SBE: Agency Travel Card and Related Services

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is issuing an Invitation for Bid (IFB #26-586SBE-FINAN-B-51107) to procure Agency Travel Card and Related Services from a single accredited financial institution. The vendor must provide commercial credit cards for official state government business expenses, including travel, lodging, and transportation costs in accordance with Illinois Travel Control Board regulations. The cards must be accepted worldwide, operate on a charge card basis with no cash advance or retail purchase provisions, and meet 19 mandatory system requirements including the ability to issue and cancel cards at ISBE's direction, provide detailed monthly billing statements by transaction, maintain a 24/7 toll-free help desk and customer service, limit account usage by industry type at the agency's direction, offer emergency card replacement within five business days, and deliver comprehensive reporting capabilities including account expense activity, aging analysis, card member expenditure analysis, and fraud prevention procedures. The contract term commences upon final execution and extends through June 30, 2034, with a maximum total term not to exceed ten years including any renewals or extensions, with an estimated annual card transaction volume of $330,000. Award will be made to the responsive and responsible bidder submitting the lowest overall price that meets all mandatory requirements. The bid submission deadline is February 27, 2026, with written questions due no later than February 27, 2026, and bids must remain firm for 180 days from opening.

There is no small business set-aside designation indicated for this procurement, and there are no restrictions noted on the types of organizations that may respond beyond the requirement that the vendor be an accredited financial institution authorized to transact business in Illinois. Vendors must comply with all Illinois Standard Certifications, including FERPA, the Illinois School Student Records Act, and the Student Online Personal Protection Act regarding student records confidentiality, and must maintain Professional Liability Insurance of at least $1,000,000 per claim and aggregate, General Commercial Liability Insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, Cyber Liability Insurance of at least $2,000,000 per claim and aggregate (maintained for two years after contract expiration), and Workers' Compensation Insurance as required by law. The contract is anticipated to be approximately 75 percent federally funded and 25 percent state-funded for the initial contract period, with pricing expected to be firm, and the State generating revenue from card contractor fees at no cost to ISBE. Vendors with annual contract values exceeding $100,000 must disclose ownership structure and financial interests, and those with aggregate contracts exceeding $50,000 must provide attestation regarding political contributions and State Board of Elections registration. A $15 Minority Contractor Opportunity Initiative fee is required from any bidder awarded a contract valued at $1,000 or more, to be deducted from the first payment issued.