8-RFQ 721-26052 Tech System Integrator FINAL.pdf

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) –

SERVICES RFQ NO.: 721-26052

Technology Systems Integrator

ISSUED BY:

Procurement and Payment Services

FOR:

The Medical Complex Project

PROCUREMENT OFFICER:

Tyler Steen

E-mail: tyler.steen@austin.utexas.edu

VetHUBs CONTACT: Gary Hampton

Vendor Management Office

E-mail: utvethub-hsp@austin.utexas.edu

QUALIFICATIONS ARE DUE IN THE UNIVERSITY BONFIRE PORTAL SHOWN

BELOW NO LATER THAN:

February 27, 2026 at 2:00pm

UT Bonfire Portal

NOTE: A public opening of responses will not be conducted for this RFQ.

mailto:tyler.steen@austin.utexas.edu mailto:utvethub-hsp@austin.utexas.edu

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section 1 – Project Overview and Scope of Services

Section 2 – Proposal Evaluation

Section 3 – Instruction to Respondents

Section 4 – Project General Information

Appendix’s (Refer to Bonfire)

SOLICITATION SCHEDULE

The following is the anticipated solicitation schedule including a brief description for milestone dates:

Solicitation Milestone Proposed Date

RFQ Issued February 6, 2026

Pre-Submittal Conference (virtual) February 13, 2026 at 9:00 AM (local time) To join the Meeting:

https://utexas.zoom.us/j/85973543308 Deadline for Questions from Respondents February 16, 2026 at 12:00 PM (local time)

Answers to Respondent Questions (estimated) February 20, 2026*

RFQ Proposal Submittal Deadline February 27, 2026 at 2:00 PM (local time)

Evaluation Committee Scoring (completed by) March 10, 2026*

Short Listed Firms Interview March 24, 2026 – March 26, 2026*

Contract Negotiations (begin) April 1, 2026*

Final Legal Review and Award (completed by) April 20, 2026*

*Schedule may shift depending on the total number of qualifications received.

NOTE: The University reserves the right to revise this schedule. Any such revision will be formalized by the issuance of an addendum to the RFQ and posted in the University Bonfire portal for your convenience.

https://utexas.zoom.us/j/85973543308

Section 1 – Project Overview and Scope of Services

1.1 Project Overview

The University of Texas at Austin is developing a new academic medical center and intends to proactively plan and coordinate all aspects of operational activation to support safety, efficiency, scalability, and long-term operational excellence. To avoid costly retrofits and premature technology decisions, the organization is seeking an advisory partner to support technology solution development and early design integration during Schematic Design/Design Development.

This RFQ is not intended to procure specific equipment or vendors. Rather, the selected respondent will support the definition of technology solutions, system-level design requirements, and an implementation roadmap that will guide future capital procurement and vendor selection.

The project is progressing through Pre-Design and Programming. At this stage, the organization intentionally does not have predefined low voltage system requirements, vendors, or equipment specifications. The objective is to establish a clear strategy, decision framework, and design readiness that enables informed and value-based technology investments in later project phases.

1.2 Contract Term

It is anticipated that the contract term for contract(s) award resulting from this solicitation, if any, will be one (2) year with the option to renew for two (2) additional one-year terms if required. Further, University reserves the right to extend the contract term on a month-to-month basis, not to exceed three (3) months upon the expiration of the initial term and any successive renewal term.

1.3 Background and Special Circumstances

Technology decisions made after design finalization often result in constrained solutions, increased capital costs, or missed opportunities. The University of Texas at Austin seeks to avoid retrofitting by engaging expert advisory support early to define an integrated technology environment that is aligned with operational goals.

1.4 Scope of Work, Activities, and Deliverables

We are seeking to engage a best-in-class Technology Systems Integrator who will provide comprehensive leadership, coordination, and technical execution across all aspects of technology design, integration, testing, activation and post go live stabilization for The University of Texas at Austin (“UT Austin”) Academic Medical Center. Respondents to this RFQ must demonstrate recent completion of solutions for other healthcare institutions that include higher education, research, innovative and forward-thinking ability, and a comprehensive knowledge of best practices required to complete the plan.

The selected partner will establish and manage a structured integration framework that includes the development of a technology testing lab to demonstrate a cohesive technology ecosystem that supports operational workflows, systems design validation, interoperability and integration testing, commissioning, cybersecurity planning, data readiness, and technology enabled operational planning. This engagement ensures that technology decisions are evidence based, coordinated across all parallel workstreams, validated through a robust Testing Lab, and fully prepared for Day 1 operations.

The selected partner will proactively identify and resolve all potential responsibility gaps between the construction manager and the owner teams to prevent misalignment, late-stage rework, and avoidable risk. Ultimately, this work will enable a seamless, efficient, and successful project opening. stage rework, and avoidable risk. In scope are all information technology systems, biomedical equipment and associated software, network solutions, automation systems, building systems, and any other technology-based system that is foundational to how the facility will operate. Biomedical equipment lifecycle management and asset tracking must integrate with Dell Medical School’s enterprise ITSM/asset management platform (e.g., ServiceNow), including inventory synchronization, maintenance workflows, and device status reporting. The Integrator will ensure that all medical devices are represented in and managed through established enterprise asset processes rather than parallel tracking systems. Medical device integrations—including infusion pumps, physiologic monitors, ventilators, and point‑of‑care diagnostic devices—must interoperate with central clinical systems including Epic, device‑integration middleware, alarm/event management systems, and real‑time data/telemetry platforms.

The systems below are (non-exhaustive) examples of the types of systems that require integration per the scope of work below. These systems include, but are not limited to:

• Smart Patient room technologies

• Nurse Call

• Overhead paging

• Medical device integrations

• AV/Conference Systems

• CATV/SATV/IPTV

• OR Integration platform

• EMR (Epic) Integrations

• Middleware systems and Associated Integrations

• Real Time Locate Services (RTLS)

• Access Control and Surveillance System

• Smart Building Systems

• End user environmental controls (lighting, sound, shade devices, etc.)

• Digital Twin platforms

• Virtual reality, augmented reality, and associated integrations

• Ambient Intelligence

• Building Management / BAS

• Clinical and Operations Command Center

• Distributed Antenna System (DAS)

• Master Clock

• Wayfinding / Signage

• Parking Technology Systems

• Automation systems

• Elevator Systems

1.4.1 Consolidated responsibilities for the engagement:

The Technology Systems Integrator will provide comprehensive leadership and technical coordination to ensure that all technology platforms across the hospital project function as a unified, interoperable ecosystem. The Integrator will work across design, construction, activation, and go live phases to ensure that all technology solutions meet owner requirements, integrate successfully, and are fully ready to support clinical and operational workflows. In later stages of the project, the Technology Systems Integrator will actively perform selective testing of device and system integration.

Dell Medical School retains architectural authority, operational ownership, and final sign‑off for core enterprise platforms and standards, including but not limited to:

• Electronic Medical Record (Epic)

• Identity and Access Management (IAM)

• Network and Security Architecture and Standards

• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

• Configuration Management Database (CMDB)

• Enterprise Monitoring & Observability Tools

The Technology Systems Integrator will lead integration planning, system‑level requirements, interoperability validation, and testing across all platforms. However, platform owners within Dell Medical School maintain decision rights related to architecture, security posture, configuration, operational models, data governance, and any changes that could affect enterprise‑wide standards or compliance obligations.

Final sign‑off for integrations involving these systems must be jointly completed with the DMS platform owner(s). The Integrator will coordinate review cycles, provide required technical evidence, and document impacts, but cannot authorize changes independently.

Dell Medical School maintains enterprise ownership of Epic, ERP, and related data models. The Integrator must ensure that all proposed solutions leverage these existing platforms rather than introducing redundant or competing systems. Any feature or capability that already exists within these enterprise platforms must not be recreated or procured separately. Medical device connectivity architecture must support validated interoperability with Epic and the designated device integration/middleware platform. All data flows, alarms, and clinical documentation pathways must follow Epic’s approved integration patterns and governance standards. The Integrator must validate device‑to‑Epic interoperability through approved interface methods (e.g., HL7, FHIR, serial/IP connectivity via device gateways).

The consolidated responsibilities include:

1.4.1.1 Identify Basic Integration Requirements

• Define the Owner’s integration requirements for all technology platforms, including implementation standards, interoperability expectations, cybersecurity alignment, and dependencies across clinical, operational, building, and experiential systems.

• The above includes working specifically to select patient room innovation and technology design, including mock-ups and a networked test environment integrated with Epic.

• Work with Clinical Nursing Operations leadership to provide design assistance review of clinical systems to support desired clinical workflows.

• Work with technology leadership to ensure that the requirements develop meet the vision and intent of the new facility.

• Work with information security’s leadership to develop and design future-ready cybersecurity and information security requirements / criteria and solutions. Work with information security team to ensure cybersecurity measures and standards are met across all technology solutions.

• All cybersecurity and information‑security requirements must align with UT System policies and UT Austin Information Security Office (ISO) security standards. The Technology Systems Integrator must ensure that all proposed integrations, solution architectures, and implementation activities adhere to these mandatory standards, including data handling, access control, encryption, network design, and vendor technology selection. No deviation from UT System/UT Austin ISO security requirements may be incorporated without documented Owner review and approval.

• All integration requirements, cybersecurity controls, and interoperability patterns must explicitly conform to UT System Information Security Policies and UT Austin ISO standards. This includes compliance with approved security baselines, vulnerability management processes, identity governance requirements, and security architecture standards for all clinical, operational, and building systems.

• Cybersecurity solutions must align with UT Austin ISO requirements and utilize UT Austin’s existing security stack wherever applicable. Dell Medical School will not procure and operate a separate, duplicative enterprise security stack for this project. The Integrator will be responsible for designing integrations that use the existing campus security controls (e.g., endpoint protection, network security, identity and access management, logging and SIEM) rather than introducing conflicting or redundant platforms.

• All integrations must comply with UT Austin identity and access management standards, including required use of UT EID for authentication. Alignment with UT Austin single sign‑on (SSO) platforms is mandatory for any system requiring user authentication. The Integrator must ensure that all role‑based access, identity workflows, and authentication/authorization patterns align with UT Austin enterprise IAM governance.

• All technology systems requiring authentication or authorization must natively interoperate with UT Austin’s institutional identity platforms, including UT EID, SSO, and campus‑managed federation services. No parallel identity stores or standalone authentication systems may be implemented.

• All technology design and integration work must align with Dell Medical School’s enterprise systems, including Epic (clinical), Workday (administrative/ERP), and Salesforce (engagement/CRM). All proposed solutions must support required data flows, interfaces, and workflow dependencies with these platforms. No system, module, or integration approach may duplicate functionality already delivered via EMR, ERP, etc..

instead, the Integrator must leverage and extend these enterprise platforms through approved integration patterns.

• Medical device connectivity architecture must be designed to interoperate with Epic and the designated device‑integration/middleware platform. The Integrator must validate end‑to‑end connectivity, data mapping, alarm routing, and clinical documentation pathways using Epic‑approved integration patterns and device‑gateway standards.

• All biomedical and clinical devices must comply with FDA medical device cybersecurity requirements and ECRI guidance, including secure configuration, validated patching pathways, vulnerability disclosure expectations, encryption requirements, and compensating controls for devices with technical limitations. Work with Clinical Nursing Operations leadership to provide design assistance review of clinical systems to support desired workflows.

1.4.1.2 Validate and Evaluate Proposed Technology Solutions

• Review, validate, and evaluate all technology solutions proposed by the construction manager, low voltage integrators, network teams, automation/robotics partners, and other vendors to ensure cross platform integration, elimination of duplicative systems, and alignment to UT System standards.

• Ensure included technology requirements align to use cases and eliminate duplication of equipment. Validate that MDF, IDF and electrical rooms and specifications, as well as overall network specifications, will support the intended portfolio of technology solutions.

• All technology solutions must integrate with the UT Austin campus backbone network architecture and standards and, where feasible and appropriate, leverage existing campus infrastructure (e.g., campus fiber backbone, MDF/IDF connections, and core network services). The Integrator will collaborate with UT Austin Campus IT to ensure that proposed designs and configurations where needed conform to campus network reference architectures and avoid creating parallel or duplicative network infrastructure.

• Support development of RFPs as subject matter experts.

1.4.1.3 Test Select Technology Solutions

• Plan, execute, and support detailed testing of selected technology systems to validate interoperability, data flow, device integration, workflow alignment, and end to end functionality between significant technology platforms. -to-end functionality between significant technology platforms.

• Develop Innovation Lab for technology and technology integration testing.

• Business continuity requirements and fallback procedures should technology integration (or individual components) fail

• Schedule and facilitate integrated testing sessions for all technology systems. Issue reports with pass/fail criteria, punch list, and corrective action deadlines.

• Determine if and when proposed technologies will not constructively integrate and co-exist (including determining adverse interference between systems).

• All EMR‑related integration, testing, and workflow validation must follow Epic governance processes, interface standards, and approved non‑production environments. The Technology Systems Integrator will validate and test integrations in collaboration with Epic and Dell Medical School IS teams, rather than independently defining or modifying integration patterns. All proposed EMR integrations must use Epic‑approved APIs, interface specifications, and workflow constructs.

1.4.1.4 Develop & Maintain the Technology Integration Responsibility Matrix

• Create and maintain a responsibility matrix from programming through occupancy. This matrix must clearly define ownership across design, installation, testing, commissioning, integration testing, and go live for all technology systems. live for all technology systems. -live for all technology systems.

• The matrix must also clearly delineate Dell Medical School ownership of enterprise systems where DMS retains architectural and operational authority (e.g., EMR, identity, network/security standards, ERP, CMDB, monitoring tools), including final approval requirements for integrations affecting these systems.

1.4.1.5 Recommend & Coordinate Emerging Platform Technologies

• Identify, assess, and coordinate emerging technologies/platforms relevant to Dell Medical School’s innovation goals, including vendor demos, comparative analysis, financial modeling, and site visits to peer institutions.

• Organize vendor demonstrations, facilitate comparative reviews, collecting and presenting budget proposals and arranging site visits to peer institutions to assess real world performance and operational fit. -world performance and operational fit.

• Directionally indicate expected art of the possible in 2030 and beyond

1.4.1.6 Create & Maintain a Technology Platform Roadmap

• Develop and maintain an integrated roadmap that consolidates all equipment, technology, and software across the portfolio. Collaborate with the Equipment Planner and other team member’s to unify program requirements into a single technology integration plan that aligns with the Integrated Program Plan and construction schedule.

• Aggregate and maintain master inventory of technology platform that includes technology, equipment and software. Collaborate with Equipment Planner and other third-party team member’s to aggregate and integrate all technology components into a unified technology integration plan.

• Coordinate with Equipment Procurement team on the vendor discussions to ensure all requirements are contracted and installed during procurement, installation, commissioning and training and review equipment procurement, installation, commissioning and training timelines to ensure requirements will be met on schedule.

• Manage and coordinate vendor integrations, including hardware and software. Present weekly scope gap analysis and provide updates at owner/architect/contractor (OAC) meetings.

• Lead a Technology Change Control Board during construction to review all changes impacting technology, clinical workflows, or integration dependencies.

Coordinate this with owner for sign-off and approvals.

• Maintain detailed technology budget worksheets as buyouts and changes occur during the construction phase. Provide updates to Project Leadership when changes occur and to confirm buyout reconciliation.

• Develop and maintain as-built floor plan detailing technology locations, including owner provided equipment.

• Develop technology documentation by identifying all technology components for the project, including interconnected distribution facility (IDF) rooms.

• Develop a master level commissioning plan guide for all technology systems and integrations between technology systems. Include pre-functional, functional, integrated, and cutover testing)

1.4.1.7 Oversee Implementation, Installation, Commissioning, Testing and Go-Live of Technology Platform

• Maintain technology vendor mobilization plan with arrival dates, required materials, site dependencies, and sequence of work.

• Scenario planning for technology alternatives and backup operational flows to address supply constraints or integration risks during construction. Review risks and issues with broader project team to identify any technology procurement or installation challenges.

• Coordination with Operational Readiness (Activation), equipment planning, robotics/automation, low-voltage, design and construction partners during the construction phase on key requirements for integrated technology ecosystem.

• Maintain MDF/IDF cleanliness as defined in owner checklist.

• Assist with room readiness checks for technology prior to opening.

• The Integrator will coordinate implementation across all systems; however, changes or integrations affecting systems under Dell Medical School architectural authority (EMR, identity, network/security, ERP, CMDB, monitoring) require explicit Owner approval and may not proceed without DMS governance sign‑off.

• Dell Medical School retains architectural authority and final sign‑off for all EMR (Epic) workflows, interfaces, data models, integration methods, and release governance. The Integrator is responsible for coordination, documentation, and testing but must adhere fully to Epic‑defined patterns and Dell Medical School IS governance requirements.

• The Integrator will coordinate with UT Austin Campus IT for all network backbone and security dependencies, including but not limited to firewall rules, VLAN design and provisioning, DNS, DHCP, and routing changes required to support the technology ecosystem. All such changes must where appropriate and necessary be implemented through established campus governance and change‑management processes; the Integrator may not implement independent network or security services outside of UT Austin’s approved architectures and standards.

• Physical and logical access control systems deployed as part of this project must where needed fully interoperate with UT Austin’s campus credentialing ecosystem, including badge issuance, access provisioning, and lifecycle management processes. The Integrator must where appropriate and needed ensure compatibility with campus‑managed access control standards and may not introduce independent or duplicative credentialing systems.

1.4.2 Deliverables

Deliverables are mapped below according to project phase. All deliverables should include the following:

• Executive-level summaries for Owner leadership to support decision making

• Monthly progress updates to project leadership

• Transfer / handover to operational Owner of relevant materials

1.4.2.1 Design Phase Deliverables (Concept Design, Schematic Design, Design

Development and Construction Documents)

• Owner’s requirements for technology integration, including requirements for an integrated network. Incorporate future ready cybersecurity and information security criteria that guide technology selection and establish security requirements for construction planning and execution. -ready cybersecurity and information security criteria that guide

• Technology vision validation with technology-enabled use cases that align to Dell Medical School’s objectives and key concepts. Patient and staff narratives aligned to the current and future use-cases.

• Technology Platform Roadmap - Combined inventory of technology, equipment and software. Collaborate with Equipment Planner and other third-party team member’s to aggregate and integrate the following into a unified technology integration plan. The roadmap should include elements of the following:

o Timeline for selection, procurement, installation, commissioning / testing, and training for each piece of technology (for equipment, working in partnership with Equipment Planner and Equipment Procurement consulting teams; for software, working in partnership with Dell Medical School IS team) – timeline needs to be integrated with Dell Medical School’s Integrated Program Plan which will include construction timelines.

o Detailed budgeting during Schematic Design, Design Development, and Construction Document phases. Also included Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) establishment by individual technology systems.

o Lifecycle cost analysis (TCO), Lifecycle Cost Analysis (LCC) including capital acquisition, implementation, integration, maintenance, upgrade, and end-of-life considerations. Financial benefits from productivity gains (TEI), and budget monitoring across phases.

o Identify interdependencies with construction timeline.

o Budget required for Innovation Testing Lab (see below) o Identification of compliance documentation and certifications (including HIPAA, HITECH, fire, safety and others as required by UT system for each technology within the healthcare setting.

o Design and propose cybersecurity and information security solutions across the technology roadmap.

o Conduct scenario planning for delays, substitutions, integration failures, and cybersecurity risks.

• Integration strategy demonstrating how all technology systems will interface with Epic, Workday, and Salesforce using approved APIs, middleware, and data‑exchange standards, and documentation confirming no duplication of enterprise platform capabilities.

• Build a Technology integration Testing Lab; includes design to test all integrations and technology use cases. Specify networking, servers, applications, vendor hardware, electrical, AV/low-voltage, and cabling requirements on customer site.

o Integration Testing Lab should include patient room integrations, clinic exam room, an Operating Room limited mock-up, and other areas as mutually agreed.

o Utilize and coordinate mock-ups created by Construction Manager. Coordinate vendor and equipment installation with Construction Manager for lab setup.

o Schedule and facilitate integrated testing sessions for all technology systems. Conduct stakeholder workshops to drive innovation and education for decision-making.

o API validation and vendor equipment testing: test and verify vendor APIs; validate interoperability claims.

o Testing lab will use non-production interfaces with Epic, validation of interfaces and middleware strategy supporting end-to-end workflows, patient room platforms, and appropriate ancillary systems.

o Develop integration mapping of all contracted integration systems. This will include all relevant information for applications, interfaces, and integration points.

o Integration testing reports: documented results of end-to-end testing including lab and integration validation. Interface Control Documents and API conformance test plans.

o Include medical device integration testing within the Innovation Lab, including connectivity validation for infusion pumps, physiologic monitors, ventilators, and point‑of‑care devices. The Integrator must validate device‑integration failure modes (e.g., network loss, gateway failure, power interruption, data buffering/resend behavior) and document expected clinical and operational impacts.

• Definition of integration governance boundaries, including documentation of where Dell Medical School retains architectural authority, operational ownership, and final sign‑off for enterprise platforms (EMR, IAM, network/security standards, ERP, CMDB, monitoring).

• All EMR‑related testing within the Innovation Testing Lab must utilize Epic‑approved non‑production environments and adhere to Epic interface and workflow governance. The Integrator may not introduce or validate alternate EMR integration patterns outside Epic standards.

• Security architecture, cybersecurity criteria, interface designs, and technology roadmaps must where appropriate and necessary demonstrate full alignment with UT System Information Security policies and UT Austin ISO standards. All designs must reflect required security controls, data protection standards, segmentation requirements, and approved methods for securing clinical and operational systems.

1.4.2.2 Construction Phase Deliverables

• When applicable, coordinate the provisioning and configuring of secure, scalable analytics environments, ensuring compliance with all relevant regulatory and security standards to prepare and operationalize clinical data for predictive analytics use cases.

• Demonstrate that selected technology solutions will work together as intended (aka meet integration requirements and not have adverse impact on each other).

• Coordinate integrations between CMMS and building/asset systems to automate the flow of equipment data and work order updates. This includes configuring proactive ticketing rules that generate, and route maintenance work orders based on defined thresholds or detected anomalies.

Establish appropriate security, notifications, and reporting to support efficient maintenance operations and ongoing system reliability.

• Updated timeline that includes technology and application readiness, mock-ups, testing, and go-live. Multi-level commissioning plan covering wiring certification, network connectivity/firewall rules, software deployment verification, firmware readiness, and room-level validation.

• Training coordination with vendors; create documentation and as-built artifacts for systems.

• Opening support: on-site support during hospital opening and system training.

1.4.2.3 Activation Deliverables

• Final room-by-room and overall technology platform readiness sign off that ensures rooms are ready for safe patient care. Readiness will be embedded in owner 7, 30, 60, 90, and 120-day readiness assessments.

• Training requirements matrix for each system

• Coordinate vendors and provide onsite support during mock-days and clinical simulations.

• Develop and provide training materials and help conduct training sessions for IS and clinical staff.

• Develop Day-1/Week-1 technology support plans, coordinating all technology vendors.

1.4.2.4 Go-Live / Operations Phase Deliverables

• Provide interface and system architecture design documents to Dell Medical School.

• Knowledge transfer: documentation co-developed with IS for sustainability.

• Day 2 transition manual bridging construction and operational management.

• Provide governance and operating manual for the continued use of the

Innovation Lab

• Provide documentation of application security patches for each system / service are current and meet / exceed UT network security standards.

• Collect and consolidate closeout documents into a Technology Platform

Closeout Package (warranties, O&M manuals, configuration backups, licensing, asset tags, and support contacts), including a warranty matrix for all components of the Technology Platform detailing each vendor’s obligations, response times, and escalation routes, then manage warranty kickoff meetings with each vendor.

• Documentation and implementation of necessary integrations with UT Austin campus monitoring and network operations capabilities, including registration of critical systems and interfaces into existing monitoring / NOC infrastructure and observability tools, and confirmation that alerting and escalation paths are aligned with Dell Medical School and campus IT support models.

• Confirmation that all Day‑1 operational workflows requiring data exchange with Epic, Workday, or Salesforce are functioning as intended, using approved integration patterns and without introduction of parallel or duplicative functionality.

Balance of page intentionally left blank.

Section 2 – Proposal Evaluation

2.1 General Selection

The successful Respondent, if any, selected by University through this solicitation will be the Respondent that submits a response on or before the Submittal Deadline that meets or exceeds the requirements of this solicitation and is the most advantageous to University.

The evaluation of responses and the selection of Contractor will be based on the information provided in the response and other information available to University. University may consider additional information if University determines the information is relevant.

In accordance with the Texas Education Code (Sections 51.9335, 73.115 and 74.008), the University may acquire goods or services by the method that provides the best value to the University of Texas at Austin.

All information requested by University should relate to one of the referenced criteria noted in the Texas Education Code.

2.2 Evaluation Criteria

An Evaluation Committee (“Committee”) will review all responses to determine which Respondent have qualified for consideration according to the criteria stated herein. The Committee’s evaluations will be based on all available information, including qualification statements, subsequent interviews, if necessary, reports, discussions, reference checks, and other appropriate checks. The highest rated Respondent(s) evaluated by the Committee may be invited to make an oral presentation of their written proposal to the Committee.

Qualifications will be evaluated using the following criteria:

Criteria Scored Criteria Weight Respondent’s Statement of Qualifications and Availability to Undertake the Services 10%

Project Team’s Ability to Provide Relevant Services 20%

Respondent’s Performance on Past Representative Projects 15%

Respondent’s Management Procedures and Methods 10%

Respondent’s Approach to Vendor Assessment and Comprehensive Market Analysis 10%

Respondent’s Experience and Approach to Forward Looking Strategies and Designs

25%

Respondent’s Ability to Identify and Resolve Problems on Past Projects 10%

Total Points 100 http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/ED/htm/ED.51.htm#51.9335 http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/ED/htm/ED.73.htm#73.115 http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/ED/htm/ED.74.htm#74.008

2.3 Advancement Criteria

The University, at its sole discretion, may determine a competitive range for shortlist including the use of interviews and/or presentations. The University may enter into negotiations with shortlisted vendors under the RFQ and proceed with multiple awards.

2.4 Eligibility for Award

For a Respondent to be eligible to be awarded the contract, the response must be responsive to the solicitation and the University must be able to determine that the Respondent is responsible and has the resources and capacity to perform the resulting contract satisfactorily. Responsive responses are those that comply with all material aspects of the solicitation, conform to the solicitation documents, and meet the requirements set forth in this solicitation. Responses, which do not comply with all the terms and conditions of this solicitation, may be rejected as non-responsive.

When considering “most qualified” and award, the University reserves the right to set a minimum score requirement regarding the non-cost evaluation criteria listed in the table above.

2.5 Responsible Respondent

Responsible proposers, at a minimum, must meet the following requirements:

2.5.1 Have adequate financial resources, or the ability to obtain such resources as required during the performance of any resulting contract.

2.5.2 Be able to comply with the required performance schedule, taking into consideration all existing business commitments.

2.5.3 Have a satisfactory record of past performance.

2.5.4 Have the necessary personnel and management capability to perform any resulting contract.

2.5.5 Be qualified as an established firm regularly engaged in the type of business necessary to fulfill the resulting contract requirements.

2.5.6 Certify that the firm is not delinquent in any tax owed to the State of Texas under Chapter 171, Tax Code.

2.5.7 Be otherwise qualified and eligible to receive an award under applicable laws and regulations;

and

Respondent(s) may be requested to submit additional written evidence verifying that the firm meets the minimum requirements described above and as necessary, to perform the requirements of the solicitation and be determined a responsible respondent. Failure to provide any requested additional information may result in the respondent being declared non-responsive and the proposal being rejected.

A person is not eligible to be considered for award of this solicitation or any resulting contract or to be a subcontractor of the respondent or prime contractor if the person assisted in the development of this solicitation or any part of this solicitation or if the person participated in a project related to this solicitation when such participation would give the person special knowledge that would give that person or a prime contractor an unfair advantage over other proposers.

Only individual firms or lawfully formed business organizations may apply. This does not preclude a Respondent from using subcontractors or contractors. University will contract only with the individual firm or formal organization that submits a response to this RFQ.

In the event that only one (1) Proposal Response is received in reply to this RFQ or only one (1) Response passes the Initial Responsiveness Screening, the University will review the Response for compliance with specifications, identify any areas of non-compliance, and if applicable, identify questions that need to be asked of the Respondent to clarify the Response. The Response must meet all required technical specifications.

Section 3 – Instruction to Respondents

3.1 General Instructions

3.1.1 Respondent(s) should carefully read the information contained herein and submit a complete response to all requirements and questions as directed.

3.1.2 Responses and any other information submitted by Respondent in response to this solicitation shall become the property of University.

3.1.3 University will not provide compensation to Respondent(s) for any expenses incurred by the

Respondent(s) for response preparation or for any demonstrations that may be made, unless otherwise expressly stated. Respondent(s) submit responses at their own risk and expense.

3.1.4 Responses, which are qualified with conditional clauses, or alterations, or items, not called for in the solicitation documents, or irregularities of any kind are subject to disqualification by University, at its option.

3.1.5 Each response should be prepared simply and economically, providing a straightforward, concise description of your firm's ability to meet the requirements of this solicitation. Emphasis should be on completeness, clarity of content, responsiveness to the requirements, and an understanding of University needs.

3.1.6 University makes no guarantee that an award will be made as a result of this solicitation and reserves the right to accept or reject any or all responses, waive any formalities or minor technical inconsistencies, or delete any item/requirements from this solicitation or resulting Agreement when deemed to be in University’s best interest. Representations made within the response will be binding on responding firms. University will not be bound to act by any previous communication or response submitted by the firms other than this solicitation.

3.1.7 Respondents wishing to submit a “No-Response” are requested to return the first page of the Execution of Offer (ref. APPENDIX ONE). The returned form should indicate your company's name and include the words “No-Response” in the Comment section of the table provided.

3.1.8 Failure to comply with the requirements contained in this Request for Proposal may result in the rejection of your proposal.

3.2 Preparation and Submittal Instructions

All APPENDIXs noted are to be properly completed and submitted with response. Signature by an authorized officer of Respondent must appear on the Execution of Offer (ref. APPENDIX ONE) of the submitted electronic copy of the response.

3.3 Document Format and Content

3.3.1 Proposal must be signed by Respondent’s company official(s) authorized to commit such proposal on behalf of the Respondent. Failure to sign and return these forms may subject your proposal to disqualification.

3.3.2 Response to this solicitation must include a response to the requirements set forth above.

3.3.3 Responses must be typed on letter-size (8-1/2” x 11”) paper. University requests that qualifications be submitted in an organized electronic fashion resembling a binder format to include section tabs as further defined below. Preprinted electronic material should be referenced in the proposal and included as labeled APPENDIXs. Sections should be divided in a simple to follow manner for ease of reference.

3.3.4 Responses shall be submitted to the University via the official sourcing portal noted in the solicitation announcement and on the first page of this Solicitation. Electronic response files should clearly indicate the company name on the file. Respondents shall upload files individually and not upload folders. Any questions regarding the submittal process shall be submitted to the Procurement Contracting Officer of record as noted on the project detail page in advance before the Submittal Deadline.

3.3.5 Respondent must submit all material identified in the submittal instructions electronically in responding to the solicitation as individual and separate documents.

3.3.6 The solicitation response must be received electronically via the sourcing portal prior to the due date listed in the events schedule on the project details page of this solicitation (as amended). The responses will be time, dated, and secured for the solicitation opening. Responses are held until the submission date. Any Response received after the specified time and date noted on the project details page will not be considered under any circumstance.

3.3.7 University shall not be responsible for failure of electronic equipment or operator error. Late or otherwise non-responsive responses will not be considered.

3.3.8 Telephone, Facsimile (“FAX”) or electronic mail (email) qualifications are not acceptable when in response to this solicitation.

3.4 Respondent’s Response

General: Your Response should clearly define (i) Respondent’s total capacity and capabilities, (ii) Respondent’s qualifications to perform the work as outlined in this Solicitation, (iii) Respondent’s ability to perform the services outlined in the Scope of Services, At a minimum, your Technical Response shall include the following:

3.4.1 Cover letter

The cover letter shall not exceed 1 page in length, summarizing key points in the response, and shall briefly furnish background information about your firm, including date of founding, legal form (sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation/state of incorporation, corporate charter number), number and location of offices, location of company headquarters/main office, total number of employees’ company-wide and total number of employees in the State of Texas, and principal lines of business.

Certify that the firm is legally permitted or licensed to conduct business in the State of Texas for the services offered.

Only lawfully formed business organizations may apply. University will contract only with the individual firm or formal organization that submits a response to this RFQ.

3.4.2 Respondents’ Statement of Qualifications and Availability to Undertake the Services

3.4.2.1 Provide a statement of interest for the services including a narrative describing the qualifications as they pertain to this particular solicitation for the Respondent.

3.4.2.2 Provide a statement on the availability and commitment of the Respondent and its principal(s) and the assigned professionals to undertake the services proposed in this solicitation.

3.4.2.3 Provide a brief history of the Respondent who will undertake the services proposed in this solicitation.

3.4.2.4 Describe the Respondent’s proposed team, identifying members of the Firm proposed for this solicitation.

3.4.3 Project Team’s Ability to Provide Relevant Services

3.4.3.1 The Respondent’s ability to provide services relevant to this solicitation will be evaluated on the basis of the experience and success of those individuals named to your project team regardless of the firm with whom the individual was associated when the submitted experience was conducted. Current capabilities of the team will be evaluated on the basis of the experience and capacity (current workload and availability) of the individuals assigned.

State of Texas registration of key team involved in project will be required wherever applicable.

3.4.3.1.1 Identification of the single point of contact for the Professional Services team.

3.4.3.1.2 Identification of key personnel to be assigned to the project.

3.4.3.1.3 Organizational chart illustrating names, titles, and roles for key participants proposed by the Professional Services firm.

3.4.3.1.4 Resumes for each key individual on the team and definition of that person's role in each stage of the strategic planning. Include their experience with similar projects, the number of years with the firm, and their city of residence.

3.4.3.1.5 No substitutions of any team members may be made without prior approval by the University. Specific individuals for the prime proposed by Respondent are expected to be submitted as part of the planning team, should the Respondent be selected.

3.4.3.2 Clearly identify the members of the proposed team who worked on the listed projects in

Criteria 3.4.4 and describe their roles in those projects

3.4.4 Respondent’s Performance on Past Representative Projects List a minimum of three (3) projects for which the Respondent has provided services that are most related to this solicitation. List the projects in order of priority, with the most relevant project listed first. Provide the following information for each project listed:

• Project name and location.

• Project description.

• Project owner, including complete contact information.

• Size of the planning project, in gross square feet.

• Length of time required from inception of the effort to completion of the portion of the work relevant to the scope of this solicitation.

• Description of Respondent’s contracted responsibility for the project (prime professional, joint venture).

• Describe the professional services the Respondent provided for the project.

• Describe how the project is similar and why the services provided are most relevant to the project described in this solicitation.

• Describe novel approaches by the Respondent in orchestrating the planning study and/or providing deliverables which are most relevant to the project described in this solicitation.

• Representative of the Respondent responsible for coordinating the portion of the work most relevant to the project described in this solicitation.

• Indicate whether the project included creation of a website or similar digital model.

Describe the Respondent’s role in creating and maintaining the website during the project.

Provide a link to the website, if available.

• References (for each project listed identify the following):

o The Owner’s representative who served as the day-to-day liaison during the phase of the project most relevant to the project described in this solicitation, including a contact phone number.

• Length of business relationship with the project Owner.

References shall be considered relevant based on the specific project participation and experience of the Respondent. The Owner may contact references during any part of this process. The Owner reserves the right to contact any other references at any time during the RFQ process.

3.4.5 Respondent’s Management Procedures and Methods

3.4.5.1 Management Procedures and Methods: will be evaluated based on processes and procedures demonstrated relative to scope of work required by this solicitation.

3.4.5.2 State briefly what Respondent believes to be the most pertinent considerations and challenges that must be addressed in projects of this type.

3.4.5.3 Methods of team organization and communication - Discuss how Respondent will coordinate the scope of work to be provided under this solicitation; Need Analysis - Identification and Analysis of Current and Projected Statistics and Need, Space Analysis, Be specific with regard to internal and external communications, quality control and responsible individuals, including their location (e.g., on-site or specific office).

3.4.5.4 Discuss how Respondent is likely to communicate information including; data analysis, constraints, planning concepts, and alternatives developed as part of this solicitation via a computer-based, digital method, or some other method.

3.4.5.5 Please address how the Respondent will be able to respond quickly as issues arise during the project. If local representatives in Austin or Texas are being proposed, please identify.

3.4.6 Respondent’s Approach to Data Analysis via Market or Project Documentation

3.4.6.1 Describe the Respondent’s innovative planning philosophy and methodology and provide examples of how this has been successful on past projects.

3.4.6.2 Describe how the Respondent would incorporate an innovative planning philosophy on the

UT Austin project. Identify areas of the master plan with the greatest opportunities for innovation and explain why.

3.4.6.3 Describe how the Respondent’s approach to creation of the project framework referenced in Section 1.4 would assure that it is a living and flexible document long after completion of the project.

3.4.6.4 Describe proposed project team’s demonstrated competency to provide services referenced in Section 1.4.

3.4.6.5 Describe Respondent’s cost estimating methods, relative to the scope of work performed as part of this solicitation. How are cost estimates developed and how are they updated on the scale of a master plan?

3.4.6.6 Describe the way Respondent develops and maintains work schedules to coordinate with the Owner’s project schedule.