Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Request for Proposal Recycle Education

26-532EPA-LAND5-B-51688

Section A. SCOPE OF WORK

A.1. OVERVIEW AND PURPOSE

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) desires to implement an Illinois Recycling Education Program.. These services will produce a holistic recycling education program to help Illinois residents understand how to properly dispose of household waste.

A.2. DESIRED OUTCOMES OF THIS PROJECT/ENGAGEMENT

A.2.1. GOAL: The vendor will develop and provide a tool kit per county, an interactive map, and smartphone app to identify recyclables and what to do with nonrecyclables. These services should provide all Illinois residents with customized recycling education to increase participation and ensure proper disposal of household waste. The vendor’s solution should be available online on multiple platforms to ensure market penetration and ease of access to IL residents and units of local government. Using the technology, residents should be able to identify recycling options specific to their location and the item they want to dispose of.

A.2.2.1. Conduct a statewide survey that evaluates the existing recycling infrastructure by community. The vendor will need to conduct an electronic survey reaching out to all 102 counties and thousands of municipalities in the state as recycling infrastructure is currently highly localized. An electronic survey will ensure review expediency and response consistency. The Vendor will encourage each community to complete the necessary survey materials and enroll their community’s location-specific information in a custom application the Vendor develops. Enrollment will be completed using forms developed by the Vendor.

A.2.2.2. The technology must be compliant with the Illinois Information Technology Accessibility Act (IITAA) and compatible with the following but not limited to browsers: Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari.

A.2.2.3. The Vendor shall develop an online solution available on multiple platforms that enables users to identify materials by local recyclability. The app will need to be compatible with existing ubiquitous mobile technology, including Windows, Apple, and Android.

A.2.2.4. The Vendor should provide promotional materials for state and local government in multiple languages to amplify the use of the platform. Promotional materials will primarily consist of paper and electronic ads campaigns specifically tailored to align with local infrastructure based on survey results. In accordance with 30 ILCS 500/20-105: All books, pamphlets, documents, and reports published through or by the State of Illinois or any State agency, board, or commission shall have printed thereon “Printed by authority of the State of Illinois”, the date of each publication, the number of copies printed, and the printing order number.

A.2.2.5. Personalized Pick-up and Event Schedules

A.2.2.5.1. The Vendor should offer a solution that allows residents in virtually any municipality to receive their recycling schedule on a variety of digital platforms.

A.2.2.5.2. Pickup Schedule Calendar – a regularly updated pickup schedule calendar shall be available on all digital formats supported by the Vendor. Residents should be able to optionally print these calendars out in up to 6-month increments as well as export them to electronic calendars on iOS or Android.

· In app notification

· Email

· SMS (municipality must opt in and pay the associated carrier charges)

· Phone (municipality must opt in and pay the associated carrier charges)

A.2.2.7. Residents shall be able to search for local recycling and disposal information, based on where they reside. Residents shall have the option to use the camera on their mobile device to scan an item and get recycling or disposal information for where they live.

A.2.2.7.1. In addition to recycling and disposal information, a resident is also provided with (from participating municipalities, when applicable):

· Detailed collection requirements

· Drop-off locations, including hours of operation, proximity and driving directions

· Event details, including accepted items, proximity and driving directions

· Prompt to search for “Related Materials”

· Other related information

A.2.2.8. Collection Requirements

A.2.2.8.1. Collection requirements shall be customized for each municipality, and may include these or other details:

· Set-out time

· Set-out container details

· Special instructions

· PAYT program details, including purchase locations

· Weight restrictions

· Quantity restriction

· Cart placement

A.2.2.9. Drop Off Locations

A.2.2.9.1. Many materials are not generally picked up at curbside; such as electronics, household hazardous waste and some bulky materials. Residents are advised of the locations where they are permitted to take these materials, based on where they live. Information about each depot may include:

· Address

· Hours of operation (including seasonal variances, such as “Summer Hours” and “Winter Hours”)

· Special instructions (e.g. “Enter Gate A”)

· Restrictions and special requirements (e.g. “Must show proof of residency”)

· Accepted materials

· Holiday closure details

A.2.2.10. Resident Education and Engagement

A.2.2.10.1. The Vendor shall design and implement an educational program available to the public. Evidence-based decision-making utilizing data from the educational program shall be used to develop PSA campaigns. PSA campaigns shall be implemented to enhance residents’ understanding of recycling options and best practices.

A.2.2.10.2. An educational series utilizing articles, blog posts, videos, and other forms shall be developed to explain sustainability, recycling programs, best practices and contamination, as well as ways to reduce it. Residents should have the ability to track progress and test proficiency. The educational content should be available to local governments to distribute to their residents.

A.2.2.10.3. The Vendor shall propose a way to gather data on baseline knowledge about recycling practices from participating residents to better guide development of educational resources.

A.2.2.10.4. The Vendor shall engage and educate the youth (17 and under) at community events, school presentations, and be used as a quick resource when a community group asks for educational resources.

A.2.2.10.5. The Vendor shall distribute at a minimum, monthly updates on products and insights to promote subscriber growth.

A.2.2.11. Subscriber Recruitment

A.2.2.11.1. The Vendor shall actively recruit subscribers. Subscriber recruitment includes, but is not limited to:

· Marketing Services – all local government admin users of the Vendor’s application shall have access to a full marketing repository. The entire repository shall be self-serve in popular formats for social media but also editable formats that cities can enhance with their logo and message.

· Custom Marketing Services – on a case-by-case scenario, cities or counties may request to have custom materials designed for local events or signage or other custom program to increase subscriber enrollment and participation.

· Electronic forms of communication shall engage and educate residents about waste and recycling. The Vendor shall implement a methodology to ensure the content ranks highly in Google’s search algorithm.

· Annual Recycling Report – An annual report measuring the differences in recycling knowledge and attitudes within national, state, and local jurisdictions shall be provided to the Agency on an annual basis. This report shall contain information to provide local governments with a way to measure their progress from year to year in educating their residents about proper waste management requirements. Results are to provide local governments with rich data that can be used for press releases and social media posts, which increases awareness and encourages increases usage.

· Local partnerships – the Vendor shall utilize local partnerships to increase the user base in Illinois. The Vendor shall attend local/county meetings and events to increase awareness and cooperation. The Vendor shall become a member of The Illinois Recycling Foundation.

· Recycle Education mobile app – residents shall be encouraged to download the mobile application or engage with the digital platform via another medium to get pick-up reminders and learn better recycling practices.

· Reminder sign-ups – The Vendor shall provide pick-up reminders through all digital application mediums. County and municipal governments should optionally be able to integrate these reminders on their respective websites so residents can subscribe to pick-up reminders and educational messages.

· Notification sign-ups – residents shall have the option to receive emergency and non-emergency notifications from their local government on all digital platforms supported by the Vendor.

A.2.2.13. On-call Assistance and Maintenance

A.2.2.13.1. The Vendor will provide IEPA with on-call assistance, support, and maintenance arising during any day-to-day process involved in the Illinois Recycling Education Program. Assistance should be provided within 72 hours of a request, and the Vendor should be available Monday – Friday from 8:30-4:00 CDT.

A.2.2.13.2. The Vendor agrees that all scheduled maintenance will be coordinated with IEPA and DOIT (changes/outages). Scheduled maintenance must be completed during a specific scheduled maintenance window that occurs only on the weekend or overnight unless there is a major system issue that requires immediate resolution to continue the operation of the service. The offeror is required to publish a notice of regularly scheduled maintenance at least 48 hours in advance via prominent display on the LGTS system website.

A.2.2.13.3. The IEPA must be notified in advance of any emergency outage that must occur outside the scheduled maintenance window or if notice is not possible immediately after emergency maintenance (including the exact time and duration of the system being unavailable).

A.3. SCHEDULE

Quarterly reports and meetings thereafter:

July 1st through September 30th October 1st through December 31st January 1st through March 31st April 1st through June 30th

A.4. UNIQUE CONSIDERATIONS

The Vendor shall work with the incumbent vendor to obtain user data, county enrollment data, and any other relevant data to meet the obligations of this contract upon date of execution.

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 ending on July 13, 2036. In no event will the total term of the contract, including the initial term, any renewal terms, and any extensions, exceed ten (10) years. The 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.

Section B. CURRENT CONDITIONS

B.1. OVERVIEW & BACKGROUND

Recycle education is currently being met by a vendor. This RFP is needed to canvas the industry for all options and vendors who could meet the stringent needs of the State of Illinois in recycling education and ensure proper high-quality service to the people. A new vendor would be able to use information gathered from the previous vendor. The current system is serving approximately 7 million people across the State of Illinois and providing geolocated personalized recycling education services. Any vendor that works with the State of Illinois will have to ensure the current educational needs are being met and expand the program further. Past data will be available to work with. Users can search the app’s database of over 15,000 terms and utilize their mobile device’s camera with image search technology. Users also have the ability to find drop of locations and events for disposing of or recycling materials. Users can report problems, read blogs, and take surveys or quizzes. Monthly reports are sent to all local admins, and personal information is encrypted and not sold.

B.2. VOLUMES & QUANTITIES

The recycle education program is currently serving 6,901,813 people with enrollment concentrating around the greater Chicago area. There are currently 16 counties enrolled:

· Christian County

· Cook County

· DeKalb

· DuPage

· Jackson

· Kane

· Macon

· Madison

· McLean

· Ogle

· SWALCO (Lake County)

· SWANCC (North Cook)

· Peoria

· Tazewell

· Will

Expansion to the rest of the State of Illinois is required. Ideally, residents in all counties or municipalities (units of local government) of the State of Illinois need to be adequately represented.

B.3. AREAS OF CONCERN/CHALLENGES

B.3.1. Enrolling residents in rural populations that may not have an effective recycling program offered by their units of local government.

B.3.2. Past data is proprietary in a closed source software. Most of the data should be able to be outputted to a csv file or other database readable format. The data contents include, but may not be limited to: enrolled counties, enrolled units of local government, population sizes for units of local government or counties, local recycling and trash data for these areas, specific instructions on trash and recycling services, facilities available for specific items, survey data obtained from individual residents or engagement with the smartphone application, market trends for recycling, and community and resident enrollment extrapolation data. The awarded Vendor is expected to work with the incumbent Vendor to obtain the data previously collected and must provide a seamless transition to implementation without delay.

B.3.3. The surveys collected are no more than two (2) years old.

B.4. STRENGTHS

The recycle education system is currently utilizing a smartphone application to provide geographic location specific education and inform residents of services available in their area. The State of Illinois is requiring a similar system that can be tailored to each resident based on their location and availability of services.

The current vendor includes an admin console that allows the IEPA, counties and municipalities to manage content, notification, and users (staff). The current vendor offers ten methods to build the subscriber database, including marketing services, and they can notify users for pick-up reminders.

Section C. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS Only Electronic Submissions through BidBuy of Offers will be Accepted

C.1. REQUIRED DOCUMENTS TO COMPLETE AND SUBMIT

The Offeror shall submit the listed documents in BidBuy under the Attachments tab in the appropriate “Required Attachments” spaces.

· Vendor Disclosure or IPG Active Registered Vendor Disclosure

· Technical response

· Offer to the State of Illinois Information and Technology

· Commitment to Diversity

· BEP Utilization Plan 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 three weeks after the RFP is posted. 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 Recycle Education Pre submission Conference or Non-Mandatory Pre-Submission Conference, listed in the “Pre-Bid Conference:” field of the BidBuy posting. Please refer to BidBuy for this information.

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

Recycle Education Pre submission Conference April 06, 2026 at 10:30 am https://illinois.webex.com/illinois/j.php?MTID=ma118c4d24e57345d951b750d8e137dda

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 three weeks after the RFP is posted See the Utilization Plan for NIGP codes used to establish this goal.

BEP Goal: 4% 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

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.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: 3,350

D.3.2. Offeror shall complete and return Sections F.2. and 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 670.

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. 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.5.1. The total number of points for Price is 1,005.

D.5.2. The State will determine Price points using the following formula:

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

D.6. MAXIMUM AVAILABLE POINTS

The maximum number of points is 3,350 (Technical) + 670 (Commitment to Diversity) + 1,005 (Price) = 5,025 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 three (3) tables include: Contract Requirements (Section F.1), and 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.

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

Agree

F.1.1. Conduct a statewide survey that evaluates the existing recycling infrastructure by community. The Vendor will need to conduct an electronic survey reaching out to all 102 counties and thousands of municipalities in the State as recycling infrastructure is currently highly localized. An electronic survey will ensure review expediency and response consistency. The Vendor will encourage each community to complete the necessary survey materials and enroll to have their community’s location-specific information be completed using forms developed by the Vendor.

F.1.2. An annual report measuring the differences in recycling knowledge and attitudes within national, state, and local jurisdictions shall be provided to the Agency on an annual basis. This report shall contain information to provide local governments with a way to measure their progress from year to year in educating their residents about proper waste management requirements. Results are to provide local governments with rich data that can be used for press releases and social media posts, which increases awareness and encourages increases usage.

F.1.3. Migration of Data to Another Vendor -Vendor must provide technical assistance transferring the data to a new or replacement system.

F.1.4. The Vendor shall provide training to Residents and end users on recycling, disposal, contamination (and how to reduce it). The Vendor shall provide reports based on training data on a quarterly basis.

F.1.5. Notification sign-ups - through all supported digital platforms, residents shall have the option to receive notifications from their local government.

F.1.6. The Vendor shall be responsible for maintenance on all supported electronic formats.

By submitting an offer to this solicitation. The offeror agrees that they will meet the contract requirements in Section F.1.

F.2. MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS WITH EVIDENCE

Please check “Met” to each of the mandatory requirements for the proposed solution. An Offeror that does not provide substantiating evidence for each requirement will be disqualified and the rest of the proposal will not be scored.

These Mandatory Requirements shall be included in any contract resulting from this solicitation.

Please provide substantiating evidence in your Proposed Technical Solution. Use the column on the right to indicate the section and page number where your evidence/response to each item may be found. The State will evaluate Offeror’s evidence/response to verify the mandatory requirement is met.

MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS WITH EVIDENCE

Proposal Section and Page Number

F.2.6. Residents shall have the option to use the camera on their mobile device to scan an item and get recycling or disposal information for where they live.