Vendor Question with Answer.docx

This is a Vendor Question and Answer document from the Illinois Department of Corrections' Centralia Correctional Center regarding Request for Quote B51807 for burial services. The solicitation seeks a three-year contract for comprehensive burial services for deceased individuals in custody who are wards of the state. Services include transportation of remains to funeral homes and cemeteries, provision of grave plots and receptacles, grave digging, and all associated labor, materials, tools, and equipment. Vendors must be qualified, licensed, and capable of taking possession of deceased individuals within 24 hours of notification. Bids are due by April 10, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., submitted through the BidBuy system or via email to Kimberly Litteken. No pre-bid conference or mandatory site visit is required. Award will be made to the responsive and responsible vendor offering the lowest price, with an initial contract term of three years from the date of last signature and a maximum total contract term not exceeding ten years including any renewal or extension periods.

The pricing structure consists of separate line items for each year of the contract, with quantity fields pre-populated at three units representing an estimate of annual instances. Vendors must submit the total cost per individual burial service for each year, accounting for inflation in subsequent years. A fourth line item covers instances exceeding three in any of the three years. Vendor bids must remain firm for 120 days from opening. Vendors must maintain general commercial liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 annual aggregate, auto liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence, and workers' compensation insurance as required by law. No subcontracting is permitted. The contract is funded through the Illinois Department of Corrections General Revenue Fund, with payment made in accordance with the State Prompt Payment Act. The contract is contingent upon appropriation of funds and subject to termination for convenience with 30 days' notice or immediate termination for cause.