Independent Financial Viability Assessment for Compassionate Use Program Providers

The Texas Department of Public Safety is seeking qualified certified public accountant firms to perform independent financial viability assessments for conditional licensees of the Texas Compassionate Use Program, which provides low-THC cannabis to registered patients under state law. The solicitation, numbered 405-26R0019669, is for a Request for Qualifications with a response deadline of June 12, 2026, and is issued under NAICS code 541211 for accounting services. The contractor will be tasked with reviewing approximately 40,000 documents—including tax filings, financial statements, balance sheets, Dun & Bradstreet reports, tax compliance records, and additional department-requested materials—to evaluate each applicant’s financial stability, operational sustainability, and risk exposure. The goal is to ensure that conditional licensees can maintain operations for at least two years and begin dispensing within 24 months of license issuance. The selected firm must employ personnel who are Certified Public Accountants or Certified Fraud Examiners, with preference given to those holding the PBC Level II Cannabis Banking Certificate, and must comply with stringent data security requirements including the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Security Policy due to the sensitive nature of the information handled. The evaluation process is strictly based on qualifications, past performance, and independence, with pricing not influencing selection; however, proposed costs will be used solely for post-selection negotiations. Past performance is a pass/fail gate—any firm with a Vendor Performance System score below a C, an active corrective action plan with the Comptroller of Public Accounts, repeated negative performance reports, non-responsiveness to performance issues, or recently cancelled purchase orders for non-performance will be disqualified. Respondents must submit a comprehensive proposal including a transmittal letter, project plan, resumes of key personnel, and a separate pricing document using the Mandatory Pricing Schedule. All submissions must adhere to strict formatting rules: 12-point sans serif font on 8.5” x 11” paper, paginated with a table of contents, and no hyperlinks. The contractor must also comply with Texas ethical, legal, and regulatory standards including full disclosure of any prior or current involvement in the cannabis industry, certification of eligibility under federal and state debarment rules, use of E-Verify, and adherence to non-discrimination policies. The contract term is five years with unilateral renewal options by DPS, and payment is governed by the Texas Prompt Payment Act through direct deposit, requiring submission of a W-