Workshop & Panel Discussion
The Conference will feature the following workshops:
Accessing Financial Resources
This session will provide detailed information to help minority and female businesses identify financial resources available to sustain their business. Information provided in this workshop will assist vendors in preparing and submitting the required documents when applying for financial assistance for their business. Attending this workshop will provide you an opportunity to ask the experts how to identify and connect with capital resources for all your financing needs.
Understanding Purchasing at the University of Illinois
This session will enhance your understanding of the University of Illinois purchasing process. Topics to be covered include: Illinois Higher Education Procurement Bulletin, Regulatory Requirements, RFP and Sealed Bid Process, Evaluation Process, Performance and Impact of Senate Bill 51 on purchasing. The workshop will be facilitated by the Purchasing Offices of the University of Illinois Chicago, Urbana and Springfield campuses.
Doing Business with the Office of Capital Programs and Facilities Management
This session will discuss the different roles of Facilities Management and Capital Programs. This will include their organizational structure, areas of shared responsibility, how and where vendors are utilized, and vendor qualifications for each program. Information will be provided on revised policies for Qualifications Based Selection (QBS) in Capital Programs at the University, vendor registration, MAFBE QBS criteria in selections, MAFBE certification requirements, and an overview of recent state laws affecting MAFBE participation and goals in construction.
Proposed University of Illinois Supplier Diversity Initiatives - Bronner Group
The University has hired the Bronner Group to make recommendations that would lead to increased minority firm participation in purchasing, including capital projects. The Bronner Group will utilize this session to share potential strategies and University organizational structures and staffing levels with participating vendors and to ask for input on what the most effective strategies and structures may be. This session will be highly interactive and provide vendors with an opportunity to discuss what the most important barriers to participation are and what must be done to eliminate these barriers.