External Contracting Process

ARIN Contracting Process

February 2011

The American Registry for Internet Numbers will periodically contract for professional services in a manner that is fair, consistent, and ensures the best value to ARIN. Best value does not necessarily equate with lowest price. ARIN will consistently balance price, technical requirements, and capability to ensure overall best value.

Beginning 1 January 2012, ARIN will assess whether a vendors’ Internet based services are accessible over IPv4 and IPv6. ARIN will weigh vendor responses on their ability to provide service via both Internet protocols. In the absence of IPv6 capability, strength of services available over IPv4 may not provide adequate rationale for contract award. For additional details, please see the memorandum describing the Requirement for IPv6 Capability beginning in 2012.

Services contracted for may include those that:

  1. Supplement existing skills
  2. Leverage external expertise for projects
  3. Provide services essential to ARIN’s mission
  4. Support ARIN’s requirement to operate via IPv6 beginning in 2012

Currently Active Requests for Proposals (RFPs)

Results of Public RFPs

Scope

Any contract, except as noted below, for $50,000 per annum, or more, will be awarded according to this process. The President will review contract opportunities with the ARIN Board of Trustees prior to any public announcement of such opportunities. Potential contractors will work with the ARIN General Counsel to negotiate specific contract terms. ARIN will attempt to secure a minimum of two (2) competitive bids for each contracting opportunity. Generally, contractor awards will be limited to those contractors doing business in the ARIN region. Contracting opportunities and awards will be announced at www.arin.net and through the arin-announce mailing list. The process described in this document is strictly an internal ARIN policy and creates no rights or expectations for any ARIN member or third party. This contracting process may be modified in the future.

Contracts generally excluded from this process are:

  1. Hotel and/or venue for ARIN-related meetings
  2. Operations and maintenance
  3. Insurance
  4. Employee benefits
  5. Travel
  6. Legal services
  7. Opportunities where the information provided may inappropriately disclose information that ARIN believes should not be made public

ARIN will seek to implement IPv6 interoperability requirements on contracts excluded from this process to the fullest extent possible. Due to the nature of the contracts in this category, in some cases this requirement may be waived based on the type of service to be provided.

Procedure

  1. ARIN will announce contracting opportunities. The announcement will contain a RFP to include the:
  2. Description of the services requested
  3. Terms and conditions
  4. Time frame by which the services are requested to be provided
  5. Deadline to provide a contract proposal
  6. ARIN Point of Contact
  7. Contractors must provide a written contract proposal to include the:
  8. Proposed statement of work
  9. References
  10. Detailed pricing estimate
  11. Delivery schedule
  12. ARIN will evaluate all submitted contract proposals.
  13. ARIN will announce the contract award.

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