SBE: Educational Surrogate Parent Training Program

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is soliciting bids through an Invitation for Bid (IFB) for the Educational Surrogate Parent Training Program (Contract #26-586SBE-CHFED-B-51793). The procurement seeks a qualified vendor to develop and deliver a comprehensive statewide system for recruiting, training, and managing educational surrogate parents who serve special education students ages 3-21, including youth in state care, unaccompanied homeless youth, and students whose parents cannot be identified or located. Key deliverables include conducting a minimum of six full-day (six-hour) virtual training sessions annually utilizing Zoom or Microsoft Teams, completing three half-day (three-hour) refresher trainings for existing surrogate parents, developing marketing and training materials, managing volunteer recruitment efforts concentrated in areas of greatest need, maintaining bi-monthly collaboration meetings with the ISBE grant administrator, submitting quarterly reports detailing recruitment data and training outcomes, and providing a comprehensive year-end performance and financial report by June 30 of each year. The vendor must demonstrate a minimum of three years of verifiable experience in volunteer recruitment activities, training delivery (whether face-to-face or virtual), and development and distribution of marketing or training materials. The contract term commences upon final execution and extends through June 30, 2031, with a maximum total term not exceeding ten years. Vendors must submit electronic bids through BidBuy by April 30, 2026, with written questions due no later than April 16, 2026. The state will award to the lowest priced responsive and responsible bidder meeting all specified criteria. Insurance requirements include General Commercial Liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 annual aggregate, Auto Liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence, Professional Liability Insurance of $1,000,000 per claim and $1,000,000 aggregate annually, and Cyber Liability Insurance of $2,000,000 per claim and $2,000,000 in aggregate.

The solicitation indicates this is a small business enterprise (SBE) set-aside as reflected in the contract designation. Vendors must submit either an IPG Active Registered Vendor Disclosure (for vendors with active registration in the Illinois Procurement Gateway) or a Vendor Disclosure Form (formerly Forms A) with their bid response; failure to submit the appropriate disclosure may result in disqualification. The contract is entirely funded with Federal funds through the Special Education-Grants to States program (ALN: 84.027), with approximately 50 percent of funding derived from federal sources under the Stevens Amendment. Vendors must comply with all federal student privacy laws including FERPA, ISSRA, and SOPPA, and subcontractors with annual values exceeding $100,000 are permitted only with prior State written approval and submission of Standard Illinois Certifications. The total contract value is not to exceed $332,740 over the full five-year period, with an annual allocation of $66,548, and indirect costs are permitted at eight percent. No incumbent vendor or existing infrastructure requiring integration is identified in the solicitation documents. Bidders must remain firm on their pricing for 180 days from bid opening, and any awarded contract of $1,000 or more is subject to a $15 Minority Contractor Opportunity Initiative fee to be deducted from the first vendor payment. The state reserves the right to reject any or all bids, waive minor defects, terminate the contract for cause or convenience, and discontinue the contract if appropriations become unavailable.