RE-bid middle school dance & theater equipment

School District U-46, located in Chicago's northwest suburbs across Cook, DuPage, and Kane counties in Illinois, is soliciting competitive bids for the procurement of middle school dance and theater equipment through an Invitation to Bid (ITB) process. The procurement encompasses 24 distinct line items totaling professional dance costumes in multiple colors, slip-on tap shoes, and comprehensive technical equipment including digital cameras, green screens, wireless microphone systems, lighting kits, teleprompter systems, and classroom technology required for the district's dance and theater curricula. Bidders must submit detailed proposals through the Euna Procurement electronic bidding system by March 20, 2026 at 11:30 AM CST, with a public bid opening conducted via Zoom on the same date. Vendor questions must be submitted by March 13, 2026 at 10:30 AM CST, with district responses issued by March 17, 2026 at 10:30 AM CST. All pricing must be all-inclusive of delivery, freight, packaging, and handling to the district's distribution center at 1474 Sheldon Drive in Elgin, Illinois, with deliveries required on business days between 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Bidders must provide itemized pricing tables, warranty information detailing one-year coverage for defects in materials and workmanship, three references with similar project experience, acknowledgement of all specification requirements, and disclosure of any pending litigation. The Board of Education will review bids on April 27, 2026, with anticipated approval by May 18, 2026, and the contract will commence upon Board approval or notice of award for a one-year term with no automatic renewal.

The district welcomes participation from minority-owned and women-owned businesses and will award the contract to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder whose proposal best serves its interests, with the option to award on an item-by-item basis to single or multiple providers. Contractors must maintain substantial insurance coverage including workers' compensation of $500,000 per occurrence, commercial general liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, business automobile liability of $1,000,000 combined single limit, and umbrella/excess liability of $10,000,000. All orders must be acknowledged within 48 business hours of receipt, and the district reserves the right to increase or decrease quantities, terminate the contract with 30 days' written notice, reject any or all bids, and accept alternative offers at any time. Contractors must conduct criminal background checks on all employees accessing school property and provide debarment certification with no unresolved findings for recovery. The district is exempt from Illinois state tax and provides exemption identification number E99960117, placing full tax responsibility on contractors for federal, state, and local obligations. No specific budget range or award value is provided in the procurement documents, as pricing will be determined through the competitive bidding process based on the equipment quantities and specifications listed in Appendix A.