REBID Fiber Construction Services - North Region

The Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology is issuing a rebid multi-award Invitation for Bid (IFB #26-448DOIT-ADMIN-B-50657) to procure Fiber Construction Services for the North Region of Illinois, encompassing 18 counties including Jo Daviess, Stephenson, Winnebago, Ogle, Carroll, Whiteside, Lee, Lasalle, Bureau, Henry, Rock Island, Mercer, Henderson, Warren, Knox, Stark, Marshall, and Putnam. The State seeks to award a Primary Vendor and Secondary Vendor to provide comprehensive fiber optic infrastructure development and maintenance services on an as-needed basis, including planning, design, and implementation of new installations utilizing direct buried cable, aerial cable, underground pathway and duct placement, cable placement in pathways, and building entrance and inside plant work. Vendors must be prepared to respond to Installation Packages within two weeks of receipt and perform a minimum of 50 percent of total contract value through self-performance measured by labor, materials, and direct costs. Key qualifications include a valid Illinois contractor's license, minimum two years of comparable fiber construction experience, Certified Fiber Optic Technician (CFOT) certification, BICSI Installer 1 or 2 certification (with acceptable alternatives including FOA, ETA International, SCTE, and manufacturer-specific certifications), OSHA 30-Hour Construction Safety Certification, and field personnel with OTDR and fusion splicer operation experience. The contract has an initial three-year term with options to renew for up to seven additional years, not to exceed ten years total, funded through TRMF-304 capital funds. Vendors must submit pricing for all line items with labor rates inclusive of prevailing wage, fringe benefits, FICA, workers' compensation, liability insurance, and unemployment insurance; material and equipment costs are reimbursable at vendor cost with $500,000 and $100,000 placeholder amounts respectively. Evaluation criteria prioritize responsive and responsible vendors offering the lowest price, and bidders must submit three similar or greater-scope projects with contact information and contract values. The bid deadline is February 11, 2026, with vendor questions and answers due by February 3, 2026, and the State has posted clarifications regarding acceptable field personnel certifications.

The procurement includes mandatory Business Enterprise Program (BEP) utilization requirements with a 7% participation goal and Veteran Small Business Program (VBP) utilization with a 4% participation goal, with bidders required to submit completed utilization plans demonstrating commitment to certified diverse vendors or risk bid rejection. Vendors must comply with all 33 Standard Illinois Certifications addressing statutory and regulatory requirements including non-discrimination, environmental compliance, drug-free workplace standards, cybersecurity standards, political contribution restrictions, domestic product preferences, and forced labor prohibitions, with certifications required upon contract execution and annually thereafter for contracts exceeding one year. A performance bond equal to 100 percent of installation package costs is required within ten business days of engineering package acceptance, along with general liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 annual aggregate, auto liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence, and workers' compensation insurance as required by law. Vendors must also maintain active registration with the Illinois Procurement Gateway (IPG) and submit either the Active Registered Vendor Disclosure or complete Vendor Disclosure form, and all field work is subject to prevailing wage compliance under the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act. Detailed technical requirements include fiber testing specifications with maximum bi-directional splice loss of 0.15 dB and attenuation limits of 0.35 dB/km at 1310 nm and 0.25 dB/km at 1550 nm, as-built documentation including Record Construction Drawings with GPS data points achieving sub-foot accuracy and calibrated every 90 days, and comprehensive closeout specifications with punch list corrections and final inspection acceptance by the Department. The State does not guarantee a minimum amount of work, and no specific contract value is disclosed in the solicitation documents; pricing shall remain firm for the first 12 months with potential annual Consumer Price Index adjustments subject to State approval thereafter.