Texas School Climate Program

The University of Texas at Austin is soliciting competitive sealed proposals from qualified vendors to provide social work services and support for the Texas School Climate Program, an initiative focused on advancing school climate initiatives across Travis County and multiple Austin City jurisdictions. The RFP, issued March 10, 2026, with a proposal due date of April 2, 2026, seeks vendors capable of delivering comprehensive social work expertise and implementation services as detailed in the Scope of Work section. Qualified vendors must demonstrate their organizational qualifications, technical capabilities, and approach to delivering school climate program objectives. Proposals will be evaluated based on criteria outlined in Section 2.3 of the RFP, though the University reserves the right to conduct oral presentations with selected respondents, establish a competitive range for negotiation, request best and final offers, or reject all proposals. All proposals must include detailed pricing in a Pricing and Delivery Schedule specifying total fees, calculation methodology, and significant project phases with completion timelines, with all fees to be inclusive of delivery, labor, insurance, taxes, overhead, and profit. The University is not obligated to select the lowest-cost proposal and retains the right to terminate the contract at fiscal year end (August 31) if funding is not continued, requiring thirty days' written notice.

Vendors must comply with extensive compliance and certification requirements, including completion of the Execution of Offer form certifying compliance with state and federal requirements covering tax certification, antitrust laws, equal employment opportunity, debarment status, Texas Government Code provisions regarding boycotts and foreign entities, and federal occupational safety and health standards. All proposals must include a VetHUB Subcontracting Plan and submission of the Higher Education Community Vendor Assessment Tool (HECVAT) to demonstrate security, privacy, and compliance practices. Vendors must meet stringent information security requirements including multi-factor authentication compliant with NIST standards, NIST-approved encryption methods, annual vulnerability and penetration testing, and comprehensive documentation of system architecture and security controls. Contractors must maintain workers' compensation insurance at statutory limits and commercial general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000, and all work materials and intellectual property become University property upon creation. The RFP documents do not specify award values or budget ranges, contingent fund availability, or identify any incumbent contractors or set-asides for disadvantaged enterprises; interested vendors should contact the University for specific budget parameters and additional procurement details.