State Spending Focus: Texas Budgeting for Border Security, Public Safety

The saying goes “Everything is bigger in Texas,” and in government contracting, that often holds true.

Companies that do business with the government in Texas certainly have more contracting opportunities than almost anywhere else. Deltek’s GovWin IQ market intelligence platform has tracked more than 12,000 government contracting opportunities in the state of Texas in the last year alone. Many of those contracts are tied to public safety, including border security – always a big topic in a state with a 1,255-mile-long border with Mexico.

These contracts provide a great opportunity for companies looking to sell to the government in Texas, and valuable resources exist for companies that could use expert advice in order to grow their state government sales.

Texas Border Security Investment Creates Opportunity for Businesses

With a great deal of talk surrounding President Trump’s border wall, but little action as of yet coming from the federal side, the State of Texas has approved spending approximately $800 million on its state border security for the 2018-19 fiscal years – the same amount that was approved for 2016-17.

Most of this funding, about $694 million, goes to the Texas Department of Public Safety. This money includes $146 million for DPS officers and $97 million for the hiring of additional troopers. Additional money in the budget is allocated for other forms of border security and anti-gang activities. This means there’s plenty of Texas government bids and RFPs out there for businesses that provide products and services related to border security.

Some of these opportunities are in support of those providing security at the border, and companies providing janitorial services are among those that can take advantage.  For example, the Department of Homeland Security recently awarded a $100,000+ contract for commercial trash services at the Del Rio Sector Border Patrol and Stations to Knox Waste Services, LLC.

Texas Public Safety a Priority for State, Local and Education Governments

There are plenty of other ways Texas agencies are budgeting to safeguard the safety of their citizens.

According to state spending data from the GovWin IQ market intelligence platform, Texas budgeted nearly $6B on Justice/Public Safety and Homeland Security in 2018. While the government bids and RFPs that are tied to this spending can come from state, local, and education (SLED) governments, the greatest number of these public safety contracting opportunities come at the state level – including Texas’s many public universities.

One recent example comes from Texas A&M University, which put out a bid for fire protection and life safety upgrades, including plumbing and mechanical work, architectural and engineering services, and the installation of a fire protection system. And at the city level, the City of Austin recently awarded a $222,000 contract for provision of a safety management system.

The bottom line? Texas, along with the state of California, is one of the key markets for finding government sales opportunities. When the State of Texas invests in public safety to protect its citizens, government contracting vendors in a number of industries can benefit.

Learn to Win More Texas Government Bids and RFPs

If you’re prepared to get started selling to the government, our playbook, How to do Business with the Government in Texas, can give you the insights you need to secure contracts with the Texas state government.

And if you’re ready to find and win more government bids, you can request a free trial of GovWin IQ to pursue deals faster, find partners for teaming, and plan strategically to get ahead of the competition.