Evaluation of the texas gear up 2025 state grant

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is seeking a contractor to conduct a federally mandated statewide evaluation of the Texas Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) 2025 State Grant. The project will focus on evaluating the implementation and impact of the GEAR UP program across twenty schools in ten school districts, tracking students from the Class of 2031 beginning in 7th grade through their first year of postsecondary education. The evaluation will employ a mixed-methods longitudinal design, producing formative, interim, and summative reports using both quantitative and qualitative data. Key deliverables include annual site visit briefs, implementation reports, project outcomes briefs, biennial impact reports, and a comprehensive implementation report. Proposal submissions are due on December 9, 2025, at 2:00 P.M. Central Time, with evaluation criteria spanning 108 possible points across four categories: Understanding of the Project (45 points), Management Plan and Experience (20 points), Task and Budget Plan (40 points), and Reference Check Questionnaire (3 points).

The procurement includes a 26.0% minority-owned, woman-owned, and/or service-disabled veteran-owned business participation goal, requiring contractors to submit a Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Subcontracting Plan. Vendors must demonstrate good faith efforts in subcontracting with Texas certified HUB vendors, including written notifications to at least three HUB vendors and two trade organizations about subcontracting opportunities. The total contract budget is structured at $200,000 per fiscal year for the first five years, with potential increases to $250,000 for the final two-year renewal period, bringing the total potential contract amount to $1,500,000. Contractors must provide an organizational chart, project team resumes, and at least three similar project references from the past five years. The evaluation will leverage existing TEA data sources and may require additional data collection through surveys, interviews, and other qualitative methods, with a focus on collecting data from the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS), Co-Pilot, STAAR test results, and various college assessment scores.