Scope of Work

SOLICITATION NO. IFQ 8500 MHR1005

Description: Sensory Kits, Staff Training and Sensory Inclusive Destination certification for 22 locations Austin Public Library

Scope of Work Revised 07/03/2025

1.0 INTRODUCTION

About the City of Austin

The City of Austin, Texas, is the capital of the State of Texas and the 11th most populous city in the United States. Founded in 1839 and named after Stephen F. Austin, the “Father of Texas”, Austin is widely recognized for its rich history, dynamic culture, and scenic beauty. Home to more than one million residents, with the regional population being over 2.3 million, the City is a thriving hub for government, technology, education, and the arts. The City of Austin has experienced consistent and substantial growth emerging as one of the fastest growing urban centers in the United States.

Austin is known for its vibrant culture, innovative spirit, and cultural diversity. As the “Live Music Capital of the World”, Austin attracts visitors and new residents alike with its high quality of life, vibrant outdoor lifestyle, and robust economy. This dynamic city tops numerous “Best” lists for business, entertainment, cost of living, quality of life, and more. The City’s dedication to building a thriving community has made them a player on the international scene with events such as the United States Grand Prix-Formula 1, ACL Music Festival, South by Southwest, and their first major league sports team, Austin FC (Major League Soccer).

The Austin area is home to major employers such as Dell Technologies, Tesla, Apple, Samsung Austin Semiconductor, IBM, Whole Foods Market, Kendra Scott, YETI Holdings, as well as the largest employer in Austin, the State of Texas. The City is also home to the University of Texas at Austin, one of the largest and most respected public research universities in the nation.

Austin is committed to excellence in public service, sustainability, equity, and community engagement. City departments operate under a Council-City Manager form of government and provide a wide array of services to support residents, businesses, and visitors. This solicitation supports the City’s ongoing mission to promote responsible stewardship of public resources while fostering a safe, inclusive, and thriving community.

About the Austin Public Library

The award-winning Austin Public Library (APL) has been the community’s premier source of knowledge, technology, and inspiration for nearly a century. It provides library programs, technology, collections, and space through its state-of-the-art Central Library, Austin History Center, and 20 library branches. It also provides services and resources out in the community through outreach and partnerships. During the term of this Contract, the City reserves the right to add or remove library locations as needed and without prior written notice to the Contractor.

Description: Sensory Kits, Staff Training and Sensory Inclusive Destination certification for 22 locations Austin Public Library

Scope of Work Revised 07/03/2025

2.0 PURPOSE

The City of Austin (City) seeks bids from commercially and technically qualified Contractor(s) to supply the Austin Public Library (APL) with tools, marketing, signage, app integration, continuous staff training and customer support, along with organizational certification that designates APL to be a Sensory Inclusive Destination. This procurement will allow the Library to be more inclusive to anyone with sensory and or physical needs including but not limited to neurological needs such as autism, post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dementia, Parkinson’s disease, or stroke patients. The contract will include staff training, sensory bags and lap pads, informational displays to share with public users, year-round customer support from the vendor for staff training in multiple formats. These materials are to be shipped to the designated APL location. It is the City’s intent that multiple awards be made for the services outlined and reserves the right to make multiple awards if advantageous to the City. The City also reserves the right to add or remove APL locations as needed without prior written notice to the Contractor.

3.0 TERM OF CONTRACT

This Contract shall remain in effect for an initial term of twelve months, or the City terminates the Contract. This Contract may be extended with renewal options beyond the initial term for up to two additional twelve-month periods for a total of thirty-six months at the City’s sole option.

4.0 CONTRACTOR QUALIFICATIONS

4.1 The Contractor shall Submit with bid the ability, experience, organization, technical qualifications, stock, and facilities for handling the anticipated contract volume, type of materials specified, and provide standard services commonly related to education and training in working with the neurodivergent community.

4.2 The Contractor shall Submit with bid proof of being actively engaged in regular business/organization for a period of five (5) years or more.

4.3 The Contractor shall Submit with bid proof of currently supplying training and sensory kits on contractual basis with five (5) public libraries and/or similar settings serving communities with populations of 250,000 or more. Customer references shall be submitted as required in Section 0700 Reference Form included in the Offer and Certifications Forms.

4.4 The Contractor shall be actively engaged in outreach, education and providing services for the neurodivergent community development, and other related services for a period of three (3) or more years.

Description: Sensory Kits, Staff Training and Sensory Inclusive Destination certification for 22 locations Austin Public Library

Scope of Work Revised 07/03/2025

5.0 TASKS/REQUIREMENTS

5.1 Contractor’s Responsibilities

The Austin Public Library seeks to implement a Sensory Bag Program to support individuals with sensory sensitivities, including but not limited to those with autism, ADHD, PTSD, and other sensory processing needs. The program will provide accessible tools and staff training to create a more inclusive and welcoming environment for all patrons when visiting the library. In this program the Contractor shall provide 150 (covers twenty branches, Central Library, two History Center locations and the warehouse) fully customizable sensory bags that include the following:

• Noise-reducing headphones

• Fidget tools (stress balls, tangles, textured items)

• Visual cue cards or communication aids

• Weighted lap pads

• Sunglasses or light-filtering tools

• Dry erase boards or emotion cards

The criteria for the items within the sensory bags are:

• Items must be durable, easy to clean, and safe for repeated public use

• Materials should be appropriate for a wide age range (youth–adult)

• Easy to read inventory list included with each bag

Along with the 150 sensory bags/kits, the Contractor will provide continuous training for library staff that includes:

• Overview of sensory processing needs

• Strategies for supporting patrons with sensory sensitivities

• De-escalation techniques and communication approaches

• Best practices for offering and managing sensory bags

• Implementation guide or handbook

The training formats that the Contractor conducts can be in any of these formats:

• In-person training sessions

Description: Sensory Kits, Staff Training and Sensory Inclusive Destination certification for 22 locations Austin Public Library

Scope of Work Revised 07/03/2025

• Virtual training modules

• Recorded content for ongoing staff access

In addition to providing sensory bags/kits and Library staff training, the Contractor will establish program implementation support. Contractor will provide:

• Guidance on integrating sensory bags into daily operations

• Recommendations for storage, circulation, and tracking

• Best practices for marketing and community outreach

• Consultation on creating sensory-friendly programs

To encourage participation and success in the Sensory Kits program, the Contractor will assist with marketing and generate awareness materials. Vendor will provide or assist with:

• Signage indicating availability of sensory bags

• Digital and print promotional materials

• Accessibility icons or certification branding (if applicable)

• A mobile app (iOS/Android) that helps people with sensory sensitivities locate and prepare for visits to certified sensory-inclusive venues (arenas, libraries, museums, restaurants, etc.) The core goal of the app would be to enable people with sensory needs to participate confidently in public life.

The app should consist, but not be limited to, at least the following features:

Venue finder: Maps nearby certified locations and shows available accommodations before you arrive

Social Stories: Visual, step-by-step venue previews to reduce anxiety and help users know what to expect

Sensory supports on-site: Helps users find sensory bags, noise-canceling headphones, and quiet zones at partnered venues

An AI communication tool built into the app for individuals with communication difficulties.

First responder integration: Included in training for 275+ first responder departments to improve care for people with sensory sensitivities

Along with the culmination of the sensory bags, the training, the marketing and implementation of the Sensory Bags and Training program, the Contractor should also provide certification for APL and its staff to be a certified Sensory Inclusive Destination and

Description: Sensory Kits, Staff Training and Sensory Inclusive Destination certification for 22 locations Austin Public Library display that on their apps and associated maps listing such destinations.

6.0 METHOD OF ORDERING

6.1 The City shall assign a Contract number to the Contractor, and this number shall be the controlling document number for the life of the Contract. Releases shall be made throughout the term of the Contract in the form of a Delivery Order (DO).

6.2 The contractor shall accept orders in the following transmission formats:

• By phone

• By e-mail

6.3 Contractor’s system shall be able to create orders, and the system must allow APL Library staff to have full order inquiring and tracking capabilities.

7.0 FLEXIBILITY IN MEETING SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE AND NEEDS

7.1 The Contractor must accommodate any process changes due to APL’s ILS upgrades or Library requirements.

8.0 ORDERS

8.1 Contractor must send order confirmation via email to library acquisitions mailbox, acquisitions.library@austintexas.gov, within 24 hours of order being received.

8.2 Contractor will supply a cancellation list via email to library acquisitions mailbox, acquisitions.library@austintexas.gov, of titles Contractor will be unable to supply within 3 business days of canceling a title and provide a new estimated date of availability.

9.0 INVOICING SERVICES

9.1 The Contractor shall supply electronic invoices and credit memos to:

Lib.AP@austintexas.gov

9.2 All shipping and handling charges shall be incorporated in the cost of the material offer and not charged as a separate line item on the invoice.

9.3 Separate invoice for each Delivery Order is not required, but separate invoices are required for the different billing accounts.

9.4 In the event an invoice is incorrect, APL cannot make correction to an invoice. The Contractor shall be required to submit a corrected invoice.

mailto:Lib.AP@austintexas.gov

Description: Sensory Kits, Staff Training and Sensory Inclusive Destination certification for 22 locations Austin Public Library

9.5 In the event of an error requiring APL to receive credit, a credit memo must be provided in writing within 30 days of a claim.

9.6 The Contractor shall provide monthly status reports on cancellations, unfilled, and delayed orders. Reports may be downloadable from the Contractor’s system. If the report is not downloadable, the City will require it to be submitted in Excel format.

9.7 The Contractor shall provide monthly statements of outstanding transactions for each Library account. The statements may be downloadable from the Contractor’s system. If the report is not downloadable, the City will require it to be submitted in excel format.

9.8 The contractor shall provide, in addition to an electronic invoice, an excel file which will be a summary of the invoices that are being submitted. The excel spreadsheet must contain separate columns with vendor name, date of invoice(s), invoice number, the amounts on each invoice, the grand total amount of each invoice, the grand total amount of all the invoices being submitted, and total number of items invoiced.

10.0 SHIPPING AND DELIVERY

10.1 The contractor shall ship deliveries to the Library’s directed location. Inside delivery is required. Under no circumstances will deliveries be left outside of the library.

10.2 DELIVERY LOCATIONS: Delivery is to be made within 30 days. Delivery shall be made to the following location unless otherwise specified by the City in the order:

Location/Facility Name: Zaragosa Warehouse Address: 651 North Pleasant Valley Rd., 78702 Days/Hours of Operation: hours: M-F, 6-3

10.3 The Contractor shall provide the Austin Public Library with the ability to digitally track shipments.

10.4 The Library’s directed location for deliveries must receive shipments Monday through Friday 8am to 2 pm. CST.

10.5 All shipments must include a packing list for shipment in each box. The packing slip must include the contents of that particular box.

10.6 Packing list will include quantity ordered, quantity shipped, quantity Back- ordered, title, author, ISBN, and purchase order number and street date if product is shipped prior

Description: Sensory Kits, Staff Training and Sensory Inclusive Destination certification for 22 locations Austin Public Library

Scope of Work Revised 07/03/2025 to street date for each box that is shipped.

10.7 Shipment of multiple boxes must be clearly marked on the exterior of the boxes indicating, for example, 1 of 3, 2 of 3, and 3 of 3.

10.8 The shipping label on each carton will list the content and the Library’s purchase order number(s).

11.0 RETURNS AND CUSTOMER SUPPORT

11.1 Items damaged in shipment, incorrect items, or defective items shall be returned to the Contractor for replacement or credit at no expense to the APL. APL prefers no-charge replacement to receive credit. In the event that no correct or perfect replacement exists, a credit memo may be issued to APL within thirty (30) calendar days.

11.2 The Contractor responding to the request shall provide a copy of their returns policy and credit memo procedures as part of their offer.

11.3 The Contractor shall assign a specific individual to be responsible for the Austin Public Library account and handling customer service issues.

11.4 The Contractor shall provide APL the ability to create returns and report shortage online. In the initial year of the Contract, the Contractor shall provide a minimum of two days onsite assistance prior to the beginning of the Contract period at the Austin Public Library at the Contractor’s expense. This visit will include spending time with Library staff to discuss selection, ordering, cataloging and processing.

12.0 DESIGNATION OF KEY PERSONNEL

The City and the Contractor resolve to keep the same key personnel assigned to this engagement throughout its term. In the event that it becomes necessary for the Contractor to replace any key personnel, the replacement will be an individual having equivalent experience and competence in executing projects such as the one described herein. Additionally, the Contractor shall promptly notify the City and obtain approval for the replacement. Such approval shall not be unreasonably withheld.