Armed and Unarmed Security Guard Services for Region 11

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is requesting bids for armed and unarmed security guard services across Region 11 (19 South Texas counties) under IFB HHS0017369, with responses due August 6, 2026 at 10:30 a.m., a questions deadline of July 27, and an anticipated contract start of September 1, 2026. A VetHUB subcontracting plan with a 26% utilization goal is mandatory; all respondents must submit a completed HUB Subcontracting Plan regardless of certification status.

Security services span regular business hours (Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time) at multiple designated locations across Aransas, Bee, Brooks, Cameron, Duval, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, Live Oak, McMullen, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio, Starr, Webb, Willacy, and Zapata counties, with 25 armed security guard positions identified. Bidders must hold a Class B Security Contractor's License, demonstrate three years of relevant experience, provide three verifiable references for similar contracts completed in the past three years, and ensure that unarmed guards possess Level 3 Certification and armed guards hold valid armed commission officer security guard licenses with two years of armed guard experience. All personnel must pass DFPS background checks before assignment, including Texas name-based criminal history checks, DFPS abuse/neglect/exploitation history checks, and FBI fingerprint checks for employees who have lived outside Texas within the past two years.

Contractors must maintain comprehensive insurance: workers' compensation, general liability ($1 million per occurrence), commercial automobile liability ($1 million combined single limit), professional liability ($1 million), and umbrella liability ($1 million). Pricing must be firm, fixed, and submitted on Exhibit C covering all labor, equipment, materials, and supplies, with adjustments permitted only via Consumer Price Index during renewals or federal minimum wage changes. Historical comparable spend was $3,719,168 for April 8, 2024 through August 31, 2026.

The initial contract term runs September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2027, with options for up to two one-year renewals and one additional one-year extension at agency discretion. All DFPS data and system security requirements apply, including NIST 800-53/800-47 compliance, multifactor authentication, 128-bit minimum encryption, SOC 2 Type II or SSAE 18 audits, and breach notification within one calendar day of discovery. Mandatory exhibits include Exhibit A (HHS Solicitation Affirmations), Exhibit C (Pricing Sheet), Exhibit D (Bidder Qualifications), and Exhibit F (HUB Subcontracting Plan).