Competitive Solicitations for Biddable Items

• Contracts and purchases that must be made pursuant to a competitive bid solicitation (“Biddable Items”). Except as provided under Sections 7-2(c) (Non-Biddable Items), 7-3 (Competitive Solicitation for Non-Biddable Items), 7-4 (Substitute Competitive Solicitations for Certain Purchases) and 7-5 (Emergency Expenditures), all contracts for the purchases of supplies, materials or work in excess of $25,000 shall be awarded to the lowest, responsive and responsible bidder who has conformed to advertised specifications, terms of delivery, quality and serviceability, after due advertisement, which includes at minimum, one (1) public notice published in a newspaper of the district at least ten (10) days before the due date of the bid.
• Competitive bid solicitation procedures.
  • All competitive bids for contracts in excess of $25,000 must be sealed by the bidder and must be opened by a member or employee of the Board at a public bid opening at which the contents of the bids must be announced. The CPO may provide for an electronic process for accepting and opening competitive bids in accordance with the Illinois School Code. Each bidder shall receive at least three (3) days’ notice of the time and place of the bid opening. If the stated bid opening day falls upon a holiday as established by the Rules of the Board, the time for receipt and opening of bids shall automatically be continued to the next business day at the same hour.
  • Whenever the bids are opened and announced, a copy of the aggregate bid prices by category proposed by each bidder shall be publicly posted by the CPO not later than four (4) days following the day on which bids are opened.
  • Bid solicitations for contracts and contracts and purchases based on bids between $25,001 and $500,000 per year must be approved by the CPO. All contracts and purchases of Biddable Items in excess of $500,000 per year must be approved by the Board.
• Contracts and purchases that are exempt from competitive bid solicitations (“Non-biddable Items”). In accordance with 105 ILCS 5/10-20-21, the following contracts and purchases do not require bidding and are not subject to the bidding procedures in Section 7-2(b) (and any additional contracts in the event 105 ILCS 5/10-20-21 is amended):
  • contracts costing $25,000 or less per year;
  • contracts for the services of individuals possessing a high degree of professional skill where the ability or fitness of the individual plays an important part;
  • contracts for the printing of finance committee reports and departmental reports;
  • contracts for the printing and engraving of bonds, tax warrants and other evidences of indebtedness;
  • contracts for the purchase of perishable foods and perishable beverages;
  • contracts for the purchases of materials and work that have been awarded to the lowest responsible bidder after advertisement, but due to unforeseen revisions, not due to the fault of the contractor for materials and work, must be revised causing expenditures not in excess of 10% of the contract price;
  • contracts for the maintenance or servicing of, or provision of repair parts for, equipment, where such contracts are made with the manufacturer or authorized service agent of that equipment, and the provision of parts, maintenance or servicing can best be performed by the manufacturer or authorized service agent;
  • purchases and contracts for the use, purchase, delivery, movement or installation of data processing equipment, software or services and telecommunications and interconnect equipment, software and services;
  • contracts for duplicating machines and supplies;
  • contracts for the purchase of natural gas when the cost is less than that offered by a public utility;
  • purchases of equipment owned by some entity other than the district itself;
  • contracts for repair and maintenance, remodeling, renovation or construction or a single project involving an expenditure not to exceed $50,000 and not involving a change or increase in the size, type or extent of an existing facility;
  • contracts for goods or services procured from another governmental agency;
  • contracts for goods or services which are economically procurable from only one (1) source, such as for the purchase of magazines, books, periodicals, pamphlets and reports and for utility services such as water, light, heat, telephone or telegraph;
  • where funds are expended in an emergency and such emergency expenditure is approved by 3⁄4 of the members of the board;
  • State master contracts authorized under 105 ILCS 5/28A-5, et seq.; and,
  • contracts providing for the transportation of pupils, which contracts must be advertised.

Rule References