Illinois Department of Transportation

Construction Services

The actual construction of projects identified in IDOT's Multi-Modal Multi-Year Transportation Improvement Program is outside of IDOT's scope of work. IDOT utilizes outside contractors to fulfill this role. The department is committed to maintain the state’s highway system through a successful business venture with the contractor community. 

  

Prequalification

In order to work for IDOT in this capacity, contractors must first seek prequalification in specialized categories. Once prequalified, a firm is eligible to submit a bid on state and locally advertised projects. If awarded the contract, the firm follows department rules and regulations until fulfillment of the contractual obligation.

Any firm interested in bidding on construction projects for IDOT, local entities, and/or Department of Natural Resources (DNR) as a prime contractor must first be prequalified. The prequalification process is governed by Title 44 Illinois Administrative Code Section 650. There are approximately 750 firms currently prequalified to bid on state highway and locally advertised projects in Illinois. Updated every Monday, the List of Prequalified Firms (Text File | Excel File) provides the name, address, phone, fax numbers and the numerical work categories for which each firm is prequalified.

Outlined below is information on prequalification, human rights, renewal, and revising or adding prequalification categories:

Prequalification

Prequalification grants a firm permission to bid on construction contracts, including local agency projects. Moreover, a prequalified prime is automatically classified as a registered subcontractor. The steps to gain prequalification status are outlined below:

  1. Understand Requirements: The Rules for Prequalification of Contractors, Authorization to Bid, and Subcontractor Registrations   outlines the procedures and requirements for application, calculation, expiration, revision, renewal, and revocation of prequalification ratings. 
  2. Determine Categories: IDOT prequalifies firms in 42 Prequalification Categories ranging from Highway Structures to Hydraulic Dredging. 
  3. Submit Application: The Application for Prequalification: Statement of Experience, Equipment and Financial Condition (BC 8) is required to be submitted by an applicant in support of its request for a determination of responsibility, a prequalification rating. Please submit an original signed copy to:

    Illinois Department of Transportation
    Bureau of Construction, Prequalification Section
    2300 South Dirksen Parkway, Room 322
    Springfield, Illinois 62764

Once IDOT determines the applicant is responsible and prequalification ratings are calculated, a "Certificate of Eligibility” will be issued and the firm name will be added to the List of Prequalified Firms (Text File | Excel File). If the department is unable to establish prequalification ratings, the applicant will be notified in writing.

(Not Required for Small Business Initiative (SBI) projects and Target Market Program (TMP) projects)

Need Help?

Tara W. Elston
Email: Tara.Elston@illinois.gov
(217) 782-3413
Unit Chief of Prequalification Services
Bureau of Construction

Obtain an Illinois Department of Human Rights' Number

Each prospective bidder on contracts let by IDOT shall furnish evidence to IDOT that it has complied with the public contracting requirements of the Illinois Department of Human Rights prior to receiving authorization to bid.

Need Help?

Tara W. Elston
Email: Tara.Elston@illinois.gov
(217) 782-3413
Unit Chief of Prequalification Services
Bureau of Construction

Renewal

Prequalification ratings are valid for 16 months from the date of the Financial Statement (balance sheet) of the Statement of Experience, Equipment and Financial Condition (BC 8). A new application is required to be submitted in order to renew a firm's expired prequalification. Please submit an original signed copy to:


Illinois Department of Transportation
Bureau of Construction, Prequalification Section
2300 South Dirksen Parkway, Room 322
Springfield, Illinois 62764

Need Help?

Tara W. Elston
Email: Tara.Elston@illinois.gov
(217) 782-3413
Unit Chief of Prequalification Services
Bureau of Construction

Revising/Adding Prequalification Categories

To request revisions or status expansion, a detailed letter on company letter head must be submitted indicating the proposed changes. 

Illinois Department of Transportation
Bureau of Construction, Prequalification Section
2300 South Dirksen Parkway, Room 322
Springfield, Illinois 62764

Need Help?

Tara W. Elston
Email: Tara.Elston@illinois.gov
(217) 782-3413
Unit Chief of Prequalification Services
Bureau of Construction

Subcontractors

Federal law requires that IDOT maintain a list of all contractors and subcontractors performing work on department projects. Subcontractors will be required to register with the department before being approved to work on projects. Prequalified contractors are automatically included in the list and are NOT required to register. Material suppliers, trucking companies, and companies providing professional services (consultants) are NOT included in this definition of subcontractor and are not required to register.

Updated every Monday, the List of Registered Subcontractors (Text File), provides their registration number, name, address, phone, fax numbers.

This section of the website is designed to outline the role and responsibilities of subcontractors as it relates to IDOT projects. Subcontractor information can be found below, please click each item to expand.

Subcontractor Registration

Per federal law all subcontractors are required to register with IDOT in order to be eligible to work for a prime contractor on state let projects.

Getting Started

Subcontractors can register online via the Subcontract Registration Form. The registration form requires minimal information and can be completed in minutes. Confirmation, along with a 5 digit registration number, will be received via email in one to two days. Registration is valid for one year and will require renewal.

Renewal

Approximately one month prior to expiration, a notice to renew and instructions will be sent via email. If a subcontractor does not have a valid email address, a notice will be sent via postal mail. Subcontractors can renew their registration on line via the Subcontractor Registration Update Form.

Modifications

If a revision is required at any time, please do not register again. Revisions can be made by submitting a Subcontractor Registration Update Form or by calling a department representative.

Need Help?

Questions or comments may be addressed to IDOT's Prequalification Section, Bureau of Construction at:

(217) 782-3413
IDOT.SubcontractorRegistration@illinois.gov

Partnering with Primes

The Transportation Bulletin details the projects being advertised. Subcontractors must deal directly with the prime contractors that are authorized to bid on a project. There are two ways to communicate with the prime contractor to express interest.

  1. The For Bid List of Bidders can be used to contact authorized prime contractors to offer a quote for their portion of the work.

    Note: The first version of this list is posted two weeks following the posting of the Notice of Letting Bulletin. It is then updated each Friday and on the day before the letting.

  2. The Industry Marketplace can be used to provide quotes on certain jobs at the request of prime contractors.

Responsibility of the Prime (Subcontractor Documents)

Once a contract is awarded, IDOT interacts with the prime and the prime alone. In order to further clarify roles and increase understanding of the process, the following is provided as information.

  1. Vendor Documents
    P.A. 96-0795 , P.A. 96-0920 and P.A. 97-0895 enacted substantial changes to the provisions of the Illinois Procurement Code ( 30 ILCS 500 ). Among the changes are provisions affecting subcontractors. IDOT requires contractors awarded a contract, as a material condition of the contract, to implement and enforce the contract requirements applicable to subcontractors approved in accordance with article 108.01 of the Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction.

    Before subcontractors can be approved by an IDOT district,prime contractors must submit electronically: (1) Financial Disclosures and (2) Subcontractor Certification for each subcontract with a value of $50,000 or greater to Vendor Documents database.
     
  2. Selected subcontractor
    Sub contractors must be approved by IDOT before they can begin working on a project. The contractor shall submit a hard copy of the form: Request for Approval of Subcontractor (BC 260) to the appropriate district office for approval.

    If the contractor seeks approval of subcontractors to perform a portion of the work, and approval is granted by the department, the Contractor may be required to provide a copy of the subcontract to the Chief Procurement Officer upon request within 15 calendar days after execution of the subcontract.

A subcontractor cannot be approved or begin work until all the documents have been received and approved. These requirements do not apply to material suppliers, truckers and professional service companies.

Subcontractor Responsibility

It is the responsibility of subcontractors and suppliers on IDOT highway construction projects to collect monies that are owed to them by the prime contractor. IDOT is unable to make payments to anyone other than the prime contractor, so you must protect yourself from nonpayment or collection problems.

Navigate to Lien and Bond Claims for more information.

Subcontractors are required to follow the specs, policies, and manuals to complete the work.

Interested in bidding as a Prime?

Bids for state work are only accepted by authorized prequalified prime contractors. If you are not a prequalified  prime contractor, but are interested in becoming prequalified, please navigate to the Prequalification tab.

Interested in the DBE Program?

IDOT strives to maintain an equitable distribution of work for its many business partners. One way to accomplish this is through the department’s administration of the federally mandated DBE Program. The DBE program is intended to provide contracting opportunities to small businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. On most projects a DBE percentage goal is required.

To view the directory of DBE firms that are certified please view the IL UCP (updated every month).

Truckers / Suppliers

Federal law requires that IDOT maintain a list of all firms that bid or quote on federal-aid contracts. Illinois Administrative Code extends this to all Department contracts regardless of funding..

Trucker / Supplier Registration

Per federal law all truckers/suppliers are required to register with IDOT in order to bid or quote on subcontracts to federal-aid contracts.  Illinois Administrative Code extends this to all Department contracts regardless of funding.

Getting Started

Truckers / Suppliers can register online via the Trucker / Supplier Registration Form. The registration form requires minimal information and can be completed in minutes. Confirmation, along with a registration number, will be received via email in one to two days. Registration is valid for one year and will require renewal.

Renewal

Approximately one month prior to expiration, a notice to renew and instructions will be sent via email. If a Trucker / Supplier does not have a valid email address, a notice will be sent via postal mail. Truckers / Suppliers can renew their registration on line via the Trucker / Supplier Update Form.

Modifications

If a revision is required at any time, please do not register again. Revisions can be made by submitting a Trucker / Supplier Update Form or by calling a department representative.

Need Help?

Questions or comments may be addressed to IDOT's Bureau of Small Business Enterprises at:

(217) 782-5490

Partnering with Primes

The Transportation Bulletin details the projects being advertised. Truckers / Suppliers must deal directly with the prime contractors that are authorized to bid on a project. There are two ways to communicate with the prime contractor to express interest.

  1. The For Bid List of Bidders can be used to contact authorized prime contractors to offer a quote for their portion of the work.

    Note: The first version of this list is posted two weeks following the posting of the Notice of Letting Bulletin. It is then updated each Friday and on the day before the letting.

  2. The Industry Marketplace can be used to provide quotes on certain jobs at the request of prime contractors.

Subcontractor Responsibility

It is the responsibility of subcontractors and suppliers on IDOT highway construction projects to collect monies that are owed to them by the prime contractor. IDOT is unable to make payments to anyone other than the prime contractor, so you must protect yourself from nonpayment or collection problems.

Navigate to Lien and Bond Claims for more information.

Subcontractors are required to follow the specs, policies, and manuals to complete the work.

Interested in the DBE Program?

IDOT strives to maintain an equitable distribution of work for its many business partners. One way to accomplish this is through the department’s administration of the federally mandated DBE Program. The DBE program is intended to provide contracting opportunities to small businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. On most projects a DBE percentage goal is required.

To view the directory of DBE firms that are certified please view the IL UCP (updated every month).

Partnerships

Interest Reports

Prime Contractor Request for Subcontractor

Prime Contractors request for Subcontractors click here.

Subcontractor Statements of Interest

Subcontractors Statement of Interest click here.

Reports

Individual reports are generated for each letting date. View reports by letting date, search reports by item number. Please click here to generate interest reports.

Mentor Protégé Program

An optional IDOT program designed to enhance the capabilities of socially and economically disadvantaged businesses to perform prime contracts and subcontracts and if a prime enters into this program the goal of the project will be reduced by five percent. The program centers on business collaborations between Mentor firms (prime contractors) and Protégé firms (socially and economically disadvantaged businesses certified as DBEs) to provide developmental assistance to enhance the Protégé’s business and technical capabilities to do more complex work. Please visit the Mentor Protege Program webpage to learn more.

In the ‘Item Description’ (in the ‘Notice of Letting’ under the Transportation Bulletin page) a project is noted in red text if it is eligible for Mentor Protégé Program participation. 

Joint Venture

The Rules for Prequalification of Contractors, Authorization to Bid, and Subcontractor Registrations allow prequalified contractors to combine their available bidding capacity and request an Authorization to Bid for a single contract to bid as a joint venture after department approval.  

Requirements
A Certificate of Joint Venture (BC 2267) must be filled out by the parties of the joint venture.  Submit an original signed copy to:

Illinois Department of Transportation
Bureau of Construction, Prequalification Section
2300 South Dirksen Parkway, Room 322
Springfield, Illinois 62764

An Authorization to Bid report (which is unique per prequalified firm) will be sent via email to the firms indicating what items they are authorized to bid on as a Joint Venture, if they are not authorized an explanation will be given on the report.

If your firm is interested in award of an advertised project, a bid is required to be submitted. 

Compliance & Administration

This portion of the website organizes all relevant information needed for IDOT projects: (1) contract execution (2) administration of the project (3) DBE compliance, and (4) policy and procedures.

Contract Execution

When a contract has been cleared to be awarded, the contractor will be sent an award letter, copy of the pending contract, two copies of the contract and contract bond, and complete instructions on how to complete the contracts and the insurance requirements. The contractor will need to:

  1. Collect necessary signatures on both documents and submit to IDOT along with a certificate of insurance and power of attorney.
  2. Contact the district office to set up a preconstruction meeting with the resident engineer.
  3. Discuss with the resident engineer what forms they need to bring to that meeting.

The contract is a binding agreement between a contractor and IDOT to furnish all labor and materials to construct the project. The contract consists of several documents that establish the rules and specifications from construction methods and materials testing to compliance. Upon receipt of the properly completed contract, contract bond, power of attorney and certificate of insurance, IDOT will then execute the contract.

If railroad insurance is required, the contractor should contact the IDOT Railroad Insurance Specialist at (217) 785-0275 to discuss insurance requirements.

Subcontractor Approval

Subcontractors must be approved by the Department before they can begin working on a project.  The contractor shall submit the appropriate documentation to the District office for this approval.

Administration of the Project

Contractor Pay Estimates

Once a contractor has been awarded a contract, they can view when pay estimates have been posted for payment by the Comptroller’s Office.

Helpful Links

Notice of Contract Awards Transportation Bulletin

Click on the link below to go to that type of contract and see all current contract awards. Contract awards are posted daily. Award notices are listed in order by date, posted with the most recent posts at the top of the list.

Pay Item Summary

The following provides details about all pay items for a contract.

Payment Status

If you are waiting for a payment from the state, you can now access the Comptroller's (IOC) website and check the payment's status. The Vendor Payments page is a secure site and you will need your Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN).

On the left side of the IOC main page, click Vendor Payments. Next, the Vendor Login screen appears. You are required to type your TIN and click Ok. The next screen is Vendor Summary. Click Payments. The next screen is Vendor Warrants. Under the header Selection Criteria, scroll down to 494 – Transportation. At the bottom of the screen click Find Warrants. You have arrived at the Vendor Warrants screen which should include your warrant (check number and the date it was issued by the IOC).

If the payment amount you are expecting is not shown on the Vendor Warrants screen, one or more of the following may have occurred:

  1. The check/warrant is not being processed with the TIN entered on the Vendor Login screen.
  2. Your invoice has not been processed by IDOT.
  3. Your invoice has not been processed by IOC.

If you have multiple TIN's please attempt the same process with all possibilities which will require you to go back to the Vendor Login screen. To avoid this in the future please include your preferred TIN on all future funding agreements. If you have exhausted all TIN possibilities, please contact your IDOT district office. If it has been over three weeks from the date of the district's submittal to IDOT's central office please ask your district office to make inquiries with the central office.

Posted Contract Change Authorization

This report reflects all change authorizations posted to date for this contract. The information is available 7:00 AM through 5:00 PM on state business days.

  Contract Number:

Surety Company Contract Status Information

IDOT receives many requests from surety companies requesting contract information so as to keep track of the status of the contract. A database is maintained to provide surety companies a simple tool to track the status of a contract in relation to the amount of work completed.

Vendor Documents

A contractor awarded a contract will be required, as a material condition of the contract, to implement and enforce the contract requirements applicable to subcontractors approved in accordance with article 108.01 of the Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction. For each subcontract with a value of $50,000 or greater the following additional documents are required to be submitted electronically by the prime contractor to IDOT's Central Bureau of Construction by logging on to Vendor Documentation Systems.

Multi-Year Contract Certification: The Illinois Procurement Code requires that every person that has entered into a multi-year contract and every subcontractor with a multi-year subcontract shall certify, by July 1 of each fiscal year covered by the contract after the initial fiscal year, to the responsible Chief Procurement Officer whether it continues to satisfy the certification requirements of Article 50 pertaining to eligibility for a contract award. 30 ILCS 500/50-2. To view the certifications and additional requirements of Article 50 click here. Please fill out the form below:

DBE Compliance

For DBE compliance, please select an option below for application forms:

Prime Contractor Forms

Contract Administration (if applicable)

Labor Compliance (if applicable)

  • Payroll form, SBE 48
  • Statement of Compliance (Payroll), SBE 348
  • Equal Employment Opportunity Workforce Analysis, SBE 956
  • Notice of Project EEO Officers, SBE 2388
  • Contractors Weekly Payroll Certificate, SBE 746
  • Request for Approval of Contractor’s Proposed Training Program, SBE 1146
  • Weekly Trainee Report, SBE 1014
  • Phase III Engineering Weekly Trainee Report, SBE 1014C

DBE Subcontractor Forms

Contract Administration

Required

If Applicable

Labor Compliance

Required

  • Payroll form, SBE 48
  • Statement of Compliance (Payroll), SBE 348
  • Equal Employment Opportunity Workforce Analysis, SBE 956

If Applicable

  • Contractors Weekly Payroll Certificate, SBE 746
  • Request for Approval of Contractor’s Proposed Training Program, SBE 1146
  • Weekly Trainee Report, SBE 1014
  • Phase III Engineering Weekly Trainee Report, SBE 1014C

Bulletin Board Requirements

All state and federally funded jobs have certain board requirements that must be posted at the beginning and until the finalizing stages of the project. All prime contractors for every contract let are required to have these posted. They are posted on/adjacent/and at a visible site at all hours of the contract.

Recent changes have been made to the state and federal board requirements. Changes to these requirements can occur frequently due to compliance with regulations and the Department of Labor (DOL). The requirements (links for each poster) are posted on the IDOT website under Doing Business. The information we used to update our bulletin board requirements was found on the IDOL website.

Construction Memorandum No. 6-24 is the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Contract Provisions and District Responsibilities memo. All district EEO as well as IDOT staff use this memorandum adjacent to the IDOL requirements to meet board requirements as well to collect and keep update all information.

Bulletin Board Requirements

Tools for Finding DBE's

Need Help?

EEO Officers are accountable for EEO and Labor Compliance on state and federally funded projects. They ensure contractor compliance with state/federal laws and regulations governing the EEO/and Labor Compliance and DBE programs.

Policy & Procedures

Please visit IDOT’s Contractor Resources webpage to find manuals, guides, specifications, forms, and more to help you do business with IDOT.

Stay Connected

The IDOT Central Bureau of Construction subscription service is used to notify subscribers regarding updates (or additions) to department procedure and policy issues affecting construction. Areas covered by this subscription include the department’s Construction Manual, construction memorandum, construction forms, construction inspector checklists, various guides, etc.

Instructions to Subscribe
Send a blank email to the IDOT Subscription Server by using the following email address subscribe-dot-construction@lists.illinois.gov.

A confirmation email will be sent to the subscriber with instructions.

Instructions to Unsubscribe
Send a blank email to the IDOT Subscription Server by using the following email address unsubscribe-dot-construction@lists.illinois.gov.

Contact Us

Illinois Department of Transportation

Hanley Building

2300 S. Dirksen Parkway

Springfield, IL 62764

(217) 782-7820 or TTY (866) 273-3681

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