Travel Agency Services

The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Statewide Procurement Division is soliciting proposals for comprehensive statewide travel agency services through RFP No. 304T-26-961M1. The procurement seeks vendors to provide travel reservation services for all Texas state agencies, higher education institutions, and SmartBuy members, encompassing airline, rail, bus, car rental, and hotel bookings, along with group travel coordination and international travel services. Respondents must demonstrate at least five years of experience providing travel agency services to government entities and have no bankruptcy filings in the past decade. The solicitation requires providers to offer extensive online booking tools, 24/7 toll-free customer service with strict performance metrics (20-second phone answer times, two-business-hour email responses), comprehensive reporting capabilities, and advanced data security compliance including FIPS 140-2 encryption and TX-RAMP certification. The pre-proposal conference is scheduled for December 4, 2025, at 11:00 AM CST, with a questions submission deadline of December 5, 2025, and final responses due January 6, 2026, at 1:30 PM Central Time in Austin, Texas.

The contract does not explicitly designate set-aside provisions for disadvantaged enterprises, but requires extensive compliance with various state regulations including equal employment opportunity requirements and Texas Buy provisions. The initial contract term will run from the Notice of Award through May 31, 2027, with four potential renewals extending through May 31, 2030, and one additional year at the Comptroller's discretion. Historical transaction data indicates significant statewide spending of $76,014,737.48 across 244,658 transactions from October FY21 through May FY25, with 96 percent representing full-service bookings. The state will award the contract to one or multiple vendors providing the best value, with pricing to be submitted on a mandatory price sheet covering various service delivery models: full-service booking, online booking, and processing-only services. Contractors must maintain $5,000,000 in cyber liability coverage and ensure all customer data remains within the continental United States, with business continuity operations capable of recovering normal business functions within 24 hours of any disaster.