Business Enterprise Program

Overview

The State of Illinois is committed to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and competitive business environment. The Illinois Power Agency (IPA), dedicated to delivering a clean, reliable, equitable, and cost-effective energy future for residents and businesses across the state, echoes this commitment by prioritizing the inclusion of historically marginalized businesses in its procurements and contracts.

In alignment with the State’s Commission on Equity and Inclusion Business Enterprise Program (BEP), the IPA requires all offerors for qualifying procurements to provide an intentional utilization plan that supports the goals of the program. This commitment underscores the State’s dedication to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and competitive business environment that empowers underrepresented businesses to strengthen their capacity, expand revenue, and enhance credentials. By integrating BEP participation into the procurement process, the State ensures that its contracting practices reflect its core values of inclusivity, equity, and opportunity.

Objectives of the IPA’s Business Enterprise Program

Establishing a BEP Strategy
Implementation of strategic goals to increase guidance for vendors and increase vendor engagement
Establish Quarterly Tracking Mechanisms

IPA's Business Enterprise Program Strategy

The IPA aims to create an inclusive environment where entities fully understand and support the Agency’s BEP objectives, fostering sustainable partnerships and community engagement.

The IPA is strategically focused on empowering entities with the tools and knowledge needed to embrace BEP values, improve outreach strategies, and drive impactful engagement with stakeholders.

The Agency is eager to formalize a strategic approach to the expansion and management of its BEP initiative. This program, under the oversight of the IPA’s DEI Bureau, is a critical component of the Agency’s commitment to equitable practice and is influenced by the following strategic measures:

Guidance for Entities: Equip entities with resources and knowledge to better understand BEP’s purpose and align their operations with its values.
Outreach and Engagement: Develop targeted strategies to connect with stakeholders, educate communities, and foster meaningful collaborations.

Program Objectives

Objective I: Enhance Understanding of BEP
- Develop clear educational materials that explain IPA’s BEP goals and operational framework.
- Host workshops and office hours tailored to entities’ needs to deepen their understanding of the program.
- Create a feedback mechanism for entities to share insights on how BEP can better support their objectives.
- Targets
  - Create a BEP Toolkit which provides:
    - Informational one-pager about the Agency’s BEP program.
    - FAQs addressing common concerns or misconceptions.
    - Case studies showcasing successful implementation.
  - Offer virtual office hours for personalized consultations with entities.
  - Provide transparency of BEP program impact in updates on the Agency’s Annual Report.

Objective II: Strengthen Outreach Strategies and Foster Community Engagement
- Identify key Illinois stakeholders such as businesses that align with the clean energy industry, administrative support business, and data management entities.
- Implement diverse outreach through vendor summits and collaborative partnerships with other State agencies.
- Targets
  - Shape the DEI outreach and engagement strategy by partnering with local organizations that align with the Agency’s BEP objectives.
  - Foster intentional business connections in their local communities.
  - Host interactive webinars featuring guest speakers from successful projects which met or exceed BEP utilization goals.
  - Conduct surveys after contracted engagements to gather community feedback on priorities.

Timeline

July 2025: Launched foundational educational materials; hosted office hours; implemented pilot outreach campaigns.
September 2025: Expand outreach efforts; strengthen partnerships; evaluate initial metrics for improvement.
End of Year 2025: Scale successful strategies; refine engagement tactics based on feedback; capture progress for Annual Report.

Annual Business Enterprise Program Management Cycle

Illinois Commission on Equity and Inclusion: Business Enterprise Program

The Illinois Commission on Equity and Inclusion (CEI) was created to promote diversity in the Illinois hiring process and champion the continuing economic development of minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-owned, and persons-with-disabilities-owned and operated businesses to participate and succeed in the State procurement process.

The Business Enterprise Program is managed by the Commission on Equity and Inclusion. This program, aimed to engage businesses owned by minorities, women, and persons with disabilities, is committed to fostering an inclusive and competitive environment that will help business enterprises increase their capacity, grow revenue, and enhance credentials.

The State’s goal is to award 30% of State contracts to qualified BEP businesses.

For assistance, call Business Enterprise Certification and Compliance at 312-814-4190 (Chicago) or visit the Business Enterprise Program page at cei.illinois.gov.

For a list of BEP events and webinars, visit the Outreach and Training page at cei.illinois.gov.

CEI Scorecard for IPA

2022 Scorecard

2024 IPA BEP Spend Performance Data

Training and Support