TDEM-RFP-1546 Peer Support Network

The Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) has issued Request for Proposal TDEM-RFP-1546 for a comprehensive statewide First Responder Peer Support Network Platform designed to support the mandate established under Texas House Bill 35. TDEM seeks a single integrated technology platform solution that combines peer engagement, workforce credentialing management, critical incident tracking, and de-identified reporting capabilities across all Texas jurisdictions, including paid and volunteer fire departments and emergency medical services. The platform must support both proactive and reactive peer support models, cross-agency federation for statewide resource access, optional anonymous login functionality, integrated training and credentialing tracking, CAD/RMS/ePCR system integration, and scalable multi-jurisdiction deployment with 99.5% uptime service level agreement. Vendors must provide firm, fixed pricing including platform licensing, state-branded configuration, onboarding, implementation services, training, and ongoing support structured on a per-user, per-agency, or statewide-license basis. The mandatory pre-bid conference is scheduled for April 10, 2026, at 10:30 AM Central Time via Microsoft Teams, with vendor attendance required and sign-in email submission to joanna.morgan-schaede@tdem.texas.gov; failure to attend will result in proposal disqualification. Proposals must be submitted through the AggieBid portal by April 20, 2026, at 4:00 PM Central Time, with the contract term extending from award through August 31, 2027, plus options to renew for four additional one-year periods and potential 90-day extensions not to exceed six months total. Evaluation criteria include technical capability satisfying all six platform requirements (35% weight), statewide deployment experience (20%), HB 35 reporting alignment with native statutory field production (15%), confidentiality and data governance (15%), implementation and onboarding plan (10%), and pricing and total cost of ownership (10%).

This procurement includes a VetHUB subcontracting plan requirement for contracts exceeding $100,000 over the contract life, with a stated goal of 1 percent service-disabled veteran utilization, and all respondents including State of Texas certified Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs) must complete and submit an HSP with their bid response demonstrating good faith efforts through either identification of specific HUB subcontractors or notification to HUBs and trade organizations. TDEM has determined that subcontracting opportunities are probable under this contract, and prime contractors must identify all subcontracting opportunities, estimate percentages of the contract to be awarded to Texas certified HUBs and non-HUB vendors, and verify HUB status using the State of Texas' Centralized Master Bidders List. All data must be stored within the United States with a preference for Texas-based infrastructure, and the platform must integrate with existing CAD/RMS/ePCR systems across jurisdictions. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the available solicitation documents. The specific award value or budget range is not disclosed in the published materials; however, TDEM intends to have a base version operational within 45 days of contract execution, and pricing evaluation will consider total cost of ownership as a 10 percent evaluation criterion. All purchases are governed by the TDEM Terms and Conditions of Purchase, which mandate compliance with extensive federal requirements when federal funds are involved, including prevailing wage requirements, Buy American provisions, E-Verify participation for service contracts, TX-RAMP cloud computing compliance, and numerous federal and state statutory certifications and prohibitions.