LINK IV EBT System RFP

The State of Illinois, through the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), is seeking proposals from qualified vendors to provide a full spectrum of electronic benefits transfer (EBT) services for the Illinois LINK program, which distributes Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Disaster SNAP, State Funded Food, and various cash assistance benefits. The required services include EBT account establishment, card issuance and replacement, customer and staff training, transaction processing, customer service, retailer management, settlement and reconciliation, reporting, and a data warehouse. The resulting contract will have an initial term of 60 months, with an option for IDHS to renew for an additional 60 months, for a maximum total term of 10 years. Vendors must submit proposals by May 5, 2020 and attend a mandatory bidder's conference. Pricing will be evaluated separately and must be submitted in a sealed packet.

The solicitation includes a 20% Business Enterprise Program (BEP) goal for minority, women, and persons with disabilities participation, but does not have a Veteran Small Business (VSB) goal. The current LINK III system distributes approximately $233 million in SNAP benefits and $13 million in cash assistance benefits each month to over 900,000 cases. The resulting contract will be partially or fully funded with federal funds, and the pricing will be evaluated on the average cost for up to 120 months. The incumbent vendor currently provides services to 9,105 FNS certified retailers, 223 directly connected retailers, and 145 currency exchanges.