Agencies
Services
Requirements in 4 Steps
All vendors submitting bids and offers on Illinois public contracts must:
1. Be a legal entity authorized to transact business or conduct affairs in Illinois. Vendors must be a legal entity (other than individuals acting as sole proprietors) prior to submitting the bid, offer, or proposal. This applies to both in-state and out-of-state firms.
A vendor must be:
- A legal entity,
- registered to transact business or conduct affairs in Illinois,
- and be in good standing with the Illinois Secretary of State.
*For information on authorization to transact business and conduct affairs in Illinois, please contact the Illinois Secretary of State’s Department of Business Services or your home county clerk.
Secretary of State – Department of Business Services https://ilsos.gov
For certified copies and copy requests for corporations, please call 217-782-6875.
For certified copies and copy requests for LLCs, LPs and LLPs, please call 217-524-8008.
In-State Firms
Corporations(Corp); Limited Liability Companies(LLC) Limited Partnerships(LP); Limited Liability Partnerships(LLLP) - Please contact the Illinois Secretary of State for further information.
Sole Proprietorships - If the firms's name is the same as the sole proprietor's name, nothing is required.
Please direct your questions to the Illinois Secretary of State:
Out-of-State Firms
A foreign vendor is defined as any vendor who has not incorporated within the State of Illinois. A Guide for Qualifying Foreign Corporations, published by the Secretary of State, will answer your questions on how to qualify your Corporation/LLC to do business in Illinois. The guide can be found here:
http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/publications/pdf_publications/c216.pdf.
Springfield Office:
Michael J. Howlett Bldg.
501 S. Second St., Rm. 350
Springfield, IL 62756
217-782-6961
Hours: Mon.-Fri., 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m
Chicago Office:
69 W. Washington St., Ste. 1240
Chicago, IL 60602
312-793-3380
Hours: Mon.-Fri., 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
2. Register with the Illinois State Board of Elections and obtain a certificate confirming your registration (this applies if you have aggregate bids, proposals or contracts that exceed $50,000 annually, including the business you do with all State of Illinois agencies and universities and the value of any current solicitation(s) to which you are responding).
For additional information regarding State Board of Elections registration, please contact one of the following:
Springfield Office:
2329 S. MacArthur Blvd.
Springfield, IL 62704
217-782-4141
Fax: 217-782-5959
Hours: Mon.-Fri., 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m
Chicago Office:
100 W. Randolph, Suite 14-100
Chicago, IL 60601
312-814-6440
Fax: 312-814-6485
Hours: Mon.-Fri., 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m
*To register with the State Board of Elections, please visit its website for specific information on the registration process: https://BEREP.elections.il.gov.
This requirement to register applies to all vendors except for not-for-profit organizations and governmental entities. There are no exceptions for out-of-state or non-U.S. vendors.
You must register if any of these conditions apply:
A. You are submitting a bid or proposal exceeding $50,000 on any State agency or public university solicitation;
B. The bid or proposal you are submitting is less than $50,000 but the annual total value of all of your contracts and offers with all State agencies and public universities (including all current State contracts, the bid or proposal you are submitting, any other pending offers, and offers you previously submitted this year where you were not awarded a contract) exceeds $50,000.
OR
C. You are registering in the Illinois Procurement Gateway regardless of the value of any contracts, bids or offers.
If you respond to a solicitation from any State agency or public university, you must be registered with the Board of Elections prior to the due date for submittal. There is no grace period allowing for registration with the Board of Elections after bid opening.
3. Hold a current Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) Bidder Eligibility Number.
All entities that wish to do business with any agency, board, or commission of the State of Illinois must register for an eligible bidder number through the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) by filing an Employer Report Form (PC-1) with the IDHR Public Contracts unit.
All potential bidders or offerors must register 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; or
- The business entity is directed to file by a contracting agency of the State of Illinois, any political subdivision, or a municipal corporation.
There is a $75.00 (non-refundable) registration fee. Registration will be valid for five years from the date of issuance. If you wish to register multiple locations that all have the same FEIN as the corporate office, you must submit a completed PC-1 application for all Illinois locations to be eligible to bid on business with the State of Illinois. No additional fee is required.
For more information, contact the Public Contracts Unit.
Public Contracts Unit
Illinois Department of Human Rights
100 West Randolph Street
Suite 10-100
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 814-2431 (telephone)
(312) 814-2397 (facsimile)
IDHR.publiccontracts@illinois.gov
4. If providing construction services or construction-related professional services, you must be prequalified prior to bidding or providing applications for selection.
All vendors providing construction services or construction-related professional services must be prequalified prior to bidding or providing applications for selection.
For Higher Education procurements, please contact the applicable Public University Purchasing Office for more information.