Notice of intent to make a proprietary sole source purchase

The Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) is issuing a Notice of Intent to Make a Proprietary Sole Source Purchase for accreditation services for the Evins State Juvenile Correctional Facility. The procurement seeks specialized accreditation services to evaluate the facility's compliance with nationally recognized juvenile correctional standards. The intended sole source vendor is the American Correctional Association (ACA), located in Alexandria, Virginia. The primary deliverable is a comprehensive accreditation audit and evaluation conducted by ACA auditors, with accreditation decisions granted by ACA's Commission on Accreditation for Corrections. The key objective is to ensure the facility meets established national standards for juvenile correctional operations. Potential competing bidders who believe they can provide equivalent goods or services must submit written responses by May 8, 2026, at 2:00 PM Central Time to Procurement Officer Evelyn Green at TJJD offices in Austin, Texas. The anticipated contract term spans four years, from May 10, 2026, through May 9, 2030.

This procurement is designated as a sole source acquisition, which restricts competition to ACA based on the agency's assertion that ACA is the only national accreditation body capable of accrediting both adult and juvenile correctional agencies and facilities using nationally recognized ACA expected practices. TJJD contends that ACA does not partner with third-party vendors offering comparable accreditation services and that only ACA auditors are qualified to conduct the required audit assessments, with accreditation decisions exclusively granted by ACA's Commission on Accreditation for Corrections. The contract is valued at $33,000 per year, with a total not-to-exceed amount of $165,000 for the entire four-year contract period. No specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises have been identified in this procurement notice. Interested parties should direct all inquiries regarding this opportunity to Procurement Officer Evelyn Green to discuss the scope of services and potential challenges to the sole source designation.