Floral Design Services - University Events & Experience

The University of Texas at Austin is issuing Request for Proposal No. 721-26062 to procure comprehensive floral design services for University Events & Experience (UEE) serving events with 20 to 500 attendees on an as-needed basis, with an anticipated volume of five to ten events per awarded vendor. Required services include private design consultations, development of custom floral concepts with up to two rounds of design revisions, premium sourcing and creation of all floral arrangements and installations, white-glove delivery and installation, on-site floral stewardship as applicable, and professional breakdown and cleanup. Qualified vendors must demonstrate a minimum of 15 years of industry experience, maintain an Austin-area operational base, possess full licensure and insurance coverage (including workers' compensation, employer's liability of $1,000,000 per accident, commercial general liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence, and auto liability of $1,000,000 combined single limit), and ensure all on-site employees have cleared background checks. The anticipated contract term spans two years from April 1, 2026, through March 31, 2028, with options for up to two additional one-year renewal terms, and the University reserves the right to make multiple awards. Proposals are due by 2:30 p.m. CST on Friday, March 6, 2026, via the University's Procurement Portal. Evaluation criteria, weighted at 100 percent total, include Respondents' Qualifications, Abilities, and Reputation (15%), Quality of Proposed Goods and Services/Methodology and Approach (45%), Ability to Meet University's Needs (10%), Price Proposal and Long-Term Cost (10%), and Staffing Resources and Past Business Relationship Strength with the University (20%).

This procurement includes a mandatory Veteran Heroes United in Business (VetHUB) Subcontracting Plan requirement, which proposers must submit as a material element of their proposals; responses lacking a compliant HSP will be rejected. Prime contractors awarded the contract must make good-faith efforts to include service-disabled veteran-owned businesses as subcontractors, with requirements to notify VetHUB vendors with a minimum of seven working days' notice and solicit at least three state-certified VetHUB firms for each subcontracting opportunity. Proposers must also complete and execute the Texas Ethics Commission Form 1295 (Certificate of Interested Parties), submit an Execution of Offer document with numerous state-mandated certifications regarding tax compliance, equal employment opportunity, conflicts of interest, and various boycott and discrimination prohibitions, and acknowledge receipt of all addenda issued prior to the submission deadline. Payment will be processed within thirty days of invoice approval per the Texas Prompt Payment Act, with the University accepting the JP Morgan Chase Single Use Account Program as its preferred payment method. No specific budget range or award value is provided in the solicitation documents; pricing submissions must include itemized costs for hard goods, fees (delivery, installation, strike, third-party sourcing, destination/travel, and service fees), and hourly rates by role, with total compensation not to exceed an amount to be specified in the executed Services Agreement. The University reserves the right to request Best and Final Offers (BAFO) from selected respondents and may conduct interviews with top-ranked proposals before final selection.