IBRL is undergoing a significant expansion as one of the key projects of the Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing (iFAB) Tech Hub. Funding for this expansion is provided through the Economic Development Administration at the US Department of Commerce, State of Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and US Community Project Funding.
Bidding
Interested in participating in the bidding process for the facility construction? Bidding closes November 4th, 2026. Full details can be found on the Procurement Bulletin link below:
Plan Room
Illinois Procurement Bulletin (Search #BAU25019)
Facility Features
- Adding 32,366 gross square feet connected directly to the existing IBRL facility for personnel and fork truck traffic.
- Expanding the high bay pilot plant by an additional 7,500 square feet with supporting storage, dock, and warehousing space.
- Adding two Class 1: Division 2 Volatile Extraction rooms in addition to the existing space in IBRL.
- Laboratory space with benches and floor-mounted fume hoods for process support analytics and benchtop scale projects.
- Additional office and administrative spaces, and accommodations for meetings, events, presentations, trainings, and tours
- New event space will accommodate seating capacity of 64 for Short Courses; 44 in roundtable configuration; and 90 person conferences
- The project is pursuing LEED Silver certification
Resources
Learn more about iFAB and its funded projects.
