Re-Solicitation Texas Farmer Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Helpline and Educational Services

The Texas Department of Agriculture is requesting proposals for a re-solicitation of the Texas Farmer Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Helpline and Educational Services, with responses due by 3:00 PM CT on July 23, 2026, under Solicitation 5510001033. A pre-proposal conference is scheduled for July 1, 2026, with questions due July 7, 2026.

The scope encompasses a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week toll-free crisis hotline staffed by trained behavioral health specialists, with mandatory accreditations from the American Association of Suicidology (AAS) and the Alliance of Information and Referral Systems (AIRS). The contractor must deliver Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) training to agricultural and community groups (minimum four trainings annually, 1.5-hour duration each) and Farm Response training to healthcare professionals (minimum 200 providers completing the course annually). Cost proposals must be submitted in Exhibit C format with all-inclusive pricing covering labor, materials, equipment, supplies, and related costs.

The initial contract term runs September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2027, with three optional one-year renewal periods extending through August 31, 2030. The estimated contract value exceeds $100,000. TDA will evaluate responses using weighted criteria: past performance and qualifications (30%), proposed service delivery plan (40%), and cost reasonableness (30%). TDA reserves the right to award to a single respondent or multiple respondents, conduct oral presentations, request best and final offers, and re-solicit if deemed in the state's best interest. No exclusivity is granted.

All respondents must submit a completed VetHUB Subcontracting Plan (Exhibit B), regardless of whether they plan subcontracting. Respondents must satisfy eligibility requirements including a current Texas Identification Number, current business filings, and tax payment compliance. Exhibit O requires certification of DEI compliance in alignment with Executive Order 14151, Governor's Executive Order GA-55, and TDA Commissioner directive. Comprehensive insurance coverage is mandatory, including Workers' Compensation, Commercial General Liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate), Comprehensive Automobile Liability, Umbrella Liability ($1,000,000), Professional Liability/Errors and Omissions ($1,000,000), and Cyber/Privacy Liability ($1,000,000). All policies must be issued by A.M. Best A or better insurers authorized in Texas. Addendum 1, issued June 24, 2026, revised Exhibit A. Data Security Requirements (Exhibit K) mandate NIST SP 800-53 or TX-RAMP compliance, quarterly vulnerability reports, 24-hour breach notification with 72-hour resolution, AES 128-bit minimum encryption, and annual SOC 2 - Type 2 reports.