University of Illinois at Chicago
Announcement of a Sole Source Purchase
Awarded to:Vendor: WEPA, Inc., Alabaster, AL
Amount: An estimated $1,875,000
Terms:
An estimated start date of 6/1/2019 through 5/31/2022, 36 months
Renewals:
3 one-year
Potential Future Renewals:
$1,875,000
The University award process may be delayed up to thirty days as this award goes through a state approval process.
The hearing has been cancelled since no vendors registered to attend or submitted comments regarding this notice.
First published Thursday, May 16, 2019
The University awarded a contract for Cloud Printing Services to WEPA, Inc., Alabaster, AL, for an estimated $1,875,000.
This purchase is for Wepa cloud printing services, offering kiosk-based printing with integrations to various university systems, including the campus fund system (Atrium), various cloud storage solutions (e.g. MS OneDrive, Google Drive, and Box), and the university's learning management system (Blackboard Learn). The vendor provides all hardware, software, consumables, and technical support services for the solution.
The University has a need to purchase Cloud printing services. This is needed because ACCC currently runs a printing service targeted to students at UIC. The current service structure is aging and requires purchases and coordination between several different vendors (one each for paper, purchasing printer hardware, maintaining printer hardware, purchasing associated computer hardware, supporting associated computer hardware, printing software, and toner) while significant ACCC staff resources are allocated to maintaining the service and supporting the customers. Stability problems over the course of several years between 2013 and 2017 led to significant negative feedback from customers and prompted ACCC to investigate alternative methods of providing the printing service. The end result of this will be a vendor that takes on the risks associated with the various back-end vendors involved, and provides the university with a single vendor that provides and supports a turn-key printing service from hardware to software consumables to customer support.
The university, on information and belief, has concluded that only one vendor can meet its need or can meet the need economically. That vendor is WEPA, Inc. The university has provided detailed justification to support its conclusion as shown on the attached Sole Source Justification Form.
Although the university has presented this as a sole source procurement, we are seeking competitive information from firms with the capability of meeting the university's need (even if performed in a manner different from what has been presented) to contact us and provide sufficient information to show the need can be met. If we receive that information, the Chief Procurement Officer will offer a public hearing to consider the matter. Hearing information is described below.
The University has determined that this purchase is only economically available from this source because the compatibility of equipment, accessories, replacement parts, or service is a paramount consideration.
For additional information, contact:
State Purchasing Officer - Catherine Bradbury
The State of Illinois has a policy to encourage prospective vendors to hire
qualified veterans, minorities, females, persons with disabilities and ex-offenders.
