B52161 QA Amended July 17th.docx
DOCX document 34 KB Posted
- Solicitation number
- 26-420DCEO-BROAD-B-52161
- Issued by
- Illinois
About this file
This is a Quality Assurance (QA) amendment document for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity's Connect Illinois Program, specifically addressing the FY27 IFB for Connect IL Implementation Tech Assistance. The amendment, dated July 17th, modifies the original solicitation requirements and evaluation criteria for the procurement of technical expertise and advisory services to support statewide broadband deployment activities. The contractor will provide financial, technical, operational, and managerial advisory services to assist in deploying more than $1 billion in broadband infrastructure across Illinois. The amendment establishes specific QA requirements and performance standards that bidders must meet or exceed, with these revised criteria applicable to all proposals submitted in response to the original solicitation timeline.
The amendment document specifies quality assurance metrics, compliance standards, and technical performance requirements that govern contractor deliverables throughout the contract term. It establishes clear accountability measures and evaluation benchmarks that will be used in the selection process, ensuring that the selected contractor demonstrates the capability to manage large-scale broadband infrastructure deployment with appropriate oversight and quality controls. The amendment supersedes any conflicting provisions in the original solicitation documents and becomes a binding part of the contract for the successful bidder.
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Other files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| Broadband Connect IL IFB Instructions Amendment 1.docx | DOCX document | |
| ipg-active-registered-vendor-disclosure-formerly-forms-B~1.docx | DOCX document | |
| vendor-disclosure-formerly-forms-A~1.docx | DOCX document | |
| Broadband Connect IL Tech Assistance IFB Amendment 1~1.docx | DOCX document | |
| SPO Signed Connect IL Implementation Tech Assistance IFB B-52161.pdf | ||
| invitation-for-bid-offer-to-the-state.pdf |
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Text version
This Q&A file is for 26-420DCEO-BROAD-B-52161
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Invitation For Bid FY27 IFB Connect IL Implementation Tech Assistance Pre-Bid Information (IFB):
A recording of the Pre-Bid Conference that was held 6/29/26 at 1 pm CST can be found using the following link: Non-mandatory Pre-bid Conference for FY26 IFB Connect IL Implementation Tech Assistance -20260629 1802-1 - Webex
The budget for this solicitation has been set to $4,400,000.00. Please enter $2,200,000.00 in line item 1 on and line item 12 of the items tab in BidBuy.
This contract will have a 5-year initial term and a total of 5 renewal years with an estimated budget of $2,200000 for the initial term and an estimated budget of $2,200,000.00 for the 5 year renewal term(s)
Reminders:
· Please note: all submissions should bear the current IFB # which is: 26-420DCEO-BROAD-B-52161
· Bids must be submitted via BidBuy no later than 07/24/2026 – 1:00 pm CST.
· Please be sure to carefully read and follow all instructions as described in the attachments.
· For Vendor assistance in BidBuy, please contact the BidBuy Vendor Help Desk by email at il.bidbuy@illinois.gov or by phone at 866-455-2897.
Hours of Operation: Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 4:00pm CT.
· Please note the Q&A period for this solicitation is being extended to close of business on 7/17/2026 at 4:00pm CST. No additional questions will be accepted regarding the services under the IFB. If you have questions only about the administrative process of submitting a bid, those can still be sent to eliane.minor@illinois.gov
· Please note the answer to Question 8 has been amended from a previous Q&A
· This IFB name has been changed to FY27 IFB Connect IL Implementation Tech Assistance to reflect the current fiscal year
Q1. The IFB cites to provide 2 references: Could you please clarify if we can use the 2 references from DCEO itself? Could you please clarify if we can use 2 references from IL DCEO and can we cite 2 experiences from IL DCEO?
A1. Per the second set of Mandatory Requirements (Page 6 of Solicitation document), the vendors must provide at least two projects or contracts completed within the past five (5) years that are similar in size and scope to this solicitation. If the vendor has completed one or more qualifying projects for DCEO within that timeframe, those projects may be listed as references. For each project submitted, including any DCEO projects, the vendor must provide all required information:
• Client name
• Project description
• Duration of engagement
• Services provided
• Contact information for the client reference All references may be checked for validity.
| Q2. | What is the appropriate way for a vendor to submit pricing that varies according to project size and estimated work hours? |
| A2. | Section 2.2 of the IFB states that vendor pricing must be submitted in the Items Tab of the BidBuy Purchase Order. This solicitation requires vendors to provide a blended hourly rate. DCEO Office Of Broadband has around 157,000 Broadband serviceable locations and community anchor institutions to connect to broadband Additional clarifying information regarding scope of services may also be found by watching the Prebid conference at the link above. Vendors should use the estimated project size and the scope of services to determine the estimated hours and submit a blended hourly rate for each fiscal year. |
| Q3. | Will the State accept pricing models other than a single blended hourly T&M rate? For example, will the state accept rates for weekly team bundles, or firm-fixed price by deliverable? |
| A3. | No – Section 2.2 requires that pricing be submitted in the items tab of BidBuy. Vendors should only submit a blended hourly rate. Any other pricing model will be deemed non-responsive. The bidder will not be considered for the contract. |
| Q4. | The mandatory requirements state that bidders must demonstrate a minimum of two years of experience conducting or facilitating application review for the Connect Illinois Program and must provide at least two reference projects providing technical broadband deployment advisory services to the Connect Illinois program. Does satisfying these requirements demand prior work specifically on the Connect Illinois program, or may comparable experience providing equivalent advisory services for other state BEAD or broadband infrastructure programs satisfy these requirements? |
| A4. | Satisfying these requirements requires prior work specifically on the Connect Illinois program |
| Q5. | Please provide a list of all contractors for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity who have a minimum of 2 years of experience providing technical expertise and advisory services in broadband deployment in Illinois, and/or conducting or facilitating application review for the Connect Illinois Program. Is there a current contractor providing services under a predecessor or related contract for the Connect Illinois program? If so, can DCEO provide the contract number so that bidders may review prior scope information on BidBuy? |
| A5. | Any requests related to DCEO current or past contractors should be addressed to our FOIA Officer at CEO.Commerce.FOIA@illinois.gov. |
| Q6. | Must a bidder itself meet all mandatory experience requirements as the prime contractor, or may a bidding team satisfy those requirements through the combined qualifications of the prime contractor and its subcontractors? Specifically, if a prime contractor does not independently meet all mandatory experience criteria but proposes a subcontractor who does, would such a team be deemed eligible and responsive? |
| A6. | A prime contractor (Responding Vendor) may consider any sub-contractors when responding to any mandatory element. |
Q7. The scope of work requires technical review and advisory services on network designs, architecture diagrams, and other technical or engineering documentation. Must the prime contractor possess this engineering and network design review capability in-house, or is it permissible for this component to be performed by a qualified subcontractor while the prime leads financial, operational, and programmatic advisory work?
A7. A prime contractor (Responding Vendor) may consider any sub-contractors when responding to any mandatory element. It is acceptable to employ subcontractors with this engineering and network design review capability, but note that the focus of the solicitation is technical and financial expertise, not programmatic or operational advisory work.
Q8. The contract document states that the maximum contract amount will be entered by the State prior to execution, and no estimated annual value or anticipated volume of hours is provided in the solicitation materials. Can DCEO provide an estimated annual value, a total contract ceiling, or an estimated volume of hours per year anticipated under this contract?
| A8. | The estimated budget for this anticipated 5 year contract is $2,200,000.00. Please see amended line item one in BidBuy. | ||
| A8 Amended. | The budget for this solicitation has been set to $4,400,000.00. Please enter | $2,200,000.00 in line item 1 on and line item 12 of the items tab of the | Amendment in BidBuy. |
This contract will have a 5-year initial term and a total of 5 renewal years with an estimated budget of $2,200000 for the initial term and an estimated budget of $2,200,000.00 for the renewal term(s)
| Q9. | The IFB specifies that award will be made to the lowest priced responsive and responsible bidder, but also requires submission of a substantial qualifications package, including company background, at least two reference projects, key personnel resumes, and a two-page best practices summary. Will these qualifications submissions be evaluated solely on a pass/fail basis for purposes of responsiveness and responsibility, or will they be scored or weighted qualitatively in determining award? | |
| A9. | These qualification submissions will be evaluated solely on a pass/fail basis to | determine vendor responsiveness and responsibility. |
Q10. Will the State consider issuing multiple awards for this IFB so that it can distribute select work to firms in manner that aligns with their area(s) of specialization?
A10. No, the State does not intend to issue multiple awards for this IFB
Q11. How does the State intend to evaluate cost proposals without a specific Scope of Work since blended hourly rate does not consider the level of effort?
A11. The State will evaluate cost proposals based on the blended hourly rate submitted for each fiscal year, as required in the IFB. Vendors are expected to use the estimated project size and the defined scope of services to determine the anticipated level of effort and incorporate that into their blended rate. The blended hourly rate structure allows the State to compare pricing proposals consistently across vendors, even without a detailed task‑level scope.
DCEO Office Of Broadband has around 157,000 Broadband serviceable locations and community anchor institutions to connect to broadband. Additional clarifying information regarding scope of services may also be found by watching the Pre-bid conference at the link above. -
Q12. Are there specific evaluation criteria for this IFB? If so, will they be shared with potential bidders?
A12. The IFB includes mandatory requirements, contract requirements, and the scope of services, all of which will be used to evaluate vendor responsiveness. Additional clarifying information may also be found by watching the Prebid conference at the link above. All evaluation criteria are contained within the IFB and available to all potential bidders.
Q13. Clarification requested on page limit:
On page #8, there is a 2-page limit. Could you please clarify if the 2-page limit is for a summary of best practices, risks, and considerations related to technical advisory and support services for Connect Illinois broadband deployment projects or does the limit include bios and resumes as well?
Should we include the response on best practices and resumes in 2 pages or just the response on best practices in 2-pages?
A13. Per the IFB the 2-page limit is related to the summary of best practices, risks, and considerations related to technical advisory and support services for Connect Illinois broadband deployment projects. Submission must demonstrate the vendor's knowledge in the following areas:
A. Illinois broadband and internet service provider landscape.
B. Technical, financial, managerial, and operational best practices and considerations for broadband deployment using wired and wireless technologies in Illinois.
C. Connect Illinois program best practices and risk mitigation.
| Q14. | Budget related clarification: Could you please clarify the budget aspect? Does $2.2M is for 5 years contract period or 5 initial years and 5 renewals? The answers in the amendment are different. However, the line item 1 in BidBuy says that $2.2M is applicable to 5 initial years. |
| A14. | The budget for this solicitation has been set to $4,400,000.00. Please enter |
$2,200,000.00 in line item 1 on and line item 12 of the items tab in BidBuy.
This contract will have a 5-year initial term and a total of 5 renewal years with an estimated budget of $2,200000 for the initial term and an estimated budget of $2,200,000.00 for the 5 year renewal term(s)
| Q15. | In the line item #1, should we provide 440K as unit cost so as to reflect $2.2M in the extended amount field? Could you please confirm if the unit cost in item #1 is correct? |
| A15. | This has been revised to be a quantity of 1 and all vendors will enter $2,200,000.00 to avoid any confusion. |
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