DHS SS for State Opioid Action Plan

The Illinois Department of Human Services is issuing a notice of intent to award a sole-source contract to Advocates for Human Potential for State Opioid Action Plan services, with a public comment period due September 25, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. and contract execution on September 30, 2026.

This is a sole economically feasible source procurement. IDHS justifies the sole source award on the grounds that AHP authored the State Overdose Action Plan in 2022, maintains established data collection and reporting systems, holds relationships with all State Opioid Response (SOR) grant providers, was specifically named in the SAMHSA-approved grant application, and holds institutional knowledge that would be lost through vendor transition. The agency asserts that switching providers would jeopardize compliance with federal grant requirements and the state's ability to implement ongoing overdose prevention initiatives.

The contract is valued at $938,125 for a one-year term from September 30, 2026 through September 29, 2027, with no renewal options. Funding flows through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment State Opioid Response (SOR) grant (FAIN TI-087748), with total annual SOR funding of $36.7 million available to IDHS.

Scope includes strategic planning; comprehensive evaluation of service programs; management of the State Overdose Crisis Response Advisory Council and its six subcommittees; management of the Illinois Opioid Remediation Advisory Board and its committees; oversight of the Opioid Steering Committee chaired by Lt. Governor Stratton; and implementation reporting of the State Overdose Action Plan. AHP has performed under prior IDHS contracts since 2017, with recent annual values of $1.12 million (FY24) and $838,125 (FY25).

A public hearing is scheduled for September 25, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. via WebEx. The hearing will be canceled unless written comments or a hearing request is submitted by 4:00 p.m. that day. Contact: Dianne Richman, Chief Procurement Office, 217-622-1857 or Dianne.Richman@illinois.gov.