ESBD_500130_1777061481110_Internal Audit Services RFP - HSP Q&A Round 1 - .pdf

This document is a Q&A response sheet issued by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) addressing Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Subcontracting Plan questions for RFP #452-2026-0005 for internal audit services. The RFP seeks a qualified entity to manage TDLR's internal auditing program in accordance with Chapter 2102 of the Texas Government Code, including development of annual audit plans using risk assessment techniques, periodic audits of major systems and controls, preparation of comprehensive audit reports, management of an employee reporting system, and performance of special audits as directed. Personnel must be either Certified Public Accountants (CPA) or Certified Internal Auditors (CIA) with a minimum of three years of auditing experience. The pre-proposal conference was held on April 16, 2026, with written questions due by April 23, 2026, proposal submissions due by May 21, 2026, and the Apparent Successful Proposer to be announced on or before July 7, 2026. The contract term runs from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2027, with TDLR retaining renewal rights for up to three additional one-year periods and extension rights for up to three additional months.

Pricing must be submitted as hourly rates by staff position title in separate cost and technical proposals. All proposers must comply with a HUB participation goal of 23.70% for professional services contracts and submit a completed HUB Subcontracting Plan as a pass/fail requirement. The evaluation criteria are cost (30 percent), probable quality of services (30 percent), past performance and qualifications (40 percent), and good faith effort in HUB subcontracting. In response to written questions regarding HUB participation for highly specialized roles such as IT audit and data analytics, TDLR clarified that it does not evaluate the practicality of HUB participation for specialized professional services but rather evaluates the Scope of Services to determine the probability of subcontracting, without favoring any particular subcontracting approach such as co-sourcing or task-based models.