Background Check Services and Storage Platform

City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) is seeking a vendor to provide comprehensive background check services and a storage platform for students enrolled in programs requiring drug screening and physical testing. The Request for Proposal (RFP) #SN2504 calls for a vendor to deliver clinical drug screening (10 and 12-panel tests), Illinois fingerprint criminal history searches, child abuse clearance checks, national record indicator searches, compliance tracking, HIPAA/OSHA certification tracking, healthcare fraud and abuse searches, county criminal searches, residency history reports, social security alerts, and motor vehicle reports. Mandatory qualifications include at least two full calendar years in business, registration with the Illinois Secretary of State, and submission of financial statements. The evaluation criteria will consider past experience with higher education institutions, functional and technical requirements compliance, team qualifications, implementation planning, price reasonableness, and MBE/WBE compliance. A mandatory pre-proposal conference is scheduled for November 24, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. Central Time via Zoom, with vendor questions due by December 1, 2025, and final proposals due electronically through the EUNA Procurement System by 12:00 p.m. Central Time on January 5, 2026. CCC intends to award a thirty-six-month contract with two potential one-year renewals.

The procurement includes strict Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and Women Business Enterprise (WBE) participation requirements, mandating that bidders commit to utilizing 25% MBE and 7% WBE certified firms of the total contract value. Vendors must submit comprehensive MBE/WBE compliance documentation, including Schedule A (Goal Implementation Plan), Schedule C (Letters of Intent), and current certification letters. The contract requires extensive insurance coverage, including $1,000,000 Workers' Compensation, $2,000,000 Commercial Liability, $5,000,000 Cyber Liability, and $5,000,000 Professional Liability. Proposers must also comply with federal and state funding requirements, including debarment and suspension certifications, lobbying compliance, and prevailing wage obligations. While no specific budget range is mentioned, the comprehensive nature of services suggests a significant contract value. CCC reserves the right to award to multiple vendors, reject all proposals, request oral presentations, or cancel and reissue the RFP. Vendors must also complete an annual ethics training and adhere to strict ethical standards, including gift restrictions and political contribution limitations.