Exempt Notice-AGR-Exempt Procurement Report-February 2026

This is a monthly exempt procurement report issued by the State of Illinois Department of Agriculture for February 2026, disclosing contracts that were executed under exemptions to the Illinois Procurement Code (30 ILCS 500/1-10(b)) and the State Fair Act. The report documents two executed contracts representing exempt procurements that occurred during the February 2026 reporting period. The first contract awarded to Fox at Fork covers Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure services valued at $125,582.00, with a contract period extending from November 17, 2025 through December 31, 2026, and was procured under the Public Announcements exemption category. The second contract was awarded to Global Experience Specialists (GES) for booth construction and dismantling services at the 2026 National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, valued at $147,644.70, scheduled for performance during May 15-20, 2026, and was procured under the Trade Shows exemption. This report serves as a required public disclosure mechanism to ensure transparency of exempt procurements through publication in the Illinois Procurement Bulletin. The document includes comprehensive reference material detailing 19 categories of exemptions applicable to State of Illinois procurement activities, covering areas such as care purchases, real estate acquisitions, litigation support, trade show participation, utility relocations, medical cannabis implementation, assistive technology accommodations, and state fair performances.

Contracts documented in this exempt report are not subject to standard competitive bidding restrictions, as they were procured under specific exemption categories authorized by Illinois law. The exemptions themselves represent the relevant restrictions on procurement types rather than set-asides for disadvantaged enterprises or specific organizational classifications. Both contracts identified in this February 2026 report represent existing vendors—Fox at Fork and Global Experience Specialists—that have been selected through exempt procurement processes. Contract values exceeding specified thresholds (typically ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 depending on the exemption category) are required to be published within 10 to 30 calendar days after execution. The two contracts disclosed total $273,226.70 in exempt procurement spending. The report was posted on April 6, 2026, with an April 21, 2026 deadline, though this appears to be an informational filing rather than an active solicitation for new vendors.