Emergency Notice-3500 and 7500 maintenance

The Illinois State Police Division of Forensic Services has awarded an emergency contract for annual preventative maintenance on fourteen DNA instruments—three Life Technologies 3500 genetic analyzers and seven Life Technologies 7500 quantitative PCR systems—with a completion deadline of August 28, 2026 and a notice posted August 21, 2026.

The contract was awarded to The Remi Group, Charlotte, North Carolina, on an estimated basis dated August 18, 2026, following an Emergency Purchase Statement signed August 21, 2026. The total estimated value is $69,125 (approximately $4,937.50 per instrument for preventative maintenance only). The award undercuts ThermoFisher's manufacturer quote of $95,472.36 by $26,347.36.

The scope covers annual preventative maintenance across four Illinois forensic science laboratories: Springfield, Chicago, Decatur, and a training facility. Two instruments in Springfield were already two days overdue for their annual performance checks at the statement date. Maintenance is mandatory to sustain compliance with FBI DNA Quality Assurance Standards accreditation, which provides access to the national DNA database (CODIS). Loss of accreditation would jeopardize the Illinois State Police's thirty-year accreditation history and undermine the credibility of forensic biology results in Illinois courts.

The Illinois State Police determined that no Business Enterprise Program (BEP)-certified vendors possessed the specialized technical qualifications required for manufacturer-authorized DNA instrument maintenance. Remi was selected based on its six-year history providing maintenance services under an expired service agreement, demonstrated responsiveness, and lower pricing than the manufacturer. Funding is derived from sources other than federal funds, state appropriated funds, or state grant funds. The emergency procurement is justified under 30 ILCS 500/20-30 for immediate repairs and maintenance of state property to prevent loss and protect critical forensic operations essential to law enforcement and criminal justice operations statewide.