SBE: Sole Source - Brighton Training Group

The Illinois State Board of Education, Nutrition Department (Chief Education Officer) awarded a sole source contract to Brighton Training Group, LLC on October 1, 2026, valued at $175,250 for a one-year period ending September 30, 2027. The contract procurement was authorized under bulletin reference number 27-586SBE-CHFED-B-53821. Brighton Training Group will provide licensing for the Bright Track compliance training system, an interactive online platform designed to deliver United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)-compliant training modules to state education agencies and sponsors participating in federal child nutrition programs, including the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), National School Lunch Program (NSLP), and National School Breakfast (NSB).

The Bright Track system delivers standardized, USDA-regulated training modules with traceable completion tracking capabilities, customizable content aligned to Illinois state requirements, and automatic updates reflecting changes to USDA regulatory standards. The Illinois State Board of Education evaluated alternative vendors, including the Institute of Child Nutrition, Providers Choice, and CORE, and determined that none could satisfy the specific USDA compliance and state-level tracking requirements. The sole source justification was based on copyright and patent protections held by Brighton Training Group. Pricing fairness was confirmed through comparison against prior annual purchases ranging from $101,000 to $211,250, demonstrating an established vendor relationship spanning five years. Contract funding is provided through federal appropriations.