SOLE SOURCE - IDOC Legal Publications for Individuals in Custody

This state and local contract opportunity is a notice of intent to award a sole source contract to West Publishing Corporation, a Thomson Reuters business, for the provision of IDOC Legal Publications for Individuals in Custody in the state of Illinois. The Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) is seeking to provide individuals in custody at IDOC facilities with access to federal and state courts and corresponding legal publications by maintaining law book series collections and legal databases at each facility's law library. The current contracts for electronic/online and print materials are set to expire on August 31, 2024 and December 31, 2024, respectively. The new five-year contract will combine all existing West Publishing proprietary material, including the West Key Number System, KeyCite Citator Service, and specialized content such as Illinois Law and Practice, into a single media neutral agreement covering print and electronic formats. IDOC evaluated alternative vendors but determined that West Publishing's proprietary content and features are essential and cannot be replicated.

IDOC has procured these services from West Publishing through sole source contracts since 2009, with the most recent contract valued at $7,901,592 from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2024. The not-to-exceed value of the initial five-year term for the new contract is $16,717,812. IDOC negotiated with West Publishing to obtain the most economically feasible pricing option, with a five-year term costing $3,343,560 annually compared to a one-year term at $9,924,207 or a three-year term at $3,537,464. The hearing for this sole source contract will be canceled unless an interested party submits written comments or requests a public hearing by August 23, 2024.