TX-UNPS Access for Child Nutrition Programs

The Texas Department of Agriculture is requesting proposals for hosting, maintenance, ad hoc reporting support, and system enhancements for TX-UNPS (Texas Unified Nutrition Programs System), a web-based application processing applications, claims, and compliance tracking for twelve USDA federal nutrition programs, with proposals due September 8, 2026, at 3:00 PM Central Time under solicitation #5510001019.

Respondents must maintain Level 2 certification from the Texas Risk and Authorization Management Program (TX-RAMP) and provide an annual unqualified SOC 2 Type 2 report or maintain FedRamp certification. A mandatory Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion compliance exhibit requires all respondents to certify compliance with Executive Order 14151 (January 20, 2025), Texas Governor's Executive Order GA-55 (January 31, 2025), and a directive from Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller (February 4, 2025) prohibiting use of federal and state funds in contracting with vendors that have established DEI policies and practices. Respondents must select a checkbox affirming alignment with this prohibition or acknowledging automatic withdrawal if non-compliant. A subcontracting plan is mandatory; respondents must demonstrate good faith efforts to recruit Texas-certified Veteran Heroes United in Business (VetHUB) vendors for identified subcontracting opportunities.

The contract term begins on the effective date and runs through December 31, 2027, with three optional one-year renewals (January 1, 2028, through December 31, 2030). The cost proposal must itemize maintenance, hosting, data encryption, enhancements, project management, ad hoc reporting, USDA regular maintenance, and other anticipated expenses, with Consumer Price Index adjustments permitted. Evaluation uses best value with 10% weighting for staffing plan, 20% for work plan, 30% for experience and qualifications, and 40% for cost. The contractor must ensure 99% availability for development and test environments and 99% network availability, with Level 1 incidents resolved within four hours, Level 2 within five business days, and Level 3 within 30 calendar days. A pre-proposal vendor conference is scheduled for August 18, 2026, at 1:00 PM CT via webinar; questions are due August 19 at 3:00 PM CT. Vendor selection is anticipated September 22, 2026. Respondents must provide three references from entities receiving similar services within the past three years and maintain comprehensive insurance coverage including Workers' Compensation ($1,000,000 employer's liability), Commercial General Liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence / $2,000,000 aggregate), Professional Liability ($1,000,000), and Cyber/Privacy Liability ($1,000,000 claim / $1,000,000 aggregate).