Negocios Now

www.negociosnow.com Octubre 2019 13 NegociosNow NegociosNow By David Steinkraus and Clemente Nicado T he University of Illinois system spends billions of dollars on goods and ser- vices every year, and there are people in Chicago dedicated to helping minority- and women- owned firms get a share of it. Leading that effort is Sharla Roberts, director of the Office of Procurement Diversity for the University of Ilinois system. Her office in Chicago oversees not only the University of Illinois at Chicago, but also the campus in Champaign, the campus in Springfield, sites in Peoria and Rockford, and the UIC hospital. Out of a total annual budget of about $6.5 billion, she said, the system spends about $1.4 billion on goods and services. There is more. Each year the system also has a capital budget, and if you watched the news reports, you know the $1.9 billion allocation passed in June was the largest in a decade. That includes $98 million for a computer design research and learning center at UIC. The state also appropriated $500 million for UIC to develop a technology hub in the south Loop that includes the yet-to- be-built Discovery Partners Institute, a multi-disciplinary, public-private research center that will focus on big problems and grow the area's economy. What Hispanic businesses need to access this money is know-how. While the number of rules can be daunting, the office has a number of outreach efforts to help businesses understand the process and know what oppor- tunities are coming, Roberts said. For building projects, the primary means of outreach is through the Hispanic American Construction Industry Associa- tion, she said. "That's probably our No. 1 assist agency to ensure businesses learn of these oppor- tunities and understand what the solicitations call for and ensure they understand the process and any pre-qualifications needed." Her office participates in HACIA's monthly procurement forums and hosts workshops on how to do business with the uni- versity system. She said she and her staff also use connections with the Hispanic chamber and smaller chambers of commerce throughout Chicagoland. In the fall the office will hold its annual construction summit so minor- U of I office all about sharing the wealth Photo Negocios Now Sharla Roberts leads the Office of Procurement Diversity at the University of Illinois at Chicago. "I f you have an investment firm, you're presenting your capabilities to our treasurer's office. If you're an architect or engineer, you are presenting to our facilities, our capital director. And they're listening to you, and they're remembering who you are." "T hat's probably our No. 1 assist agency to ensure businesses learn of these opportunities and understand what the solicitations call for and ensure they understand the process and any pre-qualifications needed." ity- and women-owned compa- nies can learn about upcoming opportunities. More than construction busi- nesses are needed to serve the university. Each spring, Roberts said, her office hosts a profes- sional services symposium and invites about 36 firms of all types to give presentations. "If you have an investment firm, you're presenting your capabilities to our treasurer's office. If you're an architect or engineer, you are presenting to our facilities, our capital direc- tor. And they're listening to you, and they're remembering who you are," Roberts said. UIC has a goal that says 30% of spending will go to minor- ity- and women-owned firms, Roberts said. "What I would like to see is more firms collaborate on proj- ects or maybe do joint ventures to bid on some of the bigger projects and bid as primes and not always participate as a sub," Roberts said. There would be more impact on firms if they control a con- tract, and there would probably be more impact on the commu- nity, too, she said. For more information, see the website for the U of I supplier diversity program at: https:// www.obfs.uillinois.edu/suppli- er-diversity/

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