ESBD_549429_1787165963169_IFB-025-FY26.pdf

Department of Information Resources

Invitation for Bid

IFB# IFB-025-FY26

Time and Materials Hourly Support of NetPlus Telecom Billing Solution

NIGP Class & Item Commodity Description

920-45 Software Maintenance and Support Services and Updates and Data Hosting Services

Issued: DATE

Responses Due: 09/02/2026, 2:00pm CT

IFB-025-FY26

1. Respondent Information

RESPONDENT INFORMATION (To be completed by Respondent)

Respondent Name

Address

City, State, Zip

Phone #

Email Address

VID #

2. Introduction and Background

The objective of this Invitation for Bid (IFB) is to solicit responses from potential Respondents to provide NetPlus Time and Materials – Hourly Support to the Department of Information Resources (DIR). As a result of this IFB, DIR expects to receive and evaluate responses and select a qualified vendor. DIR reserves the right to make a single award or multiple awards as determined by DIR to achieve the highest overall value to the State Requirements

2.1 Form of Contract

The required standard terms and conditions that will be included in any contract resulting from this solicitation are contained in Appendix A, Contract Terms and Conditions. Respondents shall not take, and DIR will not consider, any exceptions to these terms and conditions. Respondents shall not propose any additional terms and conditions. Any such proposed additional terms and conditions are hereby rejected and shall be given no effect in any contract resulting from this solicitation.

2.2 Scope

DIR intends to contract with the Successful Respondent to provide Time and Materials-Hourly support of NetPlus Telecom Billing Solution. Any contract resulting from this solicitation is subject to the terms and conditions contained in Appendix A, Contract Terms and Conditions.

Requirements to include:

• Time and Materials Hourly Support of NetPlus Telecom Billing Solution – 320 hours

3. Term of Contract

September 1, 2026 – August 31, 2027

4. Successful Respondent Qualifications

4.1 Electronic and Information Resources (EIR) Accessibility

A. Under Texas Government Code, Chapter 2054, Subchapter M, and DIR implementing rules, DIR’s state agency and Institution of Higher Education Customers must procure Electronic Information Resources (EIR) and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) that complies with the accessibility standards defined in the Texas Administrative Codes 1 TAC 206, 1 TAC 213, and in the Worldwide Web Consortium WCAG 2.1 AA technical standard as applicable, and when such products are available in the commercial marketplace or when such products are developed in response to procurement solicitations.

B. Accordingly, all Respondents must provide accessibility documentation (when applicable and in an accessible format) to support procurement decisions by state agencies and institutions of higher education:

1. For each commercial product (also referred to as commercial off the shelf or COTS), and service products such as Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and any other managed services that include a user interface, a completed Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) included as Attachment A or the specific URL to the online ACR. See IFB Section 5.1.1 for detailed requirements.

2. The Policy Driven Adoption for Accessibility (PDAA) for Vendor Self-Assessment (included as Attachment C). See IFB Section 5.1.2 for detailed requirements.

4.1.1 ACR Submission and Review

A. All Respondents must provide ACRs created using the applicable sections of the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template® (VPAT®) Revised Section 508 Edition (version

2.4 or higher), WCAG (version 2.4 or higher), or provide the specific URL to the online ACR on the manufacturer(s)’ websites (where available) for every product (as defined above) or product family (as applicable) included in the submitted pricelist. Instructions on how to complete this document are included in the template itself.

B. Respondents claiming that a proposed product or family of products is exempt from accessibility requirements must specify the product(s) as such in “Notes” located in the product information section of the VPAT v.2.4 or higher, specifying each exempt product or product family with a supporting statement(s) for this position.

C. Respondents that do not already have accessibility documentation should complete the form included in the bid package or may obtain the form located here: http://www.itic.-org/public-policy/accessibility. Resellers should obtain an ACR(s) from the manufacturer http://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.ViewTAC?tac_view=5&ti=1&pt=10&ch=206&sch=B&rl=Y http://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.ViewTAC?tac_view=5&ti=1&pt=10&ch=213&sch=B&rl=Y https://www.w3.org/ http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/ http://www.itic.org/public-policy/accessibility http://www.itic.org/public-policy/accessibility or provide the specific URL links to each ACR on the manufacturer’s website.

D. DIR will review a random sample of ACRs for credibility and completeness.

E. Respondents that submit incomplete ACRs or are unable to provide or obtain ACRs for products it manufactures or for products from manufacturers it represents, may be required to submit a letter (Accessibility Statement) stating that some or all product(s) accessibility documentation may be missing, product accessibility is untested, and an explanation of alternate accommodation.

4.1.2 PDAA Submission and Self-Assessment Score

A. All Respondents must complete the PDAA Self-Assessment Questionnaire for responses that include technology products. The PDAA generates a self-assessment score which is an indicator of the extent to which a Respondent’s organization has implemented accessibility best practices within its operations and business processes. The PDAA is an organizational assessment, not an assessment of the products listed in the Response.

B. The PDAA score will be included in the evaluation. A missing, incomplete, blank, or zero-score PDAA will receive a failing score and may be disqualified.

4.2 TX-RAMP

Where applicable, respondents shall comply with the requirements of the Texas Risk and Authorization Management Program (“TX-RAMP”). Information about TX-RAMP can be found at https://dir.texas.gov/information-security/texas-risk-and-authorization-management-program-tx-ramp.

4.3 Cybersecurity Training

In accordance with Section 2054.5192, Texas Government Code, for any contract with a State agency or institution of higher education, if Successful Respondent, or a subcontractor, officer, or employee of Successful Respondent, will have access to a State computer system or database, then Successful Respondent shall ensure that such officer, employee, or subcontractor shall complete a cybersecurity training program certified under Section 2054.519, Texas Government Code, as selected by Customer. The cybersecurity training program must be completed by such officer, employee, or subcontractor during the term of the Contract and during any renewal period. Successful Respondent shall verify to the State agency or institution of higher education completion of the program by each such officer, employee, or subcontractor.

5. Pricing

Respondents shall detail their pricing as directed in Attachment 2, Pricing Table. Except for completing Attachment 2, Pricing Table, as directed therein, Respondents shall not modify, add, or remove any part of Attachment 2, Pricing Table, including by proposing any additional terms 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 and conditions. Any such modifications, additions, or removals may result in a response being rejected. Any such proposed additional terms and conditions are hereby rejected and shall be given no effect in any contract resulting from this solicitation.

6. Subcontracting Plan

A. If the Respondent is submitting a bid with the value of $100,000 or more for the initial term and all optional renewals combined, Respondent must complete and sign a Subcontracting Plan, consistent with Section 2161, Texas Government Code, using the template available at the following website:

https://comptroller.texas.gov/purchasing/vendor/hub/forms.php. Failure to submit a signed and complete Subcontracting Plan with the bid package may result in disqualification of the Response from consideration.

B. The identified goal for this IFB is 21.1%. If the Respondent does not plan to subcontract, Respondent must state that fact in the Subcontracting Plan.

C. Respondents shall make no contact concerning this IFB with other DIR personnel, except as permitted by the point of contact. Failure to comply with this requirement at any point prior to contract award may result in disqualification. This restriction does not preclude discussions between affected parties for the purpose of conducting business unrelated to this procurement. Contact with the DIR Business Outreach Coordination office is allowed solely for the purpose of addressing Subcontracting Plan questions.

7. Public Information

Information, documentation, and other material in connection with this IFB or any resulting contract may be subject to public disclosure pursuant to Chapter 552 of the Texas Government Code (the “Public Information Act”). In accordance with Section 2252.907 of the Texas Government Code, Respondent is required to make any information created or exchanged with the State pursuant to the contract, and not otherwise excepted from disclosure under the Texas Public Information Act, available in a format that is accessible by the public at no additional charge to the State.

8. Evaluation of Responses

DIR will review responses to determine responsiveness to this IFB. All determinations about responsiveness to this IFB are final. DIR intends to award this IFB to the respondent offering the best value.

8.1 Evaluation Criteria

https://comptroller.texas.gov/purchasing/vendor/hub/forms.php

8.1.1 Pass/Fail Criteria

In addition to the criteria listed below DIR also reviews additional Pass/Fail criteria as follows:

1. Complete and signed Subcontract Plan with a bid total of $100,000 or more; and

2. DIR will review compliance with applicable provisions of Texas Government Code Sections 2155.074, 2155.075, 2156.007, 2157.003, and 2157.125. Respondents may fail this selection criterion for any of the following reasons:

a) A score of less than a C in the Vendor Performance Tracking System (VPTS); or

b) Currently under a Corrective Action Plan through the CPA, having repeated negative Vendor Performance Reports.

3. Compliance with Texas Government Code 2054, subchapter M, TAC 206, TAC 213, and WC3 WCAG 2.1 AA technical standards, as applicable. Respondents may fail this selection criterion for any of the following reasons:

a) Missing or incomplete ACRs for products listed on the itemized price sheet; or

b) Missing, blank, or score of zero for the PDAA self-assessment.

8.1.2 Evaluation Criteria

DIR intends to award this IFB to the Respondent offering the best value to the State, as defined by Section 2157.003, Texas Government Code. Prices will be calculated and compiled in a bid tab. DIR reserves the right to make an award on the basis of low line-item price, low total of line items, or in any other combination that will serve the best interest of DIR and to reject any and all bid items at the sole discretion of DIR.

8.2 Award of Contract

DIR shall make the decision to award any Contracts, if in the best interest of DIR and the State to do so. The decision of DIR on any award is final. Any Contract resulting from this solicitation is subject to all terms and conditions contained in Appendix A, Contract Terms and Conditions. All responses and working papers pursuant to this IFB are not subject to disclosure under the Public Information Act until all Contracts resulting from this IFB have been executed. Any Contract resulting from this solicitation is contingent upon the continued availability of lawful appropriations by the Texas Legislature.

9. Rejection of Responses

DIR has sole discretionary authority and reserves the right to reject any and all responses received as a result of this IFB. Responses that do not comply with the mandatory submission requirements may be rejected. DIR reserves the right to reject any responses that purport to modify or take exception to this IFB document in any manner. In addition, DIR reserves the right to accept or reject, in whole or in part, any responses submitted, and to waive minor technicalities when in the best interest of the State.

10. Right to Amend or Withdraw IFB

A. DIR reserves the right to alter, amend, or modify any provision of this IFB, or to withdraw this IFB, in whole or in part, at any time prior to the award of a Contract if doing so is in the best interest of the State. DIR reserves the right to re-solicit for like or similar products whenever it determines re-solicitation to be in the best interest of the State.

B. Any changes or additional information regarding this IFB will be issued as an Addendum to the Respondents.

11. Schedule of Events

DIR plans to comply with the following schedule for this IFB. These dates represent DIR’s desired schedule of events. DIR reserves the right to modify these dates at any time, with appropriate notice to prospective Respondents.

Table 1: Schedule of Events

Activity Date Invitation for Bid Issued to Respondents Wednesday August 19, 2026

Deadline for Questions Monday August 24, 2026, by 2pm CT Deadline for Submitting Response Wednesday, September 2, 2026, by 2pm CT

12. Response Submittal Instructions

A. A signed response to the IFB must be received via email by the Point of Contact listed in Section 13 prior to the “Deadline for Submitting Response” date and time listed in Section 11 Schedule of Events. Respondent should submit their best pricing for products as outlined in this IFB. Bids shall remain valid for a minimum of sixty (60) calendar days.

B. The listed requirements MUST be included in the respondent’s submittal, or the respondent will be considered non-responsive. These are considered pass/fail requirements. A complete response includes:

1. A signed IFB to include proposed pricing in Section 6;

2. Subcontracting Plan (HSP) in accordance with requirements and thresholds set forth in Section 7;

3. Attachment A - VPAT 2.4 Rev 508 (March2022) (as applicable);

4. Attachment B - Policy Driven Adoption for Accessibility_Self Assessment; and

5. A copy of the Respondent’s W-9. See Attachment C – Sample W-9.

6. The signature page of Addendums posted to the ESBD in association with this IFB (as applicable);

7. Authorized reseller letter (as applicable):

13. Point of Contact

A. Nicole Page is the sole point of contact for this procurement. Routine correspondence may be directed to Nicole Page as follows:

Nicole Page, CTCD, CTCM Department of Information Resources E-mail: nicole.page@dir.texas.gov

B. Respondents shall make no contact concerning this IFB with other DIR personnel, except as permitted by the point of contact. Failure to comply with this requirement at any point prior to contract award may result in disqualification. This restriction does not preclude discussions between affected parties for the purpose of conducting business unrelated to this procurement. Contact with the DIR Business Outreach Coordination (BOC) office at dir. boc@dir.texas.gov is allowed solely for the purpose of addressing Subcontracting Plan questions.

14. Certification Statement

The undersigned hereby certifies on behalf of (Respondent to insert company’s legal name here) that IFB-025-FY26 has been read and understood. In submitting its Response (Respondent to insert company’s legal name here) represents to DIR the following:

1. Respondent is capable of providing the products as described in the IFB;

2. Respondent is offering true and correct pricing and discounts for the products;

3. Respondent agrees, if awarded a contract, to abide by the terms and conditions of the resulting contract;

4. As of the date of signature below, Respondent is not listed in the prohibited vendors list authorized by Executive Order #13224, "Blocking Property and Prohibiting Transactions with Persons Who Commit, Threaten to Commit, or Support Terrorism”, published by the United States Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control;

5. Respondent and its principals are not suspended or debarred from doing business with the federal government as listed in the System for Award Management (SAM) maintained by the General Services Administration;

6. Respondent certifies, under Texas Government Code, Sections 2155.004, 2155.006, and 2261.053 that the individual or business entity named in this bid or contract is not ineligible to receive the specified contract and acknowledges that this contract may be terminated, and payment withheld if this certification is inaccurate;

mailto:nicole.page@dir.texas.gov mailto:dir.%20boc@dir.texas.gov

7. Respondent certifies that, to the extent applicable to this scope of this IFB, Respondent is in compliance with Health and Safety Code, Chapter 361, Subchapter Y, related to the Computer Equipment Recycling Program, and the related rules found at 30 TAC Chapter 328;

8. Respondent has not given, offered to give, nor intends to give at any time hereafter any economic opportunity, future employment, gift, loan, gratuity, special discount, trip, favor, or service to a public servant in connection with the submitted Response;

9. Respondent has not received compensation for participation in the preparation of specifications for this solicitation as required by Texas Government Code, Section 2155.004(a);

10. Respondent has not, nor has anyone acting for Respondent, violated the antitrust laws of the United States or the State of Texas, nor communicated directly or indirectly to any competitor or any other person engaged in such line of business for the purpose of obtaining an unfair price advantage;

11. Respondent is not currently delinquent in the payment of any franchise tax owed the State of Texas and is not ineligible to receive payment under Section 231.006 of the Texas Family Code and acknowledges the Contract may be terminated and payment withheld if this certification is inaccurate, and any Respondent subject to Section

231.006 must include names and social security numbers of each person with at least 25% ownership of the business entity submitting the Response, prior to award; Enter the name and Social Security Numbers for each person below (alternatively, if this section applies, Respondent may make a note here and include Names and Social Security Numbers on a separate page and include it in the electronic folder labeled “Confidential and Proprietary.”

Name Social Security Number

12. Respondent agrees that any payments due under this Contract will be applied towards any debt, including but not limited to delinquent taxes and child support that is owed to the State of Texas;

13. Respondent agrees to comply with Texas Government Code, Section 2155.4441, relating to use of service contracts for products produced in the State of Texas;

14. Respondent certifies it is in compliance with Texas Government Code, Section 669.003, relating to contracting with executive head of a Customer; if Section 669.003 applies, bidder will complete the following information for the bid to be evaluated:

Name of Former Executive:__________________

Name of Customer:_____________________

Date of Separation from Customer:_________

Position with Bidder:_______________________

Date of Employment with Bidder:_____________

15. Respondent certifies for itself and its subcontractors that it has identified all current or former, within the last five years, employees of the State of Texas assigned to work on the Contract twenty percent or more of their time and has disclosed them to DIR and has disclosed or does not employ any relative of a current or former State employee within two degrees of consanguinity, and, if these facts change during the course of the Contract, Respondent certifies it shall disclose for itself and on behalf of subcontractors the name and other pertinent information about the employment of current and former employees and their relatives within two degrees of consanguinity;

16. Respondent represents and warrants that the provision of goods or other performance under the Contract will not constitute an actual or potential conflict of interest and certifies that it will not reasonably create the appearance of impropriety;

17. Respondent certifies that if a Texas address is shown as the address in IFB Section 1, Respondent Information, above, Respondent qualifies as a Texas Resident Bidder as defined in Texas Administrative Code, Title 34, Part I, Chapter 20;

18. Respondent understands and agrees that Respondent may be required to comply with additional terms and conditions or certifications that an individual Customer may require due to state and federal law (e.g., privacy and security requirements);

19. Respondent agrees that these representations will be incorporated into any subsequent agreement(s) between Respondent and Customer that result from this

IFB;

20. Respondent certifies that it has not had any canceled contracts in the past five years, except for those identified by Respondent in Attachment 1 List of Respondent’s Canceled Contracts. If Respondent has not had any canceled contracts in the past five years, Respondent shall include a statement certifying that it has had no canceled contracts in the past five years;

21. Respondent certifies, under Texas Government Code, Section 2155.0061, that the individual or business entity named in this bid or contract is not ineligible to receive the specified contract and acknowledges that this contract may be terminated, and payment withheld if this certification is inaccurate;

22. If Respondent is required to make a certification pursuant to Section 2271.001 of the Texas Government Code, Respondent certifies that Respondent does not boycott Israel and will not boycott Israel during the term of the contract resulting from this solicitation. If Respondent does not make that certification, Respondent must indicate that in its Response and state why the certification is not required;

23. Under Section 161.0085 of the Texas Health and Safety Code, Respondent certifies that the individual or business entity named in this Response is not ineligible to receive the specified contract;

24. If Respondent is required to make a certification pursuant to Government Code Section 2275.0102, Respondent certifies that neither it nor its parent company, nor any affiliate of Respondent or its parent company, is: (1) majority owned or controlled by citizens or governmental entities of China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, or any other country designated by the Governor under Government Code Section 2275.0103, or (2) headquartered in any of those countries;

25. If Respondent is required to make a verification pursuant to Section 2276.002 of the Texas Government Code, Respondent verifies that Respondent does not boycott energy companies and will not boycott energy companies during the term of the Contract. If Respondent does not make that verification, Respondent must so indicate in its Response and state why the verification is not required; and

26. If Respondent is required to make a verification pursuant to Section 2274.002 of the Texas Government Code, Respondent verifies that it (1) does not have a practice, policy, guidance, or directive that discriminates against a firearm entity or firearm trade association and (2) will not discriminate during the term of the contract against a firearm entity or firearm trade association. If Respondent does not make that verification, Respondent must so indicate in its Response and state why the verification is not required.

27. Respondent certifies that neither it, nor its holding companies or subsidiaries, is:

a. Listed in Section 889 of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act;

b. Listed in Section 1260H of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act; or

c. Owned by the government of a country on the U.S. Department of Commerce’s foreign adversaries list under 15 C.F.R. Section 791.4; or

d. Controlled by any governing or regulatory body located in a country on the U.S. Department of Commerce’s foreign adversaries list under 15 C.F.R.

Section 791.4.

Respondent’s authorized agent must sign below. By signing this document, Respondent acknowledges that all information contained in the document is true and correct and Respondent agrees to comply with all terms and conditions of this document. Failure to sign below will disqualify this bid. By signing this bid, Respondent certifies that if a Texas address is shown as the address of the Respondent, then Respondent is claiming that it qualifies as a Texas Bidder as defined in Section §2155.444, Texas Government Code.

Signature Title Date

ATTACHMENT 1

List of Respondent’s Cancelled Contracts

THIS FORM MUST BE COMPLETED/SIGNED BY RESPONDENT FOR ANY IDENTIFIED

CONTRACT CANCELLED WITHIN THE PAST FIVE YEARS REFERENCE AND SUBMITTED

WITH THE RESPONDENT’S RESPONSE

Respondent may add additional fields as necessary to comply with the required disclosure.

RESPONDENT NAME: __________________________________________________________________

COMPANY NAME

COMPANY ADDRESS

(Street, City, State, Zip Code)

*CONTACT NAME / PHONE

*E-MAIL

CONTRACT AWARD DATE: OPERATIONS START DATE: CONTRACT CANCELLATION DATE:

DESCRIPTION OF SERVICE:

REASON FOR CANCELLATION:

COMPANY NAME

CONTRACT AWARD DATE: OPERATIONS START DATE: CONTRACT CANCELLATION DATE:

DESCRIPTION OF SERVICE:

REASON FOR CANCELLATION:

COMPANY NAME

CONTRACT AWARD DATE: OPERATIONS START DATE: CONTRACT CANCELLATION DATE:

DESCRIPTION OF SERVICE:

REASON FOR CANCELLATION:

* NOTE: Do NOT complete these fields if DIR is the Cancelled Contract Reference

ATTACHMENT 2

Pricing Table

THIS FORM MUST BE COMPLETED BY RESPONDENT AND SUBMITTED WITH THE

RESPONDENT’S RESPONSE.

Respondents shall detail their pricing for items listed below. Pricing must be based on the unit of measure (e.g., per access, enterprise wide, etc.) in which the items will be provided.

All associated charges related to the equipment delivery must be provided on this form.

Table 1: Initial Term Pricing

Line No.

Item/Part Number

Description Qty Unit of Measure

Price Extended Price

1. N/A Time and Materials Hourly Support of NetPlus Telecom Billing Solution (320 hours)

1 Each

TOTAL $

8.2 Award of Contract