2026-2027 student supply kits

School District U-46, located in Illinois's northwest suburbs across Cook, DuPage, and Kane counties, is soliciting competitive bids for 2026-2027 student supply kits to serve approximately 35,000 preschool through 12th-grade students across 57 schools and programs. The procurement requires vendors to assemble and deliver complete student supply kits organized by grade level (Kindergarten through Grade 5) and specialized programs including English as a New Language (EN1), Multilingual Learner Program (MLP), Intensive Language Program (ILP), and Cross Categorical Special Education (Cross Cat). Each kit contains itemized school supplies specified in Appendix A, including writing instruments, markers, folders, notebooks, scissors, erasers, glue products, storage containers, headphones, dry erase boards, and specialized items such as protractors and graph paper tailored to grade-level needs; specialized kits also include cleaning and laundry products, baby wipes, and sponges. All supplies must be shipped to the district's Distribution Center at 1474 Sheldon Drive, Elgin, Illinois 60120, with complete orders arriving no later than Friday, July 5, 2026. Vendors must submit sealed bids through the Euna Procurement electronic bidding system by March 11, 2026, at 1:00 PM CST, include sample kits for kindergarten and fifth grade, submit three references demonstrating experience with similar projects, and provide pricing that is all-inclusive of delivery, freight, and handling costs. The district will review bids on April 13, 2026, with anticipated board approval on April 27, 2026. Vendor questions must be submitted by March 2, 2026, at 10:00 AM CST, with district responses issued by March 4, 2026, at 10:00 AM CST. Award will be made to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder whose proposal conforms to specifications and is most advantageous to the district, with the district reserving the right to award to a sole provider or multiple providers.

The district explicitly welcomes participation from minority-owned and women-owned businesses and enterprises, and all vendors must comply with prevailing wage requirements and federal vendor debarment restrictions. No incumbent vendor information is provided in the solicitation documents. Selected vendors must maintain comprehensive insurance coverage including Commercial General Liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence, Business Automobile Liability of $1,000,000, Workers Compensation of $500,000 per occurrence, and Umbrella coverage of $5,000,000 to $10,000,000 per occurrence, with the district named as additional insured on a primary basis. All employees working on school property must pass criminal background checks compliant with Illinois School Code Section 10-21.9. The contract term commences upon the Board's approval or notice of award and extends for one year with no automatic renewal provisions, though contract extensions beyond the initial term may be negotiated and are subject to price increases not exceeding the Consumer Price Index based on the most recent tax levy. The solicitation does not specify a total contract value or budget range; the award amount will depend on the number of students requiring kits and the vendor's pricing proposal for each kit type.