Section 2600.15  Definitions

As used in this Part, terms defined in the Illinois Procurement Code shall have those meanings and other terms used are defined in this Section.

"Bid" means the response to an Invitation for Bids.

"Bidder" means any person who submits a bid.

"Brand Name or Equal Specification" means a specification that uses one or more manufacturer's names or catalogue numbers to describe the standard of quality, performance, and other characteristics needed to meet State requirements and that allows the submission of equivalent products.

"Brand Name Specification" means a specification limited to one or more items by manufacturers' names or catalogue numbers.

"Bulletin" means the Procurement Bulletin mandated by Article 15 of the Procurement Code.

"Chief Procurement Officer" or "CPO" means the Executive Director of the State Board of Elections or his or her designee.

"CMS" means the Department of Central Management Services.

"Code" means the Illinois Procurement Code [30 ILCS 500].

"Consulting Services" means services provided by a business or person as an independent contractor to advise and assist an agency in solving specific management or programmatic problems involving the organization, planning, direction, control or operations of SBEL.  The services may or may not rise to the level of professional and artistic as defined in the Code and this Part.

"Contract" means any agreement or lease that requires the payment of State funds by SBEL in exchange for goods or services.  A contract may be in written or oral form.

"Contractor" or "Vendor" may be used interchangeably for purposes of this Part.

"Day" means calendar day in computing any period of time.  The day of the event from which the designated period of time begins to run shall not be included, but the last day of the period shall be included unless it is a Saturday, Sunday, or State holiday, in which event, the period shall run to the end of the next business day.

"Invitation for Bids" or "IFB" means the process by which SBEL requests information from bidders, including all documents, whether attached or incorporated by reference, used for soliciting bids.  [30 ILCS 500/1-15.45]

"Multi-step Sealed Bidding" means a two-phase process consisting of a technical first phase composed of one or more steps in which bidders submit unpriced technical offers to be evaluated by the State and a second phase in which those bidders whose technical offers are determined to be acceptable during the first phase have their price bids considered.

"Offer from Responsive Bidders or Offerors" means only those offers that are received using an Invitation for Bids or Request for Proposals under Sections 20-10, 20-15 and 20-35 or Article 35 of the Code. Disclosures are not required in small, sole source or emergency procurements.

"Offerors" means only those businesses submitting proposals that are acceptable or potentially acceptable.  The term shall not include businesses that submitted unacceptable proposals.

"Practicable", as used in Section 20-15 (Competitive Sealed Proposals) of the Code and in this Part, denotes what may be accomplished or put into practical application.  "Advantageous" connotes a judgmental assessment of what is in the State's best interest.  Before a procurement may be conducted by competitive sealed proposals, the Procurement Officer shall determine in writing that competitive sealed bidding is either not practicable or not advantageous to the State.

"Procurement Officer" means an individual appointed by the CPO to conduct particular procurement, or his or her designee.

"Professional and Artistic Services" means those services provided under contract to SBEL by a person or business, acting as an independent contractor, qualified by education, experience, and technical ability [30 ILCS 500/1-15.60].

"Proposal" means the response to a Request for Proposals.

"Qualified Products List" means an approved list of supplies described by model or catalogue numbers that, prior to competitive solicitation, the SBEL has determined will meet the applicable specification requirements.

"Request for Information" or "RFI" means the process by which SBEL requests information from offerors for applicable contracts.

"Request for Proposals" or "RFP" means the process by which SBEL requests information from offerors, including all documents, whether attached or incorporated by reference, used for soliciting proposals.  [30 ILCS 500/1-15.75]

"Responsive Bidder" means a person who has submitted a bid that conforms in all material respects to the Invitation for Bids.  [30 ILCS 500/1-85]

"Responsible Offeror" means a person who has submitted an offer that conforms in all material respects to the Request for Proposals.

"SBEL" means the State Board of Elections.

"Service" means the furnishing of labor, time, or effort by a contractor, not involving the delivery of a specific end product other than reports or supplies that are incidental to the required performance and the financing of the performance [30 ILCS 500/1-15.90].

"Specification" means any description, provision, or requirement pertaining to the physical, functional, or performance characteristics or the nature, of a supply or service.  A specification includes, as appropriate, requirements for inspecting, testing, or preparing a supply or service item for delivery.  [30 ILCS 500/1-15.95]  Unless the context requires otherwise, the terms "specification" and "purchase description" are used interchangeably throughout this Part.

"Supplies" means all personal property, including but not limited to equipment, materials and printing, and the financing of those supplies.  [30 ILCS 500/1-15.110]

"Unsolicited Offer" means any offer other than one submitted in response to a solicitation.