Sole Source Justification Form - Part I - Elixir Opus 7.1 - Executed.pdf

Sole Source Justification Form

Version 7.01 Page 1 of 8

Bulletin Reference Number 26-448DOIT-APP44-B-48216

Requesting Agency/University Department of Innovation and Technology

Sole Source Justification Form - Part I Section I - General Information

Department/Bureau/Section: DoIT/ Applications

Need Identified Date: 4/1/2025 Supply/Service Need By Date: 9/1/2025

Project Title: Elixir Opus 7.1 Licenses - 2 Year

Vendor: Elixir Technologies Corporation

Provide a description of the supplies or services required:

The Illinois Department of Innovation and Technologies is renewing the Opus 7.1 licenses for Integrated Eligibility System (IES) which provides eligibility and redetermination correspondence for more than 3 million of Illinois' most in-need citizens who are applying for Medical, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Cash assistance through the State of Illinois' Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) and the Department of Human Services (DHS).

Value: Actual Value of Initial Term, this Change Order or Amendment: 478,419.16

Will this Sole Source amend a Professional or Artistic Services contract? Yes No

*Sole Source may not be used for amendments for Professional or Artistic Services if the amendment would increase the value by more than 5% of the initial award or extend the term by more than 60 days.

Type: New Sole Source

Section II - Proposed Term

One-Time Purchase Term Contract

Estimated Contract Begin Date: Sep 1, 2025

Estimated Contract End Date: Aug 31, 2027

Number of Potential Renewals: 0

Length of Each Renewal in Months:

Total Value of All Renewals:

If a Term Contract, does the term, including renewals, exceed 12 months? Yes No

If yes, provide a detailed justification including any economic benefit received for agreeing to a multi-year term:

The Agency negotiated a significant savings from previous year price of $378,000.61 for a single year. The two (2) year price for FY26- FY27 $478,419.16 yields a savings of $342,082.06.

Section III - Funding Source Select the type of funding to be used (Check all that apply): State Appropriate Funds Federal Funds Other (Explain):

Section IV - Sole Source Justification

This purchase is economically only available from a single source primarily because it is: (If "Other" explain in one sentence)

Items are Copyrighted or Patented and the Items are Only Available from the Holder

Version 7.01 Page 2 of 8

Bulletin Reference Number 26-448DOIT-APP44-B-48216

Requesting Agency/University Department of Innovation and Technology

Are there secondary justification(s) for this sole source? Yes No

Section V - Purchase History

Has the Agency or University Purchased these supplies or services in the past? Yes No

Term Term From Term To Value Description Contract Number Type

1 6/25/2024 6/30/2025 378,000.61 Sole Source - Elixir /Opus 12 Month P-68127 Sole Source

2 6/30/2023 6/30/2024 346,956 Elixir Opus CIT3093392 Sole Source

3 10/16/2012 12/31/2019 445,830 Elixir Opus 2012-00-015-K IFB

4 12/31/2018 12/31/2020 70,040 Elixir Opus CIT9609400 Small Purchase

5 12/31/2019 3/31/2021 73,564 Elixir Opus CIT0438300 Small Purchase

6 12/31/2020 6/30/2021 27,365 Elixir Opus CIT1942400 Emergency

7 4/1/2021 6/30/2022 33,240 Elixir Tango CIT1021375 Emergency

8 6/30/2021 6/30/2023 209,216 Elixir Tango CIT2230850 Sole Source

9 6/30/2022 6/30/2023 224,400 Elixir Tango CIT2028693 Sole Source

10 7/1/2025 8/31/2025 64,500 Elixir Opus 7.1 No Cost P-81894 Sole Source

If more than 10, or if other comments, explain:

Section VI - Business Rationale

Version 7.01 Page 3 of 8

Bulletin Reference Number 26-448DOIT-APP44-B-48216

Requesting Agency/University Department of Innovation and Technology

1. Provide a detailed explanation of the need for the supplies or services:

The State of Illinois (SOI) uses Elixir’s product, Opus 7.1, in the Integrated Eligibility System (IES) which was procured in 2012. This system provides eligibility and redetermination correspondence for more than 3 million of Illinois' most in-need citizens who are applying for Medical, SNAP, and Cash assistance through the State of Illinois' Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) and the Department of Human Services (DHS). Elixir Technologies.

Given that Elixir Technologies Corporation is the sole source distributor, manufacturer, seller and provider of services including training, support and maintenance of Opus 7.1, this will need to be a Sole Source Contract with Elixir Technologies as a sole source vendor.

IDES is utilizing the following licenses for Opus and Elixir that encompasses maintenance and support is included.

These services are for the following licenses: ELIXIR ID# 12105, 12106, 12114, 12115, 12116, 12180, 12181, 12182, 12183, 12197, 12199, 12200, 12237, 12238, 12240, 12243, 12244, 12245, 12250, 12251, 12252, 12253, 12254, 12255, 12256, 12257, 12258, 12259, 12260, 12261, 12262, 12263, 12264, 12265, 12266

- Elixir On Premise Team Subscription

- Users - Business (On Premise)

- 508 Accessibility (On Premise)

- PDF Input

- Support - Platinum

- ELX461 Opus WebServices 2 ELX198 Opus Document Formatter for Central Server ELX180 Opus Designer Pack 1 ELX178 Opus Output Option - PDF For Elixir Licenses #12105,12106

- ELX461 Opus WebServices ,ELX180 Opus Designer Pack For Elixir Licenses# 12114, 12115, 12182, 12183, 12197

- ELX497 Opus Production Pack Premium ELX198 Opus Document Formatter for Central Server ELX245 Opus Designer ELX178 Opus Output Option - PDF for elixir licenses# 12116, 12180, 12181, 12199, 12200, 12240, 12243, 12244, 12245

- ELX461 Opus WebServices ELX245 Opus Designer for elixir licenses # 12198

- ELX198 Opus Document Formatter for Central Server ELX461-S Opus WebService Solution ELX180 Opus Designer Pack ELX178 Opus Output Option - PDF , For Elixir Licenses# 12237, 12250,12251, 12252, 12253, 12254, 12255 -ELX198 Opus Document Formatter for Central Server ELX461-S Opus WebService Solution 1 ELX180 Opus Designer Pack 1 ELX178 Opus Output Option - PDF for Elixir License # 12238

- ELX180 Opus Designer Pack for Elixir License # 12257, 12258, 12259, 12260, 12261, 12262, 12263, 12264, 12265, 12266 -ELX461-S Opus WebService Solution ELX198 Opus Document Formatter for Central Server ELX180 Opus Designer Pack ELX178 Opus Output Option - PDF For Elixir License # 12256

2. Provide a list and describe in detail the specifications required to satisfy the need:

Elixir Technologies Corporation is the sole source distributor, manufacturer, seller and provider of services including training, support and maintenance of Elixir's products. This is a proprietary product that is integrated through out IDES and DHS templates on State portals used by over 3 million citizens in the State of Illinois.

Version 7.01 Page 4 of 8

Bulletin Reference Number 26-448DOIT-APP44-B-48216

Requesting Agency/University Department of Innovation and Technology

3. Provide detail explaining the justification selected in Section IV to explain why the requested supplies or services are the only ones available that can satisfy the agency or university requirements?

Elixir Technologies Corporation is the sole source manufacturer, distributor, and service provider for the Elixir Opus 7.1 software suite.

The Elixir Opus platform is a proprietary solution that is uniquely capable of satisfying the operational, technical, and regulatory requirements of the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) and the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS).This software is fully integrated into the existing IT infrastructure, serving as the core document composition engine for both departments. It supports the automated generation and delivery of time-sensitive and compliance-driven communications—including eligibility determinations, benefit notices, and other citizen correspondence—impacting more than 3 million Illinois residents annually.

Elixir Technologies Corporation holds exclusive rights to license, distribute, support, and maintain the Opus 7.1 software. No third-party vendors are authorized to offer this product or related services, nor is there a publicly available alternative or open-source equivalent that is compatible with the existing implementation.

Elixir Opus is deeply embedded within the IDES and DHS document processing workflows, with hundreds of templates, business rules, and data connections tailored specifically to the platform. Migrating to a different solution would require a complete redesign and redevelopment of these systems, resulting in: Extensive downtime; High redevelopment costs; Potential disruption of legally required communications to citizens.

Both agencies rely on the Opus platform to fulfill state and federally mandated communications, such as those required under:

The Social Security Act (for unemployment and public assistance programs) The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ADA and Section 508 compliance for accessible communications Any lapse in the availability of this system could jeopardize compliance and delay the delivery of essential services to Illinois residents.

4. What are the unique features of the supplies or services that are not available in any other product or by any other vendor? Provide specific quantifiable factors/qualifications:

Below are some of the unique features of Elixir:

Elixir Technologies Corporation has provided a Sole Source Letter stating Elixir is the sole source distributor, manufacturer, seller and provider of services including training, support and maintenance of Elixir and Opus.

Being implemented and integrated within IES System since 2012 Elixir has complete knowledge of the current business process and correspondence system of the State of Illinois (SOI); therefore, Elixir can help migrate from the current system to the latest platform without affecting existing workflow and operations.

The state of Illinois has over 400 templates that need to be migrated to a new solution. Elixir has the knowledge and ability to consolidate these templates and reduce the count to a manageable number for the State of Illinois to continue with their business processes with the most negligible impact in a quantifiable time.

Elixir continues to support the current Opus 7.1 system and help the State of Illinois keep its operations up and running.

Elixir Technologies Corporation is in the field of customer communication and enterprise management solutions for sectors such as healthcare, insurance, and transportation.

Elixir has complete knowledge of the State of Illinois’s current deployment infrastructure. With the latest platform, they can provide the same functionality with minimum topology using Cloud infrastructure; that will help the State of Illinois reduce the maintenance cost spent on current deployment infrastructure.

Elixir also offers a Dashboard tool capability to provide insight into the processes and system health that will help the State of Illinois monitor and track all the activities within the system and outside the system. These real-time insight dashboards will reduce the downtimes, system errors and give information on the system to keep it up and running with minimum failure.

Elixir provides an approval workflow to automate the processes within the organization, so any correspondence generated from the platform is compliant and errata-free before they reach the end customer saving the State of Illinois cost in terms of resources and time.

Version 7.01 Page 5 of 8

Bulletin Reference Number 26-448DOIT-APP44-B-48216

Requesting Agency/University Department of Innovation and Technology

5. Has the Agency or University considered alternative supplies or services to satisfy their need? Yes No

5a. If no, why weren't alternatives evaluated?

Elixir Technologies is the sole distributor, manufacturer, seller, and service providers of Opus 7.1/ Elixir.

One of the issues with an alternative vendor is that the time it would take for an alternate vendor to understand the business practices and processes, and integration policies that the product is used for. The vendor would also have to reverse engineer over 450 templates in multiple languages that on a constant basis undergo continuous changes, without any disruption to services provided that the most in need citizens of the State of Illinois utilize.

If the IES system and related components are not maintained, SNAP, TANF and Medicaid would be cut off to Illinois residents in need of these services.. we would have to use Elixir (Tango) to keep the current business processes up and running for the State to avoid any disruption.

If the product is not procured the IES system would fail. The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program provides temporary financial assistance for pregnant women and families with one or more dependent children. TANF provides financial assistance to help pay for food, shelter, utilities, and expenses other than medical. Medicaid helps with medical costs for some people with limited income and resources. Illinois residents obtain these benefits through the IES Workers Portal or Manage My Case Illinois portal. All of those related components will stop working immediately. If that occurs then we would not be able to support the citizens of Illinois and the state would also lose federal grant funds.

The State of Illinois (SoI) uses Opus 7.1 currently. Elixir can extend the license for current environments, and no other vendor can provide this and the required product and services.

Elixir has a complete plan and strategy for making this migration without affecting the current system and process, which is essential for the State of Illinois business.

Elixir can also extend services and support to the State of Illinois on the current Opus platform

6. Are there resellers or distributors?

Yes No N/A

7. What efforts were made to get the best possible price (i.e. did the agency/university negotiate) and how did you determine the price for this purchase is considered fair and reasonable?

The State of Illinois has taken several steps to ensure that the pricing for the Elixir Opus 7.1 upgrade and associated services is both fair and reasonable, considering the nature of the product, the scope of services, and the unique integration with State systems. When comparing historical pricing from previous Sole Sources the net savings $342,082.06 over a two (2) year term.

Moving away from Elixir's platform to an alternative solution would entail:

Full redevelopment of over a thousand templates Business logic and data integration redesign Retraining of staff and reconfiguration of automated workflows Re-approval and re-certification of communication formats for compliance The estimated cost of such a transition would far exceed the value of the current procurement and would take several years to implement—posing substantial risk to continuity of services to over 3 million Illinois residents.

Elixir Technologies has extensive knowledge of the State’s existing deployment, system topology, and integration architecture. Their deep familiarity with the environment allows for:

Efficient migration with reduced infrastructure changes Reduction in support and maintenance costs associated with the current 11-state environment architecture These efficiencies translate into long-term cost avoidance in hardware acquisition, software licensing, and IT resource utilization.

The negotiated concessions, elimination of upgrade fees, inclusion of temporary licensing, and infrastructure cost savings make this procurement financially sound. When factoring in avoided redevelopment costs and uninterrupted service continuity, the pricing offered by Elixir Technologies Corporation is demonstrably fair, reasonable, and in the best financial interest of the State of Illinois.

Version 7.01 Page 6 of 8

Bulletin Reference Number 26-448DOIT-APP44-B-48216

Requesting Agency/University Department of Innovation and Technology

8. Will this purchase obligate the State to this vendor for future purchases such as maintenance, licensing or continuing need?

Yes No

9. What will be the financial or other impact to the State if this sole source is not approved and a competitive bid is required?

If the IES system and related components are not maintained, SNAP, TANF and Medicaid would be cut off to Illinois residents in need of these services. These main services are seen below and the function they serve.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (formerly Food Stamps) helps low-income people and families buy the food they need for good health.

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program provides temporary financial assistance for pregnant women and families with one or more dependent children. TANF provides financial assistance to help pay for food, shelter, utilities, and expenses other than medical.

Medicaid helps with medical costs for some people with limited income and resources.

Illinois residents obtain these benefits through the IES Workers Portal or Manage My Case Illinois portal.

Elixir handles all the correspondence for the Statewide Integrated Eligibility Systems. All eligibility approvals and denial dispositions for Medical, SNAP and Cash Programs would be stopped. These State records inform the clients of the results of their applications and redetermination. Without these documents our clients do not have any indication as to what kind or what amount of benefits they are to receive. In addition, benefits will be canceled when redetermination documents are not produced. Our Clients would overtax our Family and Community Resource Centers and All Kids offices with questions and concerns about their eligibility if these forms were not produced. Overburdening our local offices could result in the client's potential loss of benefits. All of these programs are supported by Federal funds and our correspondence is monitored by our Federal partners. The State could face monetary penalties if these forms are not produced in a timely manner.

Without this product, many of the States citizens that rely on these programs will be left out. We could lose federal funding, and an undue burden would be put on other State agencies.

10. Is there any additional information you would like to add to justify this sole source?

Version 7.01 Page 7 of 8

Bulletin Reference Number 26-448DOIT-APP44-B-48216

Requesting Agency/University Department of Innovation and Technology

Section VII

Requesting Department Representative

Requesting Department Signature Required

I know and understand the contents of this Sole Source Justification and attest that all statements are true and correct and the fairness and reasonableness of the price was adequately confirmed.

Date 6/17/22025

Printed Name Patrick Kelleher E-mail Address patrick.kelleher@illinois.gov

Phone Number 217-557-7303

State Agency Bureau/Division Head or University Purchasing Director Approval and Signature Required

I know and understand the contents of this Sole Source Justification and attest that all statements are true and correct and the fairness and reasonableness of the price was adequately confirmed. (All prior form fields will lock once this e-signature is completed)

E-mail Address christopher.brinkmeyer@illinois.gov

Phone Number 217-685-4682 Date Jun 18, 2025

Printed Name Chris Brinkmeyer

Agency Bureau/Division Head or University Purchasing Director and Not a Designee

SPO Approval and Signature Required

I have reviewed and understand the contents of this Sole Source Justification and agree with the State Agency or University determination.

I have reviewed and understand the contents of this Sole Source Justification and do not agree with the State Agency or University determination. As a result, the State Agency or University must explore other sourcing methods to satisfy their need.

State Purchasing Officer Signature Phone Number 217-7207861 Date 6/20/2025

Printed Name Bethany Moore E-mail Address Bethany.Moore@Illinois.gov

Version 7.01 Page 8 of 8

Bulletin Reference Number 26-448DOIT-APP44-B-48216

Requesting Agency/University Department of Innovation and Technology

Sole Source Justification Form - Part II Section I - General Information

Project Title

Vendor

Initial Date of Procurement Bulletin Posting

Was a Sole Source hearing held per 30 ILCS 500/20-25?

Yes - Complete Section II and III below (Section II will only be visible when this option is selected)

No - Section II not required, go to Section III below Section III - CPO Approval and Signature Required

Based on my review, I authorize the Agency/University to proceed in accordance with the published Notice referenced above.

Based upon my review, I authorize the Agency/University to proceed with the following Changes.

Based on my review, the Agency/University is not authorized to proceed with this sole source as presented and my recommendation is that it be cancelled.

Other

CPO Signature CPO Phone

Printed Name Date

CPO E-mail

Version 7.01 Page of Sole Source Justification Form - Part I Section I - General Information Will this Sole Source amend a Professional or Artistic Services contract?

If yes, what was the original contract value?

*Sole Source may not be used for amendments for Professional or Artistic Services if the amendment would increase the value by more than 5% of the initial award or extend the term by more than 60 days.

Section II - Proposed Term If a Term Contract, does the term, including renewals, exceed 12 months?

If yes, provide a detailed justification including any economic benefit received for agreeing to a multi-year term:

Section III - Funding Source Select the type of funding to be used (Check all that apply):

Section IV - Sole Source Justification Are there secondary justification(s) for this sole source?

Section V - Purchase History Has the Agency or University Purchased these supplies or services in the past?

Term Term From Term To Value Description Contract Number Type Section VI - Business Rationale

1. Provide a detailed explanation of the need for the supplies or services:

2. Provide a list and describe in detail the specifications required to satisfy the need:

3. Provide detail explaining the justification selected in Section IV to explain why the requested supplies or services are the only ones available that can satisfy the agency or university requirements?

4. What are the unique features of the supplies or services that are not available in any other product or by any other vendor? Provide specific quantifiable factors/qualifications:

5. Has the Agency or University considered alternative supplies or services to satisfy their need?

5a. If yes, name the alternative vendors whose supplies or services were evaluated:

5b. If yes, what were the alternatives for each vendor and why were they unacceptable? Be specific with regard to features, characteristics, requirements, capabilities and compatibility:

5c. Explain how the market evaluation was conducted?

*This evaluation is to determine available options within a market. If the evaluation is to determine quality or best suited option, this is not the appropriate source selection. Under no circumstances shall the evaluation consist of testing alternative options. These activities must be conducted in a competitive transparent environment (i.e. IFB or RFP).

5a. If no, why weren't alternatives evaluated?

6. Are there resellers or distributors?

7. What efforts were made to get the best possible price (i.e. did the agency/university negotiate) and how did you determine the price for this purchase is considered fair and reasonable?

8. Will this purchase obligate the State to this vendor for future purchases such as maintenance, licensing or continuing need?

8a. If yes, please provide details regarding future obligations and/or needs:

9. What will be the financial or other impact to the State if this sole source is not approved and a competitive bid is required?

10. Is there any additional information you would like to add to justify this sole source?

Section VII Requesting Department Signature Required I know and understand the contents of this Sole Source Justification and attest that all statements are true and correct and the fairness and reasonableness of the price was adequately confirmed.

State Agency Bureau/Division Head or University Purchasing Director Approval and Signature Required I know and understand the contents of this Sole Source Justification and attest that all statements are true and correct and the fairness and reasonableness of the price was adequately confirmed. (All prior form fields will lock once this e-signature is completed) SPO Approval and Signature Required Sole Source Justification Form - Part II Section I - General Information Was a Sole Source hearing held per 30 ILCS 500/20-25?

Section II - Sole Source Hearing Details The State posted to the Illinois Procurement Bulletin a description of the State's need, the justification for the sole source decision, and information regarding the opportunity to submit comments and testify at a public hearing. Notice of the hearing was also posted outside of the hearing room 48 hours prior to the hearing.

The public hearing was conducted for the purpose of receiving testimony regarding the sole source determination. The Hearing Officer recommends the following:

The following relevant documents are attached:

Section III - CPO Approval and Signature Required 9.0.0.2.20101008.1.734229

Opus 7.1 licenses for Integrated Eligibility System (IES) which provides eligibility and redetermination correspondence for more than 3 million of Illinois' most in-need citizens who are applying for Medical, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Cash assistance through the State of Illinois' Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) and the Department of Human Services (DHS).

provides eligibility and redetermination correspondence for more than 3 million of Illinois' most in-need citizens who are applying for Medical, SNAP, and Cash assistance through the State of Illinois' Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) and the Department of Human Services (DHS). Elixir Technologies.

Given that Elixir Technologies Corporation is the sole source distributor, manufacturer, seller and provider of services including training, support and maintenance of Opus 7.1, this will need to be a Sole Source Contract with Elixir Technologies as a sole source vendor.

IDES is utilizing the following licenses for Opus and Elixir that encompasses maintenance and support is included.

These services are for the following licenses: ELIXIR ID# 12105, 12106, 12114, 12115, 12116, 12180, 12181, 12182, 12183, 12197, 12199, 12200, 12237, 12238, 12240, 12243, 12244, 12245, 12250, 12251, 12252, 12253, 12254, 12255, 12256, 12257, 12258, 12259, 12260, 12261, 12262, 12263, 12264, 12265, 12266

- Elixir On Premise Team Subscription

- Users - Business (On Premise)

- 508 Accessibility (On Premise)

- PDF Input

- Support - Platinum

- ELX461 Opus WebServices 2 ELX198 Opus Document Formatter for Central Server ELX180 Opus Designer Pack 1 ELX178 Opus Output Option - PDF For Elixir Licenses #12105,12106

- ELX461 Opus WebServices ,ELX180 Opus Designer Pack For Elixir Licenses# 12114, 12115, 12182, 12183, 12197

- ELX497 Opus Production Pack Premium ELX198 Opus Document Formatter for Central Server ELX245 Opus Designer ELX178 Opus Output Option - PDF for elixir licenses# 12116, 12180, 12181, 12199, 12200, 12240, 12243, 12244, 12245

- ELX461 Opus WebServices ELX245 Opus Designer for elixir licenses # 12198

- ELX198 Opus Document Formatter for Central Server ELX461-S Opus WebService Solution ELX180 Opus Designer Pack ELX178 Opus Output Option - PDF , For Elixir Licenses# 12237, 12250,12251, 12252, 12253, 12254, 12255 -ELX198 Opus Document Formatter for Central Server ELX461-S Opus WebService Solution 1 ELX180 Opus Designer Pack 1 ELX178 Opus Output Option - PDF for Elixir License # 12238

- ELX180 Opus Designer Pack for Elixir License # 12257, 12258, 12259, 12260, 12261, 12262, 12263, 12264, 12265, 12266 -ELX461-S Opus WebService Solution ELX198 Opus Document Formatter for Central Server ELX180 Opus Designer Pack ELX178 Opus Output Option - PDF For Elixir License # 12256 Q2Answer: Elixir Technologies Corporation is the sole source distributor, manufacturer, seller and provider of services including training, support and maintenance of Elixir's products. This is a proprietary product that is integrated through out IDES and DHS templates on State portals used by over 3 million citizens in the State of Illinois.

Q3Answer: Elixir Technologies Corporation is the sole source manufacturer, distributor, and service provider for the Elixir Opus 7.1 software suite. The Elixir Opus platform is a proprietary solution that is uniquely capable of satisfying the operational, technical, and regulatory requirements of the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) and the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS).This software is fully integrated into the existing IT infrastructure, serving as the core document composition engine for both departments. It supports the automated generation and delivery of time-sensitive and compliance-driven communications—including eligibility determinations, benefit notices, and other citizen correspondence—impacting more than 3 million Illinois residents annually.

Elixir Technologies Corporation holds exclusive rights to license, distribute, support, and maintain the Opus 7.1 software. No third-party vendors are authorized to offer this product or related services, nor is there a publicly available alternative or open-source equivalent that is compatible with the existing implementation.

Elixir Opus is deeply embedded within the IDES and DHS document processing workflows, with hundreds of templates, business rules, and data connections tailored specifically to the platform. Migrating to a different solution would require a complete redesign and redevelopment of these systems, resulting in: Extensive downtime; High redevelopment costs; Potential disruption of legally required communications to citizens.

Both agencies rely on the Opus platform to fulfill state and federally mandated communications, such as those required under:

The Social Security Act (for unemployment and public assistance programs) The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ADA and Section 508 compliance for accessible communications Any lapse in the availability of this system could jeopardize compliance and delay the delivery of essential services to Illinois residents.

Q4Answer: Below are some of the unique features of Elixir:

Elixir Technologies Corporation has provided a Sole Source Letter stating Elixir is the sole source distributor, manufacturer, seller and provider of services including training, support and maintenance of Elixir and Opus.

Being implemented and integrated within IES System since 2012 Elixir has complete knowledge of the current business process and correspondence system of the State of Illinois (SOI); therefore, Elixir can help migrate from the current system to the latest platform without affecting existing workflow and operations.

The state of Illinois has over 400 templates that need to be migrated to a new solution. Elixir has the knowledge and ability to consolidate these templates and reduce the count to a manageable number for the State of Illinois to continue with their business processes with the most negligible impact in a quantifiable time.

Elixir continues to support the current Opus 7.1 system and help the State of Illinois keep its operations up and running.

Elixir Technologies Corporation is in the field of customer communication and enterprise management solutions for sectors such as healthcare, insurance, and transportation.

Elixir has complete knowledge of the State of Illinois’s current deployment infrastructure. With the latest platform, they can provide the same functionality with minimum topology using Cloud infrastructure; that will help the State of Illinois reduce the maintenance cost spent on current deployment infrastructure.

Elixir also offers a Dashboard tool capability to provide insight into the processes and system health that will help the State of Illinois monitor and track all the activities within the system and outside the system. These real-time insight dashboards will reduce the downtimes, system errors and give information on the system to keep it up and running with minimum failure.

Elixir provides an approval workflow to automate the processes within the organization, so any correspondence generated from the platform is compliant and errata-free before they reach the end customer saving the State of Illinois cost in terms of resources and time.

One of the issues with an alternative vendor is that the time it would take for an alternate vendor to understand the business practices and processes, and integration policies that the product is used for. The vendor would also have to reverse engineer over 450 templates in multiple languages that on a constant basis undergo continuous changes, without any disruption to services provided that the most in need citizens of the State of Illinois utilize.

If the IES system and related components are not maintained, SNAP, TANF and Medicaid would be cut off to Illinois residents in need of these services.. we would have to use Elixir (Tango) to keep the current business processes up and running for the State to avoid any disruption.

If the product is not procured the IES system would fail. The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program provides temporary financial assistance for pregnant women and families with one or more dependent children. TANF provides financial assistance to help pay for food, shelter, utilities, and expenses other than medical. Medicaid helps with medical costs for some people with limited income and resources. Illinois residents obtain these benefits through the IES Workers Portal or Manage My Case Illinois portal. All of those related components will stop working immediately. If that occurs then we would not be able to support the citizens of Illinois and the state would also lose federal grant funds.

The State of Illinois (SoI) uses Opus 7.1 currently. Elixir can extend the license for current environments, and no other vendor can provide this and the required product and services.

Elixir has a complete plan and strategy for making this migration without affecting the current system and process, which is essential for the State of Illinois business.

Elixir can also extend services and support to the State of Illinois on the current Opus platform

Moving away from Elixir's platform to an alternative solution would entail:

Full redevelopment of over a thousand templates Business logic and data integration redesign Retraining of staff and reconfiguration of automated workflows Re-approval and re-certification of communication formats for compliance The estimated cost of such a transition would far exceed the value of the current procurement and would take several years to implement—posing substantial risk to continuity of services to over 3 million Illinois residents.

Elixir Technologies has extensive knowledge of the State’s existing deployment, system topology, and integration architecture. Their deep familiarity with the environment allows for:

Efficient migration with reduced infrastructure changes Reduction in support and maintenance costs associated with the current 11-state environment architecture These efficiencies translate into long-term cost avoidance in hardware acquisition, software licensing, and IT resource utilization.

The negotiated concessions, elimination of upgrade fees, inclusion of temporary licensing, and infrastructure cost savings make this procurement financially sound. When factoring in avoided redevelopment costs and uninterrupted service continuity, the pricing offered by Elixir Technologies Corporation is demonstrably fair, reasonable, and in the best financial interest of the State of Illinois.

these services. These main services are seen below and the function they serve.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (formerly Food Stamps) helps low-income people and families buy the food they need for good health.

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program provides temporary financial assistance for pregnant women and families with one or more dependent children. TANF provides financial assistance to help pay for food, shelter, utilities, and expenses other than medical.

Medicaid helps with medical costs for some people with limited income and resources.

Illinois residents obtain these benefits through the IES Workers Portal or Manage My Case Illinois portal.

Elixir handles all the correspondence for the Statewide Integrated Eligibility Systems. All eligibility approvals and denial dispositions for Medical, SNAP and Cash Programs would be stopped. These State records inform the clients of the results of their applications and redetermination. Without these documents our clients do not have any indication as to what kind or what amount of benefits they are to receive. In addition, benefits will be canceled when redetermination documents are not produced. Our Clients would overtax our Family and Community Resource Centers and All Kids offices with questions and concerns about their eligibility if these forms were not produced. Overburdening our local offices could result in the client's potential loss of benefits. All of these programs are supported by Federal funds and our correspondence is monitored by our Federal partners. The State could face monetary penalties if these forms are not produced in a timely manner.

Without this product, many of the States citizens that rely on these programs will be left out. We could lose federal funding, and an undue burden would be put on other State agencies.