RFP - Audio Production Engineer Services

The University of Texas at Austin's Department of Astronomy is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP 721-26053) to procure audio production engineer services for the StarDate radio program, with proposals due February 20, 2026, at 2:30 p.m. Central Time via the UT Bonfire Portal. The University seeks a qualified vendor to provide professional studio services located in Austin, Texas, including recording and editing voice tracks, mixing programs with music beds and sound effects, and delivering completed programs meeting professional broadcast standards. Recording sessions are scheduled at approximately two-week intervals with a minimum of four consecutive hours per session, booked up to three months in advance. Respondents must demonstrate minimum qualifications of at least five years of experience recording short-format informational radio programs and five years of ProTools software experience. Evaluation will be weighted as follows: respondent qualifications and reputation (25 percent), quality of proposed services and methodology (10 percent), ability to meet University needs (10 percent), price proposal and long-term cost (30 percent), and staffing resources and business relationship strength (25 percent). The initial contract term runs one year with four optional one-year renewal periods expiring March 1, 2030, with potential month-to-month extensions not to exceed three months. Proposers must submit hourly or monthly rate structures inclusive of all associated costs with detailed annual pricing breakdowns for each renewal period, and must provide three minimum client references from the past five years, resumes of key personnel, studio facility descriptions, and ProTools proficiency documentation.

The RFP includes a mandatory Veteran Heroes United in Business (VetHUB) Subcontracting Plan requirement, necessitating all respondents to either affirm performance of the entire contract with their own resources or identify specific portions of work to be subcontracted with documented good faith efforts to engage service-disabled veteran-certified businesses. Failure to submit a completed VetHUB Subcontracting Plan results in proposal rejection. Proposers must also execute comprehensive certifications regarding tax compliance, debarment status, absence of child support arrearages, and compliance with various Texas statutes addressing boycotts, discrimination prohibitions, COVID-19 vaccination requirements, cybersecurity standards, and restrictions on foreign adversaries' involvement. The RFP documents specify the University retains sole ownership of all work product and requires contractors to maintain specified insurance coverage including workers' compensation at statutory limits, employer's liability at $1,000,000, commercial general liability at $1,000,000, and auto liability at $1,000,000. Payment terms are net 30 days per the Texas Prompt Payment Act. The RFP does not specify an estimated award value or budget range; proposers are instructed to provide their own rate proposals with all associated costs included.