Commitment to Diversity

Created by a first of its kind legislation, the Commitment to Diversity (C2D) evaluation factor added to the Request for Proposal (RFP) procurement process offers the CPO for General Services and the state the opportunity to further impact Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) through state procurement. Utilizing five nationally recognized evaluation criteria, the C2D evaluation, equal to 20% of the solicitation’s technical score, encourages offerors to increase their investment in Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities (WMD) businesses and organizations. The new evaluation factor creates new and exciting opportunities for offerors to not only impact their business and local community, but to help create systemic change.

According to Ellen Daley, CPO for General Services, “As vendors learn about these evaluation points and take steps in their business practices to earn them, our RFP procurement method can bring about systemic change in how procurement is seen and valued.” In this way, Illinois is once again leading the nation, and other states are taking notice.

The Commitment to Diversity evaluation factor will help change the State of Illinois for the better. By both recognizing a vendor’s ongoing efforts in furthering DEI initiatives in their business and community interactions, while also creating equitable opportunities for businesses owned by WMD businesses, the State of Illinois Chief Procurement Office of General Services continues to work to advance and support diversity, equity, and inclusion through the procurement process.