Our university, students and alumni seek to support and strengthen an economy with equitable opportunity for all.
This includes members of historically underserved and marginalized communities. In alignment with our commitments to social justice and mutually beneficial community engagement, we strive to engage vendors and suppliers who reflect the communities we serve.
Illinois Business Enterprise Program
It is the policy of the state of Illinois and Northern Illinois University to promote and encourage the continuing economic development of businesses owned by minorities, women, persons with disabilities and veterans. This goal is advanced through the Illinois Business Enterprise Program (BEP). NIU’s BEP achievement can be found not only in annual reports posted by the state of Illinois, but also in the Board of Trustees' annual evaluation of NIU’s president.
Promoting Vendor Opportunities
NIU encourages vendor diversity and participation of BEP vendors as both prime and subcontractors by:
Posting relevant vendor information online.
Hosting and participating in diverse vendor networking events.
Intentional vendor mining and outreach as existing contracts approach renewal.