Diverse Supplier Development Program
Facilitated by the Office of Procurement Diversity & University of Illinois Corporate Relations Council
Now accepting applications for Cohort 5, beginning August 2026
Elevating small businesses.
Elevating our communities.
The University of Illinois System’s Diverse Supplier Development Program reflects our commitment to empowering diverse businesses and creating a more inclusive economy.
This groundbreaking 9-month program will help diverse small business owners expand their capacity and knowledge, empowering them to grow their business.
What Our Program Offers
Our program provides participants with insightful workshops led by University of Illinois instructors and leading business professionals, along with student-led consulting teams to take their businesses to the next level, and a guided path to BEP certification, further providing enhanced procurement opportunities with the state of Illinois.
World class facultyand partners
Top-tier educationworkshops
Bright and talentedstudent consultants
“Every day, our vast network of diverse suppliers helps the University of Illinois System fulfill its educational, research, and outreach missions. Through the Diverse Supplier Development Program, the U of I System is giving back to these businesses by utilizing our transformational, land-grant power to remove some of the barriers to growth that many diverse businesses face. That will, in turn, benefit each community that these businesses call home and promote inclusive growth throughout Illinois.”
Timothy L. Killeen
President
University of Illinois System
Learn More About Our Program
Program Description
Cohort 4 begins August 2025
Through this program, diverse small business owners will tap into a student project team to solve business challenges and build their talent pipeline. These student teams will be coordinated by the Magelli Office of Experiential Learning, which includes Illinois Business Consulting, the nation’s largest student-run, professionally managed university consultancy. The program also offers monthly workshops led by our world-class faculty members and outside partner organizations.
These groups from across the University of Illinois System have joined forces to launch the Diverse Supplier Development Program:
- Magelli Office of Experiential Learning, Gies College of Business, UIUC
- Illinois Business Consulting, Gies College of Business, UIUC
- Action Learning Program, Gies College of Business, UIUC
- EntreCORPS, Gies College of Business, UIUC
- Student project classes at UIC
- Student project classes at UIS
- Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, UIUC
- Office of Diversity, Equity & Engagement, UIC
- Office of Procurement Diversity, U of I System
- Office of the Vice President for Economic Development and Innovation, U of I System
- President’s Office, U of I System
Eligibility
- Minority, woman, person with disabilities and/or veteran-owned small businesses
- Businesses ready to advance to the next level of their growth trajectory
Businesses that meet these criteria will receive priority:
- Current U of I supplier
- Has been in business for at least 3 years
- Has at least one employee besides owner
Program Offerings
Student Consulting Projects (Virtual, 1 semester)
- Strategy – Business Plans, Market Analysis, Growth Strategy
- Marketing – CRM, Communications Planning, Social Media
- Data & Technology – Data Management & Analytics, Web Design
- Financial Modeling – Forecasting, Cost-Benefit Analysis
Education (Virtual, 1-hour monthly workshops)
- Financing and Access to Capital
- Government Contracting
- Digital Marketing/CRM/Communications
- Data Management and Analytics
- Practical AI Use for Business
- Gies College of Business Student Project Overview
- Cyber Security
Cost
This program comes at no cost to you, courtesy of the University of Illinois System.
Participant Testimonials
Elmer Rhodes
President
Cross Rhodes Print & Technologies
“I now have the confidence that I have the ability to sell this new product … and I owe that to the DSDP program.”
Elmer Rhodes
President
Cross Rhodes Print & Technologies
“I now have the confidence that I have the ability to sell this new product … and I owe that to the DSDP program.”
Olga Camargo
Founder and CEO
FARO Associates
“The most impactful part of this program was really working with the students. We had the opportunity to really engage with productive dialogue around what my company could be.”
Olga Camargo
Founder and CEO
FARO Associates
“The most impactful part of this program was really working with the students. We had the opportunity to really engage with productive dialogue around what my company could be.”
Afua Aning
CEO
My Just Checking In
“The graduate students have been a great help to my company. They went through a marketing portfolio with me - things like a slide deck, advertisement, social media ads.”
Afua Aning
CEO
My Just Checking In
“The graduate students have been a great help to my company. They went through a marketing portfolio with me - things like a slide deck, advertisement, social media ads.”
Denise Brown
Founder and Owner
Caregiving Years Training Academy
“[The student team] really felt like they were part of my organization, that they were in it to win it for me, that they wanted results that I wanted.”
Denise Brown
Founder and Owner
Caregiving Years Training Academy
“[The student team] really felt like they were part of my organization, that they were in it to win it for me, that they wanted results that I wanted.”
Participant News
UIC Scholarship Named in Honor of Olga Camargo
The Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement (HACE) recently celebrated its National Leadership Summit and Gala in Chicago and announced it would fund a special UIC scholarship in honor of its Board Chair Emeritus Olga Camargo.
Read Article
Lockhaven Solutions, LLC. Achieves Trio of Prestigious Certifications
The Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement (HACE) recently celebrated its National Leadership Summit and Gala in Chicago and announced it would fund a special UIC scholarship in honor of its Board Chair Emeritus Olga Camargo.
Read ArticleOur Partners
We have partnered with diversity leaders who represent many important facets of the Illinois community.
“The Diverse Supplier Development Program has proven to be an indispensable and necessary component demonstrating our commitment to fostering the growth of diverse businesses across the state of Illinois. We are proud to sponsor this initiative, which is contributing to the economic development of underrepresented communities which we serve. We are listening to their needs and are constantly improving the resources we provide to ensure businesses are acquiring the knowledge needed to be successful in the marketplace.”
Dale Morrison
Director, Office of Procurement Diversity
OPD’s Impact on Diversity
The University of Illinois System’s Office of Procurement Diversity is the state’s leading higher education supplier diversity program. We pride ourselves on building strategic relationships with suppliers and organizations to encourage the use of businesses owned by minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and veterans. The supplier diversity program has helped generate value by increasing the pool of potential suppliers, creating economic opportunities for disadvantaged businesses, and developing enriched partnerships with our university and community partners.
Connectivity
Connecting vendors to university staff and resources
Education
Training and workshops to provide vendors with the necessary tools for success
Development
Ideas and initiatives to develop and implement growth opportunities
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was this program developed?
The Diverse Supplier Development Program was developed by the University of Illinois System to utilize our resources to help grow small diverse businesses.
What are the eligibility requirements?
- Minority, woman, person with disabilities, and/or veteran-owned small businesses
- Businesses ready to advance to the next level of their growth trajectory
Priority will be given to
- Current U of I supplier
- Has been in business for at least 3 years
- Has at least one employee besides owner
What is the time commitment?
The time commitment for the entire program will be approximately 25 hours from September 2023 to May 2024.
One-hour workshops will be generally held on the first Friday of each month from September 2023 to May 2024 from 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Central
Can I miss a workshop?
Participants are strongly encouraged to take advantage of all of the workshops, however the program will allow up to two excused absences from the workshops to receive a certification of completion and to participate in graduation. Participants should contact dsdp@uillinois.edu prior to the workshop if they will be absent for a session.
Can I send a representative to attend a workshop in my place?
No. Only the person selected for the program can attend.
Is the program in-person, virtual or hybrid?
At this time, all program activities for the cohort are scheduled to be virtual with the possibility of an in-person cohort graduation at the conclusion of the program. This is subject to change.
Do I have to participate in the Student Consulting Project?
Yes. All participating companies will be matched with a team of student consultants who will complete the project that you commission. We ask the participating companies to take weekly calls with the student team for the project duration (15 weeks).
What is the cost?
There is no cost to the participants.
Do I get university credit(s) for participating?
No, however participants that complete the program will receive a certificate of completion.
I cannot participate this year. Will there be future cohorts?
Yes, the university plans to offer the program annually.