As described in the Draft 2026-27 Program Guidebook, beginning June 1, 2026, all Equity Eligible Contractor (EEC) Approved Vendors (AVs) and Designees will be required to meet the Minimum Equity Standard (MES). During the upcoming reporting window, the Program is requesting data from EECs on their 2026-27 project workforce. For the current 2025-26 Program Year, ending May 31, 2026, EECs are not required to comply with the MES requirement. The Program Administrator is preparing comprehensive resources to support EECs navigating the MES for the first time.
This email contains details on key dates and deadlines, an invitation to our upcoming MES webinar, requirements of the MES Compliance Plan, consequences for failing to meet the MES, and the process to request a waiver from required MES compliance. Please note that as an EEC, you may also be on the general Program mailing list, which will receive a different MES announcement.
As the close of 2025-26 Program Year approaches, EEC AVs and Designees will need to begin preparing for the MES data and reporting requirements. The EEC MES Combined Compliance and Year-End Report is due on July 15, 2026, and contains two sections:
- The EEC Year-End Report looks backward, capturing details on an organization’s project workforce for the year. EECs do not need to show compliance with the MES for the 2025-26 Program Year, as the MES requirement for EECs begins in Program Year 2026-27.
- The MES Compliance Plan is forward-looking and captures how an organization intends to comply with the MES requirement in the 2026-27 Program Year.
For the 2026-27 Program Year, the MES requires that at least 14% of the project workforce for each entity participating in the Illinois Shines program be composed of Equity Eligible Persons (EEPs). More information about the MES is available at the MES page on the Program Website, as well as this announcement.