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, has opened for submissions today and is due from all participating Approved Vendors and Designees on July 15, 2026. All Program participants will be receiving an email from the Program Administrator shortly with a link to their secure MES submission portal. Please use the link and credentials within the email to complete and submit your MES Report. If you do not see the email by end of day today, May 26, 2026, please reach out to the Program Administrator at [email protected].
The Combined Report has two sections:
- The MES Year-End Report looks backward and captures how your organization achieved the MES requirement for the 2025-26 Program Year.
- The MES Compliance Plan is forward-looking and captures how your organization intends to achieve compliance with the MES requirement in the upcoming 2026-27 Program Year.
A template displaying the MES Combined Compliance and Year-End Report questions can be viewed here.
Please note: 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 (EEPs). More information about the MES is available on the MES page of the Program website.
All registered Approved Vendors and Designees are required to submit this report, regardless of their participation status for the past Program Year. If your organization did not participate in the Program in the 2025-26 Program Year, there is an opportunity to report that at the beginning of the form. Failure to submit an MES Combined Compliance and Year-End Report 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.
Key Dates for MES compliance:
• May 26, 2026 – MES Combined Compliance and Year-End Report opens for submissions
• May 31, 2026 – Conclusion of the 2025-26 Program Year
• July 15, 2026 – Submission deadline for MES Combined Compliance and Year-End Report
• July 15, 2026 – Submission deadline for Program Year 2025-26 MES Waiver Requests
Additional Resources
- Additional resources on the MES and the Equity Accountability System can be found here, or in the March 26, 2026, Program Announcement.
- On April 15, 2026, the Program presented an MES Compliance Webinar. A recording, presentation slides, and a Q&A document are available for review.
- 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]