REBID II Fiber Construction Services - North Region

The Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology is issuing a multi-award Invitation for Bid (IFB) solicitation numbered B-51193 for Fiber Construction Services in the North Region, 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 intends to award both a Primary Vendor and Secondary Vendor to provide professional fiber optic construction services on an as-needed basis through Fiber Installation Packages. Scope of work includes planning, designing, and implementing fiber optic infrastructure projects involving new installations, direct buried cable installations, aerial cable installations, underground pathway and duct placement, cable placement in underground pathways, and building entrance/inside plant work. Deliverables include as-built documentation, GIS data files in ESRI format, fiber test results demonstrating compliance with Corning Single Mode Fiber specifications, Record Construction Drawings with detailed measurements and offsets at 100-foot intervals or less, and comprehensive closeout documentation including warranties, instruction manuals, and final lien waivers from all subcontractors. Vendors must maintain four required certifications: Certified Fiber Optic Technician (CFOT) or equivalent, BICSI Installer 1 or 2 or equivalent, OSHA 30-Hour Construction Safety Certification or equivalent, and a valid Illinois contractor's license, and must self-perform no less than 50 percent of total contract value. Evaluation criteria prioritizes the most responsive and responsible bid offering the lowest total price; bids must remain firm for 180 days from opening. Bidders must submit all required documentation electronically through BidBuy by the March 20, 2026 deadline, including vendor disclosures, Business Enterprise Program and Veteran Small Business Program utilization plans, and evidence of three similar or greater in-scope projects with coordinator contact information and contract values.

This procurement is not designated as a set-aside for small businesses, minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, businesses owned by persons with disabilities, or veteran-owned small businesses; however, bidders must achieve a 7% Business Enterprise Program participation goal and a 4% Veteran Small Business Program participation goal for specified NIGP codes related to fiber optic cable construction and general construction services, with documented good faith efforts required if unable to meet these targets. All vendors and subcontractors must comply with the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act and submit certified payroll records at project closeout. Vendors must provide a performance bond equal to 100 percent of installation package costs within ten business days of engineering package acceptance and maintain general commercial liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence with $2,000,000 annual aggregate, plus auto liability and workers' compensation insurance. The contract has an initial term of three years from execution with an option to renew for up to seven additional years, not to exceed ten years total, with no minimum amount of work or compensation guaranteed; pricing for the first year must remain firm, and thereafter one upward price adjustment per year may be applied based on the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). While specific award values are not listed, the solicitation includes estimated placeholders of $500,000 for materials and $100,000 for equipment that are excluded from evaluation and not guaranteed; actual contract value will be determined based on Fiber Installation Packages issued on an as-needed basis throughout the contract term. The funding source is identified as TRMF - 304, and the contract may be partially or totally funded with Federal funds, with specific percentages to be disclosed upon award notification.