ELA Standards Review and Standards and Instruction Summit

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is issuing a Request for Quote (RFQ) to procure a single qualified vendor to provide comprehensive venue, catering, and audiovisual services for the ELA Standards Review and Standards and Instruction Summit scheduled for June 23-24, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM each day in Central Illinois, with preferred locations in Bloomington/Normal, Champaign, or Springfield. The procurement is designed to accommodate approximately 275 attendees and requires the vendor to deliver a fully configured event space with round tables seating 8-10 people each, four skirted registration tables in the lobby, beverage stations, and complete catering services for both days including sandwich boxed lunches with meat and vegetarian options, beverages, and gluten-free accommodations. Required audiovisual deliverables include high-speed internet access, four microphones, and two projectors with screens. The contract term extends from execution through June 24, 2026, at approximately 4:00 PM, with no renewal options. All pricing must be inclusive of service charges, applicable taxes, server and staffing charges, and setup fees in a single final total, with direct billing to ISBE after the event, and all quoted prices must remain valid for 30 days from submission with no price increases accepted. The RFQ was posted on February 18, 2026, with a due date of February 27, 2026, and no bidders' conference or mandatory site visit requirements are specified. The vendor must maintain comprehensive insurance coverage including General Commercial Liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate), Auto Liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence), Workers' Compensation as required by law, and Professional Liability Insurance ($1,000,000 per claim/$1,000,000 annual aggregate) with claims-made coverage maintained for three years post-payment.

Only single vendors capable of independently providing all required services are eligible to respond; third-party vendors and subcontracted arrangements are not permitted, and ISBE is tax-exempt and will not consider quotes from third-party providers. While no specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises are mentioned in the procurement documents, vendors are encouraged to register as Small Businesses with the State of Illinois. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the available documentation. The procurement does not indicate specific budget ranges or award values; however, the pricing structure requires all-inclusive quoting with direct billing following the event. The state reserves the right to reject all offers, reject individual offers for non-compliance, award by item or portion, and waive minor defects. All vendors responding must comply with the Standard Illinois Certifications document encompassing 34 distinct certification requirements covering legal entity status, educational loan default status, felony convictions, equal employment opportunity, workplace drug-free standards, labor practices, cybersecurity compliance, and political contribution restrictions, among others, with false statements or non-compliance resulting in material breach and potential sanctions including contract voidance, suspension, debarment, or civil and criminal penalties under the Illinois False Claims Act.