Agencies
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Doing Business With Public Institutions of Higher Education
We are delighted you are interested in learning more about doing business with public institutions of higher education and the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy.
Click on the associated section to learn more about doing business.
There are four Chief Procurement Officers (CPOs) and four procurement bulletins for the State of Illinois.
- Chief Procurement Officer for Public Institutions of Higher Education
- Chief Procurement Officer for Capital Development Board
- Chief Procurement Officer for General Services
- Chief Procurement Officer for Illinois Department of Transportation
The Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) exercises independent procurement authority under the Illinois Procurement Code (30 ILCS 500). While retaining procurement authority, the CPO exercises this authority through independent State Purchasing Officers (SPOs) who report to the CPO. The SPOs work in close conjunction with purchasing staff to meet the needs of the State agencies and universities.
The CPOs administer the Illinois Procurement Gateway (IPG) which allows prospective Vendors to provide disclosures, certifications, and other documentation needed to do business with a State agency or university in advance of any particular procurement.
CPO for Capital Development Board (CPO-CDB)
The CPO-CDB is responsible for overseeing procurements for all construction and construction-related professional services for the construction, renovation, rehabilitation, and preservation of more than 8,400 State facilities.
CPO for General Services (CPO-GS)
The CPO-GS is responsible for procurement needs of State agencies.
CPO for Illinois Department of Transportation (CPO-IDOT)
The CPO for the Illinois Department of Transportation is responsible for overseeing procurements for all construction, construction-related services, operation of any facility, and the provision of any construction, construction support, or construction-related service or activity committed by law to the jurisdiction or responsibility of the Illinois Department of Transportation.
Website: Chief Procurement Office - Department of Transportation
CPO for Pubilic Institutions of Higher Education (CPO-HE)
The CPO-HE works with the State's public universities including the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy to meet their procurement needs free of undue influence through independent authority, oversight, and approval.
More information about the CPO-HE Office.
Chief Procurement Office - Higher Education
Illinois Procurement Bulletin for Public Institutions of Higher Education
For contracts other than construction contracts subject to the requirements of 30 ILCS 500/30-20 and 30 ILCS 500/33-10, Vendor must be a legal entity as of the date for submitting a bid, offer, or proposal. A person (other than an individual acting as a sole proprietor) must be a duly constituted legal entity to qualify as a bidder or offeror prior to submitting a bid, offer, or proposal.
More on legal entity registration
https://www.ilsos.gov/departments/business_services/home.html
775 ILCS 5/2-101(J)
44 ILAC 750.210
All entities seeking to do business with the State of Illinois (potential bidders) must file with IDHR if any one of the following applies:
- The business entity employs 15 or more persons at the time of application for a public contract;
- The business entity has employed 15 or more persons at any time during the 365-day period prior to the date of your applying for a public contract;
- The business entity is directed to file by a contracting agency of the State of Illinois, any political subdivision, or a municipal corporation.
More on Bidder Eligibility
NIGP Commodity and Service Code (“NIGP Code”) is a five-digit class item code and universal taxonomy for identifying commodities and services in procurement systems. Public institutions of higher education use NIGP Codes when procuring services and supplies.
NIGP Codes | Illinois Procurement Bulletin for Public Institutions of Higher Education
Preferences and special programs promote business and employment opportunities in Illinois. Please visit the Preferences page of the CPO-HE website to learn more about preferences and special programs.
The Capital Development Board (CDB) offers opportunities for firms to design, construct, and perform construction program management services on projects throughout the State of Illinois. Vendors must be prequalified prior to bidding or providing applications for selection. The processing of prequalification applications may take up to 45 days.
Prequalification with the Illinois Capital Development Board (CDB) (if applicable)
Vendor is responsible for contacting the Illinois Department of Labor to ensure understanding of prevailing wage requirements. The prevailing rates of wages are determined by the Illinois Department of Labor and are available on the Department’s official website.
It is the express duty of all chief procurement officers, State purchasing officers, and their designees to maximize the value of the expenditure of public moneys in procuring goods, services, and contracts for the State of Illinois and to act in a manner that maintains the integrity and public trust of State government. In discharging this duty, they are charged to use all available information, reasonable efforts, and reasonable actions to protect, safeguard, and maintain the procurement process of the State of Illinois. (30 ILCS 500/50-1)
Learn more about procurement ethics and disclosures for Vendors
10 ILCS 5/9-35
30 ILCS 500/20-160
Register with the Illinois State Board of Elections and obtain from them a certificate confirming your registration applies if you do $50,000 worth of business (aggregate pending bids and proposals on State contracts and total value of State contracts).
Illinois State Board of Elections Registration
Illinois State Board of Elections Registration Site
Prohibition of Political Contributions: Vendor will not make a political contribution that will violate the requirements of 30 ILCS 500/50-37.
Official procurement information, including solicitations, updates, and award, is published on the Illinois Procurement Bulletin for Public Institutions of Higher Education (“Bulletin”). The Vendor is responsible for checking the Bulletin for addenda and other updates. The University is not responsible should Vendor not receive optional email notices.
Illinois Procurement Bulletin for Public Institutions of Higher Education
Creating an Account on the Bulletin allows you to download solicitation and notice documents, electronically bid on solicitations that allow e-bidding, and sign up to receive email notifications when notices you may be interested in are posted.
Create Account - Illinois Procurement Bulletin for Public Institutions of Higher Education
The IPG is an online Vendor portal used for gathering business information from Vendors who wish to conduct business with Illinois' State agencies and universities. Acceptance in the IPG is not automatic. Each registration is reviewed by an IPG staff member for completeness and accuracy. Majority of first-time applicants are initially returned for revision, so please plan accordingly.
Vendors who submit e-bid responses must be registered in the IPG and must have an active, unexpired IPG Number.
IPG Numbers are activated in an overnight refresh in the Bulletin. For instance, if your registration is approved in the IPG today it will be active in the Bulletin the following day.
The IPG is staffed by a dedicated team of procurement professionals who provide individual support to both Vendors and State procurement staff.
IPG Help Desk Email: eec.ipg@illinois.gov
Help Desk Phone Number: 217-782-1270
If your business does not have an active, unexpired IPG Number, you must complete and submit Form A – IPG Active Registered Vendor Disclosures with every single response to a solicitation.
Vendors must submit Form A – Vendor Disclosures or Form B – IPG Active Registered Vendor Disclosures based on the following criteria:
FORM A
If you do not have an active, unexpired IPG Number in the Illinois Procurement Gateway (IPG), you should complete Form A – Vendor Disclosures.
To obtain Form A – Vendor Disclosures
FORM B – IPG Active Registered Vendor Disclosures
If you have an active, unexpired IPG Number in the Illinois Procurement Gateway (IPG), you should complete Form B – IPG Active Registered Vendor Disclosures or Form A – Vendor Disclosures is acceptable.
To obtain Form B – IPG Active Registered Vendor Disclosures
https://cpo-highered.illinois.gov/forms.html
To verify registration, go to the Illinois Procurement Gateway and search the “Vendor Directory.” If you do not find your company name, you do not have an active, unexpired IPG Number and you must submit FORM A – Vendor Disclosures with your solicitation response.
To use the e-bidding feature on the Bulletin, a Vendor must have an Illinois Procurement for Public Institutions of Higher Education Bulletin (“Bulletin”) account and also be registered in the Illinois Procurement Gateway (IPG) and hold an IPG Number that is in good standing.
Once you have registered with the IPG you can then sign up for e-bidding on the Bulletin by visiting the Company page under My Account.
You will see a question that asks if you have an IPG Number for your company. Answer "Yes" and enter the IPG Number in the text box that appears and hit the "Look up Company" button. If your IPG Number is valid it will pull up your company name and you will be asked to confirm this is your company. If the company displayed is not correct, double check your IPG Number and then consult with the Illinois Procurement Gateway. Once you have confirmed your company, save your changes. You are now ready to e-bid.
All contracts under the Illinois Compiled Statutes with an annual value that exceeds $50,000 annually shall be accompanied by Standard Illinois Certifications in a form prescribed by each chief procurement officer.
A contractor or subcontractor that has entered into a contract for more than one year in duration for the initial term or any renewal term shall certify, by January 1 of each fiscal year covered by the contract after the initial fiscal year, to the applicable chief procurement officer of any changes that affect its ability to satisfy the requirements of Article 50 of the Procurement Code pertaining to eligibility for contract award.
If a contractor or subcontractor is not able to truthfully certify that it continues to meet all requirements, it shall provide with its Standard Illinois Certifications a detailed explanation of the circumstances leading to the change in certification status.
If a contractor or subcontractor continues to meet all requirements of this Article, it shall not be required to submit any certification or if the work under the contract has been substantially completed before contract expiration, but the contract has not yet expired. A contractor or subcontractor that makes a false statement material to the Standard Illinois Certifications is, in addition to any other penalties or consequences prescribed by law, subject to liability under the Illinois False Claims Act for submission of a false claim. [30 ILCS 500/50-2].
To obtain Standard Illinois Certifications
We provide information online as a convenience to the public.
While we try to keep our online information up to date and accurate, there may be a delay in updating our website after there have been changes to Illinois statutes or administrative rules.
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