Illinois Department of Human Services Request for Proposal DHS RFP Technical Writer Business

26-444DHS-CENOF-B-49610

Section A. SCOPE OF WORK

A.1. OVERVIEW AND PURPOSE

The Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Rehabilitation Services (IDHS-DRS) is seeking proposals from qualified Offerors for Technical Writing Services from an entity with resources and skills sufficient to complete standard operating procedures for all matters regarding the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program administered by the Federal Department of Education Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA). The intent is to secure a vendor to create and/or update standard operating policies and procedures (SOP’s), including a manual for all IDHS-DRS Supervisory staff and more than 700 staff in central and local field offices. The final product will outline processes that describe to frontline staff and supervisors how to deliver and pay for VR services to Illinoisans with disabilities. The written processes must include a mechanism for reviewing procedures to determine effectiveness.

This will include:

1. The evaluation of all applicable Administrative Codes within the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) Title 89: Social Services; and

2. Correcting all Administrative Rules that are inconsistent with Federal Policy; and

3. Apply these corrections within the SOP to ensure all policy language within the Illinois VR system is consistent.

4. In addition, the resulting products may have a basic format of

a. Procedure name, general description, and purpose

b. Materials needed

c. When performed

d. Staff who perform (by job title rather than name)

e. Step-by-step instructions for completing the task

f. Reference to code of federal regulations, administrative codes or directives

g. Date the SOP was written or updated

We must procure this capability to fulfill corrective action obligations from our federal monitoring process in 2024 and 2025. To meet these obligations, we expect awarded offeror to be selected, and substantive progress made on SOPs within 30 days following start of contract.

This will be for a period of time and not for a one-time purchase. Following the 12-month term, the work will be complete, and no further renewals will be applicable to this procurement.

This procurement is time sensitive and will cause the loss of federal funds if not completed expeditiously. IDHS-DRS has mandated timelines dictating when the work must start, when it should be completed, and when it should be reviewed by our Federal Partners.

A.2. DESIRED OUTCOMES OF THIS PROJECT/ENGAGEMENT

IDHS-DRS seeks to document its standard operating procedures (SOP’s). SOPs will outline the day-to-day operations of the IDHS-DRS local and central offices and include purpose, scope, references and related documents, definitions, roles and responsibilities, procedure, appendices, revision history, and approval signatures (as required). The SOP’s will allow for consistency and compliance with federal and state regulations so that state employees and customer experience are aligned for people with disabilities to gain education, training, independent living and employment.

The SOPs will establish written procedures for individuals wishing to apply for VR services via telephone, email, online, by submitting a letter to the VR agency or through a common intake application form at an American Job Center. The SOPs will formalize Illinois VR’s standards for the prompt and equitable handling of referrals for VR services, including those made through the one-stop service delivery systems under Section 121 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). These standards must ensure timely, good faith efforts to inform individuals about application requirements and gather the necessary information to initiate eligibility and priority assessments.

In addition, the SOPs will outline necessary internal controls for federally-required metrics such as:

1. The Employment Rate—Second Quarter After Exit,

2. Employment Rate—Fourth Quarter After Exit,

3. Median Earnings,

4. Credential Attainment,

5. Measurable Skill Gains Rate,

6. Effectiveness in Serving Employers,

7. Pre-employment transition services – whether provided through contracts or IDHS-DRS staff provided Services.

Lastly, the SOPs outline factors IDHS-DRS staff are to consider when determining whether contractor invoices include data and supporting documentation sufficient to establish the payments it approves to contractors. The SOPs will describe how such payments must be based on analysis of the information contractors provide and that meet criteria for allowability according to applicable Federal program and Uniform Guidance regulations

A.3. SCHEDULE

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 IDHS-DRS within two (2) business days and request approval to adjust the timeframe based upon need. Approval of timeframe extension will be solely at IDHS-DRS discretion. The successful Offeror shall deliver to the Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Rehabilitation Services – Vocational Rehabilitation Program:

A.4. UNIQUE CONSIDERATIONS

DRS is a hybrid work environment, with staff located in virtual and onsite work environments. IDHS-DRS has a central office in Springfield and the West Loop of Chicago, with most workers remote. The 47 local offices are in diverse areas across Illinois. Staff are represented by various unions with established collective bargaining agreements.

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 twelve (12) 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.

Section B. CURRENT CONDITIONS

B.1. OVERVIEW & BACKGROUND

IDHS-DRS has a centralized web-based collection of rules and procedures as well as federal regulations to follow. Recent feedback from its federal partner described a need for standard operating procedures. 50% of IDHS-DRS is staff have been employed in the agency for 25 years or more while the other half have been working at the agency for two years or less.

B.2. VOLUMES & QUANTITIES

Following is a list of the Federal Regulations and Illinois Administration Codes applicable to this RFP. This list may not be exhaustive; however, it is representative of the anticipated volume of rules the successful Offeror shall review in their entirety.

1. eCFR :: 2 CFR Part 200 -- Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards

a. With special attention to § 200.430 Compensation—personal services and § 200.431 Compensation—fringe benefits

2. eCFR :: 34 CFR Part 76 -- State-Administered Formula Grant Programs

3. eCFR :: 34 CFR Part 81 -- General Education Provisions Act—Enforcement

4. eCFR :: 34 CFR Part 361 -- State Vocational Rehabilitation Services Program

5. eCFR :: 34 CFR Part 363 -- The State Supported Employment Services Program

6. 89 Ill. Adm. Code 521 - Program Definitions

7. 89 Ill. Adm. Code 552 - Referral for VR Services

8. 89 Ill. Adm. Code 553 - Assessment for Determining Eligibility and Rehabilitation Needs

9. 89 Ill. Adm. Code 554 - Services to Potentially Eligible Students

10. 89 Ill. Adm. Code 557 - Application

11. 89 Ill. Adm. Code 562 - Customer Financial Participation

12. 89 Ill. Adm. Code 567 - Comparable Benefits

13. 89 Ill. Adm. Code 572 - Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE)

14. 89 Ill. Adm. Code 590 - Services

15. 89 Ill. Adm. Code 595 - Closure of a Rehabilitation Case

16. 89 Ill. Adm. Code 640 - Projects with Industry

17. 89 Ill. Adm. Code 650 - Vending Facility Program for the Blind 89 Ill. Adm. Code 730 - Illinois Center for Rehabilitation and Education/Community Residential Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired

B.3. AREAS OF CONCERN/CHALLENGES

Currently IDHS-DRS has disconnected layers of policies, practices, and procedures in need of technical writer services. The solicited entity will need to build out standard operating procedures that cohesively adhere to all applicable Federal statutes. IDHS-DRS does not possess the internal capability to manage such and undertaking but we are required to do so, and as such, must procure such a capability externally.

B.4. STRENGTHS

All rules intended to be incorporated into the SOPs are located and organized on the federal registrar. This will facilitate focused and efficient review of current operating procedures. All current processes, policies, and procedures were recently compiled for the purposes of our Monitoring response. Staff are already identified as subject matter experts. These factors will allow for a streamlined process for Awarded Offeror.

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 (Including Subcontractor Disclosure and Where Services are to be Performed, found in BidBuy Attachments.)

· Commitment to Diversity 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 Friday, March 13, 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.

Date and time:

Wednesday, March 11, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. Central Time

Webex Link:

https://illinois.webex.com/illinois/j.php?MTID=m63d9279dd5593367885e537be4215be8

Call-in access:

1-312-535-8110 United States Toll (Chicago) 1-415-655-0002 US Toll

Meeting number access code: 2864 927 9166 Meeting password: EJubX593B5j

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. 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.10. TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Standard Terms and Conditions will become a part of any resulting contract. To view the Standard Terms and Conditions, please go to https://cpo-general.illinois.gov/solicitation-and-contract-templates.html.

Section D. EVALUATION PROCEDURES

D.1. EVALUATION PROCESS

The State assesses each Offer for Responsibility (E.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: 715

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 143.

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 (715) and Commitment to Diversity (143) is 858.

D.5.2. A minimum of 600 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 217.

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 715 (Technical) + 143 (Commitment to Diversity) + 217 (Price) = 1075 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 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. Redundant Materials - Successful Offeror shall consolidate, and potentially eliminate, redundant materials offered throughout DHS.

F.1.2. Staffing Attrition - During the contract, should staff need to be reassigned or replaced, training and updating newly assigned staff shall be at cost to the Awarded Offeror and not billable to IDHS-DRS or the State as a whole.

F.1.3. Progress Updates and Timeline – Successful Offeror will provide monthly updates on progress made to that point in the project, beginning one month following the execution of completed contract.

F.1.4. Additions, Changes, Scope Alteration – Successful Offeror shall facilitate any additional change following technical assistance or other oversight body review or finding pertinent to the rule making process, manual construction, or updates to the Federal Registrar.

F.1.5. Federal and State Review and Corrective Action – Successful Offeror shall work with IDHS-DRS and the RSA and ensure any aspect noted for correction by IDHS-DRS or the RSA regarding the products of this contract are corrected until IDHS-DRS or the RSA have approved the final products for publishing.

F.1.6. Documentation of Rules Reviewed – Successful Offeror shall ensure complete and consistent documentation of rules/policies/laws reviewed and to make such available to the IDHS-DRS Director (or their Designee) and the RSA any work completed to that point within 48 hours of their request.

F.1.7. Ability to Convey Why Change Made – Successful Offeror shall, upon need or request, have the ability to explain in writing or through documentation why a change was made.

F.1.8. System Interruption - during the contract term, should there be any system issues, problems, implementation or update delays, or any other issues that impact system functioning/utilization, the Successful Offeror must notify the DHS, both verbally and via email, within 24 hours of becoming aware of the system impact. Successful Offeror shall work with IDHS-DRS to mitigate the situation to successfully resolve the issue. Failure to comply with this requirement during contract term shall be considered a material breach of contract.

F.1.9. Technical Support - Vendor shall provide technical support to address and resolve technical issues for all stakeholders within 48 hours of user request.

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.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.

F.3.3. Project Team – Describe Offeror’s team for the work to be completed. Include in description:

a. A list of positions for each part of the scope of work

b. How work would flow and be assigned, ensuring adequate coverage to meet requirements of the milestones and deliverables.

c. Describe how Workloads would be assigned in order to ensure timelines, as detailed in section A.3 of this RFP, would be met.

F.3.11. Monitoring Component - Describe how Offeror would update policies, procedures, and internal controls, including a monitoring component. Offeror should provide detail regarding consideration for, at a minimum:

a. Internal controls

b. Measuring outcomes

c. Ensure correct coding and tracking

F.4. COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY

Commitment to Diversity Vendor Guidance including Vendor Submission Forms are located on the Chief Procurement Officer for General Service’s website at https://cpo-general.illinois.gov/commitment-to-diversity/c2d-guidance.html and on the BidBuy posting under “File Attachments:”

F.5. PRICING

F.5.1. FORMAT OF PRICING:

F.5.1.1. Offeror shall submit pricing in the Quote Items Tab on BidBuy, based on the terms and conditions set forth in this Request for Proposal Solicitation Document. Offeror’s price offer shall serve as the basis for the compensation terms of the resulting contract. Failure to submit pricing in the Items Tab on BidBuy may render Offeror’s entire Offer non-responsive and ineligible for award.