Global Strategic Initiatives Partner – Initial Focus in India

The University of Texas at Dallas, a Carnegie R1 research institution located in the Dallas metropolitan area, seeks a qualified vendor through a competitive sealed proposal process to design and implement a strategic international leadership engagement initiative with an initial focus on India. The scope of services encompasses facilitating high-level diplomatic and academic engagements, planning and coordinating delegation travel for university leadership including the President and Provost, strengthening institutional partnerships through meetings with senior officials and influential stakeholders, and developing annual and multi-year strategic plans for leadership delegation tours. Key deliverables include detailed itineraries incorporating partnership-building meetings, site visits to prospective partner institutions, research showcase events, and cultural diplomacy activities designed to enhance global visibility and expand research and academic collaboration. Vendors must demonstrate a minimum of five years of experience in international education or global program administration, proven success managing large-scale international partnerships, experience working with U.S. higher education institutions, and capacity to operate globally with multilingual and multicultural teams; preferred qualifications include experience administering government-funded international programs and existing global networks. The contract term is three years with no anticipated renewals or extensions. The RFP was issued on April 28, 2026, with a question period running from April 28, 2026 at 4:00 PM CDT through May 1, 2026 at 5:00 PM CDT, and all proposals must be submitted through the Bonfire portal at https://utdallas.bonfirehub.com/opportunities/232915 by May 12, 2026 at 5:00 PM CDT. Evaluation criteria are weighted as follows: Cost Proposal (20%), Technical Approach and Alignment with Scope of Work (30%), Experience and Capacity in India's Higher Education Ecosystem (30%), and Value and Impact Potential (20%), with Signature Page and Terms and Conditions as pass/fail requirements.

Proposals must include five required documents in PDF format: a Technical Proposal (maximum 30 pages), Cost Proposal, General Questionnaire, Terms and Conditions, Signature Page, and Addenda Acknowledgement Form, with a maximum file upload size of 1000 MB per submission. For contracts exceeding $100,000, a Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Subcontracting Plan is required by law under Texas state requirements, and proposers may also certify status as SBA-qualified entities under federal procurement preference programs. The University of Texas at Dallas is exempt from Texas sales and use taxes, and contractors must comply with numerous certifications and regulations including criminal background checks for all employees and subcontractors, compliance with the Immigration and Nationality Act, cybersecurity training requirements, and Texas Public Information Act disclosure obligations. Performance security requirements, including a standby letter of credit equal to fifteen percent of the contract amount for contracts exceeding $100,000, apply unless the consultant demonstrates prior successful performance with UT System institutions. Contractors must carry comprehensive insurance coverage including workers' compensation with statutory limits, employer's liability of at least $1,000,000, commercial general liability of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence, and comprehensive automobile liability of at least $1,000,000. The cost proposal submitted as part of this RFP indicated all cost categories valued at $0.00 for Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, and the three-year total, suggesting the final budget and pricing structure will be established through the competitive proposal evaluation process; no specific award value or budget range has been publicly disclosed.