3-OMD Sole Source Letter.pdf

This is a sole source justification letter from the City Colleges of Chicago Procurement Department regarding One Million Degrees (OMD) as the exclusive provider of student support services. The letter establishes that OMD is the sole source for comprehensive, cohort-based holistic support services designed to enhance student retention across multiple City Colleges of Chicago campuses. The program encompasses professional coaching, skill-building workshops, emergency financial assistance, and career navigation services. OMD's service delivery model is proprietary and cannot be replicated by other vendors due to its integrated curriculum, established volunteer network, and existing on-site relationships developed across the CCC system. The justification emphasizes that OMD possesses the only established service delivery infrastructure and historical experience necessary to maintain continuity of the student support program.

The sole source determination is based on the unique and non-duplicable nature of OMD's cohort-based support model and its direct integration into CCC's broader student retention strategy. No alternative vendors possess the combination of proprietary curriculum, volunteer network infrastructure, and established relationships required to deliver equivalent services. The letter, signed by OMD's Chief Executive Officer Aarti Dhupelia, confirms that no other organization can feasibly replace OMD's current service delivery without access to its proprietary systems and established on-campus presence.