Illinois Department of Human Services Request for Proposal DHS RFP High-Speed Print System Solution for Business Services

26-444DHS-BUSSE-B-49986

Section A. SCOPE OF WORK

A.1. OVERVIEW AND PURPOSE

The Illinois Department of Human Services, Centralized Print Shop in Springfield is seeking to establish a five-year fair market value lease, with a single Vendor, for printers, options, accessories, and associated finishing equipment; and a five-year lease purchase to include but not be limited to computer hardware, software, application solutions and imaging devices. The solution must be turn-key (ready to use) and able to utilize/interface with existing state-owned assets or provide equipment with the same capabilities, specifically: a document creation system, scanner, and output management system.

A.2. DESIRED OUTCOMES OF THIS PROJECT/ENGAGEMENT

IDHS requires a printing system that is capable of meeting both current and projected (estimated) future needs, as well as would be adaptable should those future needs change. IDHS is anticipating a large increase in the number of forms and documents printed. Solution must include options to increase or change machines during the contract term, if necessary.

A.3. SCHEDULE

Estimated Timeline:

Note: Failure to attend the full site visit (e.g., late arrival or early departure) or failure to complete the sign in sheet shall be grounds for disqualification and subsequent proposal submitted will be deemed non-responsive.

This section shall become part of the resulting contract.

MILESTONES AND DELIVERABLES: Should the Vendor not be able to meet timeframes during the course of the contract, Vendor must notify DHS within two (2) business days and request approval to adjust the timeframe based upon need. Approval of timeframe extension will be solely at DHS discretion.

Note: Awarded Offeror shall not begin invoicing IDHS until at least 50% of the machines have been installed, are fully operational, and IDHS staff training on the machines has been completed.

The successful Offeror shall deliver to the Illinois Department of Human Services:

· Uncrating/Rigging

· Set-up/Installation

· Training IDHS staff for proper use.

· Providing an on-site technician for a minimum of 14 days following the completion of training.

(A) Uncrating/Rigging

(B) Set-up/Installation

(C) Training IDHS staff for proper use.

(D) Providing an on-site technician for a minimum of 14 days following the completion of training.

(A) Usage (monthly clicks)

(B) Service calls/repairs/maintenance

(C) Downtime per machine

(D) Operational time per machine

A.4. UNIQUE CONSIDERATIONS

In February 2023, monthly average impressions were around 430,000. A year later in February 2024, the monthly average impressions increased to over 800,000. We have now seen a 1000% increase, with average impressions around 8.1M per month. Peak months have seen over 10M impressions, with no indication that demand is decreasing.

A.5. TERM

A.5.1. TERM OF THIS CONTRACT: The contract resulting from this procurement will have an initial term commencing upon final dated signatures of the parties and ending sixty (60) months from start date. 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 terms as (continuation of lease/same machines from initial term):

· Renewal #1: Twelve (12) months

· Renewal #2: Twelve (12) months

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.

Section B. CURRENT CONDITIONS

B.1. OVERVIEW & BACKGROUND

IDHS presently has Xerox machines for both monochrome and color printing systems. Printing needs have increased significantly over the last two (2) years. IDHS is consistently incurring overages of approximately 130% over allocation. See B.3 below for further details.

B.2. VOLUMES & QUANTITIES

Presently, IDHS is running thirteen (13) machine hours/day/machine, totaling 52 machine hours/day. See output numbers below in B.3.

B.3. AREAS OF CONCERN/CHALLENGES

IDHS is presently experiencing a continuous increase in the volume of printing. The Successful Offeror will need to be able to work with IDHS regarding the flux in printing needs. The solution should take into consideration the potential for change and significant printing increase at any given point in time.

For example, from April of 2023 to January of 2024, IDHS increased monochrome printing volume ten (10) fold (10X prior amount), just over 8,000,000 images/month. Now monochrome output is approximately 10,000,000/month. In addition to these 10,000,000 images/month, there has also a backlog of approximately one week standardly. IDHS anticipates approximately 20% to 30% increase over the next 24 months.

Note: Image is defined as one duplexed-single page.

B.4. STRENGTHS

Strengths of the present set-up include:

1. High paper volume – reducing run times.

2. Multiple feed option with roll-stock and cut-sheet.

3. Single operator can operate two machines.

4. Ink-jet is an improvement over toner, reducing static and better printed copy.

B.5. FIGURES, DIAGRAMS, & REFERENCE DOCUMENTS

Attached to this solicitation is the current floor plan. This is to provide a general idea of the space. Please note – this solicitation contains a mandatory site visit. Please see Section C.7 of this RFP for details of the mandatory site visit.

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 Monday, February 9, 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 Mandatory or Non-Mandatory Pre-Submission Conference, listed in the “Pre-Bid Conference:” field of the BidBuy posting. Please refer to BidBuy for this information.

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

Non-Mandatory informational session/Pre-Submission Conference:

Date and Time: Monday, February 2, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. Central Time

Webex:

· Join on the web: https://illinois.webex.com/illinois/j.php?MTID=m869a63f83e25c42b391682891175adf8

· Join by Phone: 1-312-535-8110 United States Toll (Chicago) or 1-415-655-0002 US Toll Meeting Specific information: Meeting number (access code): 2632 935 9943 Meeting password: MDhabXsc253

DHS shall hold a Mandatory site visit/Pre-Submission Conference. Details are as follows:

Location:

Illinois Department of Human Services 5010 Industrial Avenue Springfield, IL 62703

Phone: Jim Huffman: 217-786-7640 (office) or 217-503-6378 (cell)

Date and Time: Thursday, February 5, 2026 at 9:30 a.m. Central Time.

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 Monday, February 9, 2026. See the Utilization Plan for NIGP codes used to establish this goal.

BEP Goal: 2% 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 for Information and Technology will become a part of any resulting contract. To view the Standard Terms and Conditions for Information and Technology, 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. and F.3. The State evaluates the Technical Requirements without consideration of price.

D.3.1. Total Number of Points Available for Technical Requirements is: 4,500

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 900.

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 Technical (4,500) and Commitment to Diversity (900) is 5,400.

D.5.2. A minimum of 4,320 of the available (Technical and Commitment to Diversity) points is required for price evaluation and award consideration.

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 900.

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 4,500 (Technical) + 900 (Commitment to Diversity) + 900 (Price) = 6,300 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

F.1.1. File Manager: The printing system must provide a user interface for file management within the production print environment. This shall include the ability to search, find, identify, move, copy, delete, rename and view submitted files, and view and/or edit their associated properties and attributes. The interface shall be able to be used for the processing of print files in a production environment. The printing system must be capable of ensuring all associated print files are managed as a unit as to prevent loss of content during the processing of jobs.

F.1.2. Print and Process Electronic Files: The system must support submission file formats of jpeg, tiff, Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite, Adobe postscript, pcl, pdf, and eps.

F.1.3. Job Ticketing Capability: IDHS must be able to submit jobs to the production environment through a provided user interface. The printing system must have the ability to identify all the job specifications and save those along with the actual document to be printed. Such information must be retrievable by the production staff so that no additional programming is necessary before the print/reprint is processed. All such information must be available for reporting and accounting purposes.

F.1.4. Registered Printer List Locator: The printing system shall make a user interface available where various installed/registered printers on the centralized print manager are viewable along with detailed information about the status of respective jobs submitted and in process. This interface shall be available at the central print manager as well as other authorized remote workstations. In addition, the interface shall make available a job list in queue format.

F.1.5. Printer and Job Status: Job status shall be available at each output device, the print/output manager, and other authorized remote workstations. Such job status information shall additionally be available for jobs split between printers. In addition to jobs status, performance and statistical information for a given job shall also be retrievable.

F.1.6. Data Security: Vendor shall be responsible for the clearing of all data and software on hard drives (on loaner or removed equipment due to equipment failure) prior to the removal of equipment from state agencies by:

a. Overwriting: replacing previously stored data or information on each drive or disk at least 10 times with a pre-determined pattern of meaningless information and

b. Certifying in writing that the overwriting process has been completed by providing the following information:

i. The serial number of the equipment.

ii. The name and version of the overwriting software used.

iii. The name, date, and signature of the person performing the overwriting process.

F.1.7. OSHA Compliance: Vendor shall be responsible for ensuring all equipment provided and installed as a result of this solicitation is in full compliance with OSHA standards

F.1.8. TRANSPORTATION AND DELIVERY:

a. Delivery: IDHS requires the vendor to deliver f.o.b. agency destination, uncrate, assemble, and install at no additional cost to the state.

b. Installation and training: The successful vendor will be required to completely install the equipment to the manufacturers' specifications. The successful vendor will also be required to train state personnel in the proper use of the equipment. Training shall commence on each model of equipment within two (2) business days following the completion of install, testing, and brought into manufacturers’ service compliance. All initial operational training must be completed within 30 days of installation. Subsequent training will be provided by Vendor at the request of the agency within 72 hours of the request. Training shall encompass the use of all system operations, troubleshooting, and minor repair allowing the agency to fully utilize all functionality and maximize operational up-time in the event of minor equipment failures. Both the installation and training shall be at no additional charge.

c. Uncrating debris: uncrating and assembling debris, if any, shall be removed from the site by the Vendor.

d. Manuals: Vendor shall provide all owner's and operator's manuals for the awarded equipment.

e. Restocking Fees: Under no circumstances will the state be liable for any restocking fees when a product is returned due to vendor error or product failure.

f. Equipment returns: When equipment is returned due to vendor error or product failure, the vendor must replace the equipment within 72 hours after being notified of the problem.

g. Shipping: Ship to address:

Illinois Department of Human Services Springfield Warehouse 5000 Industrial Avenue Springfield, IL 62703

i. Vendor must ship equipment on 40" x 48" partial bottom, solid top, wood, non-returnable, strapped or shrink wrapped to pallets. Stacked pallet height cannot exceed 94".

ii. Delivery must be between 8:30am - 11:30am and 1:30pm - 3:30pm only during a normal working day (Monday – Friday, except State holidays), unless prior arrangements are made.

iii. IDHS requires 48 hours notification prior to delivery.

F.1.9. New Products/Substitutions:

a. All equipment/supplies furnished must be new, unused, of most recent manufacture and not discontinued.

b. Recycled, remanufactured and re-used equipment/parts are not acceptable.

c. All equipment must come with full manufacturer's warranty.

F.1.10. Software: All software must be kept current at no cost during the course of the contract period. The successful vendor must not install any software or software updates prior to obtaining the approval of IDHS a minimum of three (3) business days prior to the install or update.

Vendor must be aware that before their equipment is attached to the State's network, it must be scanned for appropriate security standards (i.e. patches for servers, vulnerability assessments for servers).

All equipment connected to the IDHS network must comply with established guidelines and policies. Please view the following sites for compliance:

http://bccs.illinois.gov/it_policies.htm http://bccs.illinois.gov/pdf/general_network_resources_policy.pdf http://bccs.illinois.gov/pdf/resource_access_policy.pdf

F.1.11. Technicians/Servicing: Technicians and other personnel servicing the machines must be manufacturer approved to work on the machines and must only be assigned to work under the resulting contract with the assurance that work performed by the assigned technician will not void any warranties. All technicians dispatched to IDHS for servicing of machines must provide credentials proving the individual is certified to work on the machine.

F.1.12. Service Calls: On-Site service calls must be responded to within four working hours after notification. Working hours are defined at 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. except Saturdays, Sundays and State holidays.

F.1.13. Downtime: IDHS shall not be charged for time when individual machines are not working at minimum 95% during the billing cycle. Invoicing shall clearly detail number of business days each individual machine was not working for the billing cycle and the associated costs not charged to IDHS. Failure for all machines in totality to be fully operational a minimum of 90% of the time during a billing cycle, shall result in a full 10% reduction in costs invoiced to IDHS for that billing cycle.

See also Section F.3.3.g.

Note: Do not include any pricing information in proposal. Having pricing other than in BidBuy/locked document in BidBuy shall be cause for disqualification of the Offer.

F.1.14. End of contract: At the end of the contract, Vendor shall be responsible for removal of the equipment and all associated work with removal at no cost to DHS or the State of Illinois as a whole.

By submitting an offer to this solicitation. The offeror agrees that 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.3. PROPOSED TECHNICAL SOLUTION – DESIRABLE ELEMENTS

Please explain how your organization meets or will meet each of the desirable elements. Use the column on the right to indicate the section and page number of your proposal where your response to each item may be found.

Provide an example of a print shop solution(s), similar in size and scope to IDHS print shop, Offeror has set up. Include a description of the following: How the Offeror:

a. Met the initial need.

b. Addressed continued need.

c. How the experience is applicable to IDHS print shop needs.

d. Average monthly volumes printed within the shop(s) both monochrome and color.

e. Examples of finished print jobs completed.

F.3.2. Project Team –

Total for Subsection: 400

a. Describe the training and certifications for technicians and other service staff that would be assigned to work under the resulting contract.

a. Scan and Print:

i. (Scan) Describe the printing system’s capability to capture content from hard copies. Further describe how Offeror’s printing system solution would allow IDHS to capture content. Description should include, but not be limited to:

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