Overview
Business Diversity promotes access to procurement opportunities with Chicago Public Schools for certified minority and women business enterprises located in the Chicagoland area.
Goals
Business Diversity has two divisions with separate goals for each division:
- Goods and Services Contracts: 30% minority business enterprises (MBE) and 15% women business enterprises (WBE)
- Construction Contracts: 30% MBE and 15% WBE
Current initiatives
In an effort to advance supplier diversity at CPS more creatively, Business Diversity:
- Encourages CPS vendors to sponsor student internships
- Has established the Mentor Protégé Program to assist capacity building for M/WBE firms
- Has facilitated the hiring of community residents on CPS projects
Accomplishments
In fiscal year 2007 Business Diversity reported the following Chicago Public Schools' supplier diversity accomplishments:
- Goods and Services contracts: 25% MBE and 12% WBE
- Construction contracts: 32% MBE and 8% WBE
Resources
In an effort to promote equal access to Chicago Public Schools opportunities, Business Diversity hosted a Small Business Opportunity Fair in Fiscal Year 2008 which attracted over 250 local small businesses.