Minimum Equity Standard
Beginning in Program Year 2023-24, the project workforce* of each participating Approved Vendor and Designee must meet a required minimum percentage that includes Equity Eligible Persons (EEPs), with this required percentage increasing to 30% by 2030. Definitions of EEPs, the minimum workforce percentages, and key steps and dates for compliance, are provided at this page and in its linked resources, and FAQs are available. The MES requirement for the 2024-25 Program Year is 10% EEPs for an entity’s workforce. Future Program Years’ percentages are determined by the IPA and present through updates to the Long-Term Plan.
Submit New Program Year Compliance Plan
Program then reviews Compliance Plans, issues ratings, and where applicable, requires AVs to revise and resubmit.
AVs submit Year-End Report showing MES compliance for Prior Program Year
Mid-Year Report Review
Progress review of current Compliance Plan; Corrective Action Plan if necessary.
Deadline to submit next year's Compliance Plan
For purposes of the MES requirement, “project workforce” is defined as employees, contractors and their employees, and subcontractors and their employees, whose job duties are directly required by or substantially related to the development, construction, and operation of a project that is participating in or intended to participate in the IPA-administered programs and procurements under Section 1-75(c) of the IPA Act. This shall include both project installation workforce and workforce in administrative, sales, marketing, and technical roles where those workers’ duties are performed in Illinois. For purposes of this definition, ‘directly required by or substantially related to’ shall be construed to be any direct employee of the Approved Vendor, Designee, or any contractor and its employees whose contract exceeds 5% of the REC Contract value. Employees of contractors below that threshold may be counted on a voluntary basis, but if the Approved Vendor or Designee includes at least one such contractor whose contract is less than 5% of the REC Contract value, then all contractors below the threshold must be included.*
Existing Approved Vendors and Designees are required to file an annual Minimum Equity Standard Compliance Plan at the commencement of a Program Year, an MES Mid-Year Report, and an MES Year-End Report after a Program Year concludes. Entities who fail to meet the MES within the Program Year must submit a Corrective Action Plan within 15 business days of receipt of a notice of potential violation (NOPV), and are suspended from participation in the Illinois Shines program until compliance with the MES is met. Resources in support of MES compliance include:
- Guide to the Equity Accountability System & Illinois Shines
- Equity Eligible Person (EEP) Attestation
- Minimum Equity Standard Waiver Request– published March 10, 2023 (and updated June 2, 2025)
- Minimum Equity Standard Waiver Request (Questions Template for Reference)
- Minimum Equity Standard Waiver Rationale– published March 17, 2023
- Safe Harbor Approach – 2025-26 Program Guidebook
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Program Year 2025-26
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Program Year 2024-25
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Program Year 2023-24
Program Year 2024-25 MES Compliance Plan questions sample
Program Year 2024-25 MES Compliance Plan submission form
Program Year 2024-25 MES Mid-Year Report submission form (Due December 31, 2024)
Program Year 2024-25 MES Year-End Report questions sample (Updated May 5, 2025)
Program Year 2024-25 MES Year-End Report questions sample for Equity Eligible Contractors (Updated May 5, 2025)
Program Year 2023-24 MES Compliance Plan submission form
Program Year 2023-24 MES Compliance Plan questions sample
Program Year 2023-24 Minimum Equity Standard Waiver Request
Program Year 2023-24 MES Mid-Year Report Submission Form (Due December 31, 2023)
Program Year 2023-24 MES Year-End Report Draft Template (April 11, 2024)
Program Year 2023-24 MES Year-End Report form
*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 and Designees must annually submit a MES Year-End Report, which includes workforce demographic data required to be submitted to the Program each year. EEC Subcontractors are exempt from submitting MES Compliance Plans, Mid-Year Reports, and Year-End Reports but must provide their AVs and/or Designees with their project workforce demographics data for the relevant Program Year
Webinars
In Program Year 2022-2023, the Agency and Program Administrator presented three webinars on the Equity Accountability System and Illinois Shines, held on October 4, 2022, November 15, 2022, and March 13, 2023. Subsequent webinars have been held on March 6, 2024, and April 15, 2025. Recordings of the webinars, presentation slides, and Q&A from each webinar, can be found on the Program Year Webinars page. All current Approved Vendors and Designees have been and are strongly encouraged to review the materials to ensure comprehension and compliance with Program requirements related to equity.
