Sole Source Public Review - Newspaper Subscription

City Colleges of Chicago is proceeding with a sole source procurement for newspaper subscription services from Block Club Chicago, with a public hearing scheduled for September 7, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. CDT to allow interested parties to testify on the sole source determination. Vendors may challenge the determination or request to testify by submitting written capability statements to William Moore, Contracts Administrator, at (773) 487-6958 or Wmoore48@ccc.edu by the registration deadline.

Block Club Chicago is characterized as the sole vendor capable of providing the required service because it is the only Chicago news organization operating with embedded reporters assigned to individual neighborhoods throughout the city, enabling students to customize their news feed by neighborhood and school location. The vendor distinguishes itself from traditional news organizations that organize reporting by topic rather than geographic location.

The contract provides City Colleges of Chicago credit students with free digital subscriptions to Block Club Chicago's news service, including access to 13 neighborhood newsletters distributed twice weekly, a daily citywide morning newsletter, topical newsletters covering arts and culture and food and dining, special virtual and in-person events, and a quarterly subscriber-exclusive newsletter. Students select between two enrollment models: Option 1 uses access codes for self-enrollment with no data sharing, or Option 2 involves CCC providing student email addresses to Block Club for direct enrollment, requiring a separate data-sharing agreement prior to launch.

The initial contract value is $50,000 for one year, invoiced upon execution, at an approximate cost of $1 per student annually. The contract includes renewal options with terms to be renegotiated. Funding is identified as Educational Funds. The contract term commences in May 2026 with student access expiring one year after the start date, with provisions for multi-year coordination to enrollment or graduation status. Interested parties may contact Angela Arrington-Jones, Vice Chancellor of Business and Procurement Services, at (312) 553-2590 or Aarrington@ccc.edu for additional information. The public hearing is subject to cancellation if no timely requests to testify or vendor capability statements are received.