Nextalk Contract Sole Source

The State of Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT), in agreement with the Chief Procurement Officer for General Services, desires to establish a sole source contract with HiTec Group International, Inc. dba HiTec to provide Nextalk/Textnet services. These services enable equally effective communication for individuals with disabilities, including hearing and speech impairments, through a LAN-based TTY system utilizing the state's desktop PCs. The current system supports 280 assigned 800 numbers and 635 users across multiple state agencies. DoIT will procure these services, which will be available for use by other state agencies. The initial contract term is from February 1, 2021 to January 31, 2022, with no renewal options. The estimated annual value of this sole source contract is $110,000, which includes $36,812.50 for software maintenance, $57,600 for port licenses, and $13,920 for 800 numbers.

This is a sole source procurement, as HiTec is the only authorized distributor of Nextalk services from the manufacturer NXi Communications in Illinois and Wisconsin, and has provided these services to the State sole source since 2008. The State has determined that HiTec is the only vendor that can meet their specific requirements for providing TTY services to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community. The hearing for this sole source contract will be canceled unless an interested party submits written comments or requests a public hearing by January 22, 2021 at 4 p.m. No set-aside designations or restrictions on the types of organizations that can respond are mentioned, and no incumbent vendors or budget ranges are provided.