Keystone Systems Sole Source

The Illinois Secretary of State is seeking to enter into a sole source contract with Keystone Systems, Inc. for the maintenance of the Illinois State Library's Talking Books and Braille Service Collections. The one-year contract term will be from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024 in the amount of $119,374.32. Keystone Systems is the sole provider of the specialized software required to administer the unique requirements of the National Library Service's Talking Book and Braille Service (TBBS) program, including managing the circulation of approximately 45,000 talking books per month to over 15,000 patrons. The agency has determined that Keystone's pricing, which has increased by an average of 2.5% annually over the past 10 years, is fair and reasonable given the lack of alternative vendors. A sole source hearing will be held on June 27, 2023 at 2:00pm in Springfield, IL to receive public testimony on the appropriateness of the sole source procurement method. Interested parties may submit written comments or request a public hearing by June 23, 2023 at 12:00pm.

The contract will be funded through state appropriated funds and is not subject to any set-aside designations or restrictions on the types of organizations that can respond. The existing Talking Book and Braille Service program and Keystone's specialized software and services represent the incumbent requirements that must be maintained. The one-year contract value of $119,374.32 represents the budget for this procurement.