Thrive Strategy Evaluation

The City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) seeks a qualified evaluation contractor to conduct a comprehensive 36-month assessment of its Thrive Strategy, including Emergency Grants and Food Security initiatives and other basic needs supports. The evaluation must employ mixed-methods research design integrating quantitative and qualitative methodologies to assess program impact on student retention, completion, and academic outcomes; analyze student engagement and program usage patterns; evaluate operational effectiveness; and conduct return-on-investment and economic value analysis. Successful proposers must demonstrate documented experience evaluating initiatives in higher education and community college settings, expertise in assessing basic needs and student well-being programs, proficiency in mixed-methods evaluation design, experience centering equity throughout research processes, capability to evaluate multi-component or systems-level initiatives, and ability to translate findings into policy-relevant recommendations for institutional decision-making. Proposals will be evaluated on responsiveness, qualifications, references, team structure, implementation strategy, interrogatory responses, price reasonableness, and MBE/WBE compliance. A pre-proposal conference is scheduled for Thursday, January 29, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. Central Time via Zoom; proposers may submit questions via the EUNA procurement portal until Monday, February 2, 2026, by 12:00 p.m.; the intent to submit deadline is Thursday, February 19, 2026, by 12:00 p.m.; and proposals must be submitted electronically to the EUNA portal no later than Friday, February 20, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. Central Time. The contract includes a 36-month initial term with two additional one-year renewal options.

CCC has established mandatory Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) participation goals of 25 percent and Women Business Enterprise (WBE) participation goals of 7 percent of the total contract value, with bidders required to submit completed Schedule A (Affidavit of MBE/WBE Goal Implementation Plan), Schedule C documents (Letters of Intent from certified MBE/WBE firms), and current certification letters from recognized certifying agencies including the City of Chicago, Cook County, the State of Illinois, the National Minority Supplier Development Council, and the Women Business Enterprise National Council. Failure to submit required documentation or achieve the specified participation goals without an approved waiver will result in the bid or proposal being deemed non-responsive and subject to rejection. All contractors must comply with Mayoral Executive Order 2014-1 regarding minimum wage requirements and the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act if applicable, complete annual ethics training, sign an ethics acknowledgment, submit an executed Form W-9, and provide an Economic Disclosure Statement. Prior to contract award, proposers must submit evidence of comprehensive insurance coverage including workers' compensation, commercial liability ($5,000,000 per occurrence), cyber liability ($5,000,000), and professional liability/errors and omissions ($5,000,000). The budget for this contract is capped at $350,000 USD due to the grant-funded nature of the project, with payment terms including expedited options with net 15 days for electronic payments via Visa Single Use Account, net 45 days for ACH transfers, or net 60 days for traditional checks.