FY27-31 Child Care Services - Willard Ice Building

The Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) seeks a qualified, licensed daycare provider to operate childcare services at the Willard Ice Building in Springfield, serving children ages 6 weeks through 6 years at a facility currently licensed for 44 children. This Request for Proposal (RFP) procurement encompasses operation of a 2,015 square foot indoor program space and 2,227 square foot outdoor playground area beginning July 1, 2026, and continuing through June 30, 2031, for an initial five-year contract term. The selected vendor must be a licensed facility meeting Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) standards, with a director possessing current certifications in first aid, CPR, and the Heimlich maneuver, plus a minimum of two years' experience managing a daycare of at least 44 children. The vendor is responsible for all supplies, equipment, telecommunications, janitorial services, and playground equipment maintenance, and must maintain comprehensive general liability insurance of $1,000,000 with a $5,000,000 annual aggregate umbrella policy, vehicle liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence, and individual accident insurance of $5,000 per enrolled child. Evaluation criteria consist of technical requirements (610 points), commitment to diversity (122 points), and pricing (146.40 points), totaling 878.40 maximum available points. Key dates include a written questions deadline of March 18, 2026, agency responses posted by March 25, 2026, and proposal submission due by March 30, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. Central Daylight Time.

The contract is structured as a $0 submission with vendor compensation derived entirely from weekly fees paid by parents or guardians of enrolled children, with the vendor required to charge non-state employees $10 per child per week above the fee charged to state employees or military families and remit these additional fees to IDOR quarterly. The vendor must reimburse IDOR $519.00 monthly in advance to cover operating expenses, with the state reserving the right to increase this amount for expense escalations. This procurement incorporates Illinois' Commitment to Diversity (C2D) evaluation program, which represents 20% of the technical score and requires vendors to demonstrate investment in businesses and organizations owned by women, minorities, and persons with disabilities through documentation of Business Enterprise Program goal compliance, subcontracting with diverse vendors, diversity spending from prior calendar year gross revenue, DEI time investments, written DEI policies, and workforce diversity statistics across organizational roles. Vendors must complete the C2D Answer Sheet and vendor disclosure forms (either the IPG Active Registered Vendor Disclosure for vendors with active IPG registration or the standard Vendor Disclosure form), with all submissions required by the March 30, 2026, deadline. The vendor selection process emphasizes collaboration with IDOR and the current vendor to ensure seamless transition for existing children and parents, though no incumbent vendor or existing contractor information is specified in the available documentation.