SBE: New IFB - Universal Mental Health Screening Tool

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is requesting bids for comprehensive implementation of universal mental health screening for students in grades 3 through 12 across Illinois under IFB format, with bids due November 17, 2026. This procurement carries a mandatory Business Enterprise Program (BEP) participation requirement — the aspirational goal is not less than 30 percent of total contract dollar value awarded to businesses certified as minority-, women-, or disabled-owned, or not less than 20 percent for construction contracts. Vendors must submit a completed BEP Utilization Plan; businesses must be at least 51 percent owned and controlled by eligible individuals with annual gross sales below $150 million. BEP-certified vendors and subcontractors must be certified at bid submission, perform commercially useful functions, and submit monthly reports through the Commission on Equity and Inclusion's Supplier Diversity Management Portal post-award. Failure to meet contracted BEP participation percentages constitutes material breach and may result in contract termination, disqualification from state business for up to one year, or other remedies.

The scope includes development, deployment, and management of a validated mental health screening tool; statewide implementation methodology and staff training; technical assistance; data management systems; and ongoing program support. The vendor must demonstrate evidence base for the screening tool's validity and reliability, large-scale implementation capacity, training and support infrastructure, and data security compliance.

The contract term spans three years with renewal options. Pricing is structured across eight expense categories: screening platform and licensing; implementation and onboarding; system integration and data exchange; hosting, data security, maintenance, and platform updates; training and professional development; technical assistance and help desk support; data processing and reporting; and other required costs.

Insurance requirements are substantial: Professional Liability Insurance with $1 million per claim and $1 million aggregate annually, and Cyber Liability Insurance with $2 million per claim and $2 million aggregate, maintained for two to three years following final payment. The vendor must comply with FERPA, ISSRA, SOPPA, FOIA, and PERA; store data in the continental United States with FIPS 140-2 and AES-256 encryption; maintain segregated confidential data with audit trails; and certify destruction of data upon termination using NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 1-compliant methods. Liquidated damages of $10,000 per calendar day apply for up to 30 days on missed deliverable dates. Approximately 100% of initial funding derives from federal sources under the Stevens Amendment. Vendors must submit Vendor Disclosure and IPG Active Registered Vendor Disclosure forms, claim Illinois Business Preference where applicable, and may submit exceptions to Standard Terms and Conditions through redline.