Inspection of Tennessee Veterinary Facilities and Certified Animal Control Agencies - UPDATED

The Tennessee Department of Health, Division of Health Related Boards is requesting proposals to conduct inspections of licensed veterinary facilities and certified animal control agencies across three regional divisions—East Tennessee, Middle Tennessee, and West Tennessee—with proposals due September 8, 2026. A pre-response conference is scheduled for August 6, 2026, and the State anticipates awarding up to three separate contracts, one per region, with individual contractors eligible to serve single or multiple regions.

Respondents must be currently licensed veterinarians in Tennessee with at least five years of clinical experience in veterinary medicine practice. The scope covers routine inspections at an estimated 1.5 hours per inspection: East Tennessee (approximately 450 licensed facilities, estimated 200 annual inspections), Middle Tennessee (approximately 450 facilities, approximately 220 annual inspections), and West Tennessee (approximately 220 facilities, approximately 75 annual inspections). Contractors must submit completed inspection forms within ten days of each inspection and monthly status reports within ten days of month-end.

Compensation is firm on a per-inspection basis and includes all costs; no reimbursement is provided for travel time, expenses, meals, or lodging. Cost proposals are evaluated separately for each region based on 1,000 inspections (East Tennessee), 1,100 inspections (Middle Tennessee), and 375 inspections (West Tennessee). The contract term is sixty months effective upon execution.

Evaluation is weighted: General Qualifications and Experience (maximum 30 points), Technical Qualifications, Experience, and Approach (maximum 40 points), and Cost Proposal (maximum 30 points). Respondents must provide current Tennessee veterinary licensure, a narrative documenting five years of clinical experience, bank and vendor references, credit reports, and three professional references from similar projects completed within the past five years. Written questions are due August 14, 2026. Technical evaluations conclude by September 22, 2026, cost proposals are scored on September 23, 2026, and a Notice of Intent to Award is expected September 29, 2026.