B-49195 QandA 1-27-26 .docx

Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Request for Proposal

FY27-32 TRAVEL MAGAZINE DEVELOPMENT AND PRINTING RFP

BidBuy Bid Number – B-50441 Vendor Questions and DCEO Answers – Amendment 1/27/26 Pre-Bid Information:

· A recording of the Pre-Bid Conference that was held 01/14/26 at 11:00 am has been added to the Bid Attachments with the list of attendees from the conference. The recording can be found using the following link: https://illinois.webex.com/webappng/sites/illinois/recording/7103e16fd398103eafff8e72a4588041/playback Reminders:

· Only administrative questions will be answered moving forward and those still must be submitted in writing to Amanda.S.Gray@illinois.gov

· Per the BidBuy posting, proposals must be submitted via BidBuy no later than 2/9/26 – 1:00 pm CST.

· Please be sure to complete the RFP Document for sections F.1., F.2. and F.3 including the location of Vendor responses in proposal and upload as part of Vendor response.

Vendor Submitted Questions:

1. Does the BEP Vendor signed contract get submitted with the BEP U-Plan OR Commitment to Diversity Form OR Both? The Commitment to Diversity Verification Checklist includes the U-Plan as a line item for attachments.

A: The required BEP Documents only need to be submitted once in response to the BEP required elements. You also need to attach the Commitment to Diversity required documents separately, however you do not need to attach the BEP documents again to the Commitment to Diversity submission to receive points.

1. When we click on the link to the “offer” form (request-for-proposal-offer-to-the-state-of-illinois-7-29-2025-v-26-1~1), we receive the message, Please Wait, but this form never opens. Can you re-post the form that can be both opened and edited? If possible, also attach to this email?

A: We recommend saving the document before downloading and then opening the document. The form can also be downloaded directly from the Chief Procurement Website here: https://cpo-general.illinois.gov/solicitation-and-contract-templates.html (Under Vendor Forms > Request for Proposal Offer to the State of Illinois v.26.1 ).

1. The RFP mention’s that we will need to present a detailed plan that addresses digital and social marketing opportunities that we will provide at no cost. Not entirely clear what is being asked for here. Can you elaborate?

A: Vendors are encouraged to propose effective ways for the Illinois Office of Tourism to increase awareness and accessibility of the magazine as a planning resource and help drive additional qualified consumer requests for the magazine. Please explain what extra exposure, distribution or strategic support the vendor can provide beyond producing the magazine. Any digital or social value-added support the vendor can provide as bonus enhancements should be detailed here-- including but not limited to bonus digital placements, social media amplification, inclusion in the vendor's email newsletter or audience targeting insights.

1. It appears the expectation is that advertising sales will offset the total production cost. Is that correct, or are you willing to pay for the production costs and the vendor would make the project whole through ad sales?

A: The expectation is that advertising sales will offset the total cost of the magazine. While DCEO/IOT is looking for a cost-effective way to meet the needs outlined in the RFP, upon agreement between the awarded Vendor and DCEO, the Department is open to contributing to the overall cost of producing the magazine.

1. The RFP mentions that the vendor needs to promote the magazine at no cost. What are those expectations or specific promotional tactics desired?

A: We are looking to leverage the Vendor's owned and earned channels and any existing relationships they may have to extend the magazine's awareness and distribution (to qualified consumers). We do not have any specific expectations or tactics in mind but would advise that whatever is presented is realistic and actionable.

1. Reviewing the scoring of vendor’s proposals, will this be decided entirely on lowest cost bid? Or will experience, creativity, history etc. be part of the decision process?

A: Please see sections D.3-D.6 of the RFP. These Sections outline how points will be awarded to solicitation responses. The maximum number of points is 694 (Technical) + 139 (Commitment to Diversity) + 167 (Price) = 1,000 maximum available points. The Vendor with the highest total number of points after evaluation will be awarded the Contract.