AGR-County Fairs-Horse Testing

The Illinois Department of Agriculture, specifically the Bureau of County Fairs and Horse Racing, is seeking a vendor to provide doping substance testing for competing horses to ensure competition integrity. The scope of work involves analyzing blood and urine samples for a wide array of illegal substances, including anabolic androgenic steroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, stimulants, hormones, peptides, opioids, cannabinoids, and hallucinogens. The estimated annual volume includes up to 31 paired blood and urine samples, 135 blood-only samples for post-race testing, and fewer than 25 TCO2 blood samples for pre-race testing. To ensure legally defensible results, the vendor's laboratory must be accredited under ISO/IEC 17025-2017 and the Competition Animal Drug Testing Laboratory Accreditation Program, and all testing must be performed by the vendor's own staff without the use of third parties. This small purchase contract requires the vendor to adhere to strict state and federal regulations, including the State Prompt Payment Act and the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. Key administrative requirements include maintaining general commercial liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence and auto liability of $1,000,000. Vendors must provide several certifications, including compliance with the Illinois Pension Code, tax obligations, and ethics standards regarding bribery and collusion. Invoicing is generally handled upon contract completion unless specific milestones are agreed upon, with a strict deadline of July 31 for any expenses incurred through June 30. The procurement is managed via the BidBuy portal under solicitation number B-54797.