Request for Proposals for Transmission to Information Returns Intake System (IRIS) Services

The Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) is requesting proposals for enterprise-grade tax compliance software to implement transmission of IRS Form 1099-R data to the IRS Information Return Intake System (IRIS) under RFP 26-15697-001, with proposals due October 20, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. CT and anticipated contract award before November 1, 2026.

The scope requires a single vendor to validate, process, and electronically file approximately 150,000 annual Form 1099-Rs via the IRIS Application-to-Application (A2A) API channel beginning with the 2026 tax year/2027 filing season. The contractor must ingest structured data extracts from ERS's PeopleSoft system in IRS Publication 1220 fixed-file format via SFTP, handle correction filings for the prior five tax years, and manage implementation and testing completion before the 2027 filing season. Optional services include pressure-seal printing and mailing of forms and a secure, mobile-responsive electronic delivery portal with multi-factor authentication. Minimum qualifications include systems security compliance with IRS standards, prior experience transmitting at least 50,000 records to IRIS for at least one tax year, and all required business licenses and certifications.

The contract term is four years from execution with an optional extension period upon mutual agreement. Pricing must be all-inclusive and firm for the entire initial four-year term, submitted in Appendix E Section D.1 with implementation and recurring charges clearly separated; ERS will evaluate total pricing over four years. Respondents may propose optional service pricing, which will not be scored but will be included in the Fee Schedule if required by ERS.

Proposals are evaluated on Relevant Qualifications, Experience, and Services (70 points) and Price Proposal (30 points), with price scored relative to other respondents such that only the lowest price receives all 30 points. Before final award, ERS will conduct due diligence including verification of a SOC 2 Type II Report (conducted at least every two years, with bridge letters accepted) and a completed vendor security questionnaire. ERS requires execution of a Data Security and Breach Notification Agreement prior to final contract execution, with compliance obligations including NIST security standards, encryption of personal data at rest and in transit, maintenance of data only within the fifty U.S. states, 24-hour breach notification to ERS, and 72-hour notification to affected members. Proposals must include the contractor's Master Services Agreement, End User License Agreement, and Service Level Agreement; ERS reserves the right to negotiate contract terms within limited parameters. Respondents must submit proposals electronically via Euna (erstexas.bonfirehub.com) and designate a proposal contact available throughout evaluation. Questions should be directed to ivendorquestions@ers.texas.gov.