As previously announced, the Minimum Equity Standard (MES) Combined Compliance and Year-End Report, which includes the 2026-27 MES Compliance Plan and the 2025-26 MES Year-End Report, is due from all participating Approved Vendors (AVs) and Designees on July 15, 2026. The Program emailed participants a link to their secure MES submission portal on May 26, 2026. Please use the link and credentials within the email to complete and submit your MES Report. If you do not see the email, please reach out to the Program Administrator at [email protected].
All registered AVs and Designees are required to submit this report, regardless of their participation status for the past Program Year. Organizations that did not participate in the Program in the 2025-26 Program Year can report this at the beginning of the form. For Program Years 2025-26 and 2026-27, the MES requirement is the same: at least 14% of the project workforce for each entity participating in the Illinois Shines program must be composed of Equity Eligible Persons. Beginning this Program Year 2026-27, Equity Eligible Contractor (EEC) AVs and Designees are also required to meet the MES. As EECs were not subject to the MES in 2025-26, only the Compliance Plan portion of the EEC MES Combined Compliance and Year-End Report is due on July 15, 2026.
The Agency may grant a waiver from the MES requirement in situations where the applicant provides evidence of significant due diligence toward meeting the MES. Waiver requests are also due July 15, 2026. Waiver templates, request forms, and MES Report Templates and Sample Questions can be found on the MES page of the Program website.
Failure to submit an MES Combined Compliance and Year-End Report or a waiver request by the July 15, 2026 deadline will result in escalation to the Program Administrator’s Consumer Protection Team consistent with Sections X.C-D of the Consumer Protection Handbook. Failure to comply may risk future good standing in the Program and may result in disciplinary action.
For additional reference, please see the Program’s April 15, 2026, MES Compliance Webinar recording, presentation slides, and Q&A document on the MES page. For any questions related to the MES Combined Compliance and Year-End Report, please reach out to [email protected].
Thank you!
Illinois Shines Program
[email protected]