DFS-Foray-Sole Source-ao

The Illinois State Police Forensic Sciences Command is pursuing a sole source procurement for a Digital Assets Management System from Foray, LLC, designed to maintain and manage digital evidence generated by the Latent Prints and Footwear/Tiretrack disciplines. The three-year contract, scheduled from April 25, 2025 to April 24, 2028, requires a secure, regularly backed-up system that must be inter-operable with the current Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), NEC Automated Biometric Identification Systems (ABIS), and Adobe Photoshop. Key objectives include maintaining the efficiency of the Latent Prints section and preserving their current low evidence backlog. The procurement process includes a potential public hearing, with interested parties required to submit written comments or hearing requests by Friday, April 18th at 4 p.m. The sole source justification is based on the agency's 15-year history with Foray and the significant integration of the system with existing workflows, which would make vendor replacement complex and potentially disruptive.

The procurement appears to be open to all vendors who can complete the comprehensive Illinois Procurement Gateway (IPG) vendor disclosure forms and meet the Standard Illinois Certifications requirements. Vendors must provide detailed business information, including ownership structures, financial interests, and compliance with state and federal regulations. No specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises were explicitly noted in the documents. The total contract value is $733,963.80, funded by state appropriated funds, with an estimated savings of $48,086.88 compared to a single-year contract. Alternative vendors like Mideo Systems and QueTel were evaluated but deemed incompatible due to the complexity of redesigning the LIMS interface and potential productivity losses. Potential vendors must have an active, unexpired IPG registration and comply with extensive certification requirements covering areas such as legal compliance, workplace standards, and ethical conduct.