REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR FINAL NETWORK ENGINEERING DESIGN, MATERIALS PURCHASE AND CONSTRUCTION OF MAIN DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE LINE FIBER OPTIC INFRASTRUCTURE

ZIA PUEBLO (Owner) invites qualified firms to submit proposals for the Zia Pueblo Fiber to the Premise project. The project is final fiber network engineering design, materials purchase, and construction of approximately 12 miles of core and lateral outside plant fiber optic infrastructure and placement, configuration, interconnection, and turn-up of active electronics and supporting network software components. The latter includes core network route and switch infrastructure, Network Management System(s) (NMS), Network Monitoring Systems (also NMSes), customer-edge route and switch components, and provider-edge route and switch components. Project will include fiber placement, splicing, testing and integration with existing and future planned premises (homes, community anchor institutions, businesses). Proposals will be evaluated based on 1) Firms Qualifications, Relevant Experience, and References; 2) Proposed Team; 3) Detailed Work Plan & Schedule; 4) Pricing Response; 5) Native American Preference; and 6) Employment and Training of Native Americans. Interested bidders shall email ZiaPuebloNTIA@high-watermark.com to be placed on the “List of Interested Offerors” and receive the full RFP package. Email must include: Company name, address, phone number, primary contact person, contact person title, email, and direct line with the Subject Line: Zia Pueblo Fiber to the Premise. A mandatory pre-proposal meeting will be held on Thursday August 27, 2026 at 1:00 P.M. MST, a site visit will follow. Proposals will be accepted via email by Thursday, September 17, 2026 no later than 3 p.m. MST.

History

The Zia Pueblo, situated atop a basalt mesa in north-central New Mexico, is comprised of Keresan-speaking Indians who have continuously occupied the site since the 13th century. Over 600 years old, Zía Pueblo has two plazas, each with a kiva, surrounded by one and two-story traditional dwellings of native rock surfaced with mud. Zia Pueblo is home to the Spanish mission of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, the construction of which began around 1694.

Archaeologists believe that the Zia people are descendants of the Ancestral Puebloan (Anasazi) people of the Four Corners region, who migrated to the Jemez River Valley sometime in the 13th century.

Located between the slopes of the Sierra Nacimiento Mountains and the San Pedro River Valley, the Zia people have long lived an agricultural lifestyle, primarily growing corn, beans, and squash in shared or common ground, to which everyone contributed. Other minor crops were grown in personal, individual gardens, such as peppers, onions, chilies, and tobacco. The people also hunted small and large game. Homes at the pueblo were built with the local basalt and mud mortar, covered in mud plaster.

The principal festival of the year for the Zia Pueblo is the Corn Dance on the feast day of Our Lady of the Assumption in August. Wonderful traditional costumes and ceremonies make this an important event in the life of the Pueblo and one which is very attractive to visitors.

In recognition of Zia’s long history and unique culture, the Zia Pueblo is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

To request use of the Zia Sun Symbol, please complete the following Zia Sun Symbol Request Form and send to: info@ziapueblo.org