Posting Language
Title
Authorize a contract for the Austin/Travis County Food Plan implementation collaborative for Austin Climate Action and Resilience with Woollard Nichols and Associates, LLC, for a term of 33 months, in an amount not to exceed $281,648. Funding: $281,648 in estimated revenue for the Operating Budget of Austin Climate Action and Resilience.
Body
Lead Department
Austin Financial Services.
Client Department(s)
Austin Climate Action and Resilience.
Fiscal Note
This item will result in an estimated revenue of $281,648 for the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Operating Budget of Austin Climate Action and Resilience.
Procurement Language:
Austin Financial Services issued a Request for Proposals solicitation RFP 4400 JOG3029 for these services. The solicitation was published on July 14, 2025, and closed on September 11, 2025. Of the four offers received, the proposal submitted by the recommended contractor represented best value to the City based on the solicitation’s evaluation criteria. A complete solicitation package, including a log of offers received, is available for viewing on the City’s website. This information can currently be found at https://financeonline.austintexas.gov/afo/account_services/solicitation/solicitation_details.cfm?sid=142742.
MBE/WBE:
This solicitation was reviewed for subcontracting opportunities in accordance with City Code Chapter 2-9B (Minority-Owned and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Procurement Program). For the services required for this solicitation, there were no subcontracting opportunities: therefore, no subcontracting goals were established. However, the recommended contractor identified subcontracting opportunities.
For More Information:
Direct questions regarding this Recommendation for Council Action to Austin Financial Services - Central Procurement at: FSDCentralProcurementRCAs@austintexas.gov or 512-974-2500. Respondents to the solicitation and their Agents should direct all questions to the Authorized Contact Person identified in the solicitation.
Additional Backup Information:
In June 2021 City Council approved Resolution No. 20210610-039 directing the City Manager to create a food plan for the City of Austin and Travis County. This plan aims to create a more resilient and equitable food system by addressing food access, production, and waste. The final plan was adopted by City Council October 2024. This contractor will design and lead a collaborative process to support the implementation of the Austin/Travis County Food Plan, including the gathering of a diverse group of partners from across the food system to align priorities, coordinate resources, and drive collective action.
This is a new contract, and the requested authorization amount was determined by the Austin/Travis County interlocal agreement. The contractor and their committed partners are uniquely positioned to leverage community relationships that will contribute a wealth of lived and formal experience with food system services in Austin and Travis County. The contractor is also locally owned and City certified as a women-owned business.
An evaluation team with expertise in this area evaluated the offers and scored the contractor as the best to provide these services based on organization experience, project proposal, performance measurement and reporting, financial management, and local and small business preference.