Over 100k Sole Source Justification Form v.7.01 Parchment 25-26 - SPO Signed.pdf

This is a Sole Source Justification Form submitted by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) for electronic transcript services from Parchment an Instructure Company. The contract is for a comprehensive electronic transcript exchange platform that allows high schools to electronically submit student transcripts to colleges, universities, and other organizations across the United States. The contract term runs from February 1, 2025 through January 31, 2026, with no renewal options. The service will support over 400 Illinois high schools in processing approximately 220,000 e-transcript requests annually.

The contract value is $572,250, negotiated down from an initial quote of $583,150, and will be funded through State Appropriate Funds. Parchment was selected as the sole source provider after evaluation of alternatives including MHEC, Need My Transcript, Scribbles, and National Student Clearinghouse. The justification notes that Parchment is the only vendor offering a complete system that integrates multiple credential types, meets PESC XML standards, and provides both electronic and print/mail delivery options. The vendor has been providing this service to Illinois schools for 13 years, with previous contract values ranging from $280,965 to $2,961,688 between 2011-2024.