Financial Advisory Services

The Lone Star College System is seeking Financial Advisory Services through a competitive solicitation process to support its financial operations as it serves over 80,000 credit students annually across 24 locations in the greater Houston area. The solicitation, identified as RFP 26-07-02, is open for submissions from the posting date of July 20, 2026, until August 10, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. CST, with all proposals required to be submitted electronically through the LSCS eBid system. The contract will engage a vendor to provide advisory services structured around fixed and variable fee tiers based on the total value of managed financial instruments, with brackets ranging from under $1 million to over $500 million. Pricing includes fixed fees for specific asset ranges and a variable fee of $5,000 per $5,000 of managed value, alongside hourly rates for Managing Directors and Consultants, though the latter are not specified. Evaluation will prioritize purchase price at 25% of the total score, followed by how well the services meet system needs (20%), bidder reputation (15%), quality of service (15%), and other factors such as past performance, total long-term cost, and Texas presence, each weighted accordingly. While the solicitation does not reference Federal Acquisition Regulation clauses, it imposes state-specific legal obligations including certifications regarding federal debarment, compliance with Texas laws prohibiting boycotts of Israel and firearm entities, and prohibition of involvement with abortion providers. Vendors must submit an executed W-9 form and, if contract value exceeds $1 million, a certified Form 1295 with the Texas Ethics Commission. Performance is to occur at any LSCS location within Texas, with delivery terms specified as F.O.B. destination. Bonding requirements mandate performance and payment bonds for contracts over $100,000 and $25,000 respectively, issued by sureties listed in U.S. Treasury Circular 570. All proposers must certify they are not debarred or suspended, have completed mandatory Code of Ethics training, and are not engaged in prohibited activities under Texas law. No specific period of performance is stated, but the system reserves the right to adjust contract scope and quantities based on funding availability, and the award will be made through a best-value trade-off process rather than a lowest-price technically acceptable method. The primary point of contact for