FY 27 Sole Source: Illinois Firefighter Memorial Foundation

The State of Illinois Office of the State Fire Marshal is issuing a notice of intent to award a sole source contract to the Illinois Firefighter Memorial Foundation for maintaining the Illinois Fire Fighters Memorial, administering a scholarship program, and holding an annual Medal of Honor ceremony, with a written-comment deadline of August 1, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. and a scheduled public hearing on August 6, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. via WebEx. This is a sole source procurement — competitive bidding is not being pursued.

The Foundation's statutory mandate derives from 625 ILCS 5/3-634(d), which funds the program through the sale of firefighter license plates. The scope includes annual memorial maintenance, a Medal of Honor ceremony with related activities (venue rental, catering, transportation, awards, floral arrangements, lodging, and invitation printing), and scholarships for children and spouses of firefighters killed in the line of duty covering tuition, housing, meal plans, books, and study abroad costs. The Foundation provides administrative oversight at no cost to the State; the State reimburses only approved and allowable expenses. During the previous fiscal year, the Foundation administered one full-time scholarship and two part-time scholarships.

The estimated contract value is $600,000 for the initial two-year term, beginning August 6, 2026 and ending August 5, 2028, with no renewal options. Funding is from State Appropriate Funds. The sole source justification rests on the Foundation being the only organization with the knowledge and ability to administer this statutory mandate, combined with the Foundation's willingness to absorb administrative costs, yielding significant cost savings compared to direct State administration. The State has continuously contracted with this Foundation for these services since 2008 across ten prior terms ranging from $150,000 to $1.2 million in value. Contact for written comments or hearing requests: Dianne Richman, Chief Procurement Office for General Services, Dianne.Richman@illinois.gov, 217-622-1857. The hearing will be cancelled if no written comments or hearing requests are submitted by the August 1 deadline.