Request for Proposal - Law Enforcement Ballistic Body Armor Systems - Opening #2

The Austin Independent School District (AISD) seeks authorized Safariland distributors to submit proposals for the procurement of sixty-six (66) rifle-rated ballistic body armor system units for use by the AISD Police Department under Request for Proposals 26RFP044. The required ballistic systems must consist entirely of Safariland-manufactured components certified to National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Standard 0101.06, Level III, specifically model designation BA-3A00S-SX02 (In Conjunction With configuration) or its direct Safariland successor model, and must be fully compatible with the Department's existing Safariland Sacramento front-zip external carrier platform without requiring modifications. All proposed systems must include new, unused components, and vendors must provide complete fitting, delivery, and implementation services within four to six weeks of purchase order placement as part of a firm, not-to-exceed unit price. Proposals will be evaluated on technical compliance (25 points), product design, fit and function (25 points), vendor experience (10 points), and financial proposal (40 points), with awards made to the best responsive proposal satisfying District requirements regardless of lowest price. The proposal due date is May 28, 2026, at 2:00 pm CST, with a virtual bid opening scheduled for March 24, 2026, at 2:15 pm via Google Meet, and tentative AISD Board review and approval anticipated for May 28, 2026. The contract includes an initial one-year term with options for AISD to renew for up to four additional one-year terms at its sole discretion, subject to funding availability, with any price adjustments at renewal limited to documented manufacturer price increases not exceeding five percent.

The procurement is restricted to authorized Safariland distributors and manufacturers, with no alternate models or substitutions permitted unless expressly requested by AISD. The District encourages participation from small, local, minority-owned, and women-owned firms and has established procurement preferences for historically underutilized businesses; however, this solicitation does not contain specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises. All vendors must execute required forms including bid certifications, debarment and suspension certifications, Edgar certifications addendum for federal grant compliance, strategic partner profile, conflict of interest questionnaire, and Form W-9, and must maintain general liability insurance with minimum limits of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate. Vendors are prohibited from contracting with entities engaged in business with Iran, Sudan, or foreign terrorist organizations, and cannot be listed on the State of Texas Debarred Vendor List or the Federal System for Award Management (SAM). While no specific budget range is disclosed in the solicitation documents, pricing must be submitted as a firm, not-to-exceed unit price per complete system with all fitting, delivery, and implementation costs included, and the contract remains subject to continued appropriations availability and may be terminated without penalty if funds are not appropriated by the AISD Board of Trustees.