Become an Equity Eligible Contractor (EEC)
The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) established an Equity Accountability System to expand access to the clean energy economy, including establishing a project category for Equity Eligible Contractors (EECs) in Illinois Shines. Qualifying Approved Vendors (AVs) and Designees may register for EEC certification. Businesses that qualify as an EEC and seek to participate in the Program but do not wish to act as an AV , do not yet have a relationship with an AV, and/or do not have a customer-facing role for projects submitted to the Program may register as an EEC Subcontractor.
The EEC certification does not qualify projects developed by EEC Designees or EEC Subcontractors to be eligible for the Equity Eligible Contractor (EEC) category. Such Designees and Subcontractors would still need to work with an AV that is EEC-certified for their project to be eligible for the EEC category. EEC Designees and Subcontractors may also work with an Approved Vendor that is not certified as an EEC, but projects submitted by that non-EEC AV are ineligible to submit projects into the EEC category.
To certify as an EEC, please review the information on this page and submit your EEC Application which can be found at the bottom of the page.
Please note that if you would like to register as an Equity Eligible Person (EEP), you may do so on the Energy Workforce Equity Portal. More information about the Minimum Equity Standard can be found on the Equity Accountability System page.
The Illinois Power Agency launched the Small & Emerging Business Hub as an effort to centralize key resources, tools, and information in one place to help small businesses navigate the clean energy landscape seamlessly. A Small and Emerging Business’s Guide to Participating with Illinois Shines and Illinois Solar for All is available.
There are three different ways to participate in the Program as an EEC:
EEC Approved Vendors (AVs):
- Are able to submit applications into a separate, reserved block of project capacity available only to EEC Approved Vendors
- May request an Advance of Capital to the lesser of $750,000 or 50% of the REC contract value per project
- Are exempt from meeting the Minimum Equity Standard**
EEC Designees and Subcontractors*:
- May utilize their EEC status to appeal to interested customers or Approved Vendors that wish to partner with EECs
- Contribute additional points toward projects in the Traditional Community Solar and Community-Driven Community Solar categories (thus increasing the chance of moving forward and obtaining a REC contract)
- Are exempt from meeting the Minimum Equity Standard**
*EEC Subcontractors must work with an Approved Vendor or Designee to participate in the Program, but may register prior to establishing such relationships. Any EEC Subcontractor that intends to interact with end-use customers on behalf of an Approved Vendor must register as a Designee before acting in that capacity.
**Equity Eligible Contractors (EECs) are considered in full compliance with the Minimum Equity Standard and need not submit a MES Compliance Plan nor a Mid-Year Report. However, EEC AVs,Designees, and Subcontractors must annually submit an= EEC Year-End Report, which requests workforce demographic data required to be submitted to the Program each year.
A dedicated EEC Sector Strategist is ready to support prospective and current EECs with:
Illinois Shines Approved Vendor, Designee, and/or EEC Subcontractor registration and renewal
Fulfilling required Program reporting
Submitting project applications, including accessing technical support
Supporting mentees in the Mentorship Program
Directing EECs to the Energy Workforce Equity Portal to connect with job seekers
and more!
Qualification for becoming an Equity Eligible Contractor
Qualification for EEC certification is assessed at the ownership/partner/proprietor level of a company (or board level in the case of non-profit organizations). The majority (at least 50%) of a company’s ownership must qualify as an Equity Eligible Person (EEP) by meeting one of the qualifications listed below:
- Persons who graduated from or are current or former participants in the Clean Jobs Workforce Network Program, the Clean Energy Contractor Incubator Program, the Illinois Climate Works Pre-apprenticeship Program, Returning Residents Clean Jobs Training Program, or the Clean Energy Primes Contractor Accelerator Program, and the solar training pipeline and multi-cultural jobs program created in paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(3) of Section 16-108.21 of the Public Utilities Act;
If you qualify with this eligibility criteria, you must provide a certificate of completion or written communication from the training program administrator confirming participation - Persons who are graduates of or currently enrolled in the foster care system;
- Persons who were formerly incarcerated; or
- Persons whose primary residence is in an equity investment eligible community (“EIEC”), as defined by Section 1-10 of the Illinois Power Agency Act (20 ILCS 3855/1-10).
If you qualify with this eligibility criteria, you must provide documentation that includes your address, such as your driver’s license, state ID, utility bill, pay stub, lease, mortgage agreement, or other similar documentation.
All applicants seeking EEC certification must attest to their qualifications and will have the option to mark any of the information provided as confidential on the attestation portion of the EEC application. All EECs and their preferred contact information will be publicly listed on the Find an Approved Vendor or Designee page.
EECs may renew their certification annually beginning one year after their registration in tandem with AV or Designee renewal or through the EEC Subcontractor renewal process. The EEC must continue to meet their qualifying criteria to maintain certification. As part of that process, Equity Eligible Persons that serve as the majority-owner of an EEC and qualify as an EEP based on residency will be required to re-certify their primary residency in an EIEC. EECs that qualify based on one of the other criteria, this re-certification will only require confirmation of continued majority-ownership by the EEP(s).
Clarifications on
- “Formerly Incarcerated” means any individual who (i) was sentenced to a term of imprisonment, not including juvenile detention, after the disposition of one or more misdemeanor or felony charges; and (ii) has completed their sentence.
- For the purposes of EEP eligibility or EEC certification, a “graduate or enrollee” of the foster care system refers to an individual who is currently or was formerly a youth in the care of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, or the equivalent agency in another state.
Job Training Programs
The following job training programs qualify for Equity Eligible Contractor (EEC) status if the majority-owner(s) or natural person(s) is currently enrolled or has graduated from one of these programs. Please note the applicant must provide the required proof of eligibility documentation outlined in the section above with their application for consideration.
Graduates and current enrollees of job training programs made available by the Climate and Equity Jobs Act (CEJA or P.A. 102-0662), passed in 2021, are eligible for EEC certification. These programs and their offerors are listed below. Information on the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s (DCEO) selection of offerors for the CEJA’s Returning Residents Clean Jobs Training Program and Clean Energy Primes Contractor Accelerator Program can be found on the DCEO website. Please note that some offerors provide multiple trainings and only the specific CEJA funded training programs list are eligible for EEC certification.
- Clean Jobs Workforce Network Program: Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership, Joliet Junior College, College of Lake County, Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership, Safer Foundation, The Workforce Connection, Parkland College, Community College District 536 (Lewis and Clark), 548 Foundation, College of DuPage, and Richland Community College
- Climate Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program: 548 Foundation and Hire 360
- Energy Transition Navigator Program: Chicago Urban League, Community Assistance Program, Goodwill Industries of Northern IL, North Lawndale Employment Network, Central States SER, The Community Works Inc. NFP, Goodwill Industries of Metropolitan Chicago, Heaven’s View Community Development Corporation, Vermilion Advantage, NFP, Carbondale Branch NAACP, The Community Foundation of Macon County, and Senior Services Plus
Past graduates of job training programs made available by the Future Energy Jobs Act (FEJA or P.A. 99-0906), passed in 2017, are also eligible for EEP status. These programs and their offerors are listed below. Please note that some offerors provide multiple trainings and only the specific FEJA training programs on this list are eligible for EEC certification.
- Solar Pipeline Training Program: Elevate, Illinois Central College, OAI, Inc. and Safer Foundation
- Multi-Cultural Job Training Program: ASPIRA, Inc of Illinois (ASPIRA), Austin Peoples Action Center (APAC), Chatham Business Association Small Business Development, Inc (Chatham Business Association), Chicago Urban League, Hispanic American Construction Industry Association (HACIA), and National Latino Education Institute (NLEI).
- For a list of FEJA Grantees visit the IPA’s Energy Workforce Equity Portal.
A spreadsheet of CEJA and FEJA grantee awards, amounts, locations, and contact information can be found on the DCEO website. If you or a colleague are a graduate of or are enrolled in a training program and are unsure whether it is a qualifying program or require assistance in completing your EEC registration application, please reach out to the Program Administrator at [email protected].
Documents required to apply to become an EEC
Before starting your EEC Application, please have the following documents and information ready to upload to your application:
AV or Designee ID number if you are certifying as an EEC AV or EEC Designee; an organization/entity certifying as an EEC Subcontractor will be issued an ID number should they be approved as an EEC.
A copy of a Certificate of Good Standing from The Office of the Illinois Secretary of State, which must include your organization/entity’s name and date of issuance. You can find information about registration and purchasing a Certificate of Good Standing at this website.
A complete and signed EEC Attestation for your EEP majority-owner(s).
Proof of eligibility documentation for the majority-owner EEP(s) of the organization/entity if seeking qualification through one of the two qualifications noted in the section above that requires this documentation.
Your application will be marked as Incomplete if you do not upload all required documents. Incomplete applications must be resubmitted for consideration.
