AGR-ISF-Grandstand Beer Concession Operation

The Illinois Department of Agriculture seeks a vendor to operate beer and seltzer concession services at the Illinois State Fair Grandstand and Multi-Purpose Arena for the 2026 and 2027 fair seasons, with an eleven-day operational window annually. The vendor will have exclusive pouring rights and must provide all equipment, supplies, coolers, refrigeration units, point-of-sale systems, plastic cups, wristbands, and portable restroom facilities (minimum fourteen units including accessible facilities). The contract requires the vendor to dispense beverages at five to nine locations in the Grandstand and up to two locations in the Multi-Purpose Arena, with the option to employ roving hawkers to estimated attendances of 6,108 people nightly at ticketed Grandstand events and 1,430 people at Multi-Purpose Arena events. Pricing is restricted to a maximum of $6.00 per beer or seltzer and $5.00 per non-alcoholic beverage (including sales tax and transaction fees), and the vendor must remit a minimum of 15 percent of gross sales to the Department, with historical 2025 data indicating approximately $494,124 in total grandstand beer sales. The vendor must obtain all necessary state liquor licenses, dram shop insurance, and county or state permits for alcohol sales by July 15 each contract year, maintain a digital point-of-sale system similar to Square or Clover with a written backup operations plan, comply with age verification requirements, and staff operations based on attendance (50 to 100 staff members depending on ticket sales). The solicitation (B-50848) is an Invitation for Bid with a submission deadline of March 26, 2026; questions must be submitted by close of business on March 19, 2026, and bids must remain firm for 90 days from opening. Contract evaluation will award the responsive and responsible bidder offering the highest percentage bid and best return to the State, with the contract running from execution through January 31, 2028, and including renewal options totaling eight additional years at the State's discretion.

The solicitation does not identify set-asides specifically for disadvantaged enterprises, though vendors claiming Illinois Business Preference or Domestic Product Preference under the Illinois Procurement Code may submit applicable affidavits. No incumbent vendor information is provided in the solicitation documents. All bidders must submit complete vendor disclosure forms or maintain an active Illinois Procurement Gateway registration number, comply with the Illinois Procurement Code Section 53-10, and submit their bids electronically through BidBuy. Attendance at a pre-submission conference is mandatory if indicated in the BidBuy posting, and failure to attend results in disqualification. The Department will provide utilities, garbage and recycling hauling, janitorial cleaning, parking and admission credentials for vendor staff, and portable restroom facilities in the Multi-Purpose Arena at no cost, while the vendor assumes responsibility for all product procurement, labor, equipment installation and movement, and third-party service provider contracts. No specific award value is listed; rather, the award is based on the highest percentage of gross sales remitted to the State, with estimated historical gross sales of approximately $494,124 for reference. A $15 fee for the Minority Contractor Opportunity Initiative will be deducted from the first payment to any awarded vendor for contracts valued at $1,000 or more.