talk and text plus unlimited data (high speed and reduced speed) for 100 phones from on or around June 15 through on or around September 15, 2024 (3 months); 

• Option to add additional, non-activated phones to replace lost or stolen phones, and activate these phones on an as-needed basis; 

• Setup and activation support and standard service coverage (see above for proposed locations); 

• Inability for accounts to incur overages, additional data charges, or international calling fees; 

• Payment for coverage in monthly lump sum (i.e., no individual bills for each account, no autopay); 

• Ability for participants to troubleshoot at a local store, if possible (see above for proposed locations) or with remote support from provider; 

• Dedicated point of contact for account and availability of additional support during activation and reactivation period; and 

• Guaranteed coverage during period of activity, with no lapses in coverage during re-activation periods. 

Proposals must be accompanied by a cost chart including costs for the devices, service, and fees and taxes, and a detailed description of the method used to perform the tasks outlined. The description must include a process for how bills will be paid monthly in a lump sum (i.e., no individual bills for each account and no autopay), how phones will be activated, and how participants will be able to troubleshoot issues.  Organizations may submit more than one proposal to detail various device and/or monthly plan options. 

While not required, vendors who are able to do the following are preferred: 

• Provide a ‘gold standard’ of customer service and support. 

• Provide access to an online dashboard for account monitoring and management. 

• Offer plan and/or device discounts based on quantity purchased. 

Proposal Submission 

If you are interested in furnishing this service, please e-mail a proposal to jan@irex.org no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date indicated above.  All proposals submitted must be valid for a period of no less than sixty (60) calendar days from the closing date indicated above. 

Proposal Evaluation 

The criteria are listed in descending order starting with the most important factors to be evaluated. 

1. Overall Price Competitiveness 

2. Flexibility and Customer Service 

3. Sufficiency of Methodology Outlined 

4. Organizational Capacity 

5. Reputation 

Evaluation and ranking of proposals will be done by IREX in Washington, D.C. IREX may at its discretion ask for additional information or perform site visits. 

Renewal 

IREX reserves the right, based on availability of funding and vendor performance, to enter into subsequent contractual agreements with the winning vendor for a period of up to five years without issuing a new RFP. 

 

Contact Information  

Jess An  

Program Officer  

IREX 

1275 K Street, NW, Suite 600 

Washington, D.C. 20005 

202-942-9109 

jan@irex.org