4-RFP H25-25-140 Nitric Oxide.pdf

COOK COUNTY HEALTH (CCH)

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

RFP NO. H25-25-150

FOR

PHARMACEUTICAL NITRIC OXIDE FOR INHALATION THERAPY

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

CCH is seeking a vendor to provide a supply of pharmaceutical nitric oxide and portable delivery devices necessary for inhalation therapy for both adult and neonatal patients. The vendor must also be able to provide all necessary consumables, maintenance services, and emergency backup devices.

Date Issued: October 16, 2025

Pre-Proposal Conference / Field Inspection: None

Proposer Questions: Any questions regarding this RFP should be submitted via Bonfire.

Questions submission deadline: October 31st, 2025 by 2:00 PM Central Time

Proposal Due Date: November 17th, 2025 by 2:00 PM Central Time Proposals are due no later than 2:00 PM Central Time on November 17, 2025

Proposal Must be Uploaded to:

https://cookcountyhealth.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities

LATE PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED

COOK COUNTY HEALTH

Erik Mikaitis, MD, MBA Charles A. Jones

Chief Executive Officer Chief Procurement Officer

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Table of Contents

1. Hospital System Background

Cook County Health

2. Purpose and Terms

3. Schedule

4. Scope of Services

4.1 Suitability of Devices and Gas Supply

4.2 Consumables and Setup

4.3 Maintenance, Service, and Support

5. Submission of Proposal

5.1. Instructions for Submission

5.1.1. Electronic Submission

5.1.2. Time for Submission

5.1.3. Format

5.1.4. Complete Proposals

5.1.5. Packaging and Labeling

5.1.6. Timely Delivery of Proposals

5.1.7. Late Proposals

5.1.8. Schedule of Revisions to RFP Schedule

5.2. Submission Requirements

5.2.1 Cover Letter

5.2.2 Executive Summary

5.2.3 Qualifications of the Proposer

5.2.4 Proposed Plan of Action, Implementation and Solution (Response to Scope of Services)

5.2.5 Key Personnel

5.2.6 MBE/WBE Participation

5.2.7 Financial Status

5.2.8 Conflict of Interest

5.2.9 Contract, Service Contract

5.2.10 Legal Actions

5.2.11 Confidentiality of Information

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5.2.12 Economic Disclosure Statement

5.2.13 Addenda

5.2.14 Price Proposal

6 Evaluation and Selection Process

6.2 Proposal Assessment

6.2.1 Responsiveness Review

6.2.2 Acceptance of Proposals

6.3 Evaluation Process

6.3.1 Shortlist Proposer Presentation

6.3.2 Right to Inspect

6.3.3 Best and Final Offer

6.4 Selection Process

6.5 Consideration for Contract

7 General Evaluation Criteria

7.1 Responsiveness of Proposal

7.1.1 Criteria Proposal

8 Instructions to Proposers

8.1 Availability of Documents

8.2 Questions and Inquiries

8.3 Submitting the Proposal Package

8.4 Uniformity

8.5 Proposal Material

8.6 Addenda

8.7 CCH RFP Format

8.8 Pricing

8.9 Period of Firm Proposal

8.10 Alteration/Modification of Original Documents

8.11 Cost of Proposer Response

8.12 Proposer’s Responsibility for Services Proposed

8.13 RFP Interpretation

8.14 Specifications and Special Conditions

8.15 Errors and Omissions

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8.16 Proposal Material

8.17 Confidentiality and Response Cost and Ownership

8.18 Awards

8.19 CCH Rights

8.20 Cancellation of RFP; Requests for New or Updated Information

9 Definitions

10 Appendix 1-Instructions for Submitting an Electronic Bid/Proposal/Qualification

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1. Hospital System Background

Cook County Health

Cook County Health (CCH) provides a wide range of health care services and operates the John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, a tertiary, acute care hospital and Provident Hospital of Cook County, a community acute care hospital. Cook County Health is also comprised of:

• More than a dozen community health centers offering primary and specialty care and diagnostic services.

• The Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH), a certified local public health department serving most of suburban Cook County

• Cermak Health Services of Cook County, which provides health care services to the detainee in the Cook County Sheriff’s Department of Corrections and to the residents of Cook County’s Juvenile Temporary Detention Center

• The Ruth M. Rothstein CORE Center, a comprehensive care center for care of HIV and other infectious diseases, and

• County Care, the largest Medicaid managed care plan in Cook County and one of the largest in the northeast region of the state.

2. Purpose and Terms CCH is seeking a vendor to provide pharmaceutical grade nitric oxide supplies, portable delivery devices for inhalation therapy, and the consumables and service necessary to maintain these devices.

3. Schedule CCH anticipates the following schedule.

Activity Estimated Date

RFP posted to the Cook County Health website October 16, 2025

Proposer Inquiry Deadline October 31, 2025 by 2:00 P.M. CT.

Response to Inquiries Week of November 3rd

Proposal Due Date November 17, 2025 by 2:00 P.M. CT.

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4. Scope of Services

4.1 Suitability of Devices and Gas Supply

1. Vendor should be able to provide at least three (3) inhalation devices to be kept on site at

Stroger Hospital.

2. The devices should be UL or CSU certified for the provision of inhalation therapy.

3. The devices should be suitable for both adult and neonatal ventilated patients that have pulmonary hypertension or compromised oxygenation.

4. The system, including both delivery devices and nitric oxide supply, should be compact and portable enough to be taken into an ambulance for neonatal transport.

5. Units must be able to provide uninterrupted gas delivery during switch over from empty to full delivery method.

6. Vendor will provide pharmaceutical grade nitric oxide gas should be provided for the provision of this therapy.

7. Vendor may provide these delivery devices as rentals to CCH.

4.2 Consumables and Setup

1. Vendor will provide all necessary disposable calibration and set up supplies, including water traps, water separation cartridges, and any other supplies necessary to set up and operate the devices.

2. Devices should have a minimal amount of time necessary to initially set up and to calibrate.

4.3 Maintenance, Service, and Support

1. Vendor will be responsible for the regularly scheduled preventive maintenance necessary to keep the systems in good working order.

2. Vendor will provide repair services for devices requiring this.

3. Vendor will be responsible for the regular delivery of nitric gas supplies and removal of empty cylinders.

4. Vendor will provide 24/7 technical and customer support services for the usage of the devices.

5. Vendor will provide training for staff on the usage of the devices.

6. Vendor will provide emergency services to provide working devices and nitric oxide supply with a two (2) hour delivery if additional units or supply are needed.

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5. Submission of Proposal

5.1. Instructions for Submission

5.1.1. Electronic Submission

Proposers are required to electronically submit their proposal to https://cookcountyhealth.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities no later than the time and date indicated in this RFP.

The Proposer is responsible for ensuring the electronic copy is complete.

5.1.2. Time for Submission

Proposals shall be submitted no later than the due date and time indicated in this RFP. Late submittals may not be considered.

5.1.3. Format

Materials should be organized following the order of the submission requirements.

5.1.4. Complete Proposals

Proposers are advised to carefully review all requirements and submit all documents and information as indicated in this RFP. Incomplete proposals may lead to a proposal being deemed nonresponsive. Nonresponsive proposals will not be considered.

5.1.5. Packaging and Labeling

All electronically submitted files must be clearly marked to identify the 1) RFP solicitation number 2) Name of the Proposer 3) contents of the file (i.e., price proposal, technical proposal, MBE/WBE Utilization Plan Forms).

5.1.6. Timely Delivery of Proposals

The proposal, including the technical proposal and the price proposal must be submitted electronically to CCH, Office of Supply Chain Management, Chief Procurement Officer as per the instructions in Appendix 1-Instructions for Submitting an Electronic Bid/Proposal/Qualification. Include the RFP number on any correspondence related to the Proposal.

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5.1.7. Late Proposals

The Proposer remains responsible for ensuring that its proposal is received at the time, date, place, and office specified in this RFP. CCH assumes no responsibility for any proposal not so received, regardless of the cause of delay.

5.1.8. Schedule of Revisions to RFP Schedule

Should the Proposer consider that changes in the CCH’s RFP schedule are required; the Proposer shall submit a revised summary schedule with an explanation for the revision for CCH’s review. CCH will be under no obligation to accept revised schedules.

5.2. Submission Requirements

This RFP provides potential Proposers with sufficient information to enable preparation and submission of its proposal. CCH is supplying a base of information to ensure uniformity of responses. However, the guidelines should not be considered so rigid as to stifle the creativity of any Proposer’s response.

This RFP also contains the instructions governing the submittal of a proposal and the materials to be included therein, which must be met to be eligible for consideration. All proposals must be complete as to the information requested in this RFP to be considered responsive and eligible for award. Proposers providing insufficient details will be deemed non-responsive. CCH expects all responses to reflect exceptional quality, reasonable cost, and overall outstanding service.

Any page of a proposal that Proposer asserts to contain confidential proprietary information such as trade secrets or proprietary financial information shall be clearly marked “CONFIDENTIAL PROPRIETARY INFORMATION” at the top of the page. Additionally, the specific portions of the page that are asserted to contain confidential proprietary information must be noted as such. However, note that ONLY pages that are legitimately confidential should be marked Confidential. CCH will return proposals that mark all pages Confidential or are copyrighted. All proposals submitted to CCH are the property of CCH.

Further, the Proposer is hereby warned that any part of its proposal or any other material marked as confidential, proprietary, or trade secret, can only be protected to the extent permitted by Illinois Statute.

Proposals shall not contain claims or statements to which the Proposer is not prepared to commit contractually. The information contained in the proposal shall be organized as described in this section.

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5.2.1 Cover Letter

The cover letter shall be signed by an authorized representative of the Proposer. The letter shall indicate the Proposer’s commitment to provide the services proposed at the price and schedule proposed. Proposer shall provide information pertaining to its point of contact for its proposal to include at a minimum: name, title, address, phone number, and e-mail address.

5.2.2 Executive Summary

The Executive Summary should include a brief overview of the services and the key personnel who will be responsible for the services to be provided. The Executive Summary shall also identify the members of the team that comprise the Proposer. Indicate the organizational relationship of the team members and include an organization chart for the project.

5.2.3 Qualifications of the Proposer

Include a description of the organization’s track record, including history, number of employees, number of years in business, and a list of projects relevant to this RFP. Provide a list of references where relevant projects were implemented. Include the name of the contact person, name of the organization, project dollar value, address, telephone number and email address. Proposer MUST submit three (3) references with their proposals. At least two (2) current references should be for service within the past five years demonstrating experience servicing relevant contracts of similar size, scope and area of coverage to that of Cook County Health System’s. Proposers that do not provide references with complete information as outlined below with their initial proposal submission will be disqualified from further consideration.

Reference

Required Information Details Name of the Organization Name of the Contact Person (title, email, and phone number. Email must be from an organization, not a personal email)

Date contracted Line of business Hospital /Health System/Health Plan Payers (yes/no)

Current client/terminated client Scope of services

5.2.4 Proposed Plan of Action, Implementation and Solution (Response to Scope of Services)

Provide your response to the Scope of Services, Section 4. Provide a detailed plan of action indicating how all requirements will be met as well as the methodology proposed and implementation plan to successfully meet the goals of CCH. In addition, the proposed plan of

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action shall include key milestones, staff & schedule, and ability to deliver value with a solution evidenced by cost savings.

5.2.5 Key Personnel

The Proposer must identify the key personnel that will be committed to the project. The CCH Chief Procurement Officer reserves the right to reject any key personnel proposed if it is determined in CCH’s best interest. Provide a chronological resume for each of the key personnel proposed. Each person shall have three (3) references. In addition, provide the time commitment for each key person and indicate the level of their commitment to other projects if any.

5.2.6 MBE/WBE Participation

For each MBE/WBE certified firm proposed, provide the name of the MBE/WBE firm(s), level of participation, the role that the subcontractor(s) will perform, the type of services that it will provide, and a brief background and resumes of proposed personnel. and submit the MBE/WBE Utilization Plan Forms (see Attachment A). CCH may only award a Contract to a responsible and responsive Proposer. In the event that the Proposer does not meet the MBE/WBE participation goal stated by CCH for this procurement, the Proposer must nonetheless demonstrate that it undertook good faith efforts to satisfy the participation goal.

Evidence of such efforts may include, but shall not be limited to, documentation demonstrating that the Proposer made attempts to identify, contact, and solicit viable MBE/WBE firms for the services required, that certain MBE/WBE firms did not respond or declined to submit proposals for the work, or any other documentation that helps demonstrate good faith efforts. Failure by the Proposer to provide the required documentation or otherwise demonstrate good faith efforts will be taken into consideration by CCH in its evaluation of the Proposer’s responsibility and responsiveness. The Office of Contract Compliance has determined that the participation for this specific contract is 9.57% MBE and 8.90% WBE participation.

5.2.7 Financial Status

A. Provide audited summary financial statements for the last two fiscal years. State whether the

Proposer or its parent company has ever filed for bankruptcy or any form of Reorganization under the Bankruptcy Code, and, if so, the date and case number of the filing.

B. State whether the Proposer or its parent company has ever received any sanctions or is currently under investigation by any regulatory or governmental body.

5.2.8 Conflict of Interest

Provide information regarding any real or potential conflict of interest. Failure to address any potential conflict of interest upfront may be cause for rejection of the RFP.

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5.2.9 Contract, Service Contract

A Form Contract is available in (see Attachment B, CCH Service Contract). Execution of the Contract is not required at the time the proposal is submitted. In the event Proposer disagrees with any Contract provisions, or is proposing alternate language, Proposer must include alternative language for consideration by submitting the proposed redlines to the CCH Service Contract. CCH will not consider any exceptions or proposed alternate language if the Proposer does not include these objections or alternate language with the proposal. CCH shall not be deemed to have accepted any proposed redlines, as such will be responded to during the contracting process with awarded Proposers.

5.2.10 Legal Actions

Provide a list of any pending litigation in which the Proposer may experience significant financial settlement and include a brief description of the reason for legal action.

5.2.11 Confidentiality of Information

The Selected Proposer may have access to confidential information, including Protected Health Information (PHI) to perform the functions, activities, or services for, or on behalf of, CCH as specified in this RFP. The Proposer must acknowledge that if awarded there is a high likelihood that the Selected Proposer may have access to PHI, in paper or electronic form, and thus, it shall sign a Business Associate Agreement with CCH. As a Business Associate, the Selected Proposer will agree to comply with all federal and state confidentiality and security laws and regulations, including HIPAA, HITECH, the Medicaid Confidentiality Regulations, as defined herein, and all other applicable rules and regulations. The Proposer must commit to require all staff, including drivers, attendants, and other personnel, and subcontractors to complete HIPAA training upon hire, and no less frequently than annually thereafter. CCH reserves the right to review and accept the training program prior to implementation or require the Selected Proposer to use HIPAA materials or training sessions supplied by CCH.

5.2.12 Economic Disclosure Statement

Execute and submit the Economic Disclosure Statement (“EDS”) (see Attachment C). In the event any further clarification is required on any of the information provided, CCH reserves the right to make any necessary communication with the Proposer for such purpose. Such communication, if made, may include a deadline by which time any necessary clarifying information must be submitted.

5.2.13 Addenda

The Addenda Acknowledgement Form (see Attachment D) must be signed by an authorized Proposer representative and returned with the proposal on or before the proposal due date.

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Failure to sign and return any and all Addenda acknowledgements may be grounds for rejection of the proposal.

5.2.14 Price Proposal

Proposer must complete and submit a price proposal separate from the technical proposal.

Proposers are required to provide a detailed and comprehensive breakdown of all costs associated with their telehealth services proposal. This includes, but is not limited to, initial setup fees, monthly or annual service charges, per-use fees, and any additional costs that may be incurred. It is imperative that proposers also disclose all service options available, including any tiered service levels or add-on features, along with the associated costs for each, whether or not they form part of the proposed package being offered. Complete transparency in pricing is crucial; all potential costs, whether fixed, variable, or contingent, must be declared upfront.

This detailed financial breakdown will enable CCH to fully understand the economic implications of each proposal and ensure that there are no hidden or unexpected charges.

The price proposal must be submitted in electronic format.

If your company has specific, unique and/or innovative ideas to implement that are outside of the parameters defined on the price proposal, please provide your firm’s recommendations on a separate sheet.

CCH makes no guarantee that the services or products identified in this RFP will be required.

The Proposer must provide sufficient pricing details to permit CCH to understand the basis for the RFP.

CCH is neither obligated to purchase the full quantities proposed by the Proposer, nor to enter into an agreement with any specific Proposer.

6 Evaluation and Selection Process

6.2 Proposal Assessment

6.2.1 Responsiveness Review

CCH personnel will review each proposal to ascertain whether it is responsive to all RFP requirements outlined herein.

6.2.2 Acceptance of Proposals

The CCH Chief Procurement Officer reserves the right to reject any or all proposals or any part thereof, to waive informalities, and to accept the proposal deemed most favorable to CCH.

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6.3 Evaluation Process

An evaluation committee comprised of the CCH and/or County personnel will evaluate all responsive Proposals in accordance with the selection process detailed below.

This RFP provides requirements and data which will be used as a basis for a written presentation of qualifications of the firm(s) and proposed staff, project approach, systems, and methodologies for delivery of the initiative.

This evaluation process may result in a short-list of proposals. The evaluation committee, at its option, may request that all or short-listed Proposers make a presentation, other customer testimonials, submit clarifications, schedule a site visit of their premises (as appropriate), provide a best and final offer, provide additional references, respond to questions, or consider alternative approaches.

6.3.1 Shortlist Proposer Presentation

CCH reserves the right to, but is not obligated to, request and require that each Proposer deliver a formal presentation of its proposal at a date and time to be determined. If required by CCH, it is anticipated that such a presentation will not exceed four (4) hours. No Proposer will be entitled to present during, or otherwise receive any information regarding, any presentation of any other Proposer.

6.3.2 Right to Inspect

CCH reserves the right to inspect and investigate thoroughly the establishment, facilities, equipment, business reputation, and other qualification of the Proposer and any proposed subcontractors and to reject any RFP regardless of price if it shall be administratively determined that in CCH’s sole discretion the Proposer is deficient in any of the essentials necessary to assure acceptable standards of performance. CCH reserves the right to continue this inspection procedure throughout the life of the Contract that may arise from this RFP.

6.3.3 Best and Final Offer

CCH reserves the right to request a Best and Final Offer from finalist Proposer(s), if it deems such an approach necessary. In general, the Best and Final Offer will consist of updated costs as well as answers to specific questions that were identified during the evaluation of proposals.

If CCH chooses to invoke this option, proposals will be re-evaluated by incorporating the information requested in the Best and Final Offer document, including costs, and answers to specific questions presented in the document. The specific format for the Best and Final Offer would be determined during evaluation discussions. Turnaround time for responding to a Best and Final Offers document is usually brief (i.e., five (5) business days).

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6.4 Selection Process

Upon review of all information provided by shortlisted Proposers, the evaluation committee will make a recommendation for selection to the CCH Chief Procurement Officer for concurrence and submission to the CCH Board of Directors. CCH reserves the right to check references on any projects performed by the Proposer whether provided by the Proposer or known by CCH.

The selected proposal will be submitted for approval to the CCH Board. CCH intends to select a proposal that best meets the needs of CCH and provides the best overall value. Upon approval of the Selected Proposer, a Contract will be prepared by CCH and presented to the Selected Proposer for signature.

6.5 Consideration for Contract

Any proposed Contract including all negotiations shall be subject to review and approval of CCH management, CCH Legal and CCH’s Board of System Board. Proposed Contracts are also subject to review by the Cook County Office of Contract Compliance.

Following finalization of Contract documents to the satisfaction of CCH executive management, CCH shall secure appropriate reviews and may approve the proposed Contract for execution in its sole discretion. The identity of the Successful Proposer shall be posted on the website.

7 General Evaluation Criteria

7.1 Responsiveness of Proposal

The proposal(s) will be reviewed for compliance with and adherence to all submittal requirements requested in this RFP. Proposal(s) which are incomplete and missing key components necessary to fully evaluate the RFP may, at the discretion of the CCH Chief Procurement Officer or designee, be rejected from further consideration due to “non-responsiveness” and rated “non-responsive.”

Proposer must be compliant with all the submission requirements of the RFP. The evaluation committee will evaluate all responsive proposals in accordance with the evaluation criteria detailed below.

7.1.1 Criteria Proposal

Proposals will be reviewed and selected based on qualifications of the Proposer to successfully perform the services for CCH throughout the course of the contract as evidenced by the following criteria:

A. Ability to achieve the CCH’s business goals, objectives, and scope of services described in this RFP, by providing a succinct and feasible description of the proposed implementation approach.

B. Qualifications and experience of the Proposer to successfully perform and provide the

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services described in this RFP, as evidenced by the successful provision of similar services in similar environments and in compliance with all applicable laws.

C. Relevant experience D. Applicability of MWBE utilization plan E. Demonstration of services proposed F. Reasonableness of overall price

Price will be evaluated separately for overall reasonableness and competitiveness to fulfill the requested scope of services.

In addition, the evaluation committee may review and consider the information and evidence Proposer’s responsiveness to the following categories:

1. Financial status;

2. Conflict interest;

3. Insurance requirements;

4. Contract Terms and Conditions (objections and/or suggested alternate language);

5. Legal actions;

6. Addenda acknowledgement (See Addenda Section)

Should the following be requested, the evaluation committee may consider:

1. Oral presentations - evaluated based on the following criteria: Proposer addressed all topics, questions, and concerns of the evaluation committee.

2. Best and Final Offer - evaluated based on the following criteria: Degree to which the Best and Final Offer decreases the original price proposal for the proposed scope of services.

8 Instructions to Proposers This RFP provides potential Proposers with sufficient information to enable them to prepare and submit proposals. This RFP also contains the instructions governing the submittal of a proposal and the materials to be included therein, including the CCH requirements, which must be met to be eligible for consideration. All proposals must be complete as to the information requested in this RFP in order to be considered responsive and eligible for award. Proposers providing insufficient details will be deemed nonresponsive. CCH is not obligated, either to purchase the full services or the products proposed by the Proposer, or to enter into an agreement with any one Proposer.

8.1 Availability of Documents

CCH publishes competitive bid, RFP, and other procurement notices, as well as awarded RFP, information, at:

www.CookCountyhealth.org under the “Doing Business with CCH” tab.

https://cookcountyhealth.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities http://www.cookcountyhealth.org/ https://cookcountyhealth.org/about/doing-business-with-cook-county-health/bids-rfps/

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Interested Proposers should note that, unless otherwise stated in the bid or RFP documents, there is no charge or fee to obtain a copy of the bid documents and respond to documents posted for competitive solicitations. Proposers intending to respond to any posted solicitation are encouraged to visit the website above to ensure that they have received a complete and current set of documents. Some procurement notices may provide a downloadable version of the pertinent documents and any amendments to them which will be available to Proposers following completion of a simple registration process.

Proposers receiving a copy of procurement documents from a bid referral service and/or other third party are solely responsible for ensuring that they have received all necessary procurement documentation, including amendments and schedules. CCH is not responsible for ensuring that all or any procurement documentation is received by any Proposer that is not appropriately registered with CCH.

8.2 Questions and Inquiries

All questions regarding this RFP will be submitted in writing, no later than October 31st, 2025 at 2:00 PM Central Time, ONLY through the link below:

https://cookcountyhealth.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities

8.3 Submitting the Proposal Package

The proposal and the pricing proposal shall be submitted to the Office of Supply Chain Management CPO electronically as per the instructions in Appendix 1-Instructions for Submitting an Electronic Bid/Proposal/Qualification. The Office of Supply Chain Management CPO will not accept hardcopy proposals. The Proposer remains responsible for ensuring that its proposal is received at the time, date and manner specified. CCH assumes no responsibility for any proposal not so received. Late proposals will not be accepted.

8.4 Uniformity

To provide uniformity and to facilitate comparison of proposals, all information submitted must clearly refer to the page number, section, or other identifying reference in this RFP. All information submitted must be noted in the same sequence as its appearance in this RFP. CCH reserves the right to waive minor variances or irregularities.

8.5 Proposal Material

Proposal material submitted in response to the RFP becomes the property of CCH upon receipt by the Office of Supply Chain Management CPO and will be part of any Contract document for the goods or services which are the subject of this RFP.

8.6 Addenda

Should any Proposer have questions concerning conditions and specifications, or find discrepancies in or omissions in the specifications, or be in doubt as to their meaning, the

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Proposer should notify the Office of Supply Chain Management Chief Procurement Officer no later than October 31st, 2025, by 2:00 PM Central Time to obtain clarification prior to submitting a proposal. Such inquiries must reference the proposal due date and the CCH RFP number.

Any clarification Addenda issued to Proposer prior to the proposal due date shall be made available to all Proposers. Since all Addenda become a part of the proposal, the Addenda Acknowledgement Form (found in Attachment D) must be signed by an authorized Proposer representative and returned with the proposal on or before the proposal opening date.

Failure to sign and return any and all Addenda acknowledgements may be grounds for rejection of the proposal.

Interpretations that change the terms, conditions, or specifications/scope will be made in the form of an Addendum to the solicitation by CCH. If issued, CCH will post the Addenda on CCH’s website: https://cookcountyhealth.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities.

8.7 CCH RFP Format

All Proposers will use this solicitation format for submitting their proposal. Variations or exceptions from the specifications and general conditions should be submitted in writing. Such variations or exceptions may be considered in evaluating the offers received. Any exception taken must be noted and included in the proposal. Failure to comply with this requirement may cause a Proposer’s proposal to be considered "nonresponsive."

8.8 Pricing

All price and cost information requested in this solicitation should be provided by the Proposer.

While price is a factor in the evaluation of responses received, the relevant importance of price may vary based on the nature of the purchase and the related significance of other criteria as may be expressed elsewhere in this solicitation. In evaluating price, CCH may give consideration to all cost of ownership factors relevant to determine the total final cost to CCH, including but not limited to administrative cost of issuing multiple awards. CCH will be the sole determinant of the relevant and appropriate cost factors to be used in evaluating any base or alternate offers and/or options.

8.9 Period of Firm Proposal

Prices for the proposed service must be kept firm for at least one hundred and twenty (120) days after the time specified for submitting proposals. Proposals for periods of less than this number of days may be considered non-responsive. The Proposer may specify a longer period of firm price than indicated here. If no period is indicated by the Proposer in the proposal, the price will be firm until written notice to the contrary is received from the Proposer.

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8.10 Alteration/Modification of Original Documents

The Proposer certifies that no alterations or modifications have been made to the original content of this Bid/RFP or other procurement documents (either text or graphics and whether transmitted electronically or hard copy in preparing this RFP). Any alternates or exceptions (whether to products, services, terms, conditions, or other procurement document subject matter) are apparent and clearly noted in the offered RFP. Proposer understands that failure to comply with this requirement may result in the RFP being disqualified and, if determined to be a deliberate attempt to misrepresent the RFP, may be considered as sufficient basis to suspend or debar the submitting party from consideration from future competitive procurement opportunities.

8.11 Cost of Proposer Response

All costs and expenses in responding to this RFP shall be borne solely by the Proposer regardless of whether the Proposer’s RFP is eliminated or whether CCH selects to cancel the RFP or declines to pursue a Contract for any reason. The cost of attending any presentation or demonstration is solely the Proposer’s responsibility.

8.12 Proposer’s Responsibility for Services Proposed

The Proposer must thoroughly examine and read the entire RFP document. Failure of Proposers to fully acquaint themselves with existing conditions or the amount of work involved will not be a basis for requesting extra compensation after the award of a Contract.

8.13 RFP Interpretation

Interpretation of the wording of this document shall be the responsibility of CCH and that interpretation shall be final.

8.14 Specifications and Special Conditions

The specifications in this document provide sufficient RFP for Proposers to devise a plan and provide pricing. Minor variations from those specifications will be considered as long as Proposers identify any instance in which their service specifications differ from those set forth in the RFP documents.

8.15 Errors and Omissions

The Proposer is expected to comply with the true intent of this RFP taken as a whole and shall not avail itself of any errors or omission to the detriment of the services or CCH. Should the Proposer suspect any error, omission, or discrepancy in the specifications or instructions, the Proposer shall immediately notify CCH in writing, and CCH will issue written corrections or

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clarifications. The Proposer is responsible for the contents of its RFP and for satisfying the requirements set forth in the RFP. A Proposer will not be allowed to benefit from errors in the document that could have been reasonably discovered by the Proposer in the process of putting the RFP together.

8.16 Proposal Material

The material submitted in response to the RFP becomes the property of CCH upon delivery to the Supply Chain Management Office and may become part of a Contract.

8.17 Confidentiality and Response Cost and Ownership

All information submitted in response to this RFP shall be confidential until CCH has executed a Contract with the successful proposer or has terminated the RFP process and determined that it will not reissue the RFP. Any page of a proposal that Proposer asserts to contain confidential proprietary information such as trade secrets or proprietary financial information shall be clearly marked “CONFIDENTIAL PROPRIETARY INFORMATION” at the top of the page.

Additionally, the specific portions of a page that are asserted to contain confidential proprietary information must be noted as such. However, note that ONLY pages or specific information that are/is legitimately confidential should be marked Confidential and Proprietary. CCH will return proposals that mark all pages as confidential or are copyrighted.

All proposals submitted to CCHHS are the property of CCH.

Further, the Proposer is on notice that any part of its proposal or any other material marked as confidential, proprietary, or trade secret, can only be protected to the extent permitted by Illinois law, including but not limited to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act [5 ILCS 140 et seq.]

8.18 Awards

CCH may, at its discretion, evaluate all responsive proposals. CCH reserves the right to make the award on an all or partial basis or split the award to multiple Proposers based on the highest rated Proposer and best value to CCH meeting the specifications, terms, and conditions in accordance with the evaluation criteria set for in this RFP.

8.19 CCH Rights

CCH reserves the right to reject any and all offers, to waive any informality in the offers and, unless otherwise specified by the Proposer, to accept any item in the offer. CCH also reserves the right to accept or reject all or part of your RFP, in any combination that is in the best interest of CCH.

RFP H25-25-150 TPN 20

8.20 Cancellation of RFP; Requests for New or Updated

Information

CCH, in its sole discretion, may cancel the RFP at any time and may elect to reissue the RFP later. CCH may also issue an Addendum modifying the RFP.

RFP H25-25-150 TPN 21

9 Definitions “Abuse” means (i) a manner of operation that results in excessive or unreasonable costs to the Federal or State health care programs, generally used in conjunction with Fraud; or (ii) the willful infliction of injury, unreasonable confinement, intimidation, or punishment with resulting physical harm, pain or mental anguish, generally used in conjugation with Neglect.

"Addendum” or “Addenda" shall refer to a one or more documents posted to the website by which modifies this Request for Proposal or provides additional information.

“Board” or “Cook County Health” shall refer to the Board of Directors of the Cook County Health or Cook County Health and Hospitals System.

"Contract" shall mean a properly executed Contract that has been negotiated between CCH and a proposer for some or all of the Deliverables described in this RFP.

“Contractor(s)” and “Selected Proposer” shall mean the individuals, businesses, or entities that have submitted a Proposal and have negotiated a Contract that has been properly executed on behalf of the Contractor and CCH.

"County" shall mean the County of Cook, Illinois, a body politic and corporate.

“Deliverables” shall refer to the items, supplies, equipment, or services that will be provided pursuant to any Contract entered into as a result of this RFP.

“Fraud” means knowing and willful deception, or a reckless disregard of the facts, with the intent to receive an unauthorized benefit.

“General Conditions” shall mean the terms and conditions posted to the website. "Proposal" shall mean the document(s) submitted by Proposer(s) in response to this RFP that constitute a Proposer's offer to enter into contract with CCH under terms consistent with this RFP, subject to the negotiation of a contract and approval by the Board.

"Procurement Director" or “System SCM Director” shall mean the System Director of Supply Chain Management who serves as chief procurement officer for the CCH.

"Proposer(s)" shall mean the individuals or business entities, if any, submitting a Proposal in response to this RFP.

"Request for Proposals" or "RFP" shall refer to this solicitation of proposals by CCH that may lead to the negotiation of a Contract.

RFP H25-25-150 TPN 22

10 Appendix 1-Instructions for Submitting an Electronic Bid/Proposal/Qualification

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING AN ELECTRONIC BID/PROPOSAL/QUALIFICATION

For electronic submissions, firms shall use the following link to submit Bids/Proposals/Qualifications electronically:

Follow the steps listed in the below article to access the opportunity and submit your bid/proposal.

https://support.gobonfire.com/hc/en-us/articles/360011034814-Creating-and-Uploading-a- Submission-for-Proposers-

There is also a video on Proposer Registration & Submission at this link:

https://support.gobonfire.com/hc/en-us/articles/203903356-Proposer-Registration-and- Submission-

If you have questions or technical issues accessing or submitting your bid/proposal, please reach out to Bonfire at:

support@gobonfire.com 1 (800) 354 8010 Extension #2 https://support.gobonfire.com/hc/en-us/articles/360011034814-Creating-and-Uploading-a-Submission-for-Vendors-https://support.gobonfire.com/hc/en-us/articles/360011034814-Creating-and-Uploading-a-Submission-for-Vendors-https://support.gobonfire.com/hc/en-us/articles/203903356-Vendor-Registration-and-Submission-https://support.gobonfire.com/hc/en-us/articles/203903356-Vendor-Registration-and-Submission-mailto:support@gobonfire.com