Sovereign Terrain and Digital Border Defense

Texas Cyber Command (TXCC) issued Request for Offer (RFO) 371-00013 on April 29, 2026, for a turnkey managed solution addressing Sovereign Terrain and Digital Border Defense services, with proposals due May 14, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. CST. The procurement seeks advanced deep-packet-inspection and network-monitoring technologies that deliver real-time visibility, threat detection, and cyber-intelligence capabilities integrated across information technology and operational technology environments. The solution must encompass four commodity categories: Security Enhancement Equipment-Cyber; System, Network, Database, and DBA Administration Services; Assessment and Profiling Services of Software; and Architectural Software for Microcomputers. Deliverables include hardware, software, licenses, subscriptions, deployment services, documentation, monitoring, support, maintenance, and updates, with the vendor required to deploy within TXCC-designated data centers or approved cloud environments and maintain 99.9 percent monthly uptime with incident response targets ranging from one hour for critical issues to five business days for low-priority issues. Evaluation criteria employ Pass/Fail assessments for financial information, HUB Subcontracting Plan completion, vendor performance tracking scores, and accessibility compliance, followed by weighted scoring across Technical Requirements (40 percent), Vendor Qualifications (30 percent), and Pricing (30 percent). Vendor qualifications require financial stability documentation, cybersecurity training compliance, debarment-free status verification, and appropriate insurance coverage. The anticipated contract term is one year with two optional one-year renewals at TXCC's discretion, with possible extension up to an additional 180 calendar days upon 30 days' written notice.

All respondents must complete a mandatory HUB (Historically Underutilized Businesses) Subcontracting Plan demonstrating good faith efforts to utilize Texas-certified HUB vendors for subcontracting work, with compliance requirements including notification to at least three HUB vendors and two or more trade organizations serving disabled veterans, allowing a minimum of seven working days for responses. Respondents must also submit completed Vendor Information and Certifications Forms (Exhibit A) addressing child support obligations, ethics and conflict of interest disclosures, debarment status, equal employment opportunity affirmations, cybersecurity training compliance, foreign ownership restrictions, and numerous Texas statutory compliance requirements. Vendor references from past customers must be submitted by May 5, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. CST using the prescribed Vendor Reference Form, with references evaluated across quality of products or services, timeliness of delivery, cost management, business relations, and overall vendor reliability using a four-point rating scale. Additionally, vendors must submit completed Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates (VPAT) documenting conformance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Levels A and AA and Revised Section 508 standards. The RFO structure establishes an indefinite quantity agreement with no minimum purchase guarantees and no guaranteed minimum compensation, with TXCC retaining exclusive ownership of all work product and intellectual property rights created under the contract, while vendors function as independent contractors with responsibilities for indemnifying TXCC against claims, intellectual property infringement, data breaches, and property damage arising from vendor performance.