Sole Source Public Review - MX Study Abroad Muna Tree Rwanda Amendment

City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) is procuring an amendment to an existing sole source contract for Malcolm X College's Study Abroad Program to Rwanda, scheduled for April 17-28, 2026. The procurement encompasses comprehensive educational programming, housing, food, transportation, guidance, and support services for students traveling to Kigali, Rwanda as part of the "Threads of Identity: Unravelling Heritage in Rwanda" initiative. Deliverables include a 10-day transformative learning experience with six primary learning outcomes focused on cultural understanding, memory and memorialization, global interconnectedness, personal self-awareness, cultural communication skills, and multicultural problem-solving. The program includes accommodations at Hotel Chez Lando in Kigali with three meals daily, ground transportation via private vehicles and Land Cruisers, access to cultural and educational sites including the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre, Nyamirambo Women's Center, and Akagera National Park, Kinyarwanda language lessons, daily structured reflection sessions, and pre- and post-program transformation questionnaires. Required qualifications include extensive experience operating educational travel programs in Rwanda with demonstrated depth and breadth of services, strong safety records, successful academic programming capabilities, 24-hour on-location facilitator support, proven operational expertise, and deep African contextual understanding with established community connections. The public comment period for this sole source determination ends March 27, 2026, with a public hearing scheduled for March 30, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. CDT via Zoom teleconference, where interested parties may submit objections or testimony regarding the appropriateness of the sole source award.

This procurement is designated as a sole source purchase with no competitive bidding, limited to the incumbent vendor Muna Tree Holdings (also referenced as EDU Africa), which has an established relationship with Malcolm X College through previous successful study abroad programs in Ghana (2023) and subsequent programs in 2024 and 2025. The sole source justification emphasizes that no alternative vendors possess comparable academic programming, operational capabilities, safety records, and successful track records in the designated countries, and that competitive procurement would cause delays and jeopardize program delivery. The estimated contract value for the initial term is $15,000.00, with per-participant pricing structured at $3,245 per person (plus $530 single supplement) for groups of 15 paying participants with 5 complimentary chaperones, or $3,195 per person for groups of 20 paying participants with 7 complimentary chaperones; the comprehensive program cost includes virtual pre-travel preparation, all in-country transportation and fuel, 24-hour Program Facilitator services, three-star hotel accommodation with meals, all activity and entry fees, airport transfers, bottled water, government and airport taxes, and a $5 reforestation donation per participant. The contract is funded through an educational appropriations grant, and failure to approve this sole source procurement would result in non-compliance with a congressional earmark and potential loss of a $1 million contract. Interested vendors seeking to challenge this sole source determination must submit objections using the provided template to Business and Procurement Services at procurementservices@ccc.edu or (312) 553-2590 by the March 27, 2026 deadline.