RFQ#476-26-001-Veterinary Technicians

The Texas Racing Commission is soliciting Request for Qualifications (RFQ) responses from veterinary technicians to provide equine medical services at state-licensed horse racetracks throughout Texas, including Gillespie County Fair, Retama Race Park, Lone Star Park, and Sam Houston Race Park. Qualified vendors must be licensed veterinary technicians in Texas with a minimum of one year of experience as a practicing equine or racetrack veterinary technician, or alternatively, possess four years of qualifying experience without licensure, and must maintain all required federal, state, and local licenses and permits throughout the contract term. Key deliverables include monitoring morning exercises for lameness, completing veterinarian injury checklists, assisting with postmortem examinations, monitoring horses during training, providing critical injury reports, performing imaging as requested, and assisting the test barn under the supervision of the Chief Veterinarian. Evaluation will be based on 25 percent experience in horse racing regulation, 25 percent equine practice experience, 10 percent other veterinary practice experience, and 40 percent demonstrated knowledge of equine anatomy, competence with horses, and communication skills, with interviews conducted by the Chief Veterinarian at a track location designated by the TXRC. Responses are due by May 15, 2026 at 12:00 p.m., submitted to jobs@txrc.texas.gov or faxed to 512-833-6907, and the contract term runs from the date of acceptance through August 31, 2026, with options for renewal for four additional one-year periods if both parties agree in writing.

The RFQ does not specify set-aside designations or restrictions limiting responses to particular categories of disadvantaged enterprises, though all vendors must comply with extensive statutory and regulatory requirements including E-Verify employment verification, drug-free workplace compliance, cybersecurity training, human trafficking prohibitions, energy company and Israel boycott verifications, and firearm entity non-discrimination requirements. Vendors must maintain liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence and comply with the Texas Prompt Payment Act. No incumbent contractors or existing infrastructure integration requirements are identified in the solicitation materials. Compensation is structured at $35 per hour for single-day assignments and $50 per hour for assignments of two or more consecutive days, with individual blanket contracts not exceeding $75,000 per fiscal year; contractors are responsible for all travel costs with no monetary reimbursement provided. The TXRC intends to award contracts to at least one or more qualified vendors, with payment processed through direct deposit based on itemized invoices and timesheets approved by the Chief Veterinarian and Deputy Executive Director of Operations, with processing occurring within 30 days of invoice receipt or service completion, whichever is later.