Staff training & sensory bags for 22 locations

Scope of Work
SOLICITATION NO. IFQ 8500 MHR1005
Description: Sensory Kits, Staff Training and Sensory Inclusive Destination certification for 22 locations
Austin Public Library
1.0 INTRODUCTION
About the City of Austin
The City of Austin, Texas, is the capital of the State of Texas and the 11th most populous city in the
United States. Founded in 1839 and named after Stephen F. Austin, the "Father of Texas", Austin is
widely recognized for its rich history, dynamic culture, and scenic beauty. Home to more than one
million residents, with the regional population being over 2.3 million, the City is a thriving hub for
government, technology, education, and the arts. The City of Austin has experienced consistent and
substantial growth emerging as one of the fastest growing urban centers in the United States.
Austin is known for its vibrant culture, innovative spirit, and cultural diversity. As the "Live Music
Capital of the World", Austin attracts visitors and new residents alike with its high quality of life,
vibrant outdoor lifestyle, and robust economy. This dynamic city tops numerous "Best" lists for
business, entertainment, cost of living, quality of life, and more. The City's dedication to building a
thriving community has made them a player on the international scene with events such as the
United States Grand Prix-Formula 1, ACL Music Festival, South by Southwest, and their first major
league sports team, Austin FC (Major League Soccer).
The Austin area is home to major employers such as Dell Technologies, Tesla, Apple, Samsung Austin
Semiconductor, IBM, Whole Foods Market, Kendra Scott, YETI Holdings, as well as the largest
employer in Austin, the State of Texas. The City is also home to the University of Texas at Austin,
one of the largest and most respected public research universities in the nation.
Austin is committed to excellence in public service, sustainability, equity, and community
engagement. City departments operate under a Council-City Manager form of government and
provide a wide array of services to support residents, businesses, and visitors. This solicitation
supports the City's ongoing mission to promote responsible stewardship of public resources while
fostering a safe, inclusive, and thriving community.
About the Austin Public Library
The award-winning Austin Public Library (APL) has been the community's premier source of
knowledge, technology, and inspiration for nearly a century. It provides library programs,
technology, collections, and space through its state-of-the-art Central Library, Austin History Center,
and 20 library branches. It also provides services and resources out in the community through
outreach and partnerships. During the term of this Contract, the City reserves the right to add or
remove library locations as needed and without prior written notice to the Contractor.
Scope of Work Revised 07/03/2025

Scope of Work
SOLICITATION NO. IFQ 8500 MHR1005
Description: Sensory Kits, Staff Training and Sensory Inclusive Destination certification for 22 locations
Austin Public Library
2.0 PURPOSE
The City of Austin (City) seeks bids from commercially and technically qualified Contractor(s)
to supply the Austin Public Library (APL) with tools, marketing, signage, app integration,
continuous staff training and customer support, along with organizational certification that
designates APL to be a Sensory Inclusive Destination. This procurement will allow the Library
to be more inclusive to anyone with sensory and or physical needs including but not limited
to neurological needs such as autism, post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD), attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dementia, Parkinson's disease, or stroke patients. The
contract will include staff training, sensory bags and lap pads, informational displays to
share with public users, year-round customer support from the vendor for staff training in
multiple formats. These materials are to be shipped to the designated APL location. It is the
City's intent that multiple awards be made for the services outlined and reserves the right
to make multiple awards if advantageous to the City. The City also reserves the right to add
or remove APL locations as needed without prior written notice to the Contractor.
3.0 TERM OF CONTRACT
This Contract shall remain in effect for an initial term of twelve months, or the City terminates the
Contract. This Contract may be extended with renewal options beyond the initial term for up to two
additional twelve-month periods for a total of thirty-six months at the City's sole option.
4.0 CONTRACTOR QUALIFICATIONS
4.1 The Contractor shall Submit with bid the ability, experience, organization, technical
qualifications, stock, and facilities for handling the anticipated contract volume, type of
materials specified, and provide standard services commonly related to education and
training in working with the neurodivergent community.
4.2 The Contractor shall Submit with bid proof of being actively engaged in regular
business/organization for a period of five (5) years or more.
4.3 The Contractor shall Submit with bid proof of currently supplying
training and sensory kits on contractual basis with five (5) public libraries and/or similar
settings serving communities with populations of 250,000 or more. Customer references
shall be submitted as required in Section 0700 Reference Form included in the Offer and
Certifications Forms.
4.4 The Contractor shall be actively engaged in outreach, education and providing services
for the neurodivergent community development, and other related services for a period
of three (3) or more years.
Scope of Work Revised 07/03/2025

Scope of Work
SOLICITATION NO. IFQ 8500 MHR1005
Description: Sensory Kits, Staff Training and Sensory Inclusive Destination certification for 22 locations
Austin Public Library
5.0 TASKS/REQUIREMENTS
5.1 Contractor's Responsibilities
The Austin Public Library seeks to implement a Sensory Bag Program to support
individuals with sensory sensitivities, including but not limited to those with autism,
ADHD, PTSD, and other sensory processing needs. The program will provide
accessible tools and staff training to create a more inclusive and welcoming
environment for all patrons when visiting the library. In this program the Contractor
shall provide 150 (covers twenty branches, Central Library, two History Center
locations and the warehouse) fully customizable sensory bags that include the
following:
* Noise-reducing headphones
* Fidget tools (stress balls, tangles, textured items)
* Visual cue cards or communication aids
* Weighted lap pads
* Sunglasses or light-filtering tools
* Dry erase boards or emotion cards
The criteria for the items within the sensory bags are:
* Items must be durable, easy to clean, and safe for repeated public use
* Materials should be appropriate for a wide age range (youth-adult)
* Easy to read inventory list included with each bag
Along with the 150 sensory bags/kits, the Contractor will provide continuous training for
library staff that includes:
* Overview of sensory processing needs
* Strategies for supporting patrons with sensory sensitivities
* De-escalation techniques and communication approaches
* Best practices for offering and managing sensory bags
* Implementation guide or handbook
The training formats that the Contractor conducts can be in any of these formats:
* In-person training sessions
Scope of Work Revised 07/03/2025

Scope of Work
SOLICITATION NO. IFQ 8500 MHR1005
Description: Sensory Kits, Staff Training and Sensory Inclusive Destination certification for 22 locations
Austin Public Library
* Virtual training modules
* Recorded content for ongoing staff access
In addition to providing sensory bags/kits and Library staff training, the Contractor will establish
program implementation support. Contractor will provide:
* Guidance on integrating sensory bags into daily operations
* Recommendations for storage, circulation, and tracking
* Best practices for marketing and community outreach
* Consultation on creating sensory-friendly programs
To encourage participation and success in the Sensory Kits program, the Contractor will assist with
marketing and generate awareness materials. Vendor will provide or assist with:
* Signage indicating availability of sensory bags
* Digital and print promotional materials
* Accessibility icons or certification branding (if applicable)
* A mobile app (iOS/Android) that helps people with sensory sensitivities
locate and prepare for visits to certified sensory-inclusive venues (arenas,
libraries, museums, restaurants, etc.) The core goal of the app would be to
enable people with sensory needs to participate confidently in public life.
The app should consist, but not be limited to, at least the following features:
Venue finder: Maps nearby certified locations and shows
available accommodations before you arrive
Social Stories: Visual, step-by-step venue previews to
reduce anxiety and help users know what to expect
Sensory supports on-site: Helps users find sensory bags,
noise-canceling headphones, and quiet zones at partnered
venues
An AI communication tool built into the app for individuals
with communication difficulties.
First responder integration: Included in training for 275+
first responder departments to improve care for people
with sensory sensitivities
Along with the culmination of the sensory bags, the training, the marketing and
implementation of the Sensory Bags and Training program, the Contractor should also
provide certification for APL and its staff to be a certified Sensory Inclusive Destination and
Scope of Work Revised 07/03/2025

Scope of Work
SOLICITATION NO. IFQ 8500 MHR1005
Description: Sensory Kits, Staff Training and Sensory Inclusive Destination certification for 22 locations
Austin Public Library
display that on their apps and associated maps listing such destinations.
6.0 METHOD OF ORDERING
6.1 The City shall assign a Contract number to the Contractor, and this number shall be the
controlling document number for the life of the Contract. Releases shall be made
throughout the term of the Contract in the form of a Delivery Order (DO).
6.2 The contractor shall accept orders in the following transmission formats:
* By phone
* By e-mail
6.3 Contractor's system shall be able to create orders, and the system must allow APL Library staff
to have full order inquiring and tracking capabilities.
7.0 FLEXIBILITY IN MEETING SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE AND NEEDS
7.1 The Contractor must accommodate any process changes due to APL's ILS upgrades or
Library requirements.
8.0 ORDERS
8.1 Contractor must send order confirmation via email to library acquisitions mailbox,
acquisitions.library@austintexas.gov, within 24 hours of order being received.
8.2 Contractor will supply a cancellation list via email to library acquisitions mailbox,
acquisitions.library@austintexas.gov, of titles Contractor will be unable to supply within 3
business days of canceling a title and provide a new estimated date of availability.
9.0 INVOICING SERVICES
9.1 The Contractor shall supply electronic invoices and credit memos to:
Lib.AP@austintexas.gov
9.2 All shipping and handling charges shall be incorporated in the cost of the material offer
and not charged as a separate line item on the invoice.
9.3 Separate invoice for each Delivery Order is not required, but separate invoices are
required for the different billing accounts.
9.4 In the event an invoice is incorrect, APL cannot make correction to an invoice. The
Contractor shall be required to submit a corrected invoice.
Scope of Work Revised 07/03/2025

Scope of Work
SOLICITATION NO. IFQ 8500 MHR1005
Description: Sensory Kits, Staff Training and Sensory Inclusive Destination certification for 22 locations
Austin Public Library
9.5 In the event of an error requiring APL to receive credit, a credit memo must be provided
in writing within 30 days of a claim.
9.6 The Contractor shall provide monthly status reports on cancellations, unfilled, and
delayed orders. Reports may be downloadable from the Contractor's system. If the
report is not downloadable, the City will require it to be submitted in Excel format.
9.7 The Contractor shall provide monthly statements of outstanding transactions for each
Library account. The statements may be downloadable from the Contractor's system. If
the report is not downloadable, the City will require it to be submitted in excel format.
9.8 The contractor shall provide, in addition to an electronic invoice, an excel file which will
be a summary of the invoices that are being submitted. The excel spreadsheet must
contain separate columns with vendor name, date of invoice(s), invoice number, the
amounts on each invoice, the grand total amount of each invoice, the grand total amount
of all the invoices being submitted, and total number of items invoiced.
10.0 SHIPPING AND DELIVERY
10.1 The contractor shall ship deliveries to the Library's directed location. Inside delivery is
required. Under no circumstances will deliveries be left outside of the library.
10.2 DELIVERY LOCATIONS: Delivery is to be made within 30 days. Delivery shall be made to the
following location unless otherwise specified by the City in the order:
Location/Facility Name: Zaragosa Warehouse
Address: 651 North Pleasant Valley Rd., 78702
Days/Hours of Operation: hours: M-F, 6-3
10.3 The Contractor shall provide the Austin Public Library with the ability to digitally track
shipments.
10.4 The Library's directed location for deliveries must receive shipments Monday through
Friday 8am to 2 pm. CST.
10.5 All shipments must include a packing list for shipment in each box. The packing slip
must include the contents of that particular box.
10.6 Packing list will include quantity ordered, quantity shipped, quantity Back- ordered,
title, author, ISBN, and purchase order number and street date if product is shipped prior
Scope of Work Revised 07/03/2025

Scope of Work
SOLICITATION NO. IFQ 8500 MHR1005
Description: Sensory Kits, Staff Training and Sensory Inclusive Destination certification for 22 locations
Austin Public Library
to street date for each box that is shipped.
10.7 Shipment of multiple boxes must be clearly marked on the exterior of the boxes
indicating, for example, 1 of 3, 2 of 3, and 3 of 3.
10.8 The shipping label on each carton will list the content and the Library's purchase order
number(s).
11.0 RETURNS AND CUSTOMER SUPPORT
11.1 Items damaged in shipment, incorrect items, or defective items shall be returned to
the Contractor for replacement or credit at no expense to the APL. APL prefers no-charge
replacement to receive credit. In the event that no correct or perfect replacement exists, a
credit memo may be issued to APL within thirty (30) calendar days.
11.2 The Contractor responding to the request shall provide a copy of their returns policy
and credit memo procedures as part of their offer.
11.3 The Contractor shall assign a specific individual to be responsible for the Austin Public
Library account and handling customer service issues.
11.4 The Contractor shall provide APL the ability to create returns and report shortage
online. In the initial year of the Contract, the Contractor shall provide a minimum of two
days onsite assistance prior to the beginning of the Contract period at the Austin Public
Library at the Contractor's expense. This visit will include spending time with Library staff
to discuss selection, ordering, cataloging and processing.
12.0 DESIGNATION OF KEY PERSONNEL
The City and the Contractor resolve to keep the same key personnel assigned to this engagement
throughout its term. In the event that it becomes necessary for the Contractor to replace any key
personnel, the replacement will be an individual having equivalent experience and competence in
executing projects such as the one described herein. Additionally, the Contractor shall promptly
notify the City and obtain approval for the replacement. Such approval shall not be unreasonably
withheld.
Scope of Work Revised 07/03/2025