RFO 701-26-013, FEDERAL

FISCAL AND PROGRAM

MONITORING MANAGEMENT

SYSTEM

Summary

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is seeking responses from qualified respondents to provide a federal fiscal and program monitoring system that streamlines compliance processes, reduces manual errors, and ensures the timely submission of required documents from school systems. The solution should include automated workflows, reporting, and communication tools to improve efficiency and accountability for both school systems and TEA, especially as monitoring numbers increase. This software is critical to support monitoring efforts, given limited staffing and a growing number of reviews, enabling TEA to conduct reviews more efficiently and at greater speed.

Authorized by: General Appropriations Act, 89th Legislature, Regular Session (2025), Article III, Rider 2

Responses are due September 23, 2026 - 2:00 P.M. Central Time

TEA Contracts and Purchasing Division TEASolicitations@tea.texas.gov

Jamel Barnes mailto:TEASolicitations@tea.texas.gov

Table of Contents

1. Purpose, Background, and Scope of Work

1.1. Purpose

1.2. Background and Defined Terms

1.3. TEA Mission and Procurement Authority

1.4. Anticipated Schedule of Events

1.5. Contract Term

1.6. Budget

1.7. Scope of Work, Project Description, and Project Requirements

1.8. Project Deliverables and Milestones

1.9. Collaboration

1.10. Contract Monitoring and Dispute Resolution Procedures

2. Submission Process and Instructions

2.1. Response Format

2.2. Electronic Submission Process

2.3. Communication

2.4. Response Requirements

2.5. Conflict of Interest

3. Response Format and Content

3.1. Requested Information

3.2. Understanding of the Project, Methodology, and Technical Components

3.3. Management Plan, Experience, and Qualifications

3.4. Task, Activity, Deliverable, and Budget Plan

3.5. Contractors Financial Capability

3.6. Price Proposal

4. Response Review and Evaluation

4.1. Response Review

4.2. Evaluation Criteria

5. Contractual Requirements

5.1. Incorporation and Order of Precedence

ATTACHMENT A: NOTICE OF INTENT TO SUBMIT A RESPONSE

ATTACHMENT B: CONTRACT TERMS, CONDITIONS, RESPONSE PREFERENCES, AND EXECUTION OF

OFFER

ATTACHMENT C: HISTORICALLY UNDERUTILIZED BUSINESS SUBCONTRACTING PLAN

ATTACHMENT D: RESPONSE COVER PAGE AND QUESTIONNAIRE

ATTACHMENT E: TASK, ACTIVITY, DELIVERABLE, AND BUDGET PLAN

ATTACHMENT F: PRICE PROPOSAL

ATTACHMENT G: CONFLICT OF INTEREST ANALYSIS FORM

ATTACHMENT H: INFORMATION SECURITY REVIEW

ATTACHMENT I: DATA CENTER SERVICES (DCS) INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIREMENTS

ATTACHMENT J: TX-RAMP QUESTIONNAIRE

ATTCHMENT K: SERVICE-LEVEL AGREEMENT

1. Purpose, Background, and Scope of Work

1.1. Purpose

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is seeking responses from qualified respondents to provide a federal fiscal and program monitoring system that streamlines compliance processes, reduces manual errors, and ensures the timely submission of required documents from school systems. The solution should include automated workflows, reporting, and communication tools to improve efficiency and accountability for both school systems and TEA, especially as monitoring numbers increase. This software is critical to support monitoring efforts, given limited staffing and a growing number of reviews, enabling TEA to conduct reviews more efficiently and at greater speed.

The system must:

• Receive and store documents from school systems securely.

• Allow TEA staff to review, analyze, and respond to submissions.

• Generate fiscal/programmatic monitoring and non-compliance letters and related documents.

• Be customizable to TEA’s fiscal and programmatic protocols.

• Handle corrective actions resulting from non-compliance.

1.2. Background and Defined Terms

The Federal Fiscal Monitoring Division (FFM) is the department within TEA that is responsible for monitoring the fiscal expenditures of federal grants awarded to subrecipients. These subrecipients include local educational agencies (LEAs)—such as school districts and open-enrollment charter schools—education service centers (ESCs), and, to a lesser extent, institutions of higher education (IHEs) and nonprofit organizations (NPOs). FFM operates under the Department of Grant Compliance and Administration (GCA). The Federal Program Compliance Division (FPC) is responsible for programmatic monitoring of various Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) programs. The Federal Compliance Unit (FCU) within the Department of Grant Compliance and Administration (GCA) is responsible for corrective actions related to fiscal or programmatic non-compliance.

As a pass-through entity, the TEA is statutorily required to oversee subrecipient activities to ensure:

• Federal subawards are used solely for authorized purposes;

• Subrecipients comply with applicable federal statutes, regulations, and grant conditions;

and

• Subaward performance goals and outcomes are achieved.

To fulfill these federal oversight requirements, FFM conducts fiscal monitoring of selected subrecipients and provides technical assistance as needed. Monitoring activities are performed in accordance with the annual subrecipient monitoring plan developed by GCA.

The purpose of a subrecipient monitoring review is to determine whether subrecipients receiving federal grant funds are in compliance with all applicable federal statutes, regulations, and grant requirements. This includes adherence to uniform administrative requirements and cost principles outlined in Title 2 and Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

With increasing monitoring burdens on state agencies, we are in need of a federal fiscal and program monitoring document system that will allow our limited number of staff to conduct federal fiscal and programmatic reports more efficiently and speedily. Current systems are not automated, have manual input from staff, and do not handle the full fiscal and programmatic monitoring cycle of school systems and potential non-compliance resolution and corrective actions.

As used in this solicitation, the following capitalized terms shall have the meaning as specified below:

Term Definition BAFO Best and Final Offer CMBL Centralized Master Bidders List Contractor/Vendor Refers to entities who desire to do business with TEA DIR Department of Information Resources ESBD Electronic State Business Daily FFM Federal Fiscal Monitoring Division GCA Grant Compliance and Administration IHE Institutions of Higher Education LEA Local Education Agency NIGP National Institute of Governmental Purchasing PAR Progress Assessment Report QAP Quality Assessment Plan Response Response refers to content submitted by Contractors to TEA in response to this solicitation SBOE State Board of Education SP State of Texas Subcontracting Plan TAC Texas Administrative Code TADBP Task, Activity, Deliverable, and Budget Plan TEA Texas Education Agency TEA Procurement Staff

TEA procurement professional(s) responsible for leading the planning, solicitation, and contract formation processes.

TEA Project Manager, TEA Program Staff, or

TEA staff members who are the subject matter experts concerning this solicitation, one or more of whom will manage the contract(s) resulting from this solicitation.

TEA Contract Manager

TGC Texas Government Code TX-RAMP Texas Risk and Authorization Management Program VetHUB VetHUB Veteran Heroes United in Business: 34 TAC § Sections 281-298 VPTS Vendor Performance Tracking System

1.3. TEA Mission and Procurement Authority

TEA is the state agency responsible for overseeing primary and secondary public education in Texas.

TEA’s mission is to improve outcomes for all public-school students in the state by providing leadership, guidance, and support to school systems; every child, prepared for success in college, career, or the military.

TEA has adopted a strategic plan comprised of four strategic priorities built upon five key actions identified below. These may be updated in the future and can be found on the TEA website located here, https://tea.texas.gov/about-tea/welcome-and-overview/tea-strategic-plan:

• Strategic Priorities o Recruit, support and retain teachers and principals o Build a foundation for reading and math o Connect high school to career and college o Improve low-performing schools

• Key Actions (Continuous Improvement) o Supported Educators o Ready Students o Rigorous Engagement o Aligned Systems o Actionable Goal-setting https://tea.texas.gov/about-tea/welcome-and-overview/tea-strategic-plan

This procurement supports TEA’s strategic plan by aligning systems to support monitoring efforts related to federal fiscal and programmatic requirements, including non-compliance resolution.

General Appropriations Act, 89th Legislature, Regular Session (2025), Article III, Rider 2

The solicitation and contract are authorized by Government Code Title 10, Subtitle D (the “Purchasing Act”). The solicitation and contract are subject to all applicable requirements of the Purchasing Act [in particular, Government Code Chapter 2151 (General Provisions), Chapter 2155 (Purchasing: General Rules and Procedures), Chapter 2157 (Purchasing: Purchase of Automated Information Systems), and Chapter 2161 (Historically Underutilized Businesses, “HUBs”)] and those requirements established by rule of the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (CPA), Statewide Procurement Division (SPD), as contained in Title 34, Chapter 20, of the Texas Administrative Code (“TAC”), and to other applicable federal and state statutes and rules herein cited. Any references in this contract to the “Government Code” mean the Texas Government Code.

1.4. Anticipated Schedule of Events

DATE EVENT

August 18, 2026 Publication of solicitation in the Electronic State Business Daily (ESBD) at: http://www.txsmartbuy.gov/esbd Contractors must have an account at Euna Procurement (Bonfire) to submit a response to TEA. State of Texas Subcontracting Plan and http://www.txsmartbuy.gov/esbd

VetHUB-related questions must be directed to the TEA HUB Office

HUBOffice@tea.texas.gov

September 2, 2026

Last day to submit written questions about this solicitation no later than 2:00 P.M. Central Time. Submit questions via Vendor Discussion in the Euna Procurement (Bonfire) portal

September 11, 2026 Final publication of questions and answers September 18, 2026 TEA preferred date to receive Notice of Intent to submit a response September 23, 2026 Response(s) due no later than 2:00 P.M. Central Time September - October 2026

Response Check-In, Evaluations, and Oral Presentations (if required)

November - December 2026

Commencement of contract negotiations with selected contractor(s)

January 2027 Anticipated start date of contract

1.5. Contract Term

The contract term is for a total of one state fiscal years commencing from contract execution or an agreed-upon contract start date. Any period starting at contract execution or agreed upon contract start date that is less than a state fiscal year will not count toward the total number of state fiscal years. All contracts are subject to appropriation of funds by the Texas Legislature.

Contractors must not perform any work before both parties have signed a contract. TEA will not pay for services the contractor performs for TEA prior to contract execution.

1.6. Budget

TEA may award one contracts from this solicitation. TEA reserves the right not to award a contract from this solicitation. The licensing fee structure must be included in Attachment F. Contractors must include a detailed Task, Activity, Deliverable, and Budget Plan (TADBP), as described elsewhere in this solicitation and in Attachment E. TEA will not accept separate indirect cost rate calculations for this procurement. The proposed budget and payments to a contractor must be based on satisfactory completion and TEA listed requirements. TEA will make payments in accordance with 1.7 Scope of Work, Project Description, and Project Requirements, Payment to Awarded Vendor, based on provided supporting documentation. The TADBP must be valid for at least 120 business days from the solicitation closing date.

1.7. Scope of Work, Project Description, and Project Requirements mailto:HUBOffice@tea.texas.gov

TEA is seeking offers from organizations to automated workflows, reporting, and communication SaaS application to improve efficiency and accountability for both school systems and TEA. The submission must include:

A. SaaS Solution

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) seeks to procure a cloud-based software solution that improves the efficiency, accuracy, and management of federal fiscal and program monitoring activities for school districts. Current processes rely heavily on manual data entry and administrative workflows, creating inefficiencies and increasing the potential for delays and errors.

The software shall provide capabilities that enable secure document submission by school systems, streamline internal review and response workflows, and automate the generation of fiscal and programmatic monitoring letters, notices, and reports. The software shall support communication and information exchange between TEA and school systems and provide functionality for tracking, managing, and documenting corrective actions related to identified compliance issues.

The software shall support TEA's goal of increasing the number of fiscal and programmatic reviews completed annually, improving audit readiness, accelerating the issuance of monitoring results, and facilitating the timely management of corrective actions. Authorized TEA users shall be able to view, edit, approve, track, search, and export documents and records associated with fiscal and programmatic monitoring reviews.

The software shall support usage by more than 400 school systems annually for submitting required documentation, responding to monitoring inquiries, reviewing findings, and managing corrective action activities associated with federal fiscal and program monitoring reviews.

B. Data Migration Requirement

TeamMate+ Audit is the Federal Fiscal Monitoring Division's current monitoring application. The proposed software must provide the capability to import and maintain relevant historical data, including but not limited to:

• Monitoring reviews and results

• Findings and determinations

• Supporting documentation

• Corrective action records

• Status updates and tracking information

• Associated correspondence and reporting data

The software shall preserve data integrity and maintain relationships among imported records to support ongoing monitoring, reporting, audit, and compliance activities.

C. Scope of Software Requirements

The awarded vendor shall provide all services necessary to deliver a fully functional Federal Fiscal and Program Monitoring Management System, including but not limited to:

• A secure, web-based platform for managing federal fiscal and program monitoring activities.

• Secure intake, storage, retrieval, and management of documents submitted by school systems and other subrecipients.

• Workflow functionality to support review, analysis, follow-up, routing, and approval processes by TEA staff.

• Automated generation of fiscal and programmatic monitoring letters, reports, findings, determinations, and non-compliance notifications.

• Functionality to track, manage, document, and resolve corrective actions resulting from identified non-compliance.

• Role-based access controls and permissions for internal TEA users and external school system users.

• Reporting, dashboard, data export, and audit trail capabilities to support audit readiness, compliance monitoring, and management oversight.

• User documentation and system documentation included as part of the software offering.

• Standard software updates and patches available under the vendor's licensing or subscription model.

• Scalability to support current and future monitoring needs

• The application must comply with all relevant WCAG accessibility standards and TEA branding guidelines

The software must support usage by 400 or more school systems per fiscal year and accommodate increases in monitoring volume, user activity, document submissions, data storage, and reporting requirements over time.

D. Training Requirements

The awarded vendor shall provide all training services included with the proposed software solution.

• Administrator Training – Provide training for the designated the system included with the proposed software solution.

o Training materials o Recorded walkthrough of the system o Post-training support to ensure transition o Hands-on sandbox environment for testing o Ongoing updated training materials

• Train the Trainer – TEA will employ a Train-the-Trainer model to establish and maintain an internal knowledge base and training program for software system users. This model will allow TEA to independently train end users and provide ongoing support to school systems.

E. Project Risks, Assumptions, and Constraints

Risks

• Delays in configuration or deployment could impact monitoring timelines.

• Insufficient system flexibility could limit TEA’s ability to adapt to regulatory changes.

• Inadequate training or change management could hinder adoption by users.

Assumptions

• TEA subject matter experts will be available to support requirements validation and user acceptance testing.

• The system must integrate with existing TEA monitoring protocols and business processes.

Constraints

• Limited TEA staffing resources necessitate a high degree of automation and usability.

• The system must comply with applicable state and federal security and data protection requirements.

Acceptance Criteria

The system will be accepted upon TEA’s confirmation that:

• All functional requirements are met and validated.

• Security and access controls operate as designed.

• System integrates fiscal and programmatic monitoring protocols and processes.

• Automated workflows, document generation, and reporting functions perform accurately.

• System performance supports concurrent usage by internal and external users.

Project Completion Criteria

The project will be considered complete when:

• The system is fully deployed and operational.

• Historical data identified for migration has been successfully migrated and validated by TEA.

• TEA staff have been trained and system documentation delivered.

• All acceptance criteria have been met.

• Transition to steady-state support has occurred.

F. Equipment and Workspace Vendor personnel requiring access to any TEA systems during implementation activities must comply with applicable TEA requirements, including but not limited to those related to security, onboarding, acceptable use, and access control. Vendors are expected to utilize their own standard internal tools, processes, and resources for delivery and support of the SaaS solution.

G. TX-RAMP

Pursuant to TGC 2063, the awarded contractor must comply with the requirements of the state risk and authorization management program. The awarded contractor must maintain compliance of the https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/GV/pdf/GV.2063.pdf requirement throughout the term of the contract. Any third-party cloud computing services leveraged as part of the contract to store, process, or transmit TEA data is subject to Texas Risk and Authorization Management Program (TX-RAMP) requirements and must be disclosed as part of the response. Additional information about TX-RAMP can be found on the DIR website here: Texas Risk and Authorization Management Program (TX-RAMP) | Texas Department of Information Resources.

The TX-RAMP certification application can be found here: TX-RAMP Scoping Tool for Vendors Survey

Contractors must provide answers regarding TX-RAMP in Attachment J.

H. Electronic and Information Resources (EIR) Accessibility Standards

Any EIR produced as part of the resulting contract must follow all accessibility standards referenced in Attachment B. EIR includes documents, websites, and audio & video presentations. These standards include but are not limited to the following requirements:

1. All images and other non-text objects must contain appropriately descriptive alternative text and null alternative text;

2. Tables should only be used for tabular data and must include valid row and column header tags;

3. Header tags (h1, h2, etc.) must be used to convey document structure;

4. Users must be able to navigate the web pages, including all links, features, forms, navigations, and sub-navigation, using the keyboard only;

5. All scripted features must be able to function using the keyboard only with losing focus;

6. All form fields must have descriptive form labels;

7. All information conveyed with color must also be available without color;

8. Foreground and background color combinations must provide sufficient contrast when viewed by someone with color deficits or when viewed on a black and white screen; colors used in the design must be WCAG 2.1, Level AA standards for color/contrast ratio; and

9. Video and audio content must follow accessibility guidelines and include closed captioning and audio descriptions; audio files must include written transcripts; audio and video controls must be operable using a keyboard only.

I. Cybersecurity Training

If the awarded contractor requires access to any state computer system or database, the awarded contractor shall complete cybersecurity training and verify completion of the training program to TEA pursuant to and in accordance with TGC 2063. (See Attachment B)

J. Transition Plan

As part of final transition at project completion, the contractor shall submit to TEA requested reports, data, data export/import information, configuration information, administrative documentation, user https://dir.texas.gov/information-security/texas-risk-and-authorization-management-program-tx-ramp https://dir.texas.gov/information-security/texas-risk-and-authorization-management-program-tx-ramp https://texasdir.surveymonkey.com/r/28CCRGJ https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/GV/pdf/GV.2063.pdf documentation, and any other knowledge transfer related to operation of the software as needed.

TEA will not release the final invoice until any applicable materials used are returned to TEA or their designee. TEA Contract Manager shall approve any transition plan prior to its implementation. The transition plan must minimize the impact on continuity of operations and maintain communication with TEA Contract Manager and the new contractor.

K. Security and Data Privacy Requirements

Appropriate levels of security shall be implemented to meet federal, state, and local regulations, particularly the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). (See Attachment B)

1. TEA and its business partners are required to comply with TGC 2063, requiring all data agency websites or applications that process sensitive personal information or confidential information be subjected to vulnerability and penetration testing, and to address any vulnerability identified.

2. Websites shall be accessible through a secure connection (HTTPS-only, with HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS)), utilizing Transport Layer Security (TLS) version 1.2 or higher. TEA retains the right to scan websites for vulnerabilities and requires remediation of identified issues in a timely manner not to exceed three months, compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) at a minimum.

3. Provide secure configuration guidelines that were utilized that fully describe all security relevant configuration options and their implications for the overall security of the software.

The guidelines shall include a full description of dependencies on the supporting platform, including operating system, web server, and application server, and how they should be configured for security.

4. The following sample list of requirements is given to exemplify best application and development practices:

a. Usage-limiting techniques and other protective countermeasures wherever a denial-of service or automated attack vulnerability is clearly inherent in the architecture.

b. Sufficiently strong encryption, per industry standards, wherever confidential data is at rest or traverses a network.

c. Effective error handling that does not return unnecessarily verbose message to the user that could be used to gain insight into the application internals or other privileged processes or data.

5. The contractor will notify TEA immediately upon learning of any actual or suspected security breach or denial of service attack. A security breach is an incident in which sensitive, protected, or confidential data may have been viewed, stolen, altered, or used by an individual unauthorized to do so. A denial-of-service attack is a cyber-attack where the perpetrator seeks to make a machine or network resource unavailable to its intended users by temporarily or indefinitely disrupting the services of a host connected to the Internet.

L. Service Level Agreements:

Contractors are required to review and comply with the Service Level Agreement (SLA) requirements provided in Attachment K and address their ability to meet those requirements in their proposal.

1.8. Project Deliverables and Milestones

A. Deliverable Delivery Schedule

The following table contains the expected delivery schedule. TEA expects respondents to include additional deliverables relative to the contents of their proposed services.

Milestone Target Date

Project Kickoff Complete Within 15 Days of Contract Execution

Project Schedule Approved Within 30 Days of Contract Execution

Initial-Setup and Configuration Complete

Within Two Months of Contract Execution

User Acceptance Testing (UAT) Complete

Within Three Months of

Training & Readiness Complete Within Four Months of Contract Execution

Production Go-Live Within Four Months of Contract Execution

Knowledge Transfer Complete Within Six Months of Contract Execution

B. System Functional Requirements

The proposed Federal Fiscal and Program Monitoring Management System shall provide the following capabilities:

C. Monitoring Management Capabilities

• Secure, web-based access for authorized TEA staff and external school system users.

• Scalability to support current and future monitoring activities, users, document volumes, and reporting requirements.

• Configurable workflows, business rules, templates, forms, notifications, and correspondence to support TEA's fiscal and programmatic monitoring processes.

• Secure document intake, storage, retrieval, retention, and management.

• Functionality that enables TEA staff to review, analyze, track, manage, and respond to submitted documentation.

• Automated generation of fiscal monitoring letters, programmatic monitoring letters, non-compliance notifications, corrective action correspondence, reports, and other monitoring-related documents.

• Functionality for tracking, managing, documenting, and resolving corrective actions resulting from identified instances of non-compliance.

• Audit trail capabilities that record user activity, document submissions, workflow actions, approvals, status changes, and system-generated communications.

D. Workflow and Configuration Requirements

The software shall provide functionality to:

1. Receive, upload, store, organize, and retrieve documents submitted by school systems in a secure manner.

2. Support review, analysis, routing, approval, and response workflows for TEA staff.

3. Generate monitoring letters, findings, determinations, corrective action notices, and related correspondence using configurable templates.

4. Support configuration of workflows, templates, forms, and business rules to align with TEA fiscal and programmatic monitoring requirements.

5. Track corrective actions, due dates, status updates, supporting documentation, and resolution activities associated with monitoring findings.

E. Reporting and Data Management Requirements

The software shall:

• Provide configurable dashboards and reporting capabilities.

• Support data export in commonly used formats.

• Maintain records necessary to support audit readiness, compliance monitoring, and management oversight.

• Allow authorized users to search, filter, view, and export monitoring-related data and documents.

F. Documentation Requirements

The software shall include standard user documentation and technical documentation associated with the software product, such as user guides, online help resources, release notes, and system administration documentation.

G. Capacity Requirements

The software must support usage by 400 or more school systems annually and accommodate growth in the number of users, monitoring reviews, corrective actions, document submissions, and data storage requirements over time.

1.9. Collaboration

The awarded contractor(s) will collaborate closely with TEA staff for this project. These responsibilities include, for example:

Awarded Contractor Responsibilities:

• Engaging in ongoing, responsive communication about the project(s);

• Working continuously on the project, including during summer months;

• Adhering to the TADBP, or other schedules for deliverables as specified by TEA after consultation with the awarded contractor;

• Notifying TEA within 48 hours of project-related issues that negatively impact timelines;

• Responding within 5 business days to all requests for feedback on evaluation plans, methodology, analysis plans, instruments, data manipulation, analysis results, reports, etc.;

• Responding within 48 hours to inquiries regarding invoicing and document requests (as in the case of an audit);

• Adhering to policies and procedures regarding use of confidential data and data collection procedures;

• Adhering to all terms and conditions of the contract with TEA, for example, following the change management process for contract revisions; informing TEA of changes in ownership, key staff, or subcontractors; and immediately reporting actual or potential conflicts of interest to TEA;

• Configure the system to meet TEA’s fiscal and programmatic monitoring requirements; and

• Ensure system scalability, security, and performance.

TEA Responsibilities:

• Providing awarded contractor(s) and any subcontractors information on changes in legislation, reporting needs, or any other activities that may impact the project(s);

• Collaborating with the awarded contractor(s) to address unforeseen developments, identify issues, and propose solutions;

• Coordinating support and resources for the project;

• Providing necessary data and documentation;

• Reviewing and approving the contractor’s evaluation and analysis plans, including all qualitative and quantitative methodologies and data analyses;

• Reviewing use of data, data sources, data manipulation, data processing business rules, and analytic results;

• Monitoring the awarded contractor’s progress, as outlined in contractor-submitted monthly progress reports to ensure compliance with contract terms;

• Reviewing and approving monthly invoices (including disputing invoices as necessary and working with contractor(s) to resolve disputes);

• Monitoring the awarded contractor’s performance and compliance with the terms and conditions of the contract, including following the change management policy for all amendments and budget revisions;

• Coordinating presentations of findings prior to the submission of major deliverables;

• Monitoring proper transmission and destruction of data.

1.10. Contract Monitoring and Dispute Resolution Procedures

TEA monitors its contracts to ensure contractors adhere to the terms and conditions of their TEA contracts and to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse. TEA Contract Managers carefully review invoices to verify the following:

- Goods and/or services provided are included in the contract;

- Charges match the contract budget and pricing clearly ties to the task plan;

- Invoice charges are within scope, allowable, and reasonable;

- Invoice amounts are tied to specific contract tasks with enough supporting documentation to show that goods and/or services were received and were of acceptable quality; and

- Each invoice shows the contract number, purchase order number, dates of service, tasks, and pricing.

TEA will pay for product licenses in accordance with defined minimum acceptable usage criteria listed in this document. All pricing included in the response falls under the product license fee for the software. The response should include a specific deliverable or a set of deliverables that demonstrate successful completion of activities. All activities must have documentation to support their completion. TEA reserves the right to reject goods or services which do not address the deliverables stated in the contract and do not meet TEA quality review.

In addition to carefully reviewing invoices prior to authorizing payment, TEA Contract Managers conduct ongoing contract monitoring activities depending on the nature and risk factors associated with the contract. Examples of standard contract monitoring activities include:

- Monitoring the contractor’s progress and performance to ensure goods and services conform to the contract requirements;

- Managing, approving, and documenting any changes to the contract through the change management process authorized by the terms of the contract;

- Maintaining documentation verifying that goods and/or services were reviewed and accepted;

- Monitoring the contract budget to ensure sufficient funds are available throughout the term of the contract;

- Identifying and resolving disputes with the contractor promptly;

- Exercising legal remedies, as appropriate, when a contractor’s performance is deficient; and

- Confirming all goods and/or services have been delivered and delivery is completed prior to the expiration date of the contract.

TEA will determine whether a contract should be subject to enhanced monitoring, an increased level of monitoring. For example, a contractor who has access to sensitive data or contact with students may be subject to enhanced monitoring. In addition to the responsibilities that come with standard contract monitoring, Contract Managers may implement any of the following examples of enhanced monitoring measures:

- Developing a Quality Assessment Plan (QAP) to document contract monitoring activities;

- Conducting site visits to a contractor’s facility;

- Holding regular project management meetings with contractors to ensure the project is meeting established milestones and deadlines;

- Reviewing contractor-prepared progress reports;

- Reviewing satisfaction surveys from training attendees or other quality assurance reports;

- Implementing a corrective action plan if contractor is not meeting contract performance expectations;

- Monitoring contractor performance and invoking applicable remedies for contract breaches

(for example, liquidated damages assessed for service level agreement breaches); and

- Monitoring contractor’s access to sensitive data and ensuring data is handled properly and returned or destroyed at the end of the contract, as appropriate.

TEA expects contractors to support these monitoring efforts including responding promptly to requests for documentation and working together in good faith to resolve disputes.

In the event of a dispute, TEA will make every effort to resolve the issue(s) with contractor’s project staff before escalating to executive-level management. Throughout the dispute resolution process, the parties should make a good faith effort to work together toward a mutually beneficial resolution.

Resolution may include corrective action plans, substitutions, liquidated damages, or other remedies, as appropriate

2. Submission Process and Instructions

2.1. Response Format

Contractors must submit a complete response and follow all the instructions contained within this solicitation. Responses with conditional clauses, alterations, or irregularities are subject to rejection by TEA in its sole discretion. Contractors must submit responses electronically and ensure TEA receives them no later than the deadline stated in the Anticipated Schedule of Events. TEA will not accept late responses.

Response Format and Requirements for Euna Procurement (Bonfire) submissions:

- The contractor must download all files from Euna Procurement (Bonfire) under Public Files to prepare a submission.

- Complete and upload all required documents listed under the Requested Information section in Euna Procurement (Bonfire).

- The file name should be short but descriptive and avoid special characters. Use capital letters, hyphens, or underscores instead of spaces or periods. (i.e., 2X- 0XX_CompanyName_Response).

- Contractors must ensure an authorized representative sign all required forms and those signatures are included in the electronic file (digital signatures or scanned ink signatures are both acceptable).

- The contractor must sign the Execution of Offer contained within Attachment B. By signing the Execution of Offer, the contractor affirms that all statements within the response are true and correct. Discovery of any false statement in the response may void the submitted response or any resulting contracts.

- Contractors must submit responses electronically via Euna Procurement (Bonfire).

2.2. Electronic Submission Process

Submission via EUNA Procurement (Bonfire)

TEA will only accept responses using the Euna Procurement (Bonfire) electronic bidding portal as a secure electronic submission method. Please upload your submission at Texas Education Agency Euna Procurement (Bonfire) Portal. Responses will not be accepted by email or facsimile.

Once uploaded, the Euna Procurement (Bonfire) platform will notify TEA of the upload. Contractors will receive a submission confirmation number upon successful submission response. The file(s) will be dated and time-stamped upon upload and the system will provide a confirmation number to the contractor’s email address. Contractors are advised to plan accordingly to ensure TEA receives the proposal ahead of the deadline. Once the close date has passed, you will not have an opportunity to change any of the submitted documents.

***Please note the location, type, and requirements of these forms. Failure to submit required documents will result in a contractor’s disqualification from consideration for this procurement.

Forms must be submitted at the specified location in Euna Procurement (Bonfire)***

Intent to Submit Response via Euna Procurement (Bonfire)

TEA requests contractors notify TEA as soon as possible of their intent to submit a response on the Euna Procurement (Bonfire) platform. Toggle the “Intent to Bid” checkbox in Euna Procurement (Bonfire) to confirm the intent to submit a response. Notifying TEA of an intent to submit a response in no way obliges a contractor to submit a response. Contractors will not be able to prepare a submission unless you submit “Yes”.

2.3. Communication

To protect the integrity of the procurement process, contractors must adhere to the communication procedures outlined in this solicitation.

Euna Procurement (Bonfire) Registration

To contact TEA or ask questions in relation to this solicitation, contractors should register at https://tea.bonfirehub.com and initiate the communication electronically through the Vendor Discussions section or email TEASolicitations@tea.texas.gov

To assist with registration, submission of a response, and learning how to get started with Euna Procurement (Bonfire), watch this training video. For questions or support when using the platform, access the Euna Procurement (Bonfire) online knowledge base, search the FAQ, or contact the Euna Procurement (Bonfire) support team at support.bonfire@eunasolutions.com.

Limited Contact Policy

Contractors may contact the TEA Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) office at HUBOffice@tea.texas.gov for the purpose of addressing VetHUB and State of Texas Subcontracting Plan (SP) questions only..

TEA will not accept phone inquiries regarding this solicitation.

https://tea.bonfirehub.com/ mailto:TEASolicitations@tea.texas.gov https://customer.eunasolutions.com/public/s/knowledge-base/bonfire-hub/vendor-registration https://customer.eunasolutions.com/public/s/knowledge-base/bonfire-hub/vendor-registration mailto:support.bonfire@eunasolutions.com

Non-procurement staff at TEA may not discuss this procurement with outside parties. If a potential contractor fails to observe this prohibition or attempts to circumvent the limited contact policy, their response may be subject to disqualification.

The limited contact policy does not apply to discussions concerning matters unrelated to this procurement, including business related to current contracts with TEA.

Question and Answer Process

Contractors may submit questions within the date and time specified in the Anticipated Schedule of Events. Any questions or clarifications pertaining to this solicitation shall be submitted through Euna Procurement (Bonfire) Opportunity Q&A. TEA will compile questions and related responses into one or more addenda documents and post them on the Euna Procurement (Bonfire) platform. It is the contractor’s responsibility to review any addenda documents before submitting.

Communication after the Response Due Date

Between the response due date and contract execution, TEA may communicate with contractors to:

- Seek clarification regarding response(s).

- Invite contractors to participate in oral presentations.

- Conduct negotiations, including requesting a potential contractor’s best and final offer

(BAFO).

- Exchange information required to facilitate a potential contract award.

TEA will notify all contractors of the award or non-selection upon contract execution. The Limited Contact Policy remains in force until all contract(s) from this solicitation have been executed.

2.4. Response Requirements

TEA will not consider late or incomplete responses. Responses that address only part of the requirements of this solicitation are non-responsive.

Failure to formalize the terms of the response by signing the Contract Terms, Conditions and Affirmations, Response Preferences (Texas Government Code Chapter 2155), and Execution of Offer (Attachment B) will result in disqualification of the offer contained within the response.

Contractors must carefully review and complete all forms within the solicitation. TEA encourages contractors to review 34 TAC § Sections 281-298 regarding the requirements of the SP and to reach out to the TEA HUB Office at HUBOffice@tea.texas.gov with questions. Failure to comply with VetHUB requirements, including correctly filling out all VetHUB related forms, will result in disqualification.

https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/GV/htm/GV.2155.htm https://texas-sos.appianportalsgov.com/rules-and-meetings?chapter=20&division=1&interface=VIEW_TAC&part=1&subchapter=D&title=34

TEA reserves the right to reject responses and to negotiate portions thereof, including the offered TADBP and identified personnel.

Contractors must furnish clarifying information to TEA if requested. Failure to provide the requested material or information may disqualify the response.

The selected contractor must collaborate with TEA staff to clarify the project design, design of the materials, project activities, and/or other work products, and modify these items, if necessary.

All responses received in response to this solicitation are the property of TEA. TEA is not liable for any costs incurred in the preparation or submission of a response.

Texas Bidders Affirmation

Respondent certifies that if a Texas address is shown as the address of the Respondent on this response, Respondent qualifies as a Texas Bidder as defined in Section 2155.444(c) of the Texas Government Code.

Texas Public Information Act

Responses submitted in response to this solicitation are subject to release under TGC, Chapter 552, Public Information Act. If TEA receives a Public Information Act request for responses received under this solicitation, contractors may have the opportunity to demonstrate that some or all their response falls into one or more exceptions to disclosure. Contractors should indicate on the response cover if their submission contains proprietary information and identifies the specific sections within the response that are proprietary. It is not sufficient to mark every page as confidential; rather, contractors should identify specific information or sections as proprietary.

Veteran Heroes United in Business (VetHUB) Subcontracting Plan (SP)

In alignment with state law and public policy, TEA encourages contracting and subcontracting opportunities for VetHUBs in all contracts. If TEA determines that subcontracting opportunities are probable, then an SP is a required element of the response.

Statement of Probability

TEA has determined that subcontracting opportunities are probable in connection with this procurement. Therefore, ALL contractors must submit an SP in their response. Responses that do not include an SP will be rejected for non-compliance.

If the contractor is itself a VetHUB, the SP is still required to identify the percentage of the work to be performed by subcontractors and document whether the contractor is self-performing or has made a good faith effort to subcontract work to other VetHUBs.

If the contractor (VetHUB or non-VetHUB) is not subcontracting any portion of the work, the Self Performance portion of the SP must be completed and returned with the response.

https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/GV/htm/GV.552.htm https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/GV/htm/GV.552.htm

The contractor shall develop and administer the SP as a part of the response in accordance with the TEA policy on utilization of VetHUBs and State law. The contractor must make a good faith effort and solicit a minimum of three Texas-certified VetHUBs from the State’s Centralized Master Bidders List (CMBL) / VetHUB Directory for work that they cannot complete with their own staff and resources.

Additional requirements are listed in Attachment C. In addition to a completed SP, contractors planning to subcontract portions of their work for TEA are required to provide supporting documentation to support good faith efforts (for example, emails between the contractor and potential subcontractors, trade organizations, and development centers).

The SP will be incorporated into the contract between TEA and the selected contractor.

VetHUB Subcontracting Goal The VetHUB subcontracting goal for this procurement is 5% service-disabled veteran-owned business participation.

TEA encourages contractors to collaborate with the HUB Office to develop mentor-protégé opportunities. Under 34 TAC § Sections 281-298, a contractor’s participation in a Mentor- Protégé Program under TGC § 2161.065, and the submission of a protégé as a subcontractor in the VetHUB SP constitutes a good faith effort for the work to be subcontracted with the protégé.

VetHUB Subcontract Progress Assessment Reporting The contractor will be responsible for maintaining business records documenting compliance with VetHUB Program requirements. The contractor must submit a Progress Assessment Report (PAR) monthly documenting all subcontractor payments made in the preceding month.

Submission of the PAR is a condition for payment. PARs are due no later than the 10th day of the following month. The PAR must be submitted monthly, even if no subcontracting activity occurred during the month, to TEA’s HUB Office at HUBOffice@tea.texas.gov.

How to Find Texas Certified VetHUBs for Subcontracting Opportunities

Manufacturers, suppliers, and other vendors, including VetHUBs, may be found on the Centralized Master Bidders List (CMBL) / VetHUB Directory at: Search For Vendors. Vendors are listed by the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP) commodity codes for which they’ve self-identified as related to the service and/or goods they provide. TEA has identified the following sample list of NIGP commodity codes that may be related to this solicitation, but each contractor is responsible for identifying the subcontracting needs for their unique proposal.

1. Class Code: 208 – Computer Software for Microcomputers, Systems, including Cloud-based (Preprogrammed) https://texas-sos.appianportalsgov.com/rules-and-meetings?chapter=20&division=1&interface=VIEW_TAC&part=1&subchapter=D&title=34 https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/?tab=1&code=GV&chapter=GV.2161&artSec=2161.065 https://mycpa.cpa.state.tx.us/tpasscmblsearch/tpasscmblsearch.do

Item: 11, Application Software, (Not Otherwise Classified), Microcomputer

2. Class Code: 920 – Date Processing, Computer, Programming, and Software Services

Item: 02, Access Services, Data

Item: 05, Application, Infrastructure, Hosting, Data Hosting and Cloud Computing Services, Vendor Hosted and Internally Hosted

Item: 37, Networking Services (Including Installation, Security, And Maintenance)

Item: 44, Risk Management For Software Development

Item: 45, Software Maintenance and Support Services and Updates and Data Hosting Services

Item: 48, Storage Services, Data Media

Item: 76, Testing of Systems Infrastructure, Components or Software, IT Services

Item: 91, Training, Computer Based (Software Supported)

3. Class Code: 966 – Printing and Typesetting Services

Item: 57, Offset Printing, General, Small Press Work (Quan. Up To 25,000), One Or More Colors, No 4 Color Processes Or Large Solids Or Close Registration Up To 11 X 17 In.: Brochures, Newsletters, Covers, Posters, Etc.

2.5. Conflict of Interest

An entity will not be selected if it has a conflict of interest that will or may arise during the performance of its obligations under the contract. The contractor must disclose any existing or potential conflicts of interest or possible issues that might create appearances of impropriety relative to the submission of a response by the entity and its proposed subcontractors. The contractor must complete the Conflict of Interest Analysis Form in Attachment G. TEA will not accept information provided in other areas of the response as satisfaction in lieu of full completion of the Attachment G form with the required attachments. TEA recommends the completed form and responsive attachments be incorporated into a separate and distinct section in the response.