Exempt Procurement Notice

The Illinois Department of Early Childhood (IDEC), in collaboration with the Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT), is conducting a Request for Innovative Solutions (RFIS) to procure an implementation partner for a modern, cloud-based Data & Analytics Hub designed to consolidate early childhood services data from three state agencies: the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), Department of Human Services (DHS), and Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). The hub will serve as the backbone of IDEC's integrated data infrastructure, supporting secure and scalable data systems across early childhood programs and enabling data-driven decision-making. Phase 1 implementation, anticipated to begin in early March 2026 with completion by July 1, 2026 ("Day 1 Readiness"), includes deliverables such as secure data ingestion from 60+ priority data sources, initial data governance frameworks using Microsoft Purview, bidirectional integration with two critical applications, scalable Azure infrastructure, up to 10 operational dashboards using Power BI Premium, and compliance with FISMA and NIST-aligned security controls. The vendor will manage data across multiple sensitivity classifications (HIPAA, FERPA, PIPA, and PII protections) through role-based access controls and data-level security protections. Required vendor qualifications include a minimum of five years of continuous operation, five years of enterprise data management experience with Azure-based solutions, demonstrated public sector or government implementation experience, and prior delivery of at least one large-scale Azure cloud data platform implementation, with key staff possessing experience leading projects with minimum $500,000 budgets and expertise in cloud data architecture, data governance, Power BI visualization, and Terraform Infrastructure-as-Code deployment. The procurement timeline includes submission of questions by December 10, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. Central Time, with responses posted by December 17, 2025; RFIS responses due January 5, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. CT via email to DEC.Procurement@illinois.gov; internal review completion by January 12, 2026; vendor interviews and presentations scheduled for January 21-22, 2026; finalist selection by January 27, 2026; pricing proposals from finalists due February 2, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. CT; and vendor selection anticipated for February 9, 2026, with contract negotiations to be finalized by mid-February 2026.

No incumbent contractor has been identified for this procurement, and no specific set-aside designations or restrictions limiting organizational eligibility have been disclosed in the available documents. Subcontracting is permitted, with subcontracts exceeding $100,000 annually requiring Illinois Standard Certifications. The project will build upon existing Microsoft Azure commercial cloud infrastructure currently managed by DoIT, which is undergoing active development and is not yet mature; the selected vendor will extend and configure existing foundational components rather than rebuild the platform entirely, with DoIT retaining control of core infrastructure, networking, Terraform/Infrastructure-as-Code execution, and identity management via the State's ILogin platform integrated with Azure Entra ID. Initial data staging and ingestion frameworks are already underway through DoIT and IDEC implementation partners, and the selected vendor will accelerate and scale these efforts. The project anticipates transitioning from the current 21 GB environment to approximately 500 GB in the near term, with continued growth as additional data sources are onboarded. Specific budget amounts or award values are not disclosed in the available RFIS documents; however, the procurement is being conducted under the accelerated procurement exemption under 30 ILCS 500/1-10(b)(25), and pricing proposals will be collected from finalists only during Phase 1 contract negotiations.