Economic Impact Study Consultant Services

The Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) issued Request for Proposals No. TRS000627 on January 16, 2026, seeking a qualified consultant to conduct comprehensive economic impact studies analyzing the effects of TRS pension and healthcare payments across Texas. The procurement requires the selected contractor to produce three separate economic impact reports covering: (1) pension payment impacts (annuity payments), (2) healthcare payment impacts (both active member TRS-ActiveCare and retiree TRS-Care programs), and (3) potential supplemental or legislatively mandated payment impacts. The contractor must analyze economic impacts across multiple dimensions including total expenditures, gross product, personal income, retail sales, and permanent job generation, with findings broken down by industry sectors, Texas economic regions, councils of government, legislative districts, metropolitan areas, counties, and zip codes. The initial contract term runs from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2028, with four optional one-year renewal periods available at TRS's discretion. Major deliverables are due biennially in even-numbered years, with the first comprehensive report due August 31, 2028; subsequent reports must include executive summaries, contractor branding, and in-person PowerPoint presentations to the TRS Board of Trustees. The proposal submission deadline is February 13, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. Central Time, with a question submission deadline of February 6, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. Central Time. Mandatory qualifications include demonstrated economic analysis experience for governmental or nonprofit entities, continuous operation performing economic analysis for at least four years, and identification of internal resources including physical office location, data analysis software or modeling tools, and key personnel (consultant, data analyst, research analyst). Evaluation criteria are weighted as follows: Past Performance and Client References (15%), Key Personnel (25%), Performance Details (40%), and Proposed Pricing (20%). Pricing must be submitted as fully loaded, firm, fixed annual pricing or hourly rates with no escalation permitted for optional renewal terms, though travel expenses may be reimbursed at Texas state per diem rates with prior written approval.

TRS has not designated this procurement as a set-aside for disadvantaged enterprises or other restricted categories; however, the VetHUB Subcontracting Plan requirement applies because the contract value is expected to exceed $100,000 over its life including renewal options. Per Texas Government Code Section 2161 and TGC 825.514, if the respondent determines that subcontracting is necessary, a Veteran Heroes United in Business (VetHUB) Subcontracting Plan must be submitted for the proposal to be considered responsive; TRS has determined that no probable subcontracting opportunities exist under this contract. The procurement is open to competitive bidding and may result in a single award or multiple awards at TRS's discretion. All submissions must be made through TRS's Procurement and Vendor E-System (PAVES); late submissions via email will not be accepted. TRS will provide all required data in de-identified format in compliance with HIPAA and Texas Government Code confidentiality requirements, covering a two-year lookback period consisting of the study year and prior year data broken down by region, county, and zip code. The contractor must comply with all applicable federal and state laws, including cybersecurity training requirements, data security controls, and TX-RAMP cloud computing program requirements if applicable, and must maintain workers' compensation insurance, employer's liability insurance of at least $500,000 per accident, commercial general liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence with $2,000,000 aggregate, and professional liability insurance of $2,000,000 per occurrence and $5,000,000 aggregate. No specific budget range or award value has been disclosed in the solicitation materials.