DataPower Buddy (DPBuddy) License and Support

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) Procurement and Contracting Services division, on behalf of both HHSC and the Department of State Health Services (DSHS), issued an Invitation for Bids (IFB HHS0017322) posted May 12, 2026, seeking competitive bids to establish a contract for DataPower (DP) Buddy Licenses and Support. DataPower Buddy is a specialized command-line tool designed to automate administration, deployment, and management of IBM DataPower Gateways, streamlining configuration import/export, file transfers, backups, and certificate management tasks. The solicitation is classified under NIGP Class/Item No. 208-36 (Data Processing Software, Microcomputer). Bidders must submit responses by June 1, 2026, at 10:30 AM Central Time, with a questions and clarifications deadline of May 18, 2026 and addendum responses posted May 21, 2026. The anticipated contract start date is June 8, 2026, with an initial twelve-month term and HHSC retaining discretionary options to renew for up to two additional twelve-month terms and extend for one additional year as needed. Evaluation criteria include the bidder's ability to meet specifications, performance delivery capability, and price, with HHSC retaining discretion to award based on best overall value rather than lowest price. Mandatory submission requirements include the completed HHS Solicitation Affirmations (Exhibit A) and a Pricing Sheet (Exhibit C) with firm, fixed prices for the contract life; failure to submit these documents will result in disqualification. Bidders may be rejected for unsatisfactory past performance, current corrective action plans, repeated negative vendor performance reports, or contracts cancelled within the previous twelve months for non-performance.

The solicitation does not specify set-aside designations or restrictions on organizational types, though bidders are encouraged to submit a properly completed HUB Subcontracting Plan if subcontracting opportunities exist. Historical spend for the same or similar goods and services over three years totaled $46,215.00, provided only as a guideline and not representing guaranteed volumes or compensation. Price adjustments may be permitted only at HHSC's sole discretion and must correlate with specified Consumer Price Index formulas published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and contractors may request adjustments based on increases in the Federal Minimum Wage Rate with supporting documentation. Pricing must be submitted on the Pricing Sheet as firm, fixed prices, and any price decreases that become available must be immediately implemented. All contractors must comply with mandatory HHS contract affirmations and uniform terms and conditions outlined in Exhibit B, including suspension and debarment certifications, human trafficking prohibitions, cybersecurity training obligations, intellectual property ownership by the State, seven-year record retention requirements, and compliance with civil rights laws; the contract is governed by Texas law with venue in Travis County.