IFB - Mental Health Parity Public Information & Education Campaign

The Illinois Department of Insurance is requesting bids on full-service communications, advertising, media planning, and media buying services to support a statewide mental health parity public information and education campaign under IFB BIDBUY 26-446 DOI-FINAD-B-53410, with bids due October 14, 2026. A Business Enterprise Program (BEP) participation goal of 9 percent applies; failure to submit a completed BEP Utilization Plan renders the bid non-responsive.

The scope encompasses strategic campaign development, creative production, media strategy, placement across multiple channels, and performance measurement focused on educating Illinois residents about mental health parity laws, consumer rights, and IDOI's regulatory role in protecting those rights. Vendors must meet specified qualifications in public information campaigns, advertising campaign execution, media planning and buying, and agency communications work; documentation of previous government or large-scale public awareness campaign experience is required.

Bids must be submitted electronically through BidBuy only; submissions via mail, courier, email, or hand delivery will not be accepted. The award will go to the lowest priced responsive and responsible bidder based on pricing submitted for labor category line items multiplied by estimated hours specified by the Agency. Bid prices must remain firm for 90 days from opening. No bid bond or performance bond is required. The resulting contract may be partially or totally funded with Federal funds; the percentage and dollar amount of Federal funding will be disclosed upon notice of award.

Vendors must have active State of Illinois Vendor Registration or submit standard Vendor Disclosure forms. For-profit entities must disclose all current and pending contracts, bids, and procurement relationships with State of Illinois government units. Questions are due October 1, 2026. The Agency may conduct a mandatory pre-submission conference; failure to attend a mandatory conference results in bid disqualification. The State reserves the right to amend the solicitation, reject any or all bids, and waive minor defects.