4-Complete with Docusign SignedACUE Sole Souce.pdf

This document is a Sole Source/Bid Waiver Justification Application from Malcolm X College (an institutional unit of City Colleges of Chicago) for the ACUE Certification Framework. The project involves a sole source procurement from the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) for a professional development certification framework, with an initial contract value of $5,000. The contract covers professional development services, with three documented previous terms ranging from $184,000 to $320,000, and is currently seeking funding through grant funds. The contract is specifically for the "Effective Practice Framework", which is copyrighted and endorsed by the American Council in Education.

The justification for sole source procurement is based on the unique characteristics of ACUE's framework, which is independently validated and offers a distinct industry credential not available from other vendors. MXC staff engaged in multiple meetings to negotiate services, scope of work, and pricing, determining the cost to be fair and reasonable compared to industry standards. If this sole source is not approved, the college indicates it will not be able to implement professional development aligned with institutional effectiveness goals. The contract is being processed by Bianca Acevedo from Malcolm X College, with signatures from departmental representatives and procurement approvals dated 09/16/2025.