The Illinois Tollway's Engaging Our Vets event will be held from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Moraine Valley Community College, M Building – Moraine Business and Conference Center, 9000 W. College Parkway in Palos Hills.

The Illinois Tollway will host an Engaging Our Vets networking event on Friday, October 14, in Palos Hills to help veteran-owned firms prepare to do business with the Tollway and other state agencies on construction, professional engineering services, as well as goods and services contracts.

The Engaging Our Vets event will provide one-on-one assistance to help firms register for Veterans Business Program certification with the State of Illinois and gain access to Illinois Tollway contracting opportunities and participation in the competitive procurement process. Veteran-owned firms should bring the required documents to participate in onsite registration or workshops offering information and guidance pertaining to the certification requirements and process.

“We are committed to providing opportunities for veteran-owned firms to do business with the Illinois Tollway,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director Greg Bedalov. “Offering networking events like this one and supporting veteran participation goals, helps open the door for hard-working men and women who have served in our armed forces to compete for state contracts.”

The Illinois Tollway has established goals for veteran-owned small businesses for professional engineering services and construction and supports goals for goods and services contracts that are consistent with the State of Illinois Veterans Business Program.

For example, since 2015 when the Tollway began setting veteran goals for construction and professional service engineering contracts, the Tollway has paid $1.8 billion in to firms, including $28.3 million to certified veteran-owned firms.

The Illinois Tollway's Engaging Our Vets event will be held from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Moraine Valley Community College, M Building – Moraine Business and Conference Center, 9000 W. College Parkway in Palos Hills.

The free event will include information about Illinois Tollway contracting opportunities, technical assistance programs and workshops presented by the Illinois Department of Central Management Services, the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs and the Veteran Business Outreach Center including Veteran Business Program Certification, Creating a Capability Statement, Veteran Resources and Kick-Start Your Business.

In addition, the event will provide veteran-owned businesses the opportunity to network with other firms currently doing business with the Tollway, including work on heavy highway construction projects and the Illinois Tollway's Facilities Job Order Contracting Program.

Registration for the Engaging Our Vets event is available on the Illinois Tollway website www.illinoistollway.com. Pre-registration closes at noon on Thursday, October 13, but onsite registration will be available beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, October 14.

For more information and event registration, please visit the Doing Business - Diversity Programs section on the Illinois Tollway's website at www.illinoistollway.com.

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