REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR A VENUE TO HOST THE 2027 STAFF TRAINING CONFERENCE

The Texas Department of Banking is seeking a venue within the city limits of Conroe, Texas to host its 2027 Staff Training Conference, which is scheduled to take place from April 4 to April 30, 2027, for approximately 220 staff members and speakers. Proposals must be submitted as a single hard copy, unbound, on 8.5 x 11 paper and delivered physically to the department’s Austin office by the deadline of May 7, 2026; electronic submissions are not accepted. The contract is expected to be awarded by May 13, 2026, and will be a firm-fixed-price arrangement based on best value to the state, not necessarily the lowest price. Evaluation criteria include total cost (30 points), location and adequacy of conference space (30 points), availability during the required dates (30 points), compliance with additional requirements in Paragraph 2.1 (30 points), and amenities and concessions (20 points), for a total of 140 points. Proposals will be disqualified if the vendor has a performance rating below “C” or fails to meet mandatory compliance obligations. The contractor must comply with a wide array of state and federal regulations, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Drug-Free Workplace Act, E-Verify requirements, Texas Government Code provisions on cybersecurity, data security, and anti-discrimination, and Section 889 of the 2019 NDAA prohibiting equipment and services from foreign adversaries. Contractors must disclose any use of artificial intelligence systems and obtain prior written consent from TXDOB before deploying them. Additional requirements include certification that the offeror is not an abortion provider, has no recent ties to former TXDOB employees or state executives, has not been convicted of a felony, is not in arrears on child support, and is not involved in boycotts of energy companies or discrimination against firearm manufacturers. Veterans-owned businesses registered in VetHUB must submit monthly subcontracting reports. All proposals must include an itemized invoice format and comply with Texas procurement statutes, with payment contingent on the availability of state appropriations and subject to withholding in cases of child support delinquency. No contract administration personnel are named, and there are no specified funding codes or payment office details beyond general requirements under Texas Government Code Chapter 2251.