Sole Source:AGR-Weights and Measures-WinWam Software

Chief Procurement Office for General Services is processing a sole source award on behalf of the Illinois Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Weights and Measures, a notice of intent to award WinWam Weights and Measures software licenses and maintenance to Nover Englestein & Associates as the sole source. The October 16, 2026 deadline for written comments or hearing requests passed with none received, the October 26, 2026 public hearing was canceled, and the Chief Procurement Officer authorized the agency to proceed on October 21, 2026.

The sole-source justification rests on WinWam being the only commercial software that performs inspections in compliance with all three NIST regulations (Handbooks 44, 130, and 133) in a state government environment. The agency also cites more than 20 years of inspection data and inspector training specific to WinWam as barriers to migration. The software has been used since 2003 for approximately 150,000 annual inspections of gas pumps, truck scales, and retail scales. Deliverables include licenses for Device Inspection, Package Checking, Questionnaire Deluxe, and Synchronization software; the Device Assignment Tool; the Report of Unassigned Devices; Online Device Inventory Tool enhancements; Q&A validation testing; installation documentation; training; and upgrade assistance. The overhaul followed unauthorized modifications by a former employee that required the vendor to rebuild the system.

The total contract value is $131,197.00, funded entirely with state appropriated funds, structured as a one-time purchase with no renewal options. Future annual maintenance is estimated below $90,000.00 over two years. Nover Englestein & Associates is the incumbent, holding three prior contracts from September 2018 through June 2024 valued at $16,910.00, $96,520.00, and $92,430.00. The need-by date was October 5, 2026.