DHS RFP DRS technical writer business

The Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Rehabilitation Services (IDHS-DRS) is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP #26-444DHS-CENOF-B-49610) for technical writing services to develop and update standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the Vocational Rehabilitation Program. The procurement seeks a qualified vendor to create comprehensive SOPs and supporting materials across approximately 11 functional areas covering local offices, central office operations, application processes, and contracted services, with deliverables tailored for supervisory staff, caseworkers, and central office personnel serving over 700 IDHS-DRS employees across Illinois. The vendor must review and reconcile inconsistencies between federal regulations, Illinois Administrative Code, and current agency procedures to ensure compliance with Federal Department of Education Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) requirements; conduct interviews with 19 subject matter experts; and deliver materials in MS Office and Adobe-compatible formats with Section 508 and WCAG accessibility compliance. Key deliverables include review meetings within 2 days of contract execution, subject matter expert interview schedules within 5 days, progress updates at 45, 90, 120, and 150 days, draft SOP manuals at 180 days, and final manuals at 240 days, all within a firm 12-month contract term with no renewal options. The contract is being pursued due to federal monitoring findings and corrective action requirements, with RSA approval authority over final deliverables; failure to complete the work expeditiously could result in loss of federal funding. A Pre-Bid Conference was held on March 11, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. Central Time via Webex; written questions were due by March 13, 2026; and proposals are due on April 21, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., with estimated award announcement 30 days following offer submission and contract start 30 days after award. Evaluation will be based on 715 technical points, 143 Commitment to Diversity (C2D) points, and 217 price points, with a minimum requirement of 600 combined technical and diversity points for price evaluation consideration.

This solicitation does not contain a Business Enterprise Program (BEP) goal; however, vendors are evaluated on Commitment to Diversity factors representing 20 percent of the technical score, including BEP goal compliance, subcontracting with minority/women/disabled-owned businesses, DEI spending and time commitments, diversity policies, and staffing diversity. Pricing must be submitted as firm fixed pricing according to BidBuy line items with no expenses, travel reimbursement, or taxes allowed unless the State is subject to the tax; no hourly cost caps are specified. The contract is not a small business set-aside, and no incumbent contractor is identified in the solicitation materials. The work is federally funded through the Department of Education RSA and will be performed remotely with subject matter expert interviews conducted remotely; the platform for SOP deployment will be determined during contract execution, and vendors will receive all relevant internal content and reference materials from IDHS within four business days of contract execution through secure portals. Vendors must comply with standard Illinois terms and conditions, including background check requirements, a $15 minority contractor initiative fee for awards exceeding $1,000, prevailing wage requirements where applicable, comprehensive insurance coverage ($1,000,000 general commercial liability, $1,000,000 auto liability, and worker's compensation), and three-year (five-year if federal funds involved) record retention obligations. Specific contract values are not disclosed in the solicitation materials; however, pricing will be evaluated as a scored factor worth 217 points as part of the overall 1,075-point evaluation framework.