Illinois

Plain-language summary

Illinois's cooperative purchasing framework requires careful attention to scope. The Governmental Joint Purchasing Act (30 ILCS 525) is the primary state-level cooperative purchasing authority. Section 2 authorizes governmental units to make joint purchases of 'personal property, supplies and services' — construction is conspicuously absent from the statutory scope. Section 2(d) explicitly carves out construction-related professional services contracts, which are governed by the separate Architectural, Engineering, and Land Surveying Qualifications Based Selection Act. The Joint Purchasing Act was amended by Public Act 103-0865 (effective January 1, 2025), giving governmental units more flexibility when cooperative purchasing programs do not use traditional lowest-bidder methodology — but the amendment did not expand the Act's scope to include construction. For local government cooperative arrangements, the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act (5 ILCS 220) provides separate, broader authority — units of local government and school districts may contract among themselves and with the State, other states, and the United States 'to obtain or share services and to exercise, combine, or transfer any power or function, in any manner not prohibited by law.' This local-government authority is the more common pathway for cooperative construction arrangements in Illinois.

Key requirements

• →For Governmental Joint Purchasing Act (30 ILCS 525): scope is limited to 'personal property, supplies and services' — construction is not named.
• →Section 2(d) explicitly excludes construction-related professional services contracts (governed instead by the Architectural, Engineering, and Land Surveying Qualifications Based Selection Act).
• →All joint purchases under 30 ILCS 525 must be by competitive solicitation as provided in Section 4.
• →State agencies under the Chief Procurement Officer's jurisdiction (per §10-20 of the Illinois Procurement Code) must have CPO authorization for joint purchases.
• →Public Act 103-0865 (effective 1/1/2025) provides flexibility when cooperative purchasing programs do not rank bidders or do not award to a single lowest responsible bidder.
• →For local government cooperatives: the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act (5 ILCS 220) provides broader authority for units of local government and school districts to contract or otherwise associate.
• →All cooperative/joint procurement activities and contracts must be approved by the CPO-GS (Chief Procurement Officer for General Services) per 44 Ill. Admin. Code Part 1.5420.
• →Illinois public works construction is subject to separate prevailing wage and bidding requirements under the Prevailing Wage Act (820 ILCS 130) and other applicable construction statutes.

Construction services

Illinois presents a structural caveat for cooperative construction procurement. The state's primary cooperative purchasing statute, the Governmental Joint Purchasing Act (30 ILCS 525), explicitly limits its scope to 'personal property, supplies and services' and §2(d) carves out construction-related professional services contracts. This means state agencies generally cannot rely on 30 ILCS 525 for traditional construction services. The more workable pathway for cooperative construction arrangements in Illinois is through the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act (5 ILCS 220), which permits units of local government and school districts to contract and associate broadly 'in any manner not prohibited by law.' Regional cooperatives operating in Illinois (such as those serving school districts and municipal governments) generally rely on this intergovernmental authority rather than the Joint Purchasing Act. National cooperatives like OMNIA Partners and Region 14 ESC Texas can be used by Illinois local governments through intergovernmental agreement structures — but participating Illinois entities should verify with counsel that the arrangement satisfies both the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act AND Illinois's public works statutes including the Prevailing Wage Act and any applicable competitive bidding requirements for construction projects.