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PROPOSED CONTRACT
Department(s): Department of Conservation and Experiential Programming
Vendor: Global Research Innovation and Technology (GRIT), Inc., Medford, Massachusetts
Request: Authorization for the Forest Preserves of Cook County (the “Forest Preserves”) to enter into and execute
Good(s) or Service(s): Purchase of a minimum of eleven (11) GRIT Freedom Chairs, all-terrain wheelchairs
Contract Value: $44,820.00
Contract Period: One-time purchase
Estimated Fiscal Impact: FY 2024: $44,820.00 (with $43,632.00 to be reimbursed via an Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Tourism Attraction Grant)
Accounts: Training Program Staff 51001.501905; Institutional Supplies 51001.530170; Professional Services 51001.520830; and grant accounts
Contract Number(s): #74000014516
Concurrences: The Chief Financial Officer has approved this item. Final contract is subject to legal review and approval.
Sole Source contract with no MWBE goals.
District(s): Districtwide
Summary: The Forest Preserves recently received a Notice of Award for funding from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) through its Tourism Grant Program to purchase specialized equipment to improve patron accessibility and inclusion at nature centers and campgrounds (See Board Item No. 24-0288). The grant application specified the purchase of GRIT Freedom Chairs that would be distributed to the Forest Preserves’ six nature centers and three year-round campgrounds. The GRIT Freedom Chair is an all-terrain manual wheelchair designed, manufactured exclusively, and patented by Global Research Innovation and Technology in the United States and uses an easy-to-push, lever-driven design for its wheelchair which comes with mountain bike wheels and a sturdy front wheel.
Based on market analysis, the GRIT company’s GRIT Freedom Chair is the most appropriate and affordable specialized equipment that would fulfill the Forest Preserves’ accessibility goals. The sole source purchase of this specialized equipment would allow the Forest Preserves to positively contribute to this region’s tourism efforts by enhancing its ability to serve people with disabilities and their families and friends. The purchase of GRIT Freedom Chairs would eliminate some of the barriers that people with disabilities may experience when trying to recreate outdoors and would ensure that more than 300 miles of Forest Preserves’ trails become more accessible. The GRIT Freedom Chairs would be integrated into and available to the public through the Forest Preserves’ Outdoor Gear Library and utilized in public programming opportunities.
The DCEO Tourism Attraction Grant (referenced in Board Item No. 24-0288) would cover $43,632.00 of this contract, 100% of the cost of the GRIT Freedom Chairs, while the Forest Preserves would be providing $1,188.00 in match for shipping costs. More details on the grant can be found in companion Board Item No. 24-0288, which would authorize the Forest Preserves to accept the DCEO’s grant funds.
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