Exhibit E_Assumptions.docx

This is an Assumptions Form exhibit for Request for Proposals No. HHS0016728 issued by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to procure Music Therapy Services for the Blind Children's Vocational Discovery and Development Program (BCVDDP). The RFP seeks to award four separate contracts to qualified Texas-based contractors providing specialized individual, group, and optional in-home music therapy sessions to blind and visually impaired individuals from birth to age 22 across four regional service areas: Central (Regions 7 & 8), North (Regions 3 & 4), South (Regions 5, 6 & 11), and West (Regions 1, 2, 9 & 10). Services must be delivered by Board-Certified Music Therapists (MT-BC) and must provide accessible, multisensory experiences promoting cognitive, motor, speech, language, and social-emotional skill development. A pre-proposal conference was held on March 20, 2026, with the deadline for questions on March 23, 2026. Clarification responses were posted by April 3, 2026, and proposal responses were due on April 17, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. Central Time. Award notification was anticipated in August 2026, with a contract start date of September 1, 2026. The initial contract term is two years with options for HHSC to extend for up to three additional years plus one additional year for immediate operational needs.

Minimum qualifications require respondents to demonstrate at least two years of experience providing music therapy to blind and visually impaired individuals and employ at least one Board-Certified Music Therapist. Historical compensation has ranged from approximately $40,000 per fiscal year, though HHSC reserves the right to adjust amounts based on state funding availability and makes no guarantee regarding volume, usage, or total compensation. Pricing proposals must be submitted in Excel format with active formulas and include all costs for required services, including travel expenses for in-home sessions in accordance with Texas Comptroller travel rates. Contractors must obtain Service Authorizations prior to service delivery and submit invoices within 30 days of service completion with required documentation including progress notes and attendance reports. No HUB Subcontracting Plan is required, and there are no identified set-asides or restrictions limiting organizational types. Contractors handling confidential information must comply with comprehensive Data Use Agreements establishing procedural, administrative, physical, and technical safeguards, with contractors bearing full financial responsibility for breach investigations and notifications.