RFO 582-26-00018 Texas Information Management System (TIMS)

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has issued a Request for Offer (RFO) 582-26-00018 for the Texas Information Management System (TIMS), a complex telecommunications and data management project involving the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV). The procurement seeks a contractor to establish a comprehensive telecommunications network and centralized database system for electronic transmission of vehicle exhaust emissions inspection data across multiple Texas metropolitan areas, including Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston-Galveston-Brazoria, El Paso, Austin-Round Rock, and San Antonio. The contractor must develop and maintain an entire system infrastructure, including telecommunications network, centralized database, application software, and help desk services, with specific requirements to support electronic communications between test analyzer systems and the Vehicle Information Database (VID). Key deliverables include real-time and batch data transmissions, comprehensive reporting capabilities for participating agencies, and maintenance of 99.95% system availability. The solicitation requires the contractor to obtain TX-RAMP Level 2 certification prior to contract award, with a contract period spanning from the last signature date to August 31, 2031, and includes three distinct implementation phases: Design and Integration (by May 3, 2026), Beta/Rollout (by July 30, 2026), and Operating Phase. A pre-proposal conference is scheduled for September 22, 2025, with proposal responses due on October 14, 2025.

The RFO does not explicitly specify set-aside designations or restrictions on respondent types. The contractor will not receive direct state payments but will recover costs through per-transaction charges billed to emissions testing stations, with a maximum rate of $0.36 per transaction. Additional programming services are included, offering up to 6,000 hours in the first operating year and 4,000 hours annually thereafter at no cost to TCEQ. While specific incumbent vendors are not mentioned, the solicitation implies integration with existing emissions testing infrastructure across multiple Texas counties. The project represents a significant technological undertaking, with the contractor responsible for developing a comprehensive, multi-agency data management system that supports real-time vehicle emissions data collection and reporting. Although a specific budget range is not disclosed, the scope of work suggests a substantial investment in telecommunications infrastructure, database development, and ongoing system maintenance, with potential long-term revenue generation for the selected contractor through transaction fees.