MultiYear Media Campaign RFP FINAL 101326~1.docx

Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation Request for Proposal Multi-Year Cannabis Programs Public Media Campaign RFP

26-440DFPR-SECRE-B-53922

Table of Contents

Section A. SCOPE OF WORK

A.1. OVERVIEW AND PURPOSE

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation’s Cannabis Control Section and the Cannabis Regulation Oversight Officer (“CROO,” “IDFPR,” or “Department”) are seeking proposals from qualified Offerors to develop and implement a multi-year, state-wide, data-informed, and strategic communications and public education media campaign for the state’s cannabis programs. The campaign will empower consumers with information to:

· Differentiate cannabis markets (i.e., legal vs. illicit) while promoting Illinois’ legal cannabis industry and its benefits.

· Increasing consumer education on the benefits of purchasing from Illinois’ legal cannabis market.

· Understand the risks of purchasing from illicit markets, including the dangers to public health and safety.

Offerors must possess the innovative skills, creative tools, and experiences on multiple platforms necessary to reach Illinois’ diverse population and drive change in consumer behavior.

All information shall be submitted in the format stipulated in this RFP and within the State’s eProcurement portal, BidBuy. Proposals should be signed by the person(s) duly authorized to bind the awarded Vendor to contracts.

A.2. DESIRED OUTCOMES OF THIS PROJECT/ENGAGEMENT

IDFPR desires to inform consumers on the benefits of purchasing safe, Illinois-grown and manufactured cannabis, and responsible consumption. To achieve these goals, we seek proposals of media campaign(s) that do not promote cannabis or stigmatize its use, but rather are informative, evidence-based, bias-free, and give resources to consumers (both Illinois residents and tourists) seeking information on the topics detailed in this RFP including, but not limited to:

· Benefits of the legal Illinois cannabis market.

· Risks of the illicit market.

· Responsible use and consumption.

· Available resources for cannabis consumers and medical patients in Illinois.

IDFPR desires proposals of the media campaign(s) that impact a multitude of target audiences. For more information, please see “Attachment B Target Audience.” Target audiences may be further refined as additional insights and methods are obtained that define and influence these audiences. Target audiences in Illinois include, but are not limited to:

· Young Adults

· Women and Mothers

· Parents, Guardians, and Responsible Adults

· Mature Adults and Seniors

· Non-English-Speaking Communities

· Diverse Communities

· The General Population and Cannabis-Curious

· Medical Patients and Caregivers

· Veterans

· Rural Consumers

· Low-Income Consumers

IDFPR desires a phased approach in the production and execution of the media campaign(s). IDFPR desires the following phases, listed below. For more information, please see “Attachment A Campaign Phases.” However, qualified Offerors may recommend phase alterations in their proposals, as long as all phase items are executed.

· Phase I: Research and Concept Development

· Phase II: Creative Content Development and Message Testing

· Phase III: Execution and Campaign Rollout

· Phase IV: Ongoing Review of Campaign Impact and Metrics

· Phase V: Campaign Impact Report, State Training, and Hand-Off

IDFPR requires all phases to be fully completed prior to the end of the initial contract term. Multiple phases can be executed at the same time dependent on resource availability. Meaning, Phase I does not need to be completed prior to Phase II kick-off.

IDFPR desires a qualified Offeror who will be responsible for the following activities:

· Project management, including signoffs on major deliverables.

· Developing and refining:

· Campaign message

· Creative content

· Target audience

· Partners and messengers

· Mediums of outreach

· Distributing and promoting the content based on the approved plan.

· Assessing and documenting the real-time impact and efficacy of campaign messaging through quantitative and qualitative research methods.

· Continued improvements through the life cycle of campaign.

· Offerors should have prior work experience with:

· Both state and non-state entities and private sector businesses.

· Executing a multi-year, state-wide media campaign.

· Navigating inherent challenges of marketing a complex and nuanced industry.

A.3. SCHEDULE & BUDGET

Procurement Schedule

Availability of Appropriations and Sufficiency of Funds: Offeror acknowledges and agrees that the Department’s annual budget, and all associated funding, is made publicly available upon being signed into law. The Department’s obligations under this procurement are contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds from which payment for contract purposes can be made. No legal liability on the part of the Department for any payment may arise under this awarded Contract until funds are made available to the Department for this awarded Contract and until the awarded Vendor receives notice of such availability, to be confirmed in writing. In accordance with the terms and conditions outlined herein, if funding for any fiscal year is reduced or deleted by law, the Department shall have the option to terminate the contract, or proportionally reduce the scope of work, without penalty or further liability.

Best Value Evaluation and Proposal Scoring: The State’s RFP process will evaluate the quality of the proposal's content and the proposed price together, as described in the evaluation criteria. This process is designed to select the best-value proposal, rather than solely to the lowest cost submitted. For this RFP, the evaluation of price/cost is weighted at 20% of the total possible proposal score, with the remaining 80% allocated to technical merit, quality of content, and other non-price factors.

A.4. UNIQUE CONSIDERATIONS

A.4.1. STAKEHOLDERS

CROO coordinates all the cannabis teams across State government and will serve as the primary sponsor of the campaign(s). In this role, CROO has internal and external audiences and is often the main conduit for cannabis information. IDFPR’s Cannabis Control Section oversees the licensing and regulation of retail cannabis dispensaries. The Illinois Department of Human Services (“DHS”) has and continues to run a public education campaign related to the health risks of cannabis use. The Illinois Department of Public Health ("DPH”) are the State experts on public health messaging.

External stakeholders include cannabis consumers, medical cannabis patients and their caregivers, cannabis businesses, and the broader community that interacts with community members. The broader community includes family, neighbors, teachers, health care practitioners, law enforcement, and other people who may be connected to cannabis consumers.

A.4.2. REDUCING STIGMA

Cannabis legalization in Illinois began with medical cannabis, originally as a pilot program in 2014. By 2019, Illinois passed legislation legalizing adult use with a strong emphasis on addressing criminal and social justice concerns. The law automatically expunged hundreds of thousands of past cannabis arrests and provided an economic opportunity into the legal market. The law reinvested cannabis tax dollars into communities most impacted by prohibition. These provisions had a large impact on communities with the largest numbers of cannabis arrests, particularly Black and Brown communities. Legalization meant that the market now operates openly within a set of laws and regulations and reduces the stigma that illegality carried for cannabis markets and cannabis consumers.

Further, strict federal research controls over cannabis meant that research and public information on cannabis often highlighted the negatives. The research was given to law enforcement and health authorities, in part to justify and support criminalization. Research on cannabis benefits or collateral harms of criminalization were not promoted. These policies have led to a complicated and culturally important history of cannabis.

A.4.3. IMPROVING CONSUMER KNOWLEDGE

The requested media campaign(s) will offer critical public information to support the legal market, reduce the illicit market, and increase consumer education. Despite medical cannabis’ legal status since 2014, many consumers still lack meaningful knowledge of legal cannabis available in Illinois. Information on where to obtain cannabis legally, how to identify legal and illicit products, and how to assess potency for safe use require knowledge about regulatory structures, navigating state websites, and some understanding of the intoxicating compound in cannabis, THC. Currently, the primary source of information on cannabis has been from the industry. Many consumers rely on these sources and on different people to understand the chemical components, active ingredients, and risks of high concentration products and how they interact with other substances.

Overall, Illinois surveys indicate cannabis consumption in Illinois (and nationwide) have remained steady with the introduction of an adult-use marketplace and strict licensing requirements. While consumers are shifting their purchases from illicit markets or informal sources to legal retailers, the State has a public health interest in seeing consumer consumption continue to shift to the legal and regulated market. An educated and informed cannabis consumer can help mitigate potential public health risks and improve the overall safety of Illinois.

A.5. TERM

A.5.1. 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 end on June 30, 2028, unless otherwise renewed by the Parties. 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.5.2. RENEWAL: Subject to the maximum total term identified above, the State has the option to renew for the following term(s):

· Renewal #1: July 1, 2028, through June 30, 2029.

· Renewal #2: July 1, 2029, through June 30, 2030.

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

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

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Section B. CURRENT CONDITIONS

B.1. OVERVIEW & BACKGROUND

In 2019, Illinois became the 11th state to legalize cannabis for adult use after legalizing cannabis for medical use in 2013. The legislature passed the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (“CRTA”) to legalize and regulate the production, consumption, and sale of non-medicinal, adult use cannabis and to recognize, reduce, and repair harmful effects of past criminalization and punitive drug policies on communities across Illinois and nationally. The CRTA framework has become a national model as the first legislative effort to integrate comprehensive equity measures in its legalizing statute. These measures comprise the three pillars of the Illinois cannabis program: diversity at all levels of the cannabis industry, criminal history record expungement, and reinvestment in communities most harmed by past criminalization of cannabis.

Three State agencies are generally responsible for oversight and licensing of the cannabis industry. Responsibility for cannabis regulation and control is shared by:

· The Illinois Department of Agriculture (“IDOA”), which regulates and licenses cannabis producers (cultivation centers, craft growers, and infusers) and transporters. They also certify the laboratories that test for consumer safety and potency in cannabis products and register community college vocational programs.

· IDFPR, which licenses and oversees medical and adult use cannabis dispensaries. CROO, which will administer the public education campaign, is an administrative unit in IDFPR.

· DPH, which administers the registry of patients and the medical program.

Several other state agencies play important roles in cannabis, including:

· The Illinois State Police (“ISP”), which conduct inspections for security and prevent non-compliant products from entering or exiting Illinois’ market.

· The Department of Revenue (“IDOR”), which collects tax revenue from all cannabis licenses.

· The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (“DCEO”), which operates a forgivable loan program for social equity businesses, as well as technical assistance supports for small cannabis businesses.

· The Restore, Reinvest, Renew (“R3”) program, housed within the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, which has reinvested $300 million in communities impacted by cannabis prohibition.

· DHS, which reinvests 22% of the adult use tax revenue into behavioral health services and supports. A portion of that reinvestment has been in public education efforts devoted to cannabis.

Illinois closely monitors the safety and concentration of cannabis products sold in the legal market. The State and its academic partners have also monitored public health indicators to monitor any adverse consequences as a result of the legal market. However, cannabis obtained from unlicensed and illicit sources still pose health risks. Illicit cannabis is largely untested and can have an unknown production history. This means illicit cannabis products may contain contaminants like pesticides, herbicides, or heavy metals, and they may also contain mold, undisclosed additives, or other allergens. Further, illicit cannabis products generally do not adhere to any labeling standards or requirements, leaving consumers with potentially inaccurate views of cannabinoid content.

Because they operate outside of the regulated market, unlicensed retailers may not limit sales to only tested products or prevent access by minors. Instead, they may sell illicit cannabis products with attractive labeling, products that mimic popular candy and drinks, and other strategies to attract young consumers. The illicit cannabis market presents a challenge to the health and safety of Illinoisans, the environment, and the legal market, as well as undermine consumer awareness of responsible consumption. To an average consumer, there is no difference between these products and consumer confusion damages the well-regulated legal market.

Illinois has run two prior cannabis education campaigns, Let’s Talk Cannabis and Unfaded Illinois, through IDHS. A new public education effort is underway through a Public Awareness Campaign on Substance Use and Supports, using four community organizations to develop and implement the messages. These efforts generally seek to prevent use and reduce harms of cannabis and are separate from this campaign, although there is a desire to generally offer consistent messaging.

State of Illinois Cannabis Acts and Rules: https://cannabis.illinois.gov/legal-and-enforcement/laws-and-regulations.html

B.2. VOLUMES & QUANTITIES

State of Illinois Population (estimated): 12.8 million people State of Illinois annual tourism population (estimated): 113 million people Number of active licensed dispensaries: 289 Number of social equity licensed dispensaries: 179 Calendar Year 2024 Cumulative Sales Revenue: $2 billion reported – 86% adult use, 14% medical Calendar Year 2024 Number of Products Sold: 56 million items Calendar Year 2025 Cumulative Sales Revenue: $1.7 billion reported – 88% adult use, 12% medical Calendar Year 2025 Number of Products Sold: 58 million items

B.3. AREAS OF CONCERN/CHALLENGES

IDFPR is aware that a lack of federal regulation means there can be potential delays in advertising purchases due to FCC regulations and prohibitions. These policies may affect social media and other media companies’ policies around cannabis advertisements. Illinois law excludes public education campaigns from the advertising restrictions on cannabis. The campaign should be aware of past stigmas placed on cannabis from government sources, along with the criminalization and racialization that occurred with past cannabis policy. The awarded Vendor should be prepared to address multi-cultural concerns and viewpoints to address some of this past stigma. The campaign should be seen as a trusted messenger of reliable cannabis information.

IDFPR has limited tools and skillsets to independently run outreach campaigns of this scale. While we regulate industry stakeholders, wider consumer outreach is limited. Additionally, as the regulatory body for cannabis dispensaries, IDFPR cannot drive traffic to any specific dispensary or show any appearance of such impropriety. The awarded Vendor should be cognizant of these potential issues.

Another challenge of this campaign will be combatting misinformation about cannabis and the cannabis markets that already exist. The main source of misinformation relates to regulated retail stores (licensed cannabis dispensaries) and unregulated retail stores (gas stations, hemp stores, head shops, etc.). Consumer confusion exists in differentiating legal stores and products in the regulated cannabis industry from unregulated retailers and products. The awarded Vendor’s campaign(s) must be prepared to articulate these differences, while also understanding longstanding stigma around cannabis.

Further, decades of misinformation around cannabis use have created a complicated public perception. Sometimes, cannabis is conflated with other, more dangerous substances. Additionally, some communities outright oppose cannabis legalization or use. The awarded Vendor should be aware of and consider past governmental messaging when recommending markets, mediums, and target audiences.

Finally, the Cannabis Acts and Rules have robust provisions regarding advertising. Any campaign should be aware of these provisions for general compliance purposes. The Cannabis Acts are subject to legislative changes and thus the campaign(s) should be fluid to respond to any changes to the law.

B.4. STRENGTHS

IDFPR can facilitate and connect the awarded Vendor with subject matter experts from across State government, the research community, consumer advocates, and industry stakeholders. Our good working relationships with these partners means developing content and evidence-based facts will not be a barrier.

IDFPR has a wealth of data to pull from the 10 years that the cannabis program has been operational. This includes surveys and research into market trends, market diversity, and user trends as well as partnerships with universities to assist in data collection, analysis, and research. IDFPR also has access to other states with regulated cannabis markets.

The Illinois cannabis market has also seen consistent growth in terms of the amount of sales, year-over-year growth in the number of items purchased by consumers, and consistent market growth in the number of dispensaries opening each year. Each of these can be drawn on when deciding on target audiences and effective mediums.

Illinois has recently adopted an enhanced Seed-to-Sale Track and Trace system in June of 2025, which can provide additional tools and insight into the cannabis market.

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

· Commitment to Diversity

· 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 3:00PM Central Time, October 30, 2026. 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 Non-Mandatory Pre-Submission Conference, listed in the “Pre-Bid Conference:” field of the BidBuy posting. Please refer to BidBuy for this information.

Join from the meeting link https://illinois.webex.com/illinois/j.php?MTID=m60767fa03799e7adf93a38a830e8dbb0

Join by meeting number Meeting number (access code): 2633 020 8329 Meeting password: axVm7jPD9T5

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Join from a video system or application Dial 26330208329@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 3:00PM Central Time, October 30, 2026. See the Utilization Plan for NIGP codes (915-01 Communications and Media Related Services – Advertising Services) used to establish this goal.

BEP Goal: 16%

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. TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Standard Terms and Conditions will become a part of any resulting contract. To view the Standard Terms and Conditions, please go to:

https://cpo-general.illinois.gov/solicitation-and-contract-templates.html.

Section D. EVALUATION PROCEDURES

D.1. EVALUATION PROCESS

The State assesses each Offer for Responsibility (E.9) and Responsiveness (D.2.). 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 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 their deficiency(ies) as a condition of further evaluation.

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

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

· Active Illinois Procurement Gateway registration # with expiration date

· Certifications timely to this solicitation

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

· Disclosure of pending and current contracts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

D.3. EVALUATION METHODOLOGY

The Technical Requirements are described in Sections F.1., F.2., F.3., 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: 1,000 D.3.2. Offeror shall complete and return Sections F.1., F.2., F.3.

D.3.3. Relative Weight in Point Format

D.4. COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY ELEMENTS

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

D.4.1. The total number of points for Commitment to Diversity is 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 Desirable Elements and Commitment to Diversity is 800.

D.5.2. A minimum of 500 of the available (Desirable Elements and Commitment to Diversity) points is required to be eligible for Demonstrations.

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 1,000 (Technical) + 200 (Commitment to Diversity) + 240 (Price) = 1,440 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 Illinois General Assembly - 30 ILCS 500/ Illinois Procurement Code 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 identifies 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. 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.5. 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.6. 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.7. 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.

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

E.8. 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. or 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.9. 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.9.1. 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…