Transcription Services

The Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) issued Request for Proposals Solicitation Number TRS000638 on February 12, 2026, seeking qualified vendors to provide comprehensive audio recording and transcription services for Board of Trustees meetings and related committee sessions. The procurement encompasses audio recording capability for up to three concurrent meetings, electronic transcription files in Word format, certified hard-copy transcriptions, and audio recordings on USB drives or acceptable media, with normal delivery within six calendar days of meeting completion and expedited delivery available within three calendar days. Services are required for approximately five two-day board meetings annually that include four to five committee meetings plus virtual meetings conducted over three half-days, with services potentially required at TRS headquarters in Austin, Texas, or other locations throughout the state. Minimum qualifications require vendors to demonstrate at least three years of experience providing audio recording and transcription services to comparable organizations, confirm ability to provide in-person recording personnel in Austin, certify capacity to handle a minimum of three simultaneous TRS meetings, provide all necessary recording equipment for spaces lacking sound systems, confirm availability for travel within Texas, and acknowledge personnel will be trained on open meeting and parliamentary procedures. The evaluation criteria apply a weighted scoring system consisting of Statement of Qualifications and Experience (50%), Respondent's Key Personnel Qualifications and Experience (30%), and Pricing (20%). Critical deadlines include a pre-proposal conference held on February 17, 2026, via Microsoft Teams, a question submission deadline of February 24, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. Central Time, and a proposal submission deadline of March 11, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Central Time through the Procurement and Vendor E-System (PAVES), with top-ranked respondents potentially invited for presentations and site visits in mid-April 2026.

The solicitation requires all respondents to complete and submit a Veteran Heroes United in Business (VetHUB) Subcontracting Plan, as the contract is anticipated to exceed $100,000 over its lifetime and subcontracting opportunities have been determined to be probable; vendors must either self-perform the entire contract, subcontract only to Texas-certified VetHUBs, or demonstrate good faith effort by notifying at least three certified VetHUBs and two trade organizations of subcontracting opportunities. Foreign-owned companies are eligible to bid provided they meet all TRS requirements, and bidders utilizing artificial intelligence-based transcription services are permitted to participate but must complete and submit an Artificial Intelligence Assessment form available in the Round Documents section of the Electronic State Business Daily. The initial contract term runs for five years from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2031, with one optional one-year renewal term available; vendors must propose fully loaded, firm, fixed prices inclusive of all costs, materials, equipment, labor, and travel expenses, with no price escalation permitted for optional renewal terms and travel costs subject to reimbursement at State of Texas per diem rates with prior written approval. The RFP documents do not identify a specific contract award value or budget range, though current vendor rates and information must be obtained through formal open records requests submitted under the Texas Public Information Act. Vendors must submit invoices through PAVES within six days after meeting completion, with payment due within thirty days of invoice receipt, and contractors must maintain workers' compensation insurance and employer's liability insurance with minimum coverage of $500,000 per accident for bodily injury and disease or an aggregate policy limit of $1,000,000.