Mentorship Program

Opening Soon: Registration to participate in the 2026-27
Mentorship Program Fall Cohort will begin August 17, 2026.

Mentor and mentee registration forms will be posted on this page.

To advance the diversity, equity, and inclusion (“DEI”) objectives of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (Public Act 102-0662 or “CEJA”), and reflecting the Illinois Power Agency’s own commitment to DEI, CEJA directed the Agency to establish an Equity Accountability System, which established:

In addition, CEJA established several monitoring, reporting, and facilitation requirements to support the assessment of the Equity Accountability System. One such requirement is providing training, guidance, and support for Approved Vendors and Designees to meet the requirements of the MES and participate in the EEC category.

In order to help Approved Vendors and Designees meet these requirements and successfully participate in the Illinois Shines program, a Mentorship Program is offered annually. The Mentorship Program provides participants, or mentees, with training and presentations covering Program processes and requirements. It also facilitates opportunities to network with other market stakeholders.

Approved Vendors and Designees that are certified as Equity Eligible Contractors (EECs), AVs designated as Small and Emerging Businesses, and/or businesses that are considered minority-owned, woman-owned, veteran-owned, or disability-owned are encouraged to apply.

A project category hub provides additional information and resources for Equity Eligible Contractors, and additional Illinois Shines support can be accessed by contacting Conner Rettig, Equity Eligible Contractor Sector Strategist, at [email protected] or the Program Administrator team at [email protected].

Mentorship Program Details & Resources

Opening Soon:

Program Year 2026-27 Mentorship Program

The Mentorship Program for the 2026-27 Program Year will include both Fall and Winter Cohorts.

	Fall Cohort	Winter Cohort
Registration Dates	August 17 – August 28, 2026	November 30 – December 11, 2026
Cohort Dates	September 23 – November 10, 2026	January 13 – March 3, 2027

Mentees are expected to attend eight 75-minute trainings held on Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m. CPT, a one-on-one check-in, and an in-person networking event.

The Program Administrator will also solicit applications between August 17 and 28 from experienced AVs and Designees, including those certified as EECs, to serve as mentors and share insights on Program and solar industry-related topics with mentees. Mentors are expected to participate in panels and breakout sessions during four assigned 75-minute virtual trainings between the Fall Cohort (between September 23 and November 10) and the Winter Cohort (between January 13 and March 3) and attend either in-person networking events in November and March, where they will have the opportunity to connect with mentees, fellow mentors, IPA and Program Administration staff, and other market stakeholders, or at least three 45-minute mentor office hours following virtual trainings. Mentors who complete participation requirements are eligible for a $1,000 stipend.

Program Year 2025-26 Mentorship Program

The Mentorship Program for the 2025-26 Program Year was held across two cohorts, one in the fall and one in the winter. A total of 37 Approved Vendors and Designees participated as mentees, and 11 experienced Approved Vendors and Designees served as mentors. See below for more details about each cohort.

Presentation Recordings and Slide Decks from Fall and Winter Cohorts

Course	Date	Recording	Slides
History of Illinois Shines	October 15, 2025 and January 21, 2026	Recording	Slides
How Illinois Shines Works	October 15, 2025 and January 21, 2026	Recording	Slides
Program Participant Roles	October 15, 2025 and January 21, 2026	Recording	Slides
Approved Vendor Registration and Renewal	October 15, 2025 and January 21, 2026	Recording	Slides
Designee Registration and Renewal	October 15, 2025 and January 21, 2026	Recording	Slides
Certifying as an Equity Eligible Contractor (EEC)	October 15, 2025 and January 21, 2026	Recording	Slides
Program Categories	October 15, 2025 and January 21, 2026	Recording	Slides
Application Review Process	October 22, 2025 and January 18, 2026	Recording	Slides
Part I and II Application Timeline	October 22, 2025 and January 18, 2026	Recording	Slides
REC Contracting and Re-Batching	October 22, 2025 and January 18, 2026	Recording	Slides
Creating a Batch	October 22, 2025 and January 18, 2026	Recording	N/A
Creating a Disclosure Form	October 22, 2025 and January 18, 2026	Recording	N/A
Submitting a Part I Application	October 22, 2025 and January 18, 2026	Recording	N/A
Requesting an Advance of Capital	October 22, 2025 and January 18, 2026	Recording	Slides
Block Capacity Dashboard and Waitlist Procedures	October 29, 2025 and February 4, 2026	Recording	Slides
TCS and CDCS Scoring	October 29, 2025 and February 4, 2026	Recording	Slides
Submitting a Part II Application	October 29, 2025 and February 4, 2026	Recording	N/A
Expansions, Co-Locations, and Size Changes	October 29, 2025 and February 4, 2026	Recording	Slides
Energization and Extensions	October 29, 2025 and February 4, 2026	Recording	Slides
Assigning Projects to a New Approved Vendor	October 29, 2025 and February 4, 2026	Recording	Slides
Minimum Equity Standard (MES)	November 5, 2025 and February 11, 2026	Recording	Slides
Annual Reporting and REC Performance Evaluation	November 5, 2025 and February 11, 2026	Recording	Slides
Prevailing Wage Requirements	November 5, 2025 and February 11, 2026	Recording	Slides
Overview of SharePoint	November 5, 2025 and February 11, 2026	Recording	Slides
Inspection Process	November 12, 2025 and February 18, 2026	Recording	Slides
Community Solar Subscriber Verification	November 12, 2025 and February 18, 2026	Recording	Slides
Designee Management Plan	November 12, 2025 and February 18, 2026	Recording	Slides
Consumer Protection Overview	November 19, 2025 and February 25	Recording	Slides
Marketing Overview	November 19, 2025 and February 25	Recording	Slides
Website Overview	November 19, 2025 and February 25	Recording	N/A
Ongoing Support	November 19, 2025	Coming soon	Slides
Funding Opportunities	March 4, 2026	–	–

Program Year 2025-26 Mentorship Program Winter Cohort

The eight-week Illinois Shines Program Year 2025-26 Mentorship Program Winter Cohort was held between January and March 2026, during which mentees completed virtual courses and participated in live, interactive trainings with experienced AV mentors and the Program Administrator’s subject matter experts. 17 mentees participated, 16 of whom graduated, and who were supported by 12 mentors and 16 subject matter experts. The Winter cohort concluded with an in-person Graduation and Celebration Event on March 5, bringing together mentees, mentors, alumni, Illinois Power Agency and Illinois Shines staff, and subject matter experts, representatives from the IPA’s Illinois Solar for All program, and staff from HIRE360 who hosted the celebration. Additional details are available here.

Program Year 2025-26 Mentorship Program Fall Cohort

The eight-week Illinois Shines Program Year 2025-26 Mentorship Program Fall Cohort was held between September and November 2025, during which mentees completed virtual training courses and participated in live, interactive sessions with experienced AV mentors and the Program Administrator’s subject matter experts. 20 mentees participated, 17 of whom graduated, and who were supported by 12 mentors and 16 subject matter experts. The Fall cohort concluded with an in-person Graduation and Celebration Event on November 20, bringing together mentees, mentors, Illinois Power Agency and Illinois Shines staff, and subject matter experts, representatives from the IPA’s Illinois Solar for All program, and staff from HIRE360 who hosted the celebration. Additional details are available here.

Program Year 2024-25 Mentorship Program

The Mentorship Program for the 2024-25 Program Year was held from January 6 to March 3, 2025 for 20 Approved Vendors and Designees participating as mentees. In addition, 11 experienced Approved Vendors and Designees participated as mentors by sharing insights on solar industry topics with mentees during virtual trainings. Please see the 2024-25 Mentorship Program Final Report (June 6, 2025) for details. The following resources from the Program Year 2024-25 Mentorship Program are made available here:

Presentation Recordings and Slide Decks

Course	Lesson	Date	Recording	Slide Deck
Illinois Shines Program Overview	History of Illinois Shines	January 13, 2025	Recording	Slide Deck
	How Illinois Shines Works	January 13, 2025	Recording	Slide Deck
	Program Participant Roles	January 13, 2025	Recording	Slide Deck
	Approved Vendor (AV) Registration and Renewal	January 13, 2025	Recording	Slide Deck
	Designee Registration and Renewal	January 13, 2025	Recording	Slide Deck
	Program Categories	January 13, 2025	Recording	Slide Deck
Application Processes and Portal Deep Dive Part 1	Part I and II Application Timeline	January 27, 2025	Recording	Slide Deck
	Application Review Process	January 27, 2025	Recording	Slide Deck
	REC Contracting and Re-Batching	January 27, 2025	Recording	Slide Deck
	Creating a Batch	January 27, 2025	Recording	N/A
	Creating a Disclosure Form	January 27, 2025	Recording	N/A
	Submitting a Part I Application	January 27, 2025	Recording	N/A
	Expansions, Co-Locations, and Size Changes	January 27, 2025	Recording	Slide Deck
Application Processes and Portal Deep Dive Part 2	Block Capacity Dashboard and Waitlist Procedures	February 3, 2025	Recording	Slide Deck
	Energization and Extensions	February 3, 2025	Recording	Slide Deck
	TCS and CDCS Scoring	February 3, 2025	Recording	Slide Deck
	Submitting a Part II Application	February 3, 2025	Recording	N/A
	Requesting an Advance of Capital	February 3, 2025	Recording	Slide Deck
Ongoing Program Requirements Part 1	Minimum Equity Standard (MES)	February 10, 2025	Recording	Slide Deck
	Annual Reporting and REC Performance Evaluation	February 10, 2025	Recording	Slide Deck
	Prevailing Wage Requirements	February 10, 2025	Recording	Slide Deck
	Overview of SharePoint	February 10, 2025	Recording	Slide Deck
Ongoing Program Requirements Part 2	Inspection Process	February 17, 2025	Recording	Slide Deck
	Community Solar Subscriber Verification	February 17, 2025	Recording	Slide Deck
	Designee Management Plan	February 17, 2025	Recording	Slide Deck
Marketing Best Practices and Consumer Protection	Consumer Protection Overview	February 24, 2025	Recording	Slide Deck
Marketing Best Practices and Consumer Protection	Marketing Overview	February 24, 2025	Recording	Slide Deck
Program Resources and Ongoing Support	Website Overview	March 3, 2025	Recording	N/A
Program Resources and Ongoing Support	Ongoing Support	March 3, 2025	Recording	Slide Deck

Program Year 2023-24 Mentorship Pilot Program

In 2023, the IPA developed a Mentorship Plan for Approved Vendors (AVs) and Designees that are Equity Eligible Contractors (EECs) and/or woman-owned, veteran-owned, disability-owned, or are considered small businesses with the goal of supporting new Program participants in understanding Program requirements and application procedures.

In October 2023 the Program launched a mentorship pilot to a cohort of 12 mentees, offering eight weeks of Program training that concluded in December 2023. Please see the Mentorship Pilot Program Final Report (March 1, 2024) for details. The following resources from the Program Year 2023 Mentorship Pilot Program are made available here: