Tender for Enterprise Firewall Replacements for IT Networks at Medite SmartPly ‘26

Description

MEDITE SMARTPLY are pleased to invite organisations to submit a proposal for the Firewall Replacement Project across our two manufacturing sites one sales and marketing office and two remote warehouses. This initiative is critical to enhancing our network security posture and ensuring compliance with industry standards. Medite Smartply operates three primary sites and two remote warehouses, producing engineered wood panels for structural and non-structural applications. Our current firewall infrastructure is approaching its end-of-life and requires replacement with next-generation solutions that deliver robust security, scalability, and operational continuity. This solution will need to be in place by March 20th, 2026. The project involves replacing existing firewall infrastructure with next-generation solutions that deliver: •Advanced threat protection and SSL/TLS inspection •Zero Trust architecture and SASE readiness •High availability and centralised management •Compliance with NIST CSF 2.0, ISO 27001, and IEC 62443 standards Sites Covered: •Belview (Waterford) •Clonmel (Tipperary) •Dartford (UK) •Two remote warehouses (Clonmel + Waterford) Objectives: •Replace existing firewalls with enterprise-grade, next-generation firewalls (NGFW). •Consideration of future OT environments for process automation and industrial control systems. While the OT environments will remain separate, there will be data touch points between the two environments. •Ensure seamless integration with existing LAN/WAN and cloud services. Technical Requirements - Firewall Features: •Next-Generation Security: Application-aware filtering, IPS, SSL/TLS inspection, advanced threat protection. •Zero Trust Architecture: Support for ZTNA and SASE frameworks. •AI-Powered Threat Detection: Use of AI technology to detect threats and enhance overall security posture. •High Availability: Active/active and active/passive clustering for failover solutions. •Advanced Logging + Analytics: Centralised logging, SIEM/SOC integration, and MDR/XDR compatibility. •Country Blocking + Geo-IP Filtering: Built-in capability for region-based access control. •Scalability: Support for future expansion. •Advanced API Control: Support for advanced API control to allow integrations with other SaaS services and IT/Security products. Performance: •Minimum throughput: 10 Gbps firewalling, 5 Gbps IPS. •Latency: Low latency for real-time traffic. Compliance: •Security: Align with NIST CSF 2.0 and ISO 27001 frameworks for IT security and GRC, and IEC 62443 for OT security and GRC. •Data: Industry-standard encryption algorithms and GDPR-compliant logging and data handling. Implementation Plan: Phase 1: Review/Design and pre-configuration (including migration plan and rule-set audit). Phase 2: Configuration + Deployment of firewalls at three main sites with HA setup. Rollout to remote warehouses with single appliances. Phase 3: Handover and go live by the 20th of March 2026 with signed off UAT Phase 4: Post-migration cleanup and fully documented validation testing. Knowledge transfer (where applicable), and supply of appropriate documentation. Project Deliverables: •Provision of next-generation enterprise-grade firewalls. •Provision and control of all software, licenses, and support. •Design/configuration/and installation of firewalls. •Detailed low-level architecture design documentation. •Detailed low-level architecture network diagrams. •Technical Runbooks (detailing failover and HA scenarios, etc.). •DR tests (where appropriate, with documentation). •Acceptance testing plans and documentation with results signed off. •Patching/Software/Firmware plans. •Full configuration backup solution in place. •Hardening of enterprise firewalls. •Best practice configurations with rules/routes/NAT/services/etc. review (not simple lift + shift). ** Please refer to the attached tender document for the full and complete tender document **