October 27, 2022

Functionality:
On October 27, 2022, the Program Administrator released a portal update enabling batching capability, which is being successfully used by AVs. Any AVs experiencing with challenges or questions should contact the Program Administrator; contact and Office Hours support information can be found below. In support of the batching release, stakeholders are encouraged to view the latest Portal Help Guide at illinoisshines.com/portal-help/, and/or to attend Office Hours, including the upcoming Zoom sessions, described in the Support section below.The Program website previously indicated that Part II applications for all project categories would be available on November 1, 2022, though it was noted that Part II availability was subject to change. Part II application availability will not be available on November 1, though functionality is expected in the near future. The Program Administrator will provide more information when it becomes available.

Support:
The Program Administrator continues to provide Office Hours to answer questions, provide support, and gather questions and feedback; individual support can also be requested through a request at [email protected] or via contacting a Sector Strategist. Upcoming office hours include the following:

Special Announcement: Brief Planned System Maintenance to Occur Tonight at 7:00 p.m. Central Prevailing Time:
At 7:00 p.m. CT today (5:00 p.m. PT), the Program portal will briefly be unavailable while the Program Administrator deploys an update to support API-submissions for batch payment processing, which will ensure faster delivery of invoices to users. The planned system downtime is expected to last 10-15 minutes, though AVs should plan on up to one hour of downtime. AVs and stakeholders should save their work on any batches in progress prior to this time, to retain the ability to resume following restoration of the system. An email to all stakeholders will be sent confirming that the system has been restored. AVs and stakeholders needing support can continue to access the Program Administrator by emailing [email protected].