Final RFP Template V.24.2_ILTS~1.docx

Illinois State Board of Education Request for Proposal Illinois Licensure Testing System

24-586SBE-CHFED-B-38403

Section A. SCOPE OF WORK

A.1. OVERVIEW AND PURPOSE

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) seeks a contractor to develop, validate, field test, conduct standard setting, administer, and score computer-based licensure content tests and Target Language Proficiency tests (including English language proficiency) for those seeking educator licensure in Illinois. The contractor also must provide extensive customer service to examinees and intensive support including, but not limited to, the seamless downloading of score reports to ISBE and Illinois institutions of higher education.

A.2. DESIRED OUTCOMES OF THIS PROJECT/ENGAGEMENT

The Agency seeks to award a contract to a Vendor to serve as ISBE’s sole provider of Illinois licensure content tests, which are a required component of educator licensure in the State. The contractor will offer licensure tests in all of ISBE’s available licensure subject areas and will develop a Work Plan that details processes and timelines for a cyclical redesign of each test throughout the term of the contract. The Work Plan will be approved by ISBE prior to implementation. Under this contract, ISBE seeks to redevelop all licensure tests at least once and possibly twice to ensure they are aligned to current standards and free from bias. The contractor will work closely with ISBE personnel throughout the term of the contract to accomplish deliverables specified in this procurement.

In order for candidates enrolled in ISBE-approved educator preparation programs in Illinois to receive a Professional Educator License (PEL) in a content areas and/or subsequent endorsement on a PEL, ISBE requires a system whereby:

· Candidates are able to register and complete standards-aligned licensure tests at a convenient times and locations in Illinois, nationally, and internationally and, as applicable, receive customer service support

· Institutions of higher education with approved educator preparation programs and ISBE are able to access data tied to exam completion in a clear, secure, timely manner.

Thus, the desired outcome of this project is to identify a successful Offeror that possesses the capacity and experience to develop and maintain such a system.

A.3. SCHEDULE & BUDGET

Schedule. All educator licensure tests that are required must be available on July 1, 2024, to avoid any disruption to candidates. ISBE estimates the following timelines for this procurement:

Posting: January 26, 2024 Bid Opening: February 23, 2024 Evaluation: February 26, 2024 Award: March 1, 2024 ISBE Approve Contractor’s Work Plan: April 1, 2024 Execution: May 1, 2024

Budget. This is a no-cost contract. ISBE will not provide compensation to the contactor for any services required within this solicitation and the resulting contract. Instead, the contractor will collect test registration fees directly from educators who register for tests offered through the contract.

A.4. UNIQUE CONSIDERATIONS

The Illinois School Code (105 ILCS 5/21B-30) requires the successful completion of a content-area exam to ensure that all educators possess a baseline level of knowledge and skill for the classroom. Such an exam must be successfully completed prior to student teaching or serving as a teacher of record in alternative preparation programs.

Content-area tests are one requirement through which candidates demonstrate specific content-area knowledge for the endorsement sought. Content-area tests measure candidates’ content-area knowledge, as identified in the applicable ISBE-defined standards. Target Language Proficiency and English Language Proficiency tests are required for certain licenses and endorsements to prove mastery in languages applicable to the credential sought. For the purposes of this solicitation and its resulting contract, the terms “content test” and “content-area” will refer to all tests/subjects listed in Attachment A.

A.5. TERM

A.5.1. TERM OF THIS CONTRACT: The contract resulting from this procurement will have an initial term commencing upon July 1, 2024, or the last dated signature of the Parties and ending on June 30, 2028. In no event will the total term of the contract, including the initial term, any renewal terms, and any extensions, exceed 10 years. Vendor shall not commence billable work in furtherance of the contract prior to final execution of the contract except when permitted pursuant to 30 ILCS 500/20-80.

A.5.2. RENEWAL: Subject to the maximum total term identified above, the State has the option to renew for the following term(s):

· Renewal No. 1: July 1, 2028, through June 30, 2030

· Renewal No. 2: July 1, 2030, through June 30, 2032

· Renewal No. 3: July 1, 2032, through June 30, 2034

A.5.2.1. Pricing for the renewal term(s), or the formula for determining price, is in the Pricing section of this solicitation.

A.5.2.2. Any renewal of the resulting contract is subject to the same terms and conditions that apply to the initial term of the contract unless otherwise provided. The State may renew the contract for any or all of the option periods specified, may exercise any of the renewal options early, and may exercise more than one option at a time based on continuing need and favorable market conditions, when in the best interest of the State. The contract may neither renew automatically nor renew solely at the Vendor’s option.

Section B. CURRENT CONDITIONS

B.1. OVERVIEW & BACKGROUND

Overview. The Illinois Licensure Testing System currently consists of tests in 110 subject areas. Tests are created as required by Illinois School Code (105 ILCS 5/21B-30), are further memorialized in the Illinois Administrative Code Sections 1.710 and 1.720, and are redesigned on a cyclical schedule throughout the term of the contract to ensure tests are relevant and aligned to applicable standards. The test redesign process consists of development, validation, field testing, and standard setting. Committees of Illinois educators and institution of higher education (IHE) faculty participate in Content Advisory Committees and Bias Review Committees during the process. In addition to creating, administering, and scoring tests, the contractor must provide extensive customer service to test takers, IHEs, and ISBE and as well as a platform with various data analysis filters to IHEs and ISBE. It is ISBE’s desire to continue to improve content tests. Currently, most tests consist only of multiple choice items; ISBE seeks to explore incorporating one or more constructed response items into a subset of subject area test throughout the term of the contract.

Background. The Illinois School Code (105 ILCS 5/21B-30) specifies that ISBE, in consultation with the Illinois State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, must design and implement a system of examinations that shall be required prior to the issuance of educator licenses. ISBE may adopt additional rules as may be necessary to implement and administer these licensure requirements. Illinois has required that candidates pass one or more content-area tests since 1988.

B.2. VOLUMES & QUANTITIES

The Illinois Licensure Testing System consists of tests in 110 subject areas. Educators completed approximately 17,600 tests during the 2021-22 test year. Information regarding the number of tests administered per year can be found on the ISBE Testing webpage. See “ILTS Summary of Aggregate Examinee Performance” under the “Test Reports” dropdown.

The contractor must offer tests in the 110 subject areas currently available, plus must design, develop, and launch a new Elementary Mathematics Specialist test that is aligned to new standards outlined in 23 Illinois Administrative Code Part 27 (to be launched in spring 2025) and a revised Elementary Education test that covers bilingualism, biliteracy, oral language development, foundational literacy skills, and developmentally appropriate higher-order comprehension to be launched by July 1, 2026.

Currently, tests are offered at 90 locations throughout Illinois and over 1,800 additional locations in the United States and abroad to allow ease of access to individuals who seek Illinois licensure and are geographically disbursed throughout the country and the world. Most individuals registering for content tests will test at an Illinois location, but some individuals seeking licensure do not live in Illinois. Offering tests at locations either operated by the contractor or operated at sites such as colleges and other assessment centers in Illinois, other states, and other countries will allow prospective contractors to meet the criteria set forth in Sections F.2.3 and F.3.13 of this solicitation.

B.3. AREAS OF CONCERN/CHALLENGES

During the current contract period, some stakeholders have expressed concerns with low pass rates on multiple content tests broadly (i.e., a teacher candidate does not successfully complete the content test on her or his first or even multiple attempts at doing so) and, in particular, the disparity of pass rates between demographic groups. It is expected that the successful Offeror will continue with the current approach to score setting and bias review, one that is aligned with best practices in social science and does and will include the insight and experiences of higher education faculty and Illinois teachers who hold the endorsement in the content test for which score setting is occurring.

Therefore, the contract resulting from this procurement will include a cyclical redesign of every existing licensure test throughout the term of the contract to ensure that test content is relevant, aligned to current standards, and free from bias. The redesign process will consist of all phases of test creation as specified in Sections F.1 and F.3 of this procurement. Differential item functioning (DIF) analyses of tests also will be conducted on a cyclical basis throughout the contract term to ensure any one or more racial groups of test takers are not disproportionately responding incorrectly to certain test items (which may suggest the item is biased.) To address requests for additional test preparation materials, ISBE also seeks a free practice exam for each licensure test and invites contractors to provide additional preparation materials as part of the scorable section of this procurement. Cyclical redesigns and DIF analyses of tests will enable ISBE to assure stakeholders that test content is current and free from bias.

B.4. STRENGTHS

Strengths of the current system include:

· An external-facing platform allows tests takers to search and register for tests.

· An internal-facing platform provides ISBE and the State’s IHEs with access to test taker performance and pass rates that can be filtered by areas such as year, test taker demographics, and test.

· Vendor submission of monthly pass rate reports to ISBE.

· Vendor ability to respond to and produce ad hoc requests from ISBE.

· Open and robust lines of communication between ISBE and the current Vendor.

Section C. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS Only electronic submissions of Offers through BidBuy will be accepted.

C.1. REQUIRED DOCUMENTS TO COMPLETE AND SUBMIT

The Offeror shall submit the listed documents in BidBuy under the Attachments tab in the appropriate “Required Attachments” spaces.

· Vendor Disclosure or Illinois Procurement Gateway (IPG) Active Registered Vendor Disclosure

· Offer to State (Including Subcontractor Disclosure and Where Services are to be Performed, found in BidBuy Attachments.)

· Technical Response

· Commitment to Diversity

· Pricing Attachment Blank documents may be found on the Chief Procurement Officer for General Service’s website at https://cpo-general.illinois.gov/solicitation-and-contract-templates.html and on the BidBuy posting under “File Attachments:”. Business Enterprise Program/Veterans Small Business Program Utilization Plan may be downloaded from the Commission on Equity and Inclusion’s website at https://cei.illinois.gov/business-enterprise-program/compliance.html.

Failure to submit Vendor Disclosure or IPG Active Registered Vendor Disclosure, as applicable, and the Utilization Plan(s), as applicable, with the Offer submitted in BidBuy shall render the Offer non-responsive.

Offerors are required to submit their response to the State’s solicitation through BidBuy. Any information sent to the State outside of BidBuy (e.g., by U.S. Mail, FedEx, UPS, email, or hand delivery) will neither be accepted nor considered. Offeror submissions will only be considered if they are received through BidBuy and on or before the time and date indicated as the “Bid Opening Date” on the BidBuy posting. Any required attachments must be submitted via BidBuy.

Price entries on the Items tab will be locked automatically upon submission of the quote. Entering cost, pricing, or discount information in the Alternate Description may result in disqualification. If the Agency requires pricing to be submitted in an attachment, Offeror shall upload pricing under the “Required Documents” section on the Attachments tab and check the box “Does the attachment contain any pricing, cost or discount information?”. Failure to check this box allows your pricing to be viewed when bids are opened and will result in disqualification of your Offer. NOTE: Do not check “Does the attachment contain any pricing, cost or discount information” if the attachment does NOT include pricing, cost, or discount information.

Documents shall be submitted in an electronic format that is accessible and readable using Microsoft Office suite software or Adobe Reader. Corrupted files will not be considered. It is the Offeror’s responsibility to check that files are accessible and legible after uploading.

The Offeror is solely responsible for ensuring timely submission of their electronic solicitation response. Failure to allow adequate time prior to the Bid Opening Date to complete and submit a response to a solicitation, particularly in the event technical support assistance from the State is required, places the Offeror and their Offer or response at risk of not being accepted.

The State encourages the Offeror to ensure that their BidBuy account is up to date. It is recommended that you access your BidBuy account prior to the solicitation due date and time to make sure that your company’s information is up to date and your password is current. Files may be uploaded at any time prior to submission.

File size may impact the uploading and downloading speed and may lead to browser timeouts, resulting in failed upload/download attempts. Please consider this dependency when attaching very large documents.

OFFEROR INSTRUCTIONS TO SUBMIT IN BIDBUY

Create Quote:

Note: Any pricing entered in the Unit Cost of the Items tab will be locked until after Technical Evaluations take place. Do not enter cost, pricing, or any discount information in the Alternate Description field. Entering cost, pricing, or discount information in the Alternate Description may result in disqualification.

Note: If taking any exceptions to Standard Terms and Conditions, an Offeror must submit a redline version of the Standard Terms and Conditions with their proposal.

: “Upload” (next to each required attachment) : “Choose File” Note: If a Pricing document is required, mark the box next to the question, “Does this attachment contain any pricing, cost, or discount information?”

Failure to mark this box when attaching a Pricing document will result in disqualification.

Check this box ONLY if a separate Pricing document is required.

Do NOT check this box for any other required quote attachment, such as the Technical Proposal, Vendor Disclosure/IPG Active Registered Vendor Disclosure, Utilization Plan(s), or Offer.

Offerors may also view the “Request for Proposal (RFP) Vendor Submission Instructions” video found at https://cpo-general.illinois.gov/vendor-resources.html.

C.2. DUE DATE AND TIME FOR SUBMISSION OF OFFERS

Each solicitation contains the Offer due date and time, appearing as the “Bid Opening Date:” on the BidBuy posting. Offeror shall submit Offers in BidBuy, and the State shall open Offers electronically in BidBuy on the “Bid Opening Date.” The Offer must remain firm for 180 days from opening.

C.3. CONFLICT BETWEEN INFORMATION IN ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTS AND ON BIDBUY

If the State provides information in electronic documents (i.e., the RFP and other attachments) that is different or in conflict with the information the State provides on BidBuy, then the information in electronic documents is presumed to represent the State’s intent. If the Offeror provides information in electronic documents that is different or in conflict with the information the Offeror provides in BidBuy through their Seller Account, then the information in electronic documents shall represent the Offeror’s intended submission.

C.4. PUBLISHED PROCUREMENT INFORMATION

The State publishes procurement information, including solicitations, awards, and amendments, on the Chief Procurement Officer for General Services’ Illinois Procurement Bulletin, known as the Bulletin or BidBuy, at https://www.bidbuy.illinois.gov/bso/. Procurement information may not be available in any other form or location. Offeror is responsible for monitoring BidBuy. The State will not be held responsible if Offeror fails to receive the optional email notice of future amendments to the solicitation.

C.5. INFORMATION CONTACT

The individual listed in the “Info Contact:” field on the BidBuy posting shall be the single point of contact for this solicitation. Unless otherwise directed, Offeror should only communicate with the Information Contact. The State/Agency shall not be held responsible for information provided by or to any other person.

Suspected errors should be immediately reported to the Information Contact. Do not discuss, directly or indirectly, the solicitation or any Offer with any State officer or employee other than the Information Contact.

C.6. OFFEROR QUESTIONS AND AGENCY RESPONSE

All questions, other than questions raised at the Pre-Submission Conference, pertaining to this solicitation must be submitted in writing to the Information Contact no later than February 9, 2024. Questions received and Agency responses may be posted as a Bid Amendment to the original solicitation on BidBuy; only these posted answers to questions shall be binding on the State. Offeror is responsible for monitoring BidBuy and BidBuy email notifications.

C.7. SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDE

In the Bulletin posting, if “Yes” is shown to the question “Is this a Small Business Set-Aside Procurement?”, then Offeror must be registered by the Illinois Small Business Set-Aside Program at the time Offers are due for the Offer to be evaluated. For requirements on qualifying Offeror’s business in the Small Business Set-Aside Program, please go to the Chief Procurement Office for General Service’s website at https://cpo-general.illinois.gov/sell-2-illinois.html.

C.8. SECURITY

Bid/Performance Bond: $ N/A. If a bond is required, Offeror must submit the Bid Bond with your Offer or Performance Bond to the Information Contact within 10 days after contract execution. The bond must be from a surety licensed to do business in Illinois. An irrevocable letter of credit is an acceptable substitute. The form of security must be acceptable to the State.

C.9. TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Standard Terms and Conditions will become a part of any resulting contract. To view the Standard Terms and Conditions, please go to https://cpo-general.illinois.gov/solicitation-and-contract-templates.html.

Agency Specific Terms and Conditions will become a part of any resulting contract. Agency Specific Terms and Conditions are attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference as Attachment D.

Section D. EVALUATION PROCEDURES

D.1. EVALUATION PROCESS

The State assesses each Offer for Responsibility (E.10) and Responsiveness. The State considers the information provided and the quality of that information when assessing Offers. If the State finds a failure or deficiency, the State may reject the Offer or reflect the failure or deficiency in the assessment.

There are three scored parts to each proposal – technical, commitment to diversity, and pricing. Each part of the proposal is evaluated and ranked independently of the other parts of the proposal. The results of the evaluation of all three parts shall be used in ranking the proposals.

The State may award to the most responsive and responsible Offeror whose Offer best meets the specified criteria.

D.2. RESPONSIVENESS

A responsive Offeror is one who submits an Offer that conforms in all material respects to the Request for Proposal and includes all required forms.

D.2.1. The State will determine whether the Offeror complied with the instructions for submitting Offers. Except for late submissions, and other requirements that by law must be part of the submission, the State may require that an Offeror correct deficiencies as a condition of further evaluation.

D.2.2. Subcontractor Disclosure: If the Offer includes any subcontractors, then Offeror shall complete the Subcontractor Disclosure section of the Offer to the State of Illinois.

D.2.3. If completing IPG Active Registered Vendor Disclosure, then responsiveness may include and may not be limited to:

· Active Illinois Procurement Gateway registration number with expiration date

· Certifications timely to this solicitation

· Disclosure of lobbyists for Offeror and parent entity(ies)

· Disclosure of pending and current contracts

D.2.4. If completing Vendor Disclosure, required parts may include and may not be limited to:

D.2.5. The State will determine whether the Offer meets the stated Technical Requirements. Minor differences or deviations that have negligible impact on the price or suitability of the supply or service to meet the State’s needs may be accepted or corrections allowed. If no Offeror meets a particular Technical Requirement, the State may waive that requirement.

D.2.6. When the specification calls for “Brand Name or Equal,” the brand name product is acceptable. Other products will be considered with proof that the other product meets stated specifications and is equivalent to the brand product in terms of quality, performance, and desired characteristics.

D.3. EVALUATION METHODOLOGY

The Technical Requirements are described in Sections F.1., F.2., F.3.and F.6. The State evaluates the Technical Requirements without consideration of price.

D.3.1. Total Number of Points Available for Technical Requirements is: 300 points.

D.3.2. Offeror shall complete and return Sections F.1., F.2., F.3.

D.3.3. Relative Weight in Point Format:

D.4. COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY ELEMENTS

Sections 20-15 and 35-30 of the Illinois Procurement Code (30 ILCS 500/) require Offerors to be evaluated on their commitment to diversity. The points available for Commitment to Diversity are described in Section F.4. and are equivalent to 20% of the Technical Requirements points. The State evaluates Commitment to Diversity without consideration of price.

D.4.1. The total number of points for Commitment to Diversity is 60 points.

D.4.2. Offeror shall complete and return Section F.4 Commitment to Diversity.

D.4.3. Commitment to Diversity Categories:

Commitment to Diversity Categories

Category 1 – Business Enterprise Program (BEP) Compliance: Whether or how well the Offeror meets this solicitation’s goal of contracting or subcontracting with businesses owned by women, minorities, or persons with disabilities.

Category 2 – Subcontracting/Contracting with WMD Businesses (not limited to BEP Vendors): Whether the Offeror assisted businesses owned by women, minorities, or persons with disabilities.

Category 3 – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Spend: Offeror’s percentage of business, education and/or community spend from prior calendar year gross revenue that involves businesses owned by women, minorities, and/or persons with disabilities. The businesses are not required to be certified in the Illinois Business Enterprise Program.

Category 4 – DEI Time: Offeror’s hours spent in the prior calendar year on promoting DEI in the workplace, the community, education institutes, or supporting businesses owned by women, minorities, or persons with disabilities. The businesses are not required to be certified in the Illinois Business Enterprise Program. The success or failure of each event does not impact the points achieved. The event may be voluntary or paid time.

Category 5 – DEI Policies: Entity has provided a written copy of, link to, or a website snapshot of its current written workforce Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policy. Policies must be actionable plans, not overarching concepts pertaining to DEI.

Category 6 – Diversity in Staffing:

Percentage of individuals on governing board and/or senior executives who identify as a woman, minority, or person with disabilities.

Percentage of individuals in management/supervisor positions who identify as a woman, minority, or person with disabilities.

Percentage of total staff who identify as a woman, minority, or person with disabilities.

D.5. PRICE

The State opens price proposals after evaluating all Technical and Commitment to Diversity proposals.

If the State does not consider the price to be fair and reasonable and negotiations fail to meet an acceptable price, the State reserves the right to cancel the award and take appropriate action to meet the needs of the State. The State determines whether the price is fair and reasonable by considering the Offer, including the Offeror's qualifications, the Offeror's reputation, all price proposals submitted, other known prices, the project budget, and other relevant factors.

D.5.1. The total number of points for Price is 90 points.

D.5.2. The State will determine Price points using the following formula:

Maximum Price Points X (Lowest Price/Offeror’s Price) = Total Price Points

Instructions for Submitting Pricing:

This is a no-cost contract, no payment will be rendered to the Vendor by ISBE. Vendor will be compensated by individuals registering for the tests/assessments. ISBE has no liability to Vendor for payments under the Agreement. The categories in the table below were developed based on the number of times each test was taken in the last year. The category with tests taken most often is weighted the heaviest.

Offerors must provide the registration cost of each subject area test listed in Attachment A – Licensure Test Subject Areas into Attachment B – Price Worksheet. The price entered is multiplied by the weight listed below and summed into a final weighted price. The Offeror with the lowest weighted price receives the full price points. All other Offerors earn points equal to (Lowest Weighted Price ÷ Offeror’s Weighted Price) x 90.

The cost of licensure test registration and practice materials shall not increase during the original terms and any renewals of the contract.

Definitions:

1. Category A Tests: Tests with more than 500 takers in the last year

2. Category B Tests: Tests with between 500 and 242 takers in the last year

3. Category C Tests: All other tests

Point Values Assigned by Category:

Elementary Education Principal Early Childhood Education Target Language Proficiency: Spanish School Social Worker Speech Language Pathologist Physical Education

Middle Grade Language Arts Middle Grade Mathematics Middle Grade Social Science English Language Arts Mathematics School Counselor Music Superintendent

D.6. MAXIMUM AVAILABLE POINTS

The maximum number of points is 300 (Technical) + 60 (Commitment to Diversity) + 90 (Price) = 450 maximum available points.

Section E. ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS

E.1. GOVERNING LAW AND FORUM

Illinois law and rules govern this solicitation and any resulting contract. Offeror must bring any action relating to this solicitation or any resulting contract in the appropriate court in Illinois. This document contains statutory references designated with “ILCS.” To view the full text, go to http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs.asp . The Illinois Procurement Code (30 ILCS 500) and the Standard Procurement Rules (44 ILL. ADM. CODE PART 1) are applicable to this solicitation. To view them respectively, go to http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs5.asp?ActID=532&ChapterID=7) and https://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/admincode/044/044parts.html.

E.2. PUBLIC RECORDS AND REQUESTS FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT

Offers become the property of the State. All Offers will be open to the public under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 ILCS 140) and other applicable laws and rules, unless Offeror requests in its Offer that the State treat certain information as confidential. A request for confidential treatment will not supersede the State’s legal obligations under FOIA. The State will not honor requests to keep entire Offers confidential. Offerors must show the specific grounds in FOIA or other law or rule that support confidential treatment. Regardless, the State will disclose the successful Offeror’s name, the substance of the Offer, and the price.

If Offeror requests confidential treatment, Offeror must submit additional copy/copies of the Offer with proposed confidential information redacted. (See Instructions for Submission of Offers in Section C.) This redacted copy must tell the general nature of the material removed and shall retain as much of the Offer as possible. In a separate attachment, Offeror shall supply a listing of the provisions identified by section number for which it seeks confidential treatment and identify the statutory basis or bases under Illinois law, including a detailed justification for exempting the information from public disclosure.

Offeror will hold harmless and indemnify the State for all costs or damages associated with the State defending Offeror’s request for confidential treatment. Offeror agrees that the State may copy the Offer to facilitate evaluation, or to respond to requests for public records. Offeror warrants that such copying will not violate the rights of any third party.

E.3. MINORITY CONTRACTOR INITIATIVE

The State requires a fee of $15 to cover expenses related to the administration of the Minority Contractor Opportunity Initiative. Any Offeror awarded a contract of $1,000 or more under Section 20-10, 20-15, 20-25, or 20-30 of the Illinois Procurement Code (30 ILCS 500) is required to pay a fee of $15. The Comptroller shall deduct the fee from the first check issued to the Vendor under the contract and deposit the fee in the Comptroller’s Administrative Fund (15 ILCS 405/23.9).

E.4. FEDERAL FUNDS

The resulting contract may be partially or totally funded with Federal funds. Upon notice of intent to award, the percentage of supplies and/or services involved that are Federally funded and the dollar amount of such Federal funds will be disclosed.

E.5. EMPLOYMENT TAX CREDIT

Offerors who hire qualified veterans and certain ex-offenders may be eligible for tax credits (30 ILCS 500/45-67 and 45-70). Please contact the Illinois Department of Revenue at 217-524-4772 for information about tax credits (35 ILCS 5/216, 5/217).

E.6. RESERVATIONS

Offeror must read and understand the solicitation and tailor the Offer and all activities to ensure compliance. The State reserves the right to amend the solicitation, reject any or all Offers, award by item/services, group of items/services, or grand total, and waive minor defects. The State may request a clarification, inspect Offeror’s premises, interview staff, request a presentation, or otherwise verify the contents of the Offer, including information about subcontractors and suppliers. The State may request Best and Final Offers when appropriate. The State will make all decisions on compliance, evaluation, and terms and conditions, and shall make decisions in the best interests of the State and in accordance with the Illinois Procurement Code, rules, and other applicable State and Federal statutes and regulations. This competitive process may require that Offeror provide additional information and otherwise cooperate with the State. If an Offeror does not comply with requests for information and cooperate, the State may reject the Offer as non-responsive to the solicitation. Submitting an Offer does not entitle Offeror to an award or a contract. Posting a Vendor’s name in a Bulletin notice does not entitle the Vendor to a contract. The State is not responsible for and will not pay any costs associated with the preparation and submission of any Offer.

Awarded Offeror(s) shall not commence and will not be paid for any billable work undertaken prior to the date all parties execute the contract, unless approved in writing in advance by the State Purchasing Officer or the Chief Procurement Officer (or designee).

E.7. AWARD

The State is not obligated to award a contract pursuant to this solicitation. If the State issues an award, the award will be made to the responsive and responsible Offeror whose Offer best meets the specified criteria unless otherwise permitted by the Illinois Procurement Code and Illinois Administrative Code. However, if the State does not consider the price to be fair and reasonable and negotiations fail to meet an acceptable price, then the State reserves the right to cancel the award and take appropriate action to meet the needs of the State. The State will determine whether the price is fair and reasonable by considering the Offer, including the Offeror's qualifications, the Offeror's reputation, all prices submitted, other known prices, the project budget, and other relevant factors. The State will post a notice to the Bulletin identifying the apparent most responsive and responsible Offeror.

E.8. INVOICING ADDRESS

The awarded Vendor shall invoice at the completion of the contract unless invoicing is tied in the contract to milestones, deliverables, or other invoicing requirements agreed to in the contract. The Bulletin posting contains the “Bill-to Address:” where invoices should be sent.

Vendor shall not bill for any taxes unless accompanied by proof that the State is subject to the tax. If necessary, Vendor may request the applicable Agency’s Illinois tax exemption number and Federal tax exemption information.

E.9. PROTEST REVIEW OFFICE

Offeror may submit a written protest to the Protest Review Office following the requirements of the Standard Procurement Rules (44 ILL. ADM. CODE 1.5550). For protests related to specifications, the Protest Review Office must physically receive the protest no later than 14 days after the solicitation or related addendum was posted to the Bulletin. For protests related to rejection of individual proposals or awards, the protest must be received by close of business no later than 14 days after the protesting party knows or should have known of the facts giving rise to the protest. The Protest Review Office’s information is as follows:

Chief Procurement Office Attn: Protest Review Office 300 West Jefferson Suite 128 Springfield, IL 62702 Email: cpogs.pro@illinois.gov

E.10. RESPONSIBILITY

A “responsible” Offeror is one who has the capability in all respects to perform fully the contract requirements and who has the integrity and reliability that will assure good faith performance. The State determines whether the Offeror is a responsible Offeror, one with whom the State can or should do business. For example, the State may consider the following:

E.10.1. A “prohibited” bidder includes any person assisting an employee of the State of Illinois by reviewing, drafting, directing, or preparing any Invitation for Bids, a Request for Proposal, or Request of Information, or providing similar assistance unless such assistance was part of a publicly issued opportunity to review drafts of all or part of these documents. For purposes of this section, an employee of the State of Illinois means one who, by the nature of his or her duties, has the authority to participate personally and substantially in the decision to award a State contract. No person or business shall submit specifications to a State agency unless requested to do so by an employee of the State. No person or business that contracts with a State agency to write specifications for a particular procurement need shall submit a bid or proposal or receive a contract for that procurement need.

Nothing herein is intended to prohibit a Vendor from bidding or offering to supply developing technology, supplies or services after providing the State with a demonstration of the developing technology, supplies, or services; provided the subject of the demonstration to the State represents industry trends and innovation and is not specifically designed to meet the State's needs. Nothing herein is intended to prohibit a person or business from submitting a Bid or Offer or entering into a contract if the person or business (i) initiates a communication with an employee to provide general information about products, services, or industry best practices and, if applicable, that communication is documented in accordance with Section 50-39 of the Illinois Procurement Code or (ii) responds to a communication initiated by an employee of the State for the purposes of providing information to evaluate new products, trends, services, or technologies.

E.10.2. Other factors that the State may use to evaluate to determine responsibility include, but are not limited to political contributions, certifications, conflict of interest, financial disclosures, taxpayer identification number, past performance in business or industry, references (including those found outside the Offer), compliance with applicable laws, financial responsibility, insurability, effective equal opportunity compliance, payment of prevailing wages if required by law, capacity to produce or sources of supply, and the ability to provide required maintenance service or other matters relating to the Offeror’s ability to deliver in the quality and quantity within the time and price as specified in this solicitation.

E.10.3. Awarded Offerors must always have financial resources sufficient, in the opinion of the State, to ensure performance of the contract and must provide proof upon request. The State may require a Performance Bond if, in the opinion of the State, it ensures performance of the contract. The State may terminate the contract, consistent with the termination for cause provision of the contract, if the Vendor lacks the financial resources to perform under the contract.

E.10.4. The State may require that an Offeror correct any deficiencies as a condition of further evaluation.

E.10.5. BidBuy Terminology and Guidance: BidBuy is an online e-procurement system. There may be some difference between the procurement terminology used in this solicitation and the terms used in BidBuy. Please learn more about BidBuy by accessing the online resources found at https://www2.illinois.gov/cpo/PathwayToProcurement/Pages/Guides-and-Manuals.aspx.

Section F. PROPOSAL FORMS Offeror must complete and return:

· The following three tables of Technical Requirements: Mandatory Requirements without Evidence (Section F.1), Mandatory Requirements with Evidence (Section F.2), and Proposed Technical Solution (Section F.3)

· Commitment to Diversity (Section F.4)

· Offer to the State of Illinois Please read and follow each instruction carefully.

F.1. MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS WITHOUT EVIDENCE

Please read each item carefully and check “Agree” indicating acceptance for each requirement in F.1. An Offeror that does not check “Agree” will be disqualified and the rest of the proposal will not be scored. These Mandatory Requirements shall be included in any contract resulting from this solicitation.

MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS WITHOUT EVIDENCE

Test Creation

F.1.9. The contractor must also assist with the selection of Standard Setting Committees for each test. Each Standard Setting Committee will generally be composed of 10-20 members from PreK - Grade 12 and higher education with expertise in the content area. Generally, the Standard Setting Committees will include individuals who served on the Content Advisory Committees, given their familiarity with test content. When selecting committee members, preference must be given to Illinois educators and Illinois higher education faculty with licensure in the respective content area. If an adequate number of diverse committee members cannot be found, the contractor must seek written permission from ISBE to solicit applications for committee members from other states. All committee members must be approved by ISBE. ISBE may elect to utilize national or out-of-state test frameworks for all or some tests and may forego some or all the steps included as part of the review committees.

|_| Agree

Coordination with ISBE Testing Coordinator

F.1.11. In addition to the contractor, the primary participants in the work described in this RFP will be ISBE, the program coordinator, Content Advisory Committees, Bias Review Committees, and Standard Setting Committees. A staff member from ISBE’s Educator Effectiveness Department will serve as the coordinator for educator licensure testing. The coordinator for educator licensure testing will be the principal staff member with whom the contractor will interact during the term of this contract. The coordinator will serve as a liaison between the contractor and ISBE management/administrative staff. The coordinator will monitor the contractor’s work, especially for the quality of services and products, as well as for the adherence to performance deadlines. The coordinator and any member of ISBE management may evaluate and identify modifications needed in the contractor’s performance at any phase of the project.

|_| Agree

Support and Services to Examinees