IDNR Outdoor Connect RFP FINAL 09192025.pdf

State of Illinois RFP V.26.1

Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology Request for Proposal

IDNR Outdoor Connect System RFP

25-448DOIT-ADMIN-B-48893

Section A. SCOPE OF WORK

A.1. OVERVIEW AND PURPOSE

The Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT) seeks proposals from qualified Offerors to design, implement and maintain a comprehensive Outdoor Connect System. This initiative aims to modernize and consolidate the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ (IDNR) processes across various Offices, including the Director’s Office, Strategic Services, Resource Conservation, Land Management, Law Enforcement, and Fiscal Management. In line with IDNR’s vision to consolidate multiple siloed systems, the new solution will improve efficiency and enhance data integration, transparency and accuracy. It will support task management, maintain consistent record keeping, enable tracking and reporting to meet state and federal obligations as well as internal goals. The solution will allow for product issuance, including through lottery processes, point of sale (POS) purchases, inventory management, revenue management, case management and an integrated Customer Relations Management (CRM) module. Elements within the solution will include hunting and fishing licenses & permits, recreational vehicle registration and titling, camping management and reservations, educational resources & courses, and specialty licenses & permits.

A.1.1. Goals and Objectives

• Data Collaboration: Consolidate program-specific data sets and processes, eliminating data silos and ensuring data sharing, reporting, access and collaboration within IDNR.

• Paper Process Minimization: Transition from manual and paper-based processes to digital systems to support electronic submissions and review capabilities, improve operational efficiencies and reduce paper storage needs.

• Data Quality and Accessibility: Establish a sole repository of all programmatic data for IDNR for permitting, licensing and other outdoor recreational opportunities, enhance data quality and consistency, provide an enhanced interface for IDNR constituents and internal users, and enable internal and external transparency.

Provide real-time data accessibility for analytics and enforcement.

• System Adaptability: Support end user adaptability (without vendor support) to keep up with regulatory compliance and process changes as well as desired internal changes.

A.2. DESIRED OUTCOMES OF THIS PROJECT/ENGAGEMENT

The State of Illinois is seeking a configurable solution that meets IDNR’s business and functional requirements for outdoor recreational and educational opportunities for constituents as authorized through State Statutes and Administrative Rules.

The Outdoor Connect System resulting from this RFP should:

1. Be easy to understand and use: The solution should have a single interface that does not require different logins to conduct transactions within different modules. After logging into the system, a customer should be able to perform various functions, such as, purchase a fishing license, apply for a turkey hunting lottery permit, reserve a campsite and/or renew a snowmobile registration in the same login instance.

2. Allow products to be created, configured and managed: The solution should allow authorized IDNR staff the ability to create and configure all IDNR products. Products include, but are not limited to, licenses, permits, electronic stamps, surveys, publications, educational courses, registrations, titles, stickers, reservations, and applications. Product types and availability must comply with all applicable Federal and Illinois statutes and administrative rules, including, but not limited to, the following Illinois Acts found in attachment C and any and all administrative rules promulgated pursuant to those Acts in attachment D within Section G. The solution shall comply with the requirements of attachment E within Section G. Additionally, the solution should allow for the creation and configuration of management units, which are items associated with products and used by the system to control products’ availability and functionality within processes. Examples of management units include Special Hunt Areas and Counties that control what permits are available within species lottery draws and DNR-owned sites that have campground, camp loops and camp sites and control availability for reservations.

3. Sell products through POS via online and mobile app: The solution should allow for products to be purchased through a Point of Sale (POS) service that is accessible from a secure website, a ‘mobile optimized’ site and a mobile app. The mobile app should be compatible with Android and iOS platforms. Additionally, the solution should allow for purchases to be completed from paper applications, call-ins to customer support or IDNR staff, and agent locations. Payment types should include Automated Clearing House (ACH) and credit/debit cards through the State of Illinois’ Treasurer’s Office ePay system for online purchases and credit/debit card, personal check, money order and cashier’s check when payments are in person or mailed with an application.

4. Conduct and manage simple and complex lotteries: The solution should be able to configure random, computerized lotteries for multiple award processes. Some lotteries are solely based on a random selection of winners where the quota is less than the number of applicants. Other lotteries are based on eligibility and preference criteria and may require multiple lotteries to be conducted prior to awarding winners. See Attachment B in Section G for a list of current lotteries.

5. Provide reporting capabilities, both built-in and ad-hoc, including advanced data reporting/analytics: The solution should have a report module that has frequently used reports set up for profiles, products, revenue, transactions, system, and process audits, such as lottery results. These reports should be able to be sorted and filtered. Functionality should include both summary and detailed reporting. Additionally, the solution should have the capabilities for ad-hoc reports to be configured and executed by appropriate administrative staff.

6. Migrate data, complete data cleanup and create all products: Prior to the go-live date, the solution should have all the data migrated from the current system and from other DNR data sets for products that are being transitioned into the new solution. Data will need to be consolidated and duplicates such as user profiles will need to be merged.

Additionally, the Offeror should create all the products identified within this RFP (Attachment A) prior to the go-live date.

7. Utilize case management principles to manage application and program processes: The solution should allow for case management to administer application processes that require oversight prior to issuance or purchase. The workflow should allow for documentation to be uploaded in various formats (i.e. .pdf, .jpg, .xlsx, .docx, etc.) and associated with an application or a profile. The solution should allow for administrative staff to review the documentation prior to approval/denial of the application/eligibility. Additionally, the solution should allow for tasks to be assigned to staff within the workflow. Many of these application processes require mandatory survey responses as well.

8. Manage system users: The solution should require a profile to be created and active to conduct transactions, act as an agent for IDNR or administer the system as authorized IDNR staff. Profile types should include individual, business, agent, customer service, and administrative. The allowable activities within the system for each type of profile should be controlled by the different roles assigned to each. Eligibility for product purchases should also be associated with individual and business profiles that would limit or focus the products available to the individual or business. Eligibility criteria should include, but not be limited to, age categories, residency, military status, disability, landownership, and lifetime license holder. Additionally, profiles should be able to be placed in a state of suspension, revocation or sales block based on information obtained from several external data sets.

9. Be able to query and export data regardless of how the data are stored: The solution should allow for access to real-time data for analytics. IDNR’s natural resources staff use data from hunting success to manage species and make decisions on hunting quotas for subsequent seasons. The data should be downloadable in formats compatible with analytical software such as Microsoft Excel or Microsoft SQL tables.

10. Manage educational course enrollment and schedules: The solution should include a module to manage IDNR-approved educational courses. This would include registration and payment, scheduling of courses, assessment surveys, certificate issuance, reporting, and instructor management. Courses include boating, hunter, snowmobile & trapping safety education and ENTICE (Environment and Nature Training Institute for Conservation Education).

11. Provide a mobile application specific to internal law enforcement: The solution should have a mobile app developed specifically for law enforcement officers that allows read-only access to profiles, transactions, purchase history, eligibility, reporting, and revocations, suspensions & sales block for investigative purposes. Use of QR or bar codes for access would be preferred.

12. Have an integrated Customer Relationship Management (CRM) module: The solution should include an integrated Customer Relations Management (CRM) module.

Creation and configuration of notifications and messages by administrative staff should be part of the solution. Messages should be able to be filtered to individuals, selected groups and system wide.

13. Maintain and track inventory: The solution should be able to track physical inventory quantities and associate unique IDs, when applicable, to transactions. Items that have unique IDs include, but are not limited to, commercial fish tags, bird leg bands, and usage stamps. Additionally, the solution should interface with a postage system to assess shipping costs prior to checkout.

14. Be compatible with the Agency’s website dnr.illinois.gov: The solution should allow for links to be placed on the public-facing website to other state and federal agency programs as required by statutes, rules and regulations.

15. Have automatic revenue entry that is importable to the State of Illinois’ financial system (currently SAP).

16. Generate transaction files of collected revenue and issued products, while complying with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), and the State’s approved banking/credit card system (currently State of Illinois Treasurer’s Office ePay system).

A.3. SCHEDULE

Procurement Schedule RFP Posting Date to BidBuy 09/22/2025

Pre-Submission Conference 10/07/2025

Offeror Questions Submission Deadline 10/15/2025

Tentative Date for Posting of Answers to Offeror Questions

11/19/2025

RFP Offer Submission Deadline 01/07/2026

Evaluation Period* 01/26/2026

Oral Presentations* 04/13/2026

Anticipated Notice of Award* 05/01/2026

Anticipated Vendor Negotiations* 05/18/2026

Procurement Schedule Anticipated Contract Start Date* 07/01/2026

*Dates are tentative and subject to change

A.4. TERM

A.4.1. TERM OF THIS CONTRACT: The contract resulting from this procurement will have an initial term five (5) years. In no event will the total term of the contract, including the initial term, any renewal terms, and any extensions, exceed ten (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.4.2. RENEWAL: Subject to the maximum total term identified above, the State has the option to renew for the following term(s):

The contract resulting from this procurement may be renewed for additional periods not to exceed a cumulative total of five (5) years. The renewal periods may be structured as a single five-year term or as multiple shorter terms (e.g., annual or multi-year renewals), provided that the total duration of all renewal terms does not exceed five (5) years. Renewal shall be subject to the mutual written agreement of the parties and contingent upon satisfactory performance under the contract.

A.4.2.1. Pricing for the renewal term(s), or the formula for determining price, is in the Pricing section of this solicitation.

A.4.2.2. 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

IDNR is a Department of the State of Illinois. IDNR is currently contracted with Tyler Technologies to provide services for hunting & fishing permits & licenses, watercraft & snowmobile registration & titling, camping reservations, and Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) trail permitting. The current systems are housed on three platforms (ExploreMoreIL.com, Camp.ExploreMoreIL.com and Recreation.ExploreMoreIL.com). The previous contract was with Aspira and included hunting & fishing permits & licenses and camping reservations. In line with IDNR’s vision to consolidate the aforementioned multiple siloed systems, the new solution should improve efficiency and enhance data integration, transparency and accuracy by combining the functionality of the current and previous solutions into one holistic solution that will meet the State’s needs.

B.2. DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW

The Department of Natural Resources is comprised of 15 different Offices. Of the 15 Offices, six have units within them that will be utilizing this proposed solution.

The Office of the Director includes the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission (INPC) and the Education Section. INPC is responsible for approving and tracking special use permits on dedicated and registered lands throughout Illinois. The Education Section is responsible for administering Environment and Nature Training Institute for Conservation Education (ENTICE) courses and distributes educational publications such as booklets, classroom materials and posters.

The Office of Fiscal Management is responsible for financial reporting, compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), expenditures, revenue and reconciliations.

The Office of Law Enforcement is responsible for enforcing state and federal statutes affecting outdoor activities such as hunting, fishing, boating and camping. Additionally, this office is responsible for issuing several permits such as falconry, taxidermy, outfitters, wildlife rehabilitators and roadkill/salvage deer. Also, within the Office of Law Enforcement, is the Safety Education Section that is responsible for providing and administering safety education courses.

Current courses include Boating, Hunter, Snowmobile and Trapping Safety.

The Office of Land Management is responsible for camping, Off-Highway Vehicle Trail permitting and site-specific special use permits such as Activity, Group Use, and Metal Detecting.

The Camping Program is responsible for administering the online reservation for campsites, group camps, cabins and shelters. The program also maintains and updates the inventory and attributes of the 70 parks that offer these types of reservations. Additionally, this office manages controlled hunting programs such as pheasant, field trials, and dog training.

The Office of Resource Conservation consists of five Divisions: Fisheries, Forestry, Natural Heritage, Private Lands and Wildlife Resources. The Division of Fisheries is responsible for commercial fishing, Lake Michigan charter boat licensing, fishing tournaments and other permits for the health and safety of Illinois waters and fisheries. The Division of Forestry is responsible for monitoring and licensing ginseng growers, harvesters and dealers and timber buyers. The Division of Natural Heritage’s responsibilities include administering scientific collector, site, endangered & threatened species, herptile, and incidental take authorization permits. The Division of Private Lands oversees the Illinois Recreational Access Program (IRAP) that approves permitting for hunting and fishing opportunities on designated private lands. The Division of Wildlife Resources oversees the allotment of deer and wild turkey permits throughout the state based on analytics of previous year’s harvest reporting. This Division is also responsible for duck, dove, goose and upland game lotteries and nuisance animal removal permits.

The Office of Strategic Services has three sections that administer permitting, licensing and recreational vehicles programs. The Permits Section is responsible for administering deer, turkey and bobcat lottery programs, landowner deer and turkey hunting programs, as well as issuance of permits related to administrative approvals, CWD surveillance, and site-specific needs. The License Section within IDNR is responsible for administering recreational and commercial licenses, stamps and Over the Counter (OTC) permits. The Section also manages inventory distribution for bird leg bands, commercial fishing tags, and signs. Additionally, this Section has the responsibility of approving and removing external Agents. The Recreational Vehicle Section within IDNR is responsible for administering the watercraft ownership program and processing and issuance of watercraft registrations and titles, snowmobile registration, passenger and rental boat licenses. Additionally, registration and decals are issued for off highway vehicles (OHV). IDNR is responsible for maintaining registration and title records for all recreational vehicles registered in Illinois.

B.3. VOLUMES & QUANTITIES

Current system record counts by type as of 4/25/2025

Record Type # of Records Customer 5,815,191 Agent 2,144 Agent Issue 25 Drawing 62 Outfitter 175 Season 68 Arrestor 178 Case 200,864 Statute 5 Product 472 Promotion 15 Business Rule 94 Process Year 340 Snowmobile 235,510 Watercraft 1,169,918

Supply Items 1 Supply Order 2,130 Form 231 Form Data (incl. Harvest Reporting) 1,593,960 Admin User 839 Role 67 Permission 270 Accounting Code 56 County 102 Email Templates 20 Feature 28 Agent Report 11 Custom Report 2 Customer Report 6 Product & Financial Report 30 System Report 4 Harvest Report 703,200 Total 9,726,018

Camping Product Class (12-month sales period) # Of Reservations # Of Nights Cabin - Class A Premium-P232 257 475 Cabin - Class A1-P265 0 0 Cabin - Class A2-P266 30 87 Cabin - Class A3-P267 0 0 Cabin - Class A-P009 1,417 3,416 Cabin - Class A-P302 0 0 Class A Premium-P010 23,872 54,028 Class A Premium-P299 12,125 32,552 Class AA-P011 1,364 4,990 Class AA-P269 2,049 6,077 Class A-P002 51,675 14,3622 Class A-P301 0 0 Class B/E Premium-P012 764 1,855 Class B/E-P001 2,428 6,765 Class B/E-P298 439 1,031 Class B/S Premium-P014 2,500 4,504 Class B/S Premium-P300 2,174 5,248 Class B/S-P013 4,689 9,576 Class C-P015 2,727 5,507 Class C-P303 3 9 Class D-P016 300 554

Group Camp - min.-P019 369 743 Shelter-P003 2,531 2,631 Shelter-P304 31 31 Siloam Springs Lake Side Cabin-P268 40 116 Youth Group Camp - min.-P018 654 1,238 Grand Total 112,438 285,055

Product Type (12-month sales period) Count

Application 171,378 Basic 5,782 Commercial License 953 Convenience Fee 2,243,750 Donation 38,727 License 992,070 Miscellaneous 5 Permit 435,976 Process Application 106 Stamp 422,681 Tag 853,753 Vehicle Registration 84,542 Grand Total 5,249,723

See Attachment A for a list of all products and sales numbers.

Section C. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS Only Electronic Submissions through BidBuy of Offers 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 IPG Active Registered Vendor Disclosure

• Technical response

• Offer to the State of Illinois Information and Technology

• Commitment to Diversity

• BEP Utilization Plan

• VBP Utilization Plan

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/purchasing-entity-resources/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, for example by US Mail, FedEx, UPS, e-mail, 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.

E n t e r i n g c o s t , p r i c i n g o r d i s c o u n t i n f o r m a t i o n i n t h e A l t e r n a t e D e s c r i p t i o n m a y r e s u l t i n d i s q u a l i f i c a t i o n . 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 shall not be considered. It is the Offeror’s responsibility to check that files are accessible and legible after uploading.

https://cpo-general.illinois.gov/solicitation-and-contract-templates.html https://cei.illinois.gov/purchasing-entity-resources/compliance.html

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 time-outs, resulting in failed upload/download attempts. Please consider this dependency when attaching very large documents.

OFFEROR INSTRUCTIONS TO SUBMIT IN BIDBUY

Create Quote:

General Tab : Save and Continue Items Tab Follow instructions in the Pricing section of the solicitation document as to whether pricing will be entered in the Unit Cost of the Items Tab or submitted as a separate Pricing Document in the Attachments Tab.

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.

Terms and Conditions Tab

: Select “Yes”, “No”, or “Yes with Exceptions” 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.

Attachments Tab For each required quote attachment listed:

: “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, or Utilization Plan(s), or Offer.

Summary Tab : “Submit Quote”

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 (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 e-mail 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.

https://cpo-general.illinois.gov/vendor-resources.html https://www.bidbuy.illinois.gov/bso/

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 10/15/2025. 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. PRE-SUBMISSION CONFERENCE

The Agency may conduct a Mandatory or Non-Mandatory Pre-Submission Conference, listed in the “Pre-Bid Conference:” field of the BidBuy posting. Please refer to BidBuy for this information.

If attendance is mandatory, Offeror (current contractor included) will be disqualified and considered non-responsive if Offeror does not attend, is not on time, leaves early, or fails to sign the attendance sheet. Offeror must allow adequate time to accommodate security screenings at the site.

Add Webex information here if needed

C.8. 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.9. BUSINESS ENTERPRISE FOR MINORITIES, WOMEN, AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

ACT PARTICIPATION AND UTILIZATION PLAN

The BidBuy posting indicates whether this solicitation contains a goal to include businesses owned and controlled by minorities, women, and persons with disabilities. If this solicitation contains a goal, then failure to complete and submit a Utilization Plan, including documentation demonstrating good faith efforts when requesting a waiver, shall render the Offer non-responsive. 30 ILCS 575/4(e). All questions regarding the subcontracting goal must be directed to the Information Contact indicated in BidBuy no later than 10/15/2025. See the Utilization Plan for NIGP codes used to establish this goal.

BEP Goal: 3%

Go to https://cei.illinois.gov/vendor-resources/get-bep-certified.html for complete requirements for BEP certification. Go to State of Illinois Commission on Equity and https://cpo-general.illinois.gov/sell-2-illinois.html https://cpo-general.illinois.gov/sell-2-illinois.html https://cei.illinois.gov/vendor-resources/get-bep-certified.html

Inclusion at https://supplierdiversitymanagementportal.illinois.gov/home.aspx to search for certified BEP vendors.

NIGP Codes: 208-46, 920-24, 958-77, 920-91

C.10. VETERAN SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION AND UTILIZATION PLAN

The BidBuy posting indicates whether this solicitation contains a goal to include businesses owned and controlled by military veterans. If this solicitation contains a goal, then failure to submit a Utilization Plan as instructed later in this solicitation may render the Offer non-responsive. All questions regarding the subcontracting goal must be directed to the Information Contact indicated in BidBuy no later than 10/15/2025. See the Utilization Plan for NIGP codes used to establish this goal.

VBP Goal: 0%

Go to https://cei.illinois.gov/programs0/veterans-business-program.html for complete requirements for Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB) or Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) certification. Go to State of Illinois Commission on Equity and Inclusion at https://supplierdiversitymanagementportal.illinois.gov/home.aspx to search for certified VOSB and SDVOSB vendors.

C.11. 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 ten (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.12. TERMS AND CONDITIONS

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

https://supplierdiversitymanagementportal.illinois.gov/home.aspx https://cei.illinois.gov/programs0/veterans-business-program.html https://supplierdiversitymanagementportal.illinois.gov/home.aspx https://cpo-general.illinois.gov/solicitation-and-contract-templates.html

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 # 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:

• Business and Directory Information: Offeror should complete and return the Business and Directory Information form in Vendor Disclosure, Part 1.

• Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) Public Contracts Number: Offeror shall complete and return the IDHR Public Contracts Number form in Vendor Disclosure, Part 2.

• Authorized to Transact Business or Conduct Affairs in Illinois: A person (other than an individual acting as a sole proprietor) must be a duly constituted legal entity prior to submitting an Offer and authorized to transact business or conduct affairs in Illinois prior to execution of the contract. For more information, see Authorized to Transact Business or Conduct Affairs in Illinois in Vendor Disclosure, Part 3.

• Standard Illinois Certifications: Offeror shall complete and return the Standard Illinois Certifications form in Vendor Disclosure, Part 4.

• State Board of Elections Registration: Offeror may be prohibited from making political contributions and be required to register with the State Board of Elections. For more information, see State Board of Elections in Vendor Disclosure, Part 5.

• Disclosure of Business Operations with Iran: Offeror should complete and return the Disclosure of Business Operations with Iran form in Vendor Disclosure, Part 6.

• Financial Disclosures and Conflicts of Interest: Offeror shall complete and return the Financial Disclosures and Conflicts of Interest form in Vendor Disclosure, Part 7.

• Taxpayer Identification Number: Offeror should complete and return the Taxpayer Identification form in Vendor Disclosure, Part 8.

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., F.4, F.5., F.6., and F.7. The State evaluates the Technical Requirements without consideration of price.

D.3.1. Total Number of Points Available for Technical Requirements is: 2,315

D.3.2. Offeror shall complete and return Sections F.1., F.2., F.3., F.4, F.5., and F.6.

D.3.3. Relative Weight in Point Format

Technical Requirements Points Available Mandatory Requirements with Evidence 0; all must be met and are evaluated as pass or fail Qualifications and Experience 100 Project Management Technical Proposal 190 Proposed Technical Solution 1725 Demonstration 300

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 463

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

D.4.3. Commitment to Diversity Categories: The percentages at the end of each section reflect the weighted distribution of points available identified in D.4.1.

Commitment to Diversity Categories Category 1 – BEP Compliance - Whether the Offeror meets the set goal for contracting or subcontracting with businesses owned by women, minorities, or persons with disabilities or completed a Good Faith Effort Waiver for this procurement. 5% Category 2 – Subcontracting/Contracting with any WMD businesses (not limited to BEP vendors) - Whether the Offeror has contracted/subcontracted within the prior calendar year with businesses owned by women, minorities, or persons with disabilities. 10%

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 assisted businesses are not required to be certified in the Illinois Business Enterprise Program. 20%

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 assisted business is 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.

20% Category 5 – DEI Policies - Entity has provided a written copy of, or link to, their current written workforce diversity, equity, and inclusion policy. Policies must be actionable plans, not overarching concepts around DEI.

10%

Category 6 – Diversity in Staffing - % of individuals on governing board and/ or Senior executives who identify as women, minorities or person with disabilities. 10% % of individuals in management /supervisor positions who identify as women, minorities or person with disabilities. 13% % of total staff who identify as women, minorities or person with disabilities. 12%

D.5. MINIMUM REQUIRED POINTS

Requests for Proposal may specify that offerors must receive a minimum number of points in their Technical and Commitment to Diversity proposals combined to be considered for price evaluation and award.

The State determines how well offers meet the Technical and Commitment to Diversity requirements and rank the offers from best to least qualified using a point ranking system (unless otherwise specified) as an aid in conducting the evaluation. Offerors who receive fewer than the minimum required points will not be considered for price evaluation and award.

D.5.1. The total number of available points for Technical and Commitment to Diversity is 2,778

D.5.2. The top three (3) scoring Offerors of the available (Technical and Commitment to Diversity) points will be eligible for demonstrations.

D.5.3. All Offerors who proceed to demonstrations will be eligible for price evaluation and award consideration.

D.6. 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.6.1. The total number of points for Price is 556 D.6.2. The State will determine Price points using the following formula:

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

D.7. MAXIMUM AVAILABLE POINTS

The maximum number of points is 2,315 (Technical) + 463 (Commitment to Diversity) + 556 (Price) = 3,334 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 (see Instructions for Submission of Offers in Section C.) of the Offer with proposed confidential information redacted. 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.

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs.asp http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs5.asp?ActID=532&ChapterID=7)%20%20 https://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/admincode/044/044parts.html

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 (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 & 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 fourteen (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 fourteen (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 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; an offeror 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.