Middle school dance & theater curriculum resources

School District U-46, serving over 34,000 students across 57 schools in Cook, DuPage, and Kane counties in the Chicago northwest suburbs, is issuing an Invitation to Bid for Middle School Dance and Theater Curriculum Resources and Equipment. The procurement encompasses two distinct categories: equipment specified in Appendix A, including 100 professional folkloric dance skirts (in five colors with adjustable waistbands), 250 slip-on tap shoes, nine green screen backdrops with stands, theatrical lighting and audio equipment (wireless microphone systems, Bluetooth speakers, field microphones), video production resources (digital cameras, teleprompters, tripods, clapperboards), and nine studio light kits; and curriculum resources specified in Appendix B, consisting of 25 distinct educational titles totaling approximately 576 books, including 150 copies each of two dance instruction texts and 18 copies each of 23 theater and performance-related materials focused on acting techniques, improvisation, stagecraft, and filmmaking. All equipment is specified with exact make and model requirements with no substitutions permitted unless all components from the listed model are included, while all curriculum materials require exact titles and editions with no alternatives accepted. The District will evaluate bids based on the lowest responsive and responsible bidder considering factors such as past performance, experience, equipment adequacy, reliability, and ability to meet service needs; bidders must submit nine enumerated requirements including title page information, acknowledgment of specification fulfillment, detailed bid tables with product information and links, one-year warranty information, three project references of similar scope, litigation history statements, and proof of required insurance coverage. Vendor questions must be submitted by February 17, 2026 at 2:30 PM CST with District responses issued by February 20, 2026 at 2:30 PM CST; all bid proposals are due February 23, 2026 at 2:30 PM CST via the Euna Procurement electronic bidding system, with public bid opening conducted virtually via Zoom on the same date at 2:30 PM Central Time; the Board of Education will review submissions on March 16, 2026 with anticipated approval on April 13, 2026.

The District welcomes participation from minority-owned and women-owned businesses and enterprises but has not established specific set-aside categories or restrictions on types of organizations that can respond. No incumbent vendor information or existing contractor details are referenced in the solicitation documents. All deliveries must be made to the District's warehouse at 1474 Sheldon Drive in Elgin, Illinois 60120 on business days between 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., with F.O.B. destination pricing and prepaid freight and insurance required; pricing must be inclusive of delivery, freight, packaging, and handling charges, with taxes excluded as school districts are exempt from sales tax. The contract will commence upon the Board's approval or notice of award and continue for one year with no automatic renewal, and the District reserves the right to terminate with thirty days' written notice, increase or decrease quantities, award to multiple vendors, or award on an item basis. Contractors must maintain Workers' Compensation insurance with limits of $500,000 per occurrence, Comprehensive Professional Liability Insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $3,000,000 in the aggregate, Commercial General Liability Insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 in the aggregate, and Umbrella/Excess Liability Insurance of $5,000,000 per occurrence, and must comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws including prevailing wage requirements and criminal background check requirements for employees entering District property. The solicitation documents do not specify a total contract value or budget range, indicating that pricing information will be determined through competitive bidding.