Business Diversity Plan Reporting
City of Chicago Launches Updated Business Diversity Plan Reporting Microsite
Chicago - The City of Chicago today launched an updated Business Diversity Plan Reporting (BDPR) microsite. The site was originally created in March 2021 following an Executive Order from Mayor Lori Lightfoot, with the goal of diversifying the City’s vendor pool and creating more equitable access for contractors and subcontractors – especially certified minority-owned firms.
The Executive Order requires vendors to submit a yearly report with information about their business diversity program and utilization of diverse firms, including on non-City contracts. The reports also provide data that informs the City’s strategies for increasing contracting opportunities for diverse companies. In 2021, almost 500 vendors utilized the microsite to file their annual report.
“We applaud Mayor Lightfoot’s efforts to foster a more inclusive process for doing business with the City,” said Chicago Department of Procurement Services Chief Procurement Officer Aileen Velazquez. “The data we receive from the reporting site provides a critical progress benchmark for creating equitable access to City contracts.”
The updated BDPR microsite for this year’s reporting cycle includes the following new features:
- An improved registration process that requires vendors to log into the BDPR system to submit the annual business diversity program reports.
- New settings that allow multiple users to register, log in, and manage the Business Diversity Program for a given vendor.
- An improved system for drafting, saving, and viewing annual reports from the current year and years past.
The 2022 deadline to file a report is July 1. Contractor compliance with this requirement is mandatory except in the limited circumstances listed below:
- The contractor is a certified firm; or
- The contract is for professional consulting services of an individual who is either the majority owner of the contractor or is him/herself the contracting party as a sole proprietor; or
- The aggregate award value of all City contracts awarded to the contractor is less than $100,000 per year.
Contractors who meet the exemption requirements are strongly encouraged to voluntarily submit their business diversity plan if they have one. Contractors are asked to comply with this directive so the City can make the private sector an equal and accountable partner in building a more diverse Chicago.