Announcement of an Exempt Purchase

Vendor will provide Heidelberg Instruments which allows a mask-less lithography technique and the ability to bypass the long process of ordering a photomask and enables us to transfer the design directly to the wafer without the need for a photomask.

This purchase is exempt from the usual selection processes of the Procurement Code because the procurement expenditure is for performing sponsored research and other sponsored activities under grants and contracts funded by the sponsor or by sources other than State appropriations. (30 ILCS 500 / 1-13(b)(8)) The financial impact to the State could be significant. Delays, inefficiencies, and potential failures in R&D projects at UIC would lead to loss of grant opportunities, increased maintenance costs, and reduced competitiveness in securing future research funding. Only Heidelberg provides the specific technical capabilities required to ensure the success and long-term value of these projects.