DES - Sole Source - Mail Fulfillment FY23

The State of Illinois, through the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES), is seeking to award a sole source contract for mail fulfillment services to Pitney Bowes for Fiscal Year 2023. IDES requires these services for printing, folding, inserting, and mailing claimant and employer correspondence, with the capacity to handle over 100,000 envelopes per week. The total value of the initial one-year term is not to exceed $3,000,000. IDES has determined that Pitney Bowes is the sole economically feasible source for these services due to their proprietary PlanetPress software, which is integrated with IDES' existing mail processing equipment and workflow. IDES evaluated alternative providers but found their systems were not compatible with IDES' Pitney Bowes infrastructure. IDES found Pitney Bowes' pricing to be fair and reasonable compared to market rates. The services will be funded through a combination of state and federal funds.

The sole source contract opportunity is open to all interested parties, but IDES has stated that if the sole source is not approved, it will be unable to send federally mandated mailings, resulting in economic losses and potential non-compliance issues. The current contract with Pitney Bowes is set to expire on June 30, 2022, and IDES is seeking to extend the contract for one year from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023, with no renewal options. Interested parties have until June 24, 2022 at 4 p.m. to submit written comments or request a public hearing on the sole source award.