Emergency Notice - ALPLM - ETC Track Lights for Citizen City Exhibit

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum (ALPLM) in Springfield, Illinois is procuring ETC Track Lighting equipment for its Citizen City exhibit under emergency purchase authority, with a proposal due date of September 8, 2026 and grant-fund expiration on August 31, 2026.

This is an "Avoid Lapsing" emergency under Section 20-30(d) of the Illinois Procurement Code triggered by federal grant funds expiring August 31, 2026. ALPLM exhausted all available grant extensions and cannot substitute state-appropriated funding for this equipment. Staffing shortages in ALPLM's fiscal department delayed the procurement during most of FY26, necessitating emergency action to preserve the grant. No Business Enterprise Program (BEP)-certified authorized resellers are available for the equipment; the Chief Equity Officer initially denied a BEP waiver, but ALPLM proceeded with the emergency purchase to meet the deadline.

The procurement involves theatrical track lighting for the new exhibit. An initial public bid (B-52190) was posted in NIGP category 85553 and yielded only one bid. Theatrical Lighting Connection was selected as the sole vendor.

The contract amount is $120,000. Funding is entirely from federal grant sources. The Illinois Chief Procurement Office for General Services is managing the emergency purchase on behalf of ALPLM.