LIMS AGR RFP Document Final~1.docx

Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology Request for Proposal Laboratory Information Management IDOA

26-448DOIT-APP44-B-52888

Section A. SCOPE OF WORK

A.1. OVERVIEW AND PURPOSE

The Illinois Departments of Innovation and Technology (DoIT, State), and their business and technical stakeholder’s requests Offers from responsible Offerors to provide a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) and Services as specified in this solicitation. To maintain the health and safety of every Illinois resident, the State is undertaking a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) modernization effort to replace the current paper and Microsoft Access based system with a modernized, comprehensive solution. The new LIMS will become an integral part of Illinois Department of Agriculture laboratories by:

The awarded vendor will work directly with DoIT and the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) to lead a synchronous implementation and go live of the new LIMS.

Please read the entire solicitation package and submit an Offer in accordance with the instructions. All forms and signature areas contained in the solicitation package must be completed in full and submitted along with the technical response and price proposal which combined will constitute the Offer.

Per 20 ILCS 1370 1-15, DoIT shall coordinate information technology for State agencies and, when requested and when in the best interests of the State, for State constitutional offices, units of federal or local governments, and public and not-for-profit institutions of primary, secondary, and higher education, or other parties not associated with State government. The Department shall develop and implement standards, policies, and procedures to protect the security and interoperability of State data with respect to those agencies under the jurisdiction of the Governor, including in particular data that are confidential, sensitive, or protected from disclosure by privacy or other laws, while recognizing and balancing the need for collaboration and public transparency. The department also shall control the procurement, retention, installation, maintenance, and operation, as specified by the Department, of information technology equipment used by client agencies in such a manner as to achieve maximum economy and provide appropriate assistance in the development of information suitable for management analysis. The course of these duties may cause involvement between DoIT and the Vendor.

A.2. DESIRED OUTCOMES OF THIS PROJECT/ENGAGEMENT

A.2.1. Services

Services

Project Management

Requirements Validation

Solution Design and Development/Configuration

Testing

User Training

SaaS (Solution Provisioning)

Deployment/Hypercare

Maintenance and Operations

Knowledge Transfer and Exit Transition

Summary Deliverable List

A.2.2. Milestones and Deliverables

The table below depicts a list of key deliverables that is desired to be included in the awarded contract of this RFP.

2. Project Schedule

3. Monthly Status Report

6. System Design Document

7. Detailed Functional and Technical Design Document

8. Role to Position Mapping

10. All Test Scripts, Test Cases, and Test Data

11. Functional Test Plan

12. Performance (Load and Stress) Test Plan

13. Integration Test Plan

14. Security Test Plan

15. User Acceptance Test Plan

16. Deployment Test Plan

17. Disaster Recovery Test Plan

18. Functional Test Results Report

19. Performance Test Results Report

20. Integration Test Results Report

21. Security Test Results Report

22. User Acceptance Test Results Report

23. Deployment Test Results Report

24. Disaster Recovery Test Report

25. End-User Training Plan

27. Train-the-Trainer Training Materials

28. Final Training Materials

29. IT Development (System Admin) Training Materials

30. Infrastructure Management Plan

32. Deployment Plan

34. Production Support Plan

36. Release Management Plan

37. System Security Plan

38. Plan of Action and Milestones (POAM)

39. Monthly Security Status Report

40. Monthly Service Desk Report

41. Knowledge Transfer Plan

43. System and User Documentation

44. Exit Transition Plan

45. Final Acceptance Document

A.3. SCHEDULE & BUDGET

Procurement Schedule

A.4. TERM

A.4.1. TERM OF THIS CONTRACT: The contract resulting from this procurement will have an initial term commencing upon the last date of execution and after an initial 5 year term. 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): Up to 5 years

· One renewal covering the entire renewal allowance;

· Individual one-year renewals up to and including the entire renewal allowance; or

· Any combination of full or partial year renewals up to and including the entire renewal allowance.

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

The Illinois Department of Agriculture Pesticide Laboratory is currently using a Microsoft Access-based database to manage its lab operations. This system, while functional, presents significant limitations, especially given the modern demands for efficiency, data integrity, and compliance. The department's goal is to transition to a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) to become a paperless lab. The move to a LIMS is a strategic decision that will allow the Illinois Department of Agriculture to modernize its lab operations.

The IDOA Pesticide Laboratory consists of multiple departments and will have differing sample needs. The new system will need to be able to integrate with instruments found in B.4 It will also need to be scalable to include new API’s as needed.

B.2. VOLUMES & QUANTITIES

The lab processes approximately 400 samples per year.

B.3. AREAS OF CONCERN/CHALLENGES

A) Data Integrity & Quality

· Transcription errors: Manual entry from instruments or paper increases typos, misreads, and rounding mistakes.

· Inconsistent master data: Uncontrolled lists for tests, reagents, methods, units, and limits cause variability across runs and reports.

· Versioning gaps: Method changes or specification updates aren’t traceable or enforced across users.

· Duplicate records: Without strong constraints and validation, samples, batches, or results can be duplicated or mismatched.

Impact: Wrong results, delayed investigations, rework, and potential release decisions based on faulty data.

B) Compliance, Traceability & Auditability

· Insufficient audit trail: If edits overwrite values without immutable logs (who/what/when/why), you can’t reconstruct events.

· Electronic records/signatures gaps: (unique IDs, role-based permissions, audit trails, e-signs).

· Chain of custody: Weak tracking of sample receipt, storage, transfers, and disposal undermines defensibility.

· Validation difficulty: Custom-built systems are hard to validate and maintain validated status after changes.

Impact: Non-compliance findings, consent decrees, delayed approvals, or inability to defend data in audits.

C) Scalability & Performance

· Concurrent user limits: File-based databases struggle with multiple users, record locks, and corruption risk.

· Growth constraints: Expanding test volume, instruments, or sites can greatly increase database size/performance limits.

· Workflow bottlenecks: Inefficient queries and forms create slow screens and timeouts, especially with large result sets or attachments.

Impact: Slow turnaround time (TAT), user frustration, and rising support overhead.

D) Operational Efficiency

· No instrument integration: Manually keying instrument outputs (chromatography, balances, spectrometers) increases errors and cycle time.

· Fragmented workflows: Steps live in spreadsheets, emails, and paper—hard to track, reconcile, or schedule.

· Rework and deviations: Higher error rates trigger investigations, Corrective and Preventative Actions (CAPAs), and extra reviews.

Impact: Higher cost per test, missed Service Levels/ TAT, and reduced capacity.

E) Security & Access Control

· Role-based access control (RBAC) gaps: Over-permissive access or shared accounts jeopardize data integrity.

· Lack of environment separation: No clear DEV/TEST/PROD separation increases change risk.

· Weak backups & recovery: Limited backup policy or restore testing can lead to prolonged outages or data loss.

Impact: Security incidents, downtime, and regulatory exposure.

F) Reporting, Analytics & Decisions

· Ad hoc reporting pain: Hard to create validated, consistent reports (Certificate of Analysis (CoAs), trend charts, Out of Specification/ Out of Trend (OOS/OOT) summaries).

· No statistical monitoring: Limited SPC, stability trending, method performance metrics.

· Data siloing: Difficult to feed results to other systems for end-to-end visibility.

Impact: Slower decisions, poor trend detection, and limited continuous improvement.

G) People & Process

· Training burden: Manual workflows require constant training to avoid mistakes.

· Change control gaps: Updates to fields, forms, or calculations may bypass formal change control.

· Support load: IT becomes a bottleneck for fixes and enhancements.

Impact: Burnout, variability, and slow evolution of the system.

F) Microsoft Access Risks

· File-based, limited scalability and concurrency.

· 2 GB file size limit (not counting attachments linked externally), risk of database corruption with many users.

· Limited built-in audit logging and RBAC compared to server databases.

B.4. FIGURES, DIAGRAMS, & REFERENCE DOCUMENTS:

B.4.1. Current Lab Equipment

Lab Equipment Integrations

HPLC/UV-vis Shimadzu Prominence CBM-20A/SPD-20AV w/Lab Solutions Software

IC Thermo Scientific Dionex Aquion w/Chromelon Software

GC/ECD Agilent 7890A w/Open Lab CDS Chemstation

Milli-Q Water Milli-Q IQ 7005

GC/MSD Agilent 7890B/5977B w/Mass Hunter Workstation and Chemstation

GC/TQ Agilent 8890/70710C w/Mass Hunter Workstation and Chemstation

GC/FID Agilent 8890 w/Open Lab CDS Chemstation

LC/High-Resoltion Thermo Fisher Vanquish/Q Exactive Plus w/TraceFinder Software

LC/MS/MS Waters Premier/Xevo TQ Absolute w/Mass Lynx Software

Autotitrator Mettler Toledo Titrator Excellence T5

Top-loading balance Mettler Toledo MX2002

Automated Disk Extraction System Biotage Horizon 5000 w/SPE-DEX 5000 Software

Analytical Balance Mettler Toledo XPR105

Lab Equipment that would need manual selection

Analytical Balance Mettler Toledo ME204

Top-loading Balance Mettler Toledo PM4000

Freezer/Refrigerator - Instrument Lab

Refrigerator - Formulation Lab pH/Conductivity meter Denver Instruments Model 220

Freezer - Receiving Room

Freezer - Receiving Room

Freezer - Receiving Room

Refrigerator - Receiving Room

Refrigerator - Receiving Room

Batch Sample Processor Robot Coupe Model RSI 10VB

Nitrogen Generator Peak Scientific Genius XE - Waters LC/MS/MS

Nitrogen Generator Peak Scientific Genius XE - Thermo Q Exactive

Freezer - Residue

Refrigerator - Residue

Automated Solvent Evaporation System Biotage TurboVap LV

Centrifuge Thermo Scientific Sorvall ST 40R

Dual-Action Orbital Reciprocating Shaker Thermo Fisher MAXQ 2508 pH Meter Thermo Fisher Acconet XL150

Top-loading Balance Precise 3100C

Water Bath Thermo Fisher Precision GP28

Sonicator/Degasser Emerson Branson

Oven Fisher Isotemp Vaccum Oven Model 281

B.4.2. Future Sample Flow Chart

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

· Pricing

· 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/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. 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

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 2 Weeks After Publishing .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 is conducting a Non-Mandatory Pre-Submission Conference, listed in the “Pre-Bid Conference:” field of the BidBuy posting. Please refer to BidBuy for this information.

Date: Wednesday 6/24/2026 Time: 10:00 AM

Join from the meeting link https://illinois.webex.com/illinois/j.php?MTID=m1fa5d48067d7560934626fd6341811ab

Join by meeting number

Meeting number (access code): 2870 419 9294

Meeting password: gpSujByQ263

Tap to join from a mobile device (attendees only) +1-312-535-8110,,28704199294## United States Toll (Chicago) +1-415-655-0002,,28704199294## US Toll

Join by phone +1-312-535-8110 United States Toll (Chicago) +1-415-655-0002 US Toll Global call-in numbers

Join from a video system or application Dial 28704199294@illinois.webex.com You can also dial 173.243.2.68 and enter your meeting number.

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 2 Weeks After Publishing .See below for NIGP codes used to establish this goal.r

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

C.10. 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.11. TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Information 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.

If the offeror is takin exception to any of these terms please use the Blank contract template attached in the BidBuy solicitation posting.

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:

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.2., F.3., and F.5. The State evaluates the Technical Requirements without consideration of price.

D.3.1. Total Number of Points Available for Technical Requirements is: 1000

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

D.3.3. Relative Weight in Point Format

D.4. COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY ELEMENTS

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

D.4.1. The total number of points for Commitment to Diversity is 200

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 - The vendor has provided a written copy/screenshot of their current written workforce diversity, equity, and inclusion (“DEI”) policy. The policy provided 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 the Written Technical Proposal and Commitment to Diversity is 1000.

D.5.2. The top 3 Offerors who score a minimum of 70% (700 Points) of the Written Technical Proposal and Commitment to Diversity will be eligible for demonstrations. If only one or two Offerors meet the 70% minimum the corresponding number of Offerors will move on to demonstrations. All offerors that are eligible for demonstrations will move on to pricing.

D.5.3. The State reserves the right to allow the top 3 scoring offerors to move on to demonstrations if no single vendor meets the 70% minimum for the Written Technical and Commitment to Diversity.

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 240 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 1000 (Written Technical and Demonstrations) + 200 (Commitment to Diversity) + 240 (Price) = 1440 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 https://ilga.gov/Legislation/ILCS/Chapters . 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 and Illinois General Assembly - ADMINISTRATIVE CODE.

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 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. For purposes of this section, an employee of the State of Illinois means one who, by the nature of his or her duties, has the authority to participate personally and substantially in the decision to award a State contract. No person or business shall submit specifications to a State agency unless requested to do so by an employee of the State. No person or business that contracts with a State agency to write specifications for a particular procurement need shall submit a bid or proposal or receive a contract for that procurement need.

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

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

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

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

E.11. 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://pathway2procurement.illinois.gov/bidbuy.html

Section F. PROPOSAL FORMS Offeror must complete and return:

· The following two (2) tables include: Technical Requirements: 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.

Offerors should format their proposals to match the structure, organization, and presentation style below. The purpose of this is to ensure clarity, consistency, and ease of evaluation.

To comply, Offerors should follow these guidelines:

1. Follow the same section order and headings shown in the sample.

· Each response must be labeled with the corresponding RFP requirement number (e.g., “F.2.1 Government Hosting Experience”).

· Maintain the same hierarchy of headings, subheadings, and topic areas.

2. Provide both bullet‑point summaries and supporting narrative paragraphs for each requirement, as depicted in the sample.

· Bullet points should summarize key qualifications or capabilities.

· A short paragraph should follow to explain or expand upon those bullets.

3. Use clear, concise, and direct language.

4. Ensure that each mandatory requirement is explicitly addressed.

· Responses must align with the order and numbering used in the RFP.

· Do not combine or reorder requirements.

5. Include designated contact information in the format shown in the sample proposal, including:

· Primary and secondary points of contact

· Email addresses

· Phone numbers

6. Maintain consistent formatting conventions, including:

· Section titles in bold

· Bullet lists for key points

· Paragraph summaries after bullet lists

· Structured lists for timelines or phased work plans

F.1. CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

Please read each contract requirement carefully in F.1. These contract requirements shall be included in any contract resulting from this solicitation.

CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

F.1.1. The Solution must be hosted in an Offeror maintained Cloud environment and not be stored, maintained, or accessed via on-premises servers.

F.1.2. The Solution must be a web-based solution allowing authorized user access to information twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven (7) days per week notwithstanding any pre-agreed upon or emergency maintenance requirements.

F.1.3. The facility where the application is hosted must be a Tier II equivalent facility with N+ 1 capability for all HVAC, electrical, UPS and generator facilities. The facility must have dual instances for power and network / Internet connectivity.

F.1.4. Offeror must ensure all hosted data pertinent to this contract shall remain located within the contiguous United States.

F.1.5. Attachment A- DoIT Cloud Hosting Appendix shall become part of the resulting contract. If any changes are proposed they must be submitted at the time of proposal.

F.1.6. The Solution shall be built with information security from its inception rather than “bolted on” after the System has been implemented.

F.1.7. Offeror shall have an all-encompassing, end-to-end regulatory solution that is in-production at a customer of similar size and scope of IDOA.

F.1.8. The Solution shall support security at the object level (e.g., Table, View, Index).

F.1.9. The Solution shall support security at the row and column level.

F.1.10. The Solution shall support auditing at the object level (i.e., Table, Column).

F.1.11. Offeror’s Solution must be capable of performance all tests outlined in Section B.

F.1.12. The Offeror should make available, at DoIT's request, any and all documentation needed to support compliance with State and Federal regulations.

F.1.13. The software used to install and update the System, independent of the mode or method of conveyance, shall be certified free of malevolent software (“malware”). The Vendor may self-certify compliance with this standard through procedures that make use of commercial malware scanning software.

F.1.14. The Solution should be configurable to prevent corruption or loss of data already accepted into the System in the event of a System failure (e.g., integrating with an uninterrupted power supply (UPS) for on-premises systems, etc.).

F.1.15. The Vendor should monitor, alert, and protect against web application attacks of internet-facing applications.

F.1.16. The Vendor must maintain all minimum Service Level Agreements (SLAs) including Incident Response Times defined in Attachment C throughout the life of the contract.

• SLA compliance will be measured and reported according to the formulas and reporting periods specified in Attachment C.

• All monetary penalties for SLA non-compliance shall be applied as service credits and deducted from the following month’s invoice without exception.

• The Vendor must provide monthly SLA reports within five (5) business days after month-end and submit a root-cause analysis and corrective action plan for any SLA…