AGR-Budget and Fiscal-Credit Card Services

The State of Illinois Department of Agriculture is seeking a single vendor to provide branded credit card services (Visa or Mastercard) for government business expenses through an Invitation for Bid (IFB) process posted on January 6, 2026, with a submission deadline of January 21, 2026. The procurement requires the selected financial institution to be federally recognized by the Federal Reserve and listed on the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council website with appropriate federal insurance coverage (FDIC, NCUA, FRB, or OCC). The vendor must establish one master account with a total annual card limit of $25,000 and provide a comprehensive expense control system that restricts cash advances and retail purchases, monitors transactions, prevents fraud, and delivers electronic access to account activities with detailed monthly billing statements. The initial contract term is five years from execution, with a maximum total term not exceeding ten years, and the State may terminate for cause immediately or for convenience with thirty days' notice. Pricing evaluation will be based on total combined costs for administrative setup fees, annual fees, foreign transaction fees, and lost card replacement fees, with merchant fees serving as a tiebreaker. All bids must be submitted electronically through the BidBuy platform, and the vendor must comply with Illinois Procurement Code requirements, Standard Terms and Conditions, and provide required vendor disclosure documentation.

The procurement includes preferences available under the Illinois Procurement Code, including Illinois Business Preference and Domestic Product Preference, for which qualifying bidders must submit appropriate documentation. Vendors must maintain active registration with the Illinois Procurement Gateway (IPG) or submit the standard Vendor Disclosure form and provide taxpayer identification information. The State reserves the right to reject any or all bids and will award the contract to the lowest priced responsive and responsible bidder meeting all specifications. No subcontractors are permitted under this contract, and all delivery costs shall be borne by the vendor with no anticipated costs to the State beyond contractor revenues generated from card operations. The contract is subject to appropriation availability, and federal funds may partially or fully fund the procurement, with specific funding percentages and amounts to be disclosed upon award notification. A $15 administrative fee applies to contracts valued at $1,000 or more under the specified Illinois Procurement Code sections.