IFB Highway Emergency Lane Patrol (H. E. L. P. ) Program Sponsorship

The Illinois Tollway is conducting an Invitation for Bid (IFB) for an exclusive sponsorship of its Highway Emergency Lane Patrol (HELP) Program, a public-facing service operating across 294 miles of Illinois Tollway corridors that assists over 32,000 drivers annually. The selected sponsor will receive comprehensive branding rights on HELP program assets including vehicle decals, operator uniforms (with patches in 4" x 4" breast, 4" x 6" shoulder, and 4" x 8" back sizes), website recognition, newsletter features distributed to 3 million I-PASS subscribers, oasis posters, press releases, and a minimum of 22 strategically placed roadway signs across Illinois toll routes (I-294, I-90, I-94, I-88, and I-355). The HELP program operates five days per week from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. across 12 maintenance sections with expanded hours during extreme weather or holiday travel periods, utilizing a fleet of 14 active trucks that patrol more than 1.6 million miles annually. The contract structure includes an initial two-year term commencing March 1, 2026, with three optional one-year renewal periods, extending the potential maximum contract term through February 28, 2032. Award will be made to the responsive and responsible bidder submitting the highest annual sponsorship fee for the combined initial and renewal terms, with all sponsorship messaging required to comply with the Illinois Tollway Advertising Content Policy and prohibiting content related to alcohol, tobacco, controlled substances, discriminatory material, or unsafe driving practices. Bidders must submit pricing for Year 1 and Year 2 annual sponsorship fees through the BidBuy system, with the initial annual fee due upon contract execution and subsequent payments due on each anniversary date; failure to remit payment within 60 days constitutes material breach and default. Written vendor questions must be submitted no later than January 5, 2026 at 10:00 a.m., with bid submissions due by January 29, 2026, and all responses must be submitted electronically through the BidBuy platform (Bid Number B-49918).

This solicitation contains no specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises, small businesses, Business Enterprise Programs, or Veteran Small Business Programs, and is open to all responsive and responsible bidders meeting the stated requirements. Bidders must maintain general commercial liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 annual aggregate, auto liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence, and workers' compensation insurance as required by law, and are financially responsible for all direct and indirect costs associated with the sponsorship including production and installation of vehicle decals, uniform patches, and roadway signage within 15 to 30 miles of the Tollway corridor. All vendors are required to complete and submit the IPG Active Registered Vendor Disclosure form, Standard Illinois Certifications, and an IFB Offer form as material conditions of bid submission, with failure to complete these requirements resulting in the submission being deemed non-responsive and disqualification from consideration. No incumbent vendor or current contractor information is provided in the solicitation materials, and this is presented as a new exclusive sponsorship opportunity. The contract award value is not predetermined but rather determined by the highest annual sponsorship fee submitted by bidders; however, a $15 administrative fee will be deducted from the first payment for any awarded contract valued at $1,000 or more. All resulting contracts will be governed by Illinois law, subject to the Illinois Court of Claims or U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois for any claims, and may be partially or wholly funded with federal funds, with the percentage to be disclosed upon notice of award.