Sole Source: AGR-STAR- Illinois Healthy Soils Initiative

The State of Illinois, through its Natural Resources department, awarded a sole source procurement contract to the Champaign County Soil & Water Conservation District (CCSWCD) on August 21, 2026, with a contract value of $154,648.00 and a performance period extending through August 20, 2027. The contract encompasses six distinct line items totaling the full contract amount, with the majority of funding allocated to the STAR Tool ($114,400.00), followed by CCSWCD Staff Support ($22,880.00), Farmer Verification services ($7,800.00), Science Development ($5,200.00), Travel ($2,808.00), and Outreach/Marketing Materials ($1,560.00).

The deliverables under this contract are structured to support agricultural conservation initiatives within Champaign County. The services include personnel support for District staff operations, development and dissemination of outreach and marketing materials, field-related travel costs, scientific program development activities, verification services for farmer compliance or participation, and implementation of the STAR Tool system. The contract is classified as an Open Market Sole Source Procurement, indicating that CCSWCD was selected as the sole qualified vendor capable of delivering these specialized services related to soil and water conservation resource management in the region.