The State of Illinois, the City of Chicago, Cook County and agencies such as the CTA, Chicago Public Schools and O’Hare and Midway airports buy billions in goods and services every year, and many contracts carry diverse-business participation goals. As a government contracting consultant for Chicago businesses, GERC helps Chicago-area small businesses get registered and certified and win bids, working remotely from California.
Federal work: government contracting consultant services for Chicago businesses
- SAM.gov registration, UEI and renewals
- SBA 8(a), WOSB, HUBZone and SDVOSB certification
- GSA Schedule offers and federal proposals
Illinois state contracting
- BEP certification: the Business Enterprise Program for minority-, women- and disability-owned businesses, run by the Illinois Commission on Equity and Inclusion (CEI). State contracts often include BEP goals.
- Veteran Business Program (VBP) certification for veteran- and service-disabled veteran-owned firms
- BidBuy: the state’s e-procurement system for bids and vendor registration
- IDOT DBE certification through the Illinois Unified Certification Program, under the new U.S. DOT rules requiring an individual showing of disadvantage (see DBE certification)
City of Chicago and Cook County contracting
- City of Chicago MBE/WBE certification through the Department of Procurement Services, plus iSupplier vendor registration
- Cook County vendor registration and its Office of Contract Compliance programs
- CTA, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Park District and the Chicago Department of Aviation (O’Hare and Midway), each with separate registration and opportunities
Step-by-step guide: Illinois BidBuy registration
How our government contracting consultants help Chicago businesses
- Free readiness call
- Registrations: SAM.gov, BidBuy, Chicago iSupplier and Cook County (see vendor registration)
- Certifications: SBA programs, Illinois BEP and VBP, City of Chicago MBE/WBE, DBE (see MBE and WBE certification)
- Bid targeting across state, city, county and federal sources
- Proposal writing and compliance review
Example: how a Chicago electrical subcontractor would get started
This is an illustration of our process, not a client story.
A Chicago electrical contractor wants public construction work. We register it in SAM.gov, the state’s BidBuy system, the City of Chicago’s iSupplier and Cook County. If the owners qualify, we prepare Illinois BEP certification through the Commission on Equity and Inclusion and City of Chicago MBE/WBE certification, since many city and county contracts set participation goals. For projects with federal transportation funds, we prepare DBE certification under the new U.S. DOT rules. We then identify general contractors bidding on CTA, Chicago Public Schools and airport projects who need certified electrical subcontractors.
Frequently asked questions
Is Illinois BEP certification the same as City of Chicago MBE/WBE?
No. They are separate programs with separate applications. State contracts count BEP, and City of Chicago contracts count city certification.
Where are Illinois state bids posted?
On BidBuy, the state’s procurement system.
Can a government contracting consultant in California help my Chicago business?
Yes. Everything is filed online, and we work with clients by video call.
Do Chicago contracts have MBE/WBE participation goals?
Many City of Chicago and Cook County contracts set participation goals for certified firms, which makes certified subcontractors valuable to prime contractors.
Is BidBuy the only place to find Illinois bids?
BidBuy covers state agencies. The City of Chicago, Cook County, the CTA, Chicago Public Schools and the airports each post bids on their own systems.
Win government contracts in Chicago
Book a free 20-minute readiness call and we will map the registrations, certifications and bids that fit your business.
Related: SAM.gov Registration · MBE/WBE Certification · DBE Certification · Proposal & RFP Writing