3-ReUp Sole Source Justification Application Fillable (2).pdf

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Attached to
Sole Source Public Review - Re-enrollment of Stop-Out Students
Solicitation number
WM2617
Issued by
Cook County, Illinois

About this file

This is a Sole Source Justification Application filed by the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) District Office for a re-enrollment project partnership with ReUp Education. The project, titled "Re-Enrollment Project ReUp," seeks to identify, re-enroll, retain, and support students who have previously stopped out without earning a credential. CCC has determined that ReUp Education is the only vendor capable of providing the comprehensive, integrated solution required, which combines proprietary technology, predictive analytics, and personalized coaching specifically designed for re-engaging stopped-out students at scale. The initial contract value is $5,000,000 with zero potential renewals and no specified contract term length. The requestor, Will Barefield from the District Office, submitted the application on July 7, 2026, with approval from Vice President/College President Angela Arrington-Jones on July 27, 2026.

The pricing structure is performance-based with no upfront costs or implementation fees, representing a low-risk model for CCC. ReUp Education will receive 24 percent of recaptured tuition revenue, which CCC characterizes as a significant discount from ReUp's standard 35 percent rate for community colleges and below the market rate of approximately 40 percent charged by comparable vendors offering partial solutions. CCC evaluated alternative vendors such as Motimatic but determined they provide only partial capabilities focused on digital marketing or call center services without the integrated coaching infrastructure and predictive analytics necessary for this population. The purchase utilizes Educational Funds and is supported by two U.S. patents (No. 11,256,873 B2 and No. 11,449,681 B2) covering ReUp's proprietary student persona classification technology. CCC emphasizes that this partnership is a strategic district initiative designed to grow enrollment and open a new revenue stream, with the goal of commencing onboarding by summer to drive impact within the academic year.

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Sole Source Justification Application

Rev. 9/2025

C I T Y C O L L E G E S O F C H I C A G O

Sole Source Justification Application

Why are you requesting a Sole Source Waiver?

☐Only one known source that can provide the commodity or service. Procurement of public utility services.

☐Compatibility (e.g. CCC requires a specific piece of equipment to be compatible with an existing equipment system).

☐Public safety concerns.

☐Limited or proprietary systems (i.e. additional licenses, updates, specialized replacement parts, etc.).

☐A professional expert is requested.

☐Sales territories or product availability within limited geographic boundaries.

☐Other _______________________________________________________

If your request does not meet any of these criteria, STOP, consult with Procurement services to identify an alternative procurement method.

Name of requestor:

Department/School:

Project title:

Email address:

Contract or Board Report number:

Vendor:

Value of initial term, or if a renewal, value of this renewal $:

(Attach the proposal received)

Number of potential/remaining renewals:

Length of each renewal in months:

Value of all/remaining renewals:$

Actual Estimated

Choose one of the following:

New Sole Source Sole Source renewal Change Order or Amendment to an existing Sole Source

Provide a description of the supplies or services required

Will Barefield wbarefield@ccc.edu

District Office

Re-Enrollment Project ReUp Education

5,000,000

CCC is seeking to partner with ReUp Education to support the identification, re-enrollment, retention, and completion of students who have previously stopped out without earning a credential. This population represents a significant opportunity for CCC, but requires a specialized approach to effectively re-engage and support at scale.

ReUp Education currently partners with more than 20 institutions across the state of Illinois and offers a proven, scalable solution specifically designed to re-engage stopped-out students. ReUps model combines proprietary technology, predictive analytics, and personalized coaching, making it uniquely qualified to meet CCC's needs.

-0

Rev. 9/2025

C I T Y C O L L E G E S O F C H I C A G O

Select the type of funding to be used: Educational Funds Capital Funds Grant Funds

Other (Explain):

This purchase is economically only available from a single source because it is:

Art or Entertainment Services or Athletic Events Compatibility with existing/current equipment, accessories, replacement parts or service Critical changes to the existing contract are necessary and best accomplished by the original contract holder Federal/CCC Grant requires contract with specific vendor

(attach Grant Award Agreement) Item is copyrighted or patented and the item is only available from the holder

Copyright or Patent Number(s):

Items are needed for trial use or testing

Media for advertising

Organization memberships (Dues, fees, conference charges including mandated travel and related expenses)

Public utility regulated services

Radio and television broadcast rights software license/ upgrade/maintenance

Other (Explain):

Has CCC purchased these supplies/services in the past? Yes No

If yes, STARTING WITH THE MOST RECENT CONTRACT AND WORKING BACKWARD, for the entire relationship with this vendor for this supply or service, list each term, value, short description and type of procurement of each:

Term Term From: Term To: Value Description Vendor Selection

One Two

Three Four Five Six

Seven Eight Nine Ten

If more than 10 years, explain:

Pay for performance, 24% of recaptured tution (no fees included)

(U.S. Patent No. 11,256,873 B2 and U.S. Patent No. 11,449,681 B2).

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C I T Y C O L L E G E S O F C H I C A G O

Business Rationale

1. Provide a detailed explanation of the need for the supplies or services:

2. What are the unique features of the supplies or services that are not available in any other product or by any other vendor?

Provide specific, quantifiable factors/qualifications:

3. If professional services, what are the unique qualifications the vendor possess?

Provide specific. measureable factors/qualifications:

4. Were alternative supplies or services evaluated? Yes No

a. If yes, what were they and why were they unacceptable? If no, why were alternatives not evaluated? Please be specific with regard to features, characteristics, requirements, capabilities and compatibility:

5. What efforts were made to get the best possible price?

CCC requires a vendor that can:

-Re-enroll stopped-out students at scale using data-driven outreach strategies -Provide high-touch, one-on-one success coaching to support students through re-entry and persistence -Identify and address both institutional and individual barriers impacting re-enrollment and completion -Deliver actionable insights and reporting to inform CCCs broader student success and enrollment strategies

Following internal discussions with key stakeholders, CCC has determined that it does not have the internal capacity, infrastructure, or specialized expertise required to execute this work effectively. This partnership is a strategic initiative of the district to help grow enrollment and open a new revenue stream.

ReUp Education provides a combination of proprietary technology and datasets, intellectual property, patented methodologies, and specialized service delivery focused exclusively on re-engaging students who previously stopped out of a higher education program.

Patented Student Persona Classification Technology ReUp Education developed and operates a patented system for dynamic assessment, classification, and delivery of personalized recommendations (U.S. Patent No. 11,256,873 B2 and U.S. Patent No. 11,449,681 B2).

The system analyzes student communications and behavioral signals to classify individuals into engagement personas and generate tailored intervention strategies designed to address barriers to re-enrollment.

Proprietary Stopout Engagement Dataset ReUp Education maintains a proprietary dataset developed through years of operational engagement with stopped-out students across partner institutions.

This dataset includes behavioral signals, communication responses, engagement outcomes, and re-enrollment results from interactions with more than two million stopped-out students and tens of millions of engagement interactions.

Because these data are generated through direct outreach and coaching interactions with stopped-out students across multiple institutions, they reflect engagement patterns not typically present in standard enrollment or SIS data.

This dataset enables predictive models that identify students most likely to re-engage and prioritize outreach activities.

The dataset is not commercially available, and no comparable dataset focused on stopped-out re-enrollment behavior exists at this scale.

Integrated Engagement and Coaching Platform ReUp operates a proprietary platform that integrates communication channels, predictive analytics, and coaching workflows to support engagement with large populations of stopped-out students. The platform includes tools that prioritize outreach activities and enable coaches to focus on students most likely to benefit from engagement.

ReUp Education provides a fully integrated solution combining:

patented behavioral analysis and persona classification technology predictive analytics for stopout engagement multi-channel student outreach infrastructure coaching workflow prioritization tools specialized adult learner success coaches the only student engagement platform designed for returning learners in the market

ReUp has established strong traction and demonstrated results within Illinois, including a partnership with IBHE and more than 20 institutions across the state. This scale of engagement enables CCC to benefit from below-market pricing through existing statewide participation.

N/A

Yes, CCC explored other potential vendors that offer elements of this work. However, these providers typically deliver only partial solutions—such as marketing outreach or call center services—rather than a comprehensive, end-to-end model.

In contrast, ReUp provides a bundled solution that combines data-driven outreach, proprietary technology, and high-touch, one-on-one success coaching specifically designed for adult learners and stopped-out students. This integrated approach enables both re-enrollment at scale and meaningful student support through persistence and completion, which other vendors do not offer.

For example, vendors like Motimatic were considered, but their capabilities are primarily focused on digital marketing and nudge-based engagement, without the coaching infrastructure or depth of support required for this population. Similarly, traditional call center or telemarketing vendors lack the predictive analytics, personalization, and student success framework needed to drive outcomes.

Additionally, ReUps model is supported by proprietary methods and demonstrated success with institutions across Illinois, and it is offered at a competitive, below-market rate due to existing statewide partnerships.

Based on this evaluation, CCC determined that no other vendor provides the same comprehensive, outcomes-driven solution at the scale and value offered by ReUp.

To minimize risk and maximize enrollment value, CCC evaluated pricing models that align cost directly with outcomes. ReUp offers a pay-for-performance model, meaning there are no upfront costs, implementation fees, or financial risk to CCC. ReUp is only compensated when students successfully re-enroll and persist, ensuring full alignment with CCCs goals.

The agreed-upon 24% revenue share rate reflects a significant discount from ReUps standard rate of approximately 35% for community colleges, made possible through its existing partnerships across Illinois. This pricing is also below market, as comparable vendors offering partial or similar services often charge up to 40% revenue share, typically without delivering the same level of comprehensive support.

Overall, this structure ensures a low-risk, high-return investment, where CCC only pays for measurable outcomes tied directly to increased enrollment and tuition recovery.

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C I T Y C O L L E G E S O F C H I C A G O

6. Will this purchase obligate the CCC to this vendor for future purchases such as maintenance, licensing or continuing needs? Yes No If yes, please provide details regarding future obligations and/or needs:

7. Why is the price for this purchase considered to be fair and reasonable?

8. If this is a renewal, describe why circumstances are such that competitive selection is still not an alternative since awarding the original contract:

9. What will be the financial or other impact to CCC if this sole source is not approved and a competitive solicitation is required?

Department/College Representative Signature Required I know and understand the contents of this Sole Source /Bid Waiver Justification and attest that all statements are true and correct.

Department/College Representative Signature Printed Name Date

Department/College Representative Signature Printed Name Date

VC/ College President Signature

Procurement Approval and Signature

Printed Name Date

Printed Name Date

No

The agreed-upon 24% revenue share rate reflects a significant discount from ReUps standard rate of approximately 35% for community colleges, made possible through its existing partnerships across Illinois. This pricing is also below market, as comparable vendors offering partial or similar services often charge up to 40% revenue share, typically without delivering the same level of comprehensive support.

N/A

Will Barefield 07/07/2026

Willie Barefield Digitally signed by Willie Barefield Date: 2026.07.07 08:05:57 -05'00'

ReUp is a key strategic initiative to ensure we meet our enrollment targets for AY26 and beyond. Our goal is to move into onboarding by summer so we can begin driving impact within this academic year.

7/27/2026 | 11:32:03 AM CDTAngela Arrington-Jones

Sole Source Justification Application
Business Rationale
2026-07-27T17:24:02+0000
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