ESBD_524780_1780942304991_FY26-02 RFP HR Consultant.pdf

Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas RFP FY26-02 6/8/2026 HR Consulting Services

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

RFP: FY26-02

HUMAN RESOURCES (HR) CONSULTING SERVICES

Schedule of Major Events

Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas 1702 Hampton Rd

Texarkana, TX 75503 www.netxworks.org

RFP Release June 8, 2026

Deadline to Submit Q&A June 23, 2026

Post Responses to Q&A June 26, 2026

RFP Proposals Due July 17, 2026 (No later than 4pm Central)

Notice of Award July 24, 2026

Contract Start Date August 1, 2026

North East Texas WDB RFP: FY26-02 June 8, 2026 HR Consulting Services Page 2 of 18

Contents

1.1 Introduction

1.2 Activities and Services Solicited

1.3 Eligible Proposers

1.4 Length of Contract

1.5 Description of the Procurement Process

1.6 Criteria for Evaluation of Proposals

1.7 Proposal Conditions

PART TWO - INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL

2.1 General Instructions

2.2 Required Format

2.3 DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED FOR EVALUATION

ATTACHMENT A

ATTACHMENT B

ATTACHMENT C

ATTACHMENT D

ATTACHMENT E

ATTACHMENT F

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1.1 INTRODUCTION

The North East Texas Workforce Development Board (herein after referred to as “Board”), d.b.a. Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization, in compliance with Texas laws SB 642 and HB 1863, is the local policy making body for the Northeast Texas Workforce Development Area (WDA). The Board is comprised of a 27-member board approved by the Texas Workforce Commission. This regional, policy-making board is made up of a majority of business persons and also has representation from labor, education and economic development concerns to plan and oversee operation of the public workforce system, of which child care services is a part, in the 9-county local workforce area. The Board provides policy and program guidance and exercises independent oversight and evaluation of workforce development programs and services that affect area employers, residents and job seekers in Bowie, Cass, Delta, Franklin, Hopkins, Lamar, Morris, Red River, and Titus counties.

This document is intended to convey all the information necessary to enable a prospective proposer to submit a response to this Request for Proposals (RFP). Criteria in this RFP are based on anticipated outcomes that guide planned actions within a defined scope of work. The absolute parameters of the award, including, but not limited to, timeframes and price, shall be specified in the final contract.

The contract resulting from this RFP will be issued in accordance with Texas Government Code, Title 10, Subtitle D, Chapters 2151 through 2176 and rules of the General Services Commission.

1.2 ACTIVITIES AND SERVICES SOLICITED

The Board will receive proposals for Human Resources consulting and support services on a per hour basis.

The selected organization is expected to provide neutral, third-party objective, general human resources guidance and direction to a tax-exempt organization with the fiscal oversight for workforce centers in the nine-county area of Northeast Texas with ten (10) employees, one (1) non-exempt and nine (9) exempts.

The scope of services will include but not be limited to the following:

Audit 10 personnel files to ensure compliance with applicable law and HR best practices. Provide list of any required or recommended documents that maybe missing and provide examples for each.

Advise on compensation benchmarking Update existing Job descriptions Revise/update current performance evaluation document to ensure meaningful and measurable feedback for employees Review and update employee handbook to ensure:

o Policies in handbook are consistent with applicable law o Policies are updated/added to include the latest employment trends

Develop onboarding process Provide training to supervisory personnel on managing employee performance to include:

HR Consulting Services Page 4 of 18 o setting expectations, o coaching, o mentoring, o providing feedback, o documenting performance, o conducting disciplinary actions, o and conducting terminations.

Provide training to human resources and supervisory personnel on:

o Risk management and employee relations o Effective communication o Emotional intelligence

Conduct HR compliance and personnel policies audit and recommend corrective actions Answer HR related questions from designated staff as needed

The outsourced support requires consistent availability of a trained Human Resources consultant who will collaborate with Board management on the appropriate course of action while helping Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas remain compliant and consistent in responding to human resource issues.

Any additional costs for service beyond the services solicited in the RFP must be approved by the Executive Director prior to purchase and/or completion.

1.3 ELIGIBLE PROPOSERS

The Board will initially review all proposals for completeness and compliance with the terms and conditions of the RFP. Proposals clearly inconsistent with the RFP requirements will be eliminated from further consideration. Proposals that pass the completeness and compliance review will be evaluated against the criteria outlined in Section 1.6 Criteria for Evaluation of Proposals. Qualified vendors include:

Any company, firm, corporation, organization, or association that is, or can be, licensed to conduct business in the state of Texas;

Any consortium of such companies, firm, corporations, organizations, or associations;

The Board strongly encourages minority-owned and women-owned businesses, socially and economically disadvantaged business enterprises, and small businesses to respond to this RFP, to participate as partners, or to participate in other business activity in response to the RFP.

1.4 LENGTH OF CONTRACT

The Board along with the contractor selected as a result of this RFP will be the parties to the contract for services. This will be a service-based contract with specific deliverables, the delivery and acceptance of which must be accomplished prior to the disbursements of funds to the contractor.

The Board will develop the contract document to include, at minimum, the conditions stipulated in this RFP.

The contractor shall have the opportunity to accept the terms and conditions as offered by executing the contracts or may offer counter terms and conditions for consideration by the Board.

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The proposed contract will be for the period from August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027 with the option to renew for four (4) additional one-year periods.

1.5 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS

Proposals should be submitted in a clear and easy to read format that contains only the facts and data necessary to present a complete and effective proposal.

The Board emails announcements to vendors registered to receive proposal opportunities for this type of service as of the release date. The RFP is available in its entirety on the Board’s website (www.netxworkforce.org) and the Electronic State Business Daily (ESBD) for the State of Texas. The notices inform the public of the services to be purchased, proposal guidelines, and the person to contact for more detailed information. The RFP packet is a request for proposals and contains information about the contracting process, service specifications, evaluation criteria, and the format in which the proposal must be completed and returned in order to be considered for award.

Schedule of Major Events

Designated Contact

The individual listed below may be contacted for clarification of the proposal submission process. All questions must be submitted using Attachment F and emailed to bids@netxworks.org.

STAFF CONTACT:

Kaylee Price, Staff Accountant

1702 Hampton Rd Texarkana, TX 75503

903.794.9490 ext. 521

Email: bids@netxworks.org

Other Communication

Communication with any Board personnel regarding this RFP other than the Board’s designated contact person(s) listed above is prohibited. Solicitation of Workforce Solution Northeast Texas’s Board members

RFP Release June 8, 2026

Deadline to Submit Q&A June 23, 2026

Post Responses to Q&A June 26, 2026

RFP Proposals Due July 17, 2026 (No later than 4pm Central)

Notice of Award July 24, 2026

Contract Start Date August 1, 2026

HR Consulting Services Page 6 of 18 by subcontractors, service providers, or proposers concerning proposals, bids, or contract awards shall be prohibited. Any solicitation of Board members may result in rejection of the proposal, bid and contract award, and future disqualification, suspension or debarment of the subcontractor, service provider or proposer from activities and programs funded by the Board.

Submission of Questions

Questions regarding the Request for Proposal must be submitted in writing by June 23, 2026; no later than 4:00 PM Central Time. The written questions must be emailed to the attention of the Designated Board Contact identified above. Answers to questions will be posted on the Board’s website on June 26, 2026.

Proposal Due Date and Delivery Method

All responses must be submitted via electronic mail to the designated contact above by July 17, 2026; no later than 4:00PM Central Time.

Withdrawal of Proposal

A proposal may be withdrawn at any time prior to the selection announcement by writing to the Board Designated Contact listed above.

Amendment of Proposal

A proposal may be amended at any time after submission but prior to the due date by writing to the Board Designated Contact listed above. After the due date, proposals may be amended only at the direction of the Board.

Changes and Amendments

The Board reserves the right to amend or withdraw this RFP at any time by notifying each potential proposer of record.

Selection, Negotiation, and Contract Execution

The Board reserves the right to have the proposal(s) evaluation process conducted by an external/independent evaluation review team, or have the proposal(s) evaluation process conducted by an evaluation team, consisting of staff, to be designated by the Executive Director. The Board evaluates responses received, makes a tentative selection decision, and negotiates with the top-ranking applicant(s).

When negotiations are complete, a contract is executed and the award is announced.

Award and Finalization

When a selection decision is made, the Board’s designated contact will notify all responsive proposer(s) of the decision by email.

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After selection and notification, the Board and the successful proposer will negotiate and finalize a contract. No contract is effective until signed by the Board’s Executive Director.

Grievance and Protest Procedures

Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas is the responsible authority for handling complaints or protests regarding the procurement and proposal selection process. No protest shall be accepted by the State Grantor Agency (Texas Workforce Commission) until all administrative remedies at the grantee (Board) level have been exhausted. This includes, but is not limited to, disputes, claims, and protests of award, source evaluation, or other matters of a contractual nature. Any matters concerning violation of law(s) shall be referred to the proper authority, as they may have proper jurisdiction.

The following administrative remedies shall be followed when submitting complaints or protests:

Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas shall have the opportunity to respond to any inquiry or resolve any dispute prior to the filing of an official compliant by the protester. The protester should contact Mr. Bart Spivey, Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas Executive Director via e-mail at bart.spivey@netxworks.org.

When Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas has agreed upon a selection, all proposers will be notified in writing of the results. Any protest regarding this process must be filed in writing with the Executive Director via certified mail within ten (10) business days of notification of the selection of contract award.

The communication should contain a thorough explanation of the protest and designate the official representative of the organization for purposes of resolving the dispute. Upon receipt of the written protest, the Executive Director will contact the organization’s representative to arrange a meeting to resolve the protest. Following the meeting, the Executive Director will provide a written disposition of the protest via certified mail to the organization representative.

Protest of the Executive Director’s disposition of the initial protest must be filed in writing via certified mail within ten (10) business days of receipt of the Executive Director’s resolution to the initial protest. This communication should contain a thorough explanation of the protest of the Executive Director’s decision. Upon receipt of the protest, the Executive Director will contact the organization’s representative to schedule a meeting with a committee of the Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas Board. The committee will review the protest and formulate a recommendation, which will be forwarded to Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas Board Members at its next regularly scheduled Board meeting, at which time the protester will have the opportunity to address the Board prior to the Board taking action at the meeting. The Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas Board disposition of the protest will be provided to the organization representative in writing via certified mail, and will be final.

Contractors must use the grievance system provided by Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas for resolving complaints that arise under any Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas contracted program.

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1.6 CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS

A proposal must meet the following minimum standards to be reviewed. Proposals not meeting these minimum standards are considered non-responsive and will not be reviewed or scored. The proposal must:

Be submitted by the deadline of July 17, 2026; no later than 4:00 PM Central Time;

Be complete with all required attachments and contain original signatures;

Be for specific services requested and described in the RFP packet;

Contain no evidence of real or apparent conflict of interest.

All proposals will be screened for inclusion of all required information prior to release to the evaluation team. The Board may exclude from further consideration for contract award any non-responsive proposal or portion of a proposal.

An evaluation team will select the vendor based on a total review of the proposer’s qualifications, work plan, and proposed cost. Specifically, the evaluation team will base their recommendation on the following elements in the review process:

Experience in the field of Human Resource Consulting 30 points Adequacy of Human Resource Services proposed 30 points Fees 15 points

1.7 PROPOSAL CONDITIONS

General Conditions

The following general conditions should be considered by proposers in preparing responses:

The main purpose of the RFP is to ensure uniform information in the solicitation of an HR Consultant. This RFP is not to be construed as a purchase agreement or contract, or as a commitment of any kind.

The Board reserves the right to correct any error(s) and/or make changes to this solicitation, as it deems necessary. It will provide notifications of such changes to all proposers recorded in the official record (Specification Distribution Log) as having received or requested an RFP.

The Board reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals received as a result of this request, to negotiate with all qualified proposers, or to cancel in part or in its entirety this RFP if it is in the best interest of the Board to do so.

The Board shall not be liable to the selected proposer(s) for any costs incurred for services rendered by proposer before the commencement of a resultant contact or after termination of the contract.

The Board reserves the right to request additional information, clarification of, or explanation for any aspect of a response to this RFP.

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All costs directly or indirectly related to preparation of a response to the RFP or any oral presentation required to supplement and/or clarify a proposal which may be required by the Board shall be the sole responsibility of and borne by the proposer.

Proposals must conform to all relevant federal, state and local regulations and policies.

The Board specifically reserves the right to vary the provisions set forth herein at any time prior to execution of a contract where such variance is deemed to be in the best interest of the Board, and to act otherwise as is deemed necessary at their sole discretion.

The Board is not under any legal requirement to execute a resulting contract, if any, on the basis of this procurement, and intends that the material provided herein serves only as a means of identifying the various contract alternatives and the general cost of services desired.

All proposals and their accompanying attachments become the property of the Board upon submission. Materials submitted will not be returned. All proposals are subject to the Texas Public Information Act. Procurement information shall be a public record to the extent provided by the Texas Public Information Act and shall be available to the public as provided therein. If a proposal contains information that the bidder considers proprietary and does not want disclosed to the public, or used for any purpose other than the evaluation of the offer, all such information must be indicated with the following suggested language:

The information contained on pages________ shall not be duplicated, used in whole or in part, for any purpose other than to evaluate the proposal; provided that if a Contract is awarded to this office as a result of or in connection with the submission of such information, the Board has the right to duplicate, use or disclose this information to the extent provided in the contract. This restriction does not limit the

Board’s right to use information contained therein if obtained from another source.

This is a negotiated procurement utilizing the Request for Proposal method. As such, an award does not have to be made to the proposer submitting the lowest priced proposal, but rather the proposer, as determined by the RFP evaluation process, having the most responsive proposal satisfying the Board’s requirements.

The proposed contract will be for a one-year period from the date of execution, with the option to renew for up to four (4) additional one-year periods.

The parties to the proposed contract will be the Board and the entity selected as a result of this solicitation, to be executed by an official of the entity duly authorized to legally bind the firm to contractual terms and conditions. The Board shall not be a party to any subcontract or third-party contract that the contractor requires to perform under the proposed contract. The contractor shall be solely responsible for satisfying the deliverables and performance standards.

The Board reserves the rights to de-obligate, reduce, or cancel contract funding if the Board does not receive adequate funding from TWC or other funding sources or due to legislative changes. The contract resulting from this RFP will be made and entered into contingent of funds being available to cover the full term indicated herein. This contract is subject to cancellation, at any time, without prior notice, without penalty, either in whole or in part, if sufficient funds are not appropriated.

The proposed contract will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas within the jurisdiction of Bowie County.

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The Contractor shall indemnify and hold harmless Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas, the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), Bowie, Cass, Delta, Franklin, Hopkins, Lamar, Morris, Red River and Titus Counties, their officers, employees, agents, attorneys, representatives, successors and assigns from any and all claims, demands, costs, expenses (including attorney’s fees and expert witness fees), liabilities and losses of whatsoever kind or character arising out of or in connection with any act or omission of the Contractor or its officers, employees, or agents, during the term of this contract. Contractor shall assume on behalf of Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas and the indemnified parties described above, and conduct with due diligence and in good faith, the defense of any and all such claims whether or not the Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas is joined therein, even if such claims are groundless, false, or fraudulent. Contractor shall only be liable to the Board for non-insured risks if the conduct of the Contractor resulting in the loss is negligent, intentional or reckless.

The successful contractor shall agree in the event of any dispute, claim, question, or disagreement arising from or relating to this contract or the breach thereof, the parties hereto shall use their best efforts to settle the dispute, claim, question, or disagreement. To this effect, they shall consult and negotiate with each other in good faith and, recognizing their mutual interests, attempt to reach a just and equitable solution satisfactory to both parties. If they do not reach such solution within a period of 60 calendar days, then, upon notice by either party to the other, all disputes, claims, questions, or differences shall be finally settled by arbitration administered in accordance with the Texas Alternative Disputes Resolution (ADR) Procedures Act.

The Board will not consider a proposal from a vendor for which the Board has had to cancel a similar contract at any Board or Workforce Center location statewide during the previous 36-month period for failure to perform in accordance with contract specifications.

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PART TWO - INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL

2.1 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

Emphasis must be placed on addressing all the requirements of this RFP in a clear and concise manner.

All applicable attachments must be submitted as part of the proposal.

Any proprietary information should be clearly marked as confidential.

2.2 REQUIRED FORMAT

The proposal submitted in response to the RFP must be submitted to the Designated Contact via email in PDF format using 12-point font and must contain Original Signatures.

Proposal responses should all contain page numbers. Page numbers should be consecutive from beginning to end, including attachments. Proposals are not to be paginated by sections.

DO NOT submit materials that have not been specifically requested as they will not be reviewed.

It will be the responsibility of the proposer to obtain verification of receipt of the proposal. No proposal will be accepted after the deadline listed in this RFP packet.

2.3 DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED FOR EVALUATION

The Proposal Packet should be in the following order:

Attachment A - Title Page

Attachment B – Proposer Identification and Additional Requirements

Attachment C – Fee Schedule o Fee schedule for the “SERVICES TO BE PERFORMED” to include:

Proposed rate for requested services, including cost per hour Breakdown of incidental charges relating to performance of such services If a retainer fee will apply

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Attachment D – Proposal Narrative o Brief description of firm to include:

Primary focus of practice Representative clients Number of years in practice List of staff who would be responsible for handling Board matters

Attachment E – References

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

Please email your proposal to bids@netxworks.org by Friday, July 17, 2026; no later than 4:00 PM CT.

STAFF CONTACT:

Kaylee Price, Staff Accountant

1702 Hampton Rd Texarkana, TX 75503

903.794.9490 ext. 521

Email: bids@netxworks.org

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ATTACHMENT A

A Proposal Submitted in Response to

Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas

RFP FY26-02: HR Consulting Services

Submitted By:

(Full Legal Name of Proposer)

On:

(Date of Proposal Submission)

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ATTACHMENT B

PROPOSER IDENTIFICATION

Please provide all requested information below:

Name and contact information of the individual and organization submitting the quote.

Indicate the type of organization that will be legally responsible for conducting the project. (i.e.

corporation, sole proprietorship, partnership, etc.)

Address, phone number, fax number, website and email address.

Contact Person

*Ownership: Bid must include name and Social Security Number of each individual with at least 10% ownership of the business entity submitting the bid.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS (as applicable) Insert any required attachments to support the information provided in the Proposer Identification narrative above. This could include transcripts, certifications, resumes, or any other information necessary to support the proposal submission.

ATTACHMENT C

FEE SCHEDULE

Include a detailed budget including a list of costs for services to be performed and fully explain the nature of these charges i.e., how costs are broken down (i.e., per day, hour, service, associated fees, etc.)

ATTACHMENT D

PROPOSAL NARRATIVE

1. Describe the organizational size and structure of the firm.

2. Describe the background of the firm.

3. Location of business headquarters, office where work will be completed and number of professional staff at that office.

4. Range of services performed by organization.

5. Submit a detailed work plan for accomplishing the deliverables requested in the scope of work including:

Target dates, Estimated hours to complete, Strategies for successful completion, and Any additional information deemed relevant to the proposed work plan.

6. List educational attainment or certifications earned of the individual(s) who will be responsible for service or product delivery.

7. Provide any additional information considered relevant or beneficial to the proposal. If there is no additional information provided, state “There is no additional information we wish to present.”

under this section.

ATTACHMENT E

REFERENCES

List of former clients for whom services similar to those in this solicitation have been performed in the last five (5) years. Failure to provide the following information at the time and date this RFP closes could affect proposer’s evaluation score.

REFERENCE 1.

Name of the firm and point of contact to which the service was provided

Email Telephone Number _____________

REFERENCE 2.

REFERENCE 3.

ATTACHMENT F

Questions Regarding this Request for Proposal

Question 1: ______________________________________________________________________

Question 2: ______________________________________________________________________

Question 3: ______________________________________________________________________

Question 4: ______________________________________________________________________

Submitted By: ____________________________________________________________________

Date: ____________________________________________________________________

*May attach additional sheets if necessary.