IHDA.org Website Redesign FINAL~2.docx

Illinois Housing Development Authority Request for Proposal IHDA.org Redesign

25-551HDA-MARKC-B-45176

Section A. SCOPE OF WORK

A.1. OVERVIEW AND PURPOSE

The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) is accepting proposals to design and develop a new website for www.ihda.org. This will be a concept-to-completion project. The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to provide a fair evaluation for all vendors and to provide vendors with the evaluation criteria against which they will be judged.

A.2. DESIRED OUTCOMES OF THIS PROJECT/ENGAGEMENT

At the conclusion of the RFP process, the Illinois Housing Development Authority will make an award to an outside vendor to design, build and launch a new website(s). This web development process will include the following:

· Developing recommendations for the site architecture for www.ihda.org. This will be based on information gathered by IHDA’s Communication’s team internal meetings and the awardee’s own department interviews and external interviews with key stakeholders. Examples of external interviews include but are not limited to developers, grantees of our Community Affairs or Homeownership/Mortgage programs, and/or those who have received assistance through our emergency response programs.

· Review of the http://www.illinoishousinghelp.org website and work collaboratively with IHDA to make recommendations to incorporate key content into the redesign of ihda.org. After the redesign of www.ihda.org, the www.illinoishousinghelp.org/ site will be shut down and traffic will redirect to the redesigned ihda.org website.

· Redesign of our Homeownership/Mortgage Department website, ihdamortgage.org. This would include recommendations on how to incorporate the site and better align it with the new ihda.org site.

· This will include recommendations on if the site should remain a stand-alone site or be incorporated into ihda.org.

· If it is recommended to be a stand-alone website, the design needs to be cohesive and be built on the same Content Management System (CMS) platform selected for ihda.org along with the same hosting provider. This is for ease of client management and allow for multiple users for client maintenance and management.

· Additionally, if a stand-alone site is created for the Homeownership/Mortgage content, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), reporting and analytics will need to be consistent and with the same measurement tools (e.g. Yoast, Google Analytics, etc.) for consistency.

· The vendor will recommend and procure the hosting solution largely based on the CMS selected.

· Provide key creative input

· Beyond the website(s) design and buildout, IHDA Communications would be open to the selected vendor providing creative in all aspects including (but not limited to)

· Copywriting

· Photography

· Graphic Design

· Infographic creation

· Video integration (to demonstrate programs or more long form testimonials)

Once the site(s) is/are live, the vendor will provide the following:

· A staging site whereby the IHDA team can perform testing and internal reviews before promoting to a live server/live site.

· A training for applicable staff on maintenance and reporting. This must include ‘leave-behinds” or reference materials for staff who will be maintaining the site. The type of reference/training materials created can be discussed but may include video tutorials, PDF instructional booklet, or other form of communication pieces.

· The selected vendor will remain engaged via a maintenance agreement for a period of one year.

· After one year maintenance period concludes, any following renewal terms, if needed, will be negotiated with vendor and client.

A.3. SCHEDULE

RFP Timetable (dates and times subject to change, per IHDA’s discretion)

· Pre-Submission “Pre-Bid” Conference Wednesday, November 20, 2024, 10:00 a.m.

· Vendor Questions Due Friday, November 22, 2024, 5:00 p.m. CST

· Due Date and Time for Offers due to IHDA by 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 17, 2024

· Vendor Demos (Virtual/Zoom presentations) Week of January 6, 2024 *

· Top three (3) scoring vendors will be invited for finalist presentations.

· Selection review and approval by IHDA Board of Directors Friday, February 21, 2025

· Anticipated Start Date of Contract March 1, 2025

Website Timetable

· Once vendor has onboarded, they will work with IHDA on a project plan with key milestones including our fiscal year end – June 30, 2025, and final launch by December 2025.

A.4. UNIQUE CONSIDERATIONS

A.4.1. Creation of Document Library A.4.1.1. These will include working with our internal partners (Multifamily, Asset Management, Strategic Planning and Reporting (SPAR), Legal and Homeownership teams) to create a customer friendly document library. This will house documentation that our business partners will need to access to conduct business with IHDA. A good reference for this would be a fellow Housing Finance Agency, MassHousing - www.mhp.net/rental-financing/massdocs-onesource A.4.1.2. Within this library, it will need to account for larger file sizes. The site will require a library or repository of PDF/documents which can average 10-20 MB in size. These do not exist yet, but they will be in addition to the site’s existing content. There will be a minimum of 40 files at this size that should be accounted for.

A.4.1.3. Ability to integrate Digital Asset Management (DAM) system. We are currently exploring utilizing DAM for digital asses and will want to consider how this can integrate with the library.

A.4.2. Future Sites A.4.2.1. Site must be built so that future sites can be created/added easily.

A.4.2.2 While not part of this assignment, IHDA will create digital biennial reports. The most recent edition is at ihdacy22-23.com. Ideally, future biennial reports will be built on the same CMS platform that is utilized for this assignment so the two-year report can be housed with the same hosting provider.

A.4.2.3. Navigation solution (top, side, subpage navigation) must be intuitive for the user but needs to be easily expandable to reorganize, add new sections or to add links to new, post launch sites (e.g. future biennial reports, special programs or initiatives). Need to avoid the navigation being bound by design or images.

A.4.3 Hosting Minimums A.4.3.1. While not all content from the current sites will be carried over, vendor should consider the current minimum sizes. At this writing, the ihda.org site utilizes 14.901 GB in storage, the Illinoishousinghelp.org site utilizes 379.641 MB (Files, fonts, and backups). We do not have the site size for IHDAMortgage.

A.4.4. Coordination with IHDA IT teams upon publication of the final site(s) to ensure we have proper nameservers included.

A.4.4.1 Additionally, please note that ihda.org is the Illinois Housing Development Authority’s root directory and will also require collaboration with IHDA’s IT team to ensure that internal staff need to view the same site as the general public.

A.5. TERM

· TERM OF THIS CONTRACT: The contract resulting from this procurement will have an initial term commencing upon the last dated signature of the Parties and ending 12 months later 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.

· TRANSPORTATION AND DELIVERY TERMS: All work may be conducted virtually. However, Offeror must have the ability to attend in person meetings at the offices of the IHDA, if requested.

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

· Renewal #1: 1 Year– Maintenance Agreement

· Renewal #2: 1 Year – Maintenance Agreement

A.5..1. Pricing for the renewal term(s), or the formula for determining price, is in the Pricing section of this solicitation.

A.5..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

IHDA is a self-supporting and mission-driven state agency dedicated to financing the creation and preservation of affordable housing in Illinois. IHDA offers affordable mortgages and down payment assistance for homebuyers, provides financing for the development of affordable rental housing, and manages a variety of assistance programs to create communities where all Illinoisans can live, work, and thrive. Since it was established in 1967, IHDA has delivered more than $27.8 billion in state, federal, and leveraged financing to make possible the purchase, development, or rehabilitation of more than 327,000 homes and apartments for low- and middle-income households.

IHDA accomplishes its mission through a number of federal and state funding sources, including the Illinois Affordable Housing Trust Fund, the Illinois Affordable Housing Tax Credit Fund, the Allocation of Federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits, Federal Home Investment Partnership Program funds and others. IHDA also independently sells bonds, based on its own good credit rating, to access capital from the private markets to finance affordable housing throughout Illinois.

The ihda.org website was last redesigned in 2014. Illinoishousinghelp.org site was created in 2021 and the ihdamortgage.org site was created around 2018. As stated in section A.2., Illinoishousinghelp.org content will be incorporated into ihda.org.

The selected vendor will provide their recommended course of action on migrating Homeownership/Mortgage content into the main ihda.org site or whether to keep it as a stand-alone Homeownership/Mortgage Department website.

More information regarding technology specs and hosting providers will be shared upon signing an agreement.

Audiences IHDA has several different audiences that we work with and need to reach. Some audiences are Business to Consumer/Retail and most are Business to Business in nature. Our audiences are listed below. Please note that the audiences below often have touchpoints with multiple departments.

· Community Action Agencies/Non-profits

· Housing Counselors

· Lenders

· Homebuyers/Potential Homebuyers

· Financial Institutions/Banks

· New Lenders/New Partners/New Banks

· Municipalities

· Legislators and their staff

· Illinois Governor’s Office and other state agencies

· Developers – new and existing

· Architects

· Contractors

· Investment Bankers

· Renters and those seeking rental assistance/home assistance

· Property Owners

· Property Managers

· Educators

· Media

· Potential Interns

· Job Seekers

· Those seeking to submit a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

· Realtors

B.2. VOLUMES & QUANTITIES

Traffic Snapshots In 2023, our sites had the following key metrics:

· the ihda.org site had 297,182 visits and 94% of our traffic came from organic search or direct visit. The average engagement time was 1 minute 11 second.

· the ihdamortgage.org site had 396,348 visits with an average session duration of 5 minutes and 29 seconds.

· 2023 data is not available for Illinoishousinghelp.org. In 2024, currently averages roughly 22,000 visits a month and 75% of the traffic came direct or referred from ihda.org. The average engagement time has been 43 seconds.

B.3. AREAS OF CONCERN/CHALLENGES

Current State

· Not mobile friendly.

· Lack of consistent browsing experience over all devices and platforms (e.g. mobile vs. desktop, Chrome vs. Firefox vs. Edge.)

· Search functionality needs to be revamped to provide consistent results.

· Opportunity to better incorporate customer focused “How can we help you” search via webtools and/or AI.

· SEO is lacking.

· No to low Accessibility (not ADA compatible).

· Structure of content is not focused on end-users/customers.

· Difficult to navigate

· Rigid nature/spacing of the top navigation bar makes it difficult to add new sections.

· Site is text and link heavy.

· Downloadable forms are not uniform and in various types (not PDF but also Word, Excel, etc.).

· Sections lack use of video, visuals and graphics to help with storytelling.

· Need for consistent and easy means to pull analytics.

· Need for integration with Digital/Email Marketing platforms (i.e. Constant Contact, MailChimp, and others.) and potentially social media.

· Need to have the opportunity to integrate with a DAM system for ease of pulling assets into the site.

· Need for clean and improved URL structure for customers and SEO.

· On the backend, do not have a tool to search for broken links

· On the backend, do not have a way to efficiently add links/documents to multiple pages of the site but the main link/document reside in one location for update/edits that will carry over to all sections.

· Need to have one touchpoint of certain files for maintenance. For example, if a pdf is uploaded and it is on 10 different pages, there is no efficient way to update it on all pages but rather go into all 10 different links/pdfs.

Future State

· Consistent user experience across all browsers and platforms

· Mobile-friendly

· Serve as a brand tool that reinforces agency’s mission and priorities

· Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and IHDA’s Core Values need to be an underpinning throughout the site messaging. Need a separate DEI page/section as well.

· ADA compatibility and functionality.

· Include additional language options outside of English.

· Showcase IHDA departments and programs and their contributions to the state’s housing market with the use of concise messaging.

· Provide a thoughtful document library structure making it easier for external partners to find relevant information or applications forms.

· Intuitive, informative, and accessible website that is easy to maintain with an instinctive and flexible navigation.

· Visually pleasing that also includes predefined templates to choose from that dictate the layout and color scheme

· Ability for key personnel to easily update content without directly accessing source code (but have the option to have access to source code if needed). For example, adding a press release or daily rates.

· Provide a modern, relevant design update that includes attractive visual images, including but not limited to testimonials, storytelling and infographics, to help convey our program messaging.

· Better approach of our layouts/presentation of information around our Board Members and IHDA’s monthly Board Meetings that are streamed live.

· Improved layout and interactive employes to employment opportunities section.

· Improved procurement section, IHDA newsroom, and FOIA section. Ability to add interactive maps and ArcGIS. Maps will be from data-driven information that for our homeownership lenders, Housing Counseling Agencies we fund, Grantees who administer our programs, etc.)

· Ability to provide to our internal customers, streamlined data and site analytics.

· Responsive search functionality for users.

· Incorporation of customer focused “How can we help you” search via webtools and/or AI.

· Provide integration with the following tools:

A.1..1. Media tracking – TvEyes is currently used A.1..2. CRM/email – Constant Contact and Mailchimp are currently used A.1..3. Project Management – Monday.com is currently used A.1..4. Reporting – Starting to use Power BI for internal and external reporting A.1..4.1. This list is not exhaustive and are open to growing beyond these included as stated above with the DAM.

· Site needs to be truly scalable, and it should provide functional capacity to grow – particularly with navigation and adding main sections.

· Homeownership – having a mechanism to have a ranking for lenders

· Homeownership – a means to automate its email distribution of its daily mortgage rates (currently done manually.)

· Homeownership – streamlined and easy to find way for customers/partners to sign up to receive daily mortgage rates.

· Homeownership – creation of a secured access portal (username/password) for partner lenders to access.

· Homeownership – Streamlined training resources for partner lenders

· Homebuyer Resources -– Streamlined information for potential on how to use our programs and services.

· Homeownership – Integration of mailing lists, homebuyer sign ups.)

B.4. STRENGTHS

· Affordable housing content and information.

· Our sites provide an immense amount of important information for the audiences we serve.

· IHDA Communications Team.

· We have a dedicated with strong institutional and product-based knowledge that will be dedicated to this project.

B.5. FIGURES, DIAGRAMS, & REFERENCE DOCUMENTS (optional – delete this section if it does not apply) Reference Documents Current sitemaps of ihda.org, illinoishousinghelp.org and ihdamortgage.org are included for reference. (Figure x, y, z).

Figure X – IHDA.org Sitemap Figure Y – Illinoishousinghelp.org Sitemap Figure Z – IHDA Mortgage Sitemap

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

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

· Technical response

· Commitment to Diversity

· References

· BEP 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/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, 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. 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 shall 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 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:

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, or 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

Section C.

C.1.

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.

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 5:00 p.m. on November 22, 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. 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.

Please see document attached in BidBuy for the TEAMS Meeting information.

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 [insert question due date from C.6]. See the Utilization Plan for NIGP codes used to establish this goal.

BEP Goal: 5% Go to https://cei.illinois.gov/business-enterprise-program.html for complete requirements for BEP certification. Go to State of Illinois Commission on Equity and Inclusion at https://ceibep.diversitysoftware.com/ to search for certified BEP vendors.

C.10. VETERAN SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION AND UTLIZATION 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 [insert question due date from C.6]. See the Utilization Plan for NIGP codes used to establish this goal.

VBP Goal: 0% Go to https://cei.illinois.gov/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://ceibep.diversitysoftware.com/ 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. INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY STANDARD 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.

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.

· 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.

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

· 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

· If completing Vendor Disclosure, required parts may include and may not be limited to:

· 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.

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

· Total Number of Points Available for Technical Requirements is: 150.

· Offeror shall complete and return Sections F.1., F.2., F.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.

· The total number of points for Commitment to Diversity is 45

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

· 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 or how well the Offeror meets this solicitation’s goal of contracting or subcontracting with businesses owned by women, minorities, or persons with disabilities. 5%

Category 2 – Subcontracting/Contracting with any WMD businesses (not limited to BEP vendors) - Whether the Offeror assisted 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 out of all staff who identify as women, minorities or person with disabilities. 10% % of individuals in management /supervisor positions out of all staff 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 100

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 the vendor demonstration portion of the solicitation.

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.

· The total number of available points for Technical and Commitment to Diversity is 195.

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.

· The total number of points for Price is 54.

· 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 150 (Technical) + 75 (Vendor Demonstration) + 45 (Commitment to Diversity) + 54 (Price) = 324 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.

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 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; an offeror with whom the State can or should do business. For example, the State may consider the following:

· 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.

· 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.

· 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.

· The State may require that an offeror correct any deficiencies as a condition of further evaluation.

· 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 here:

https://www2.illinois.gov/cpo/PathwayToProcurement/Pages/Guides-and-Manuals.aspx

Section F. PROPOSAL FORMS Offeror must complete and return:

· The following three (3) 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 Information and Technology 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