Section 500.1330  Protests

a)         Protest Resolution by the Procurement Officer

An actual or prospective bidder, offeror, or vendor that may be aggrieved in connection with a procurement may file a protest on any phase of solicitation or award, including but not limited to specifications preparation, bid solicitation, or award provided the aggrieved party has evidence of a violation of a procurement statute, procurement rule, or the solicitation itself.

b)         Filing of Protest

1)         Protests shall be made in writing to the CPO, and shall be filed by noon on the seventh calendar day after the aggrieved party knew or should have known of the facts giving rise to the protest.  A protest is considered filed when physically received by the CPO.  Protests filed after the 7 calendar day period shall not be considered.  With respect to a protest regarding specifications or other terms and conditions of the solicitation document, the protest must be received within 7 calendar days after the date the solicitation was posted in the Auditor General Bulletin, or issued if not posted in the Auditor General Bulletin.

2)         To expedite handling of protests, the envelope should be labeled "Protest."  The written protest shall include at a minimum the following:

A)        the name and address of the protester;

B)        appropriate identification of the procurement and, if a contract has been awarded, its number;

C)        a statement of reasons for the protest specifically identifying any alleged violation of a procurement statute, a procurement rule, or the solicitation itself, including the evaluation and award; and

D)        supporting exhibits, evidence, or documents to substantiate any claims unless not available within the filing time, in which case the expected availability date shall be indicated.

c)         Requested Information; Time for Filing

Any additional information requested by the OAG shall be submitted within the time periods established by the requesting source in order to expedite consideration of the protest.  Failure of the protesting party to comply expeditiously with a request for information by the CPO may result in resolution of the protest without consideration of that information.

d)         Stay of Procurements During Protest

When a protest has been timely filed and before an award has been made, the Procurement Officer shall make no award of the contract until the protest has been resolved.  If timely received but after award, the award shall be stayed without penalty to the State, or the award may be honored or revoked in whole or in part depending on the outcome of the protest review.  In any case the CPO may make the award or reinstate the award upon a determination that the needs of the State require an immediate award and performance under the contract.

e)         Decision by the CPO

A decision on a protest shall be made by the CPO as expeditiously as possible after receiving all relevant, requested information.  If a protest is sustained, the available remedies include, but are not limited to, reversal of award and cancellation or revision of the solicitation.

f)          Effect of Judicial or Administrative Proceedings

If an action concerning the protest has commenced in court, the CPO shall not act on the protest, but shall refer the protest to the Attorney General. This subsection shall not apply when a court requests, expects, or otherwise expresses interest in the decision of the CPO.

(Source:  Amended at 35 Ill. Reg. 5307, effective April 1, 2011)