Federal regulations changed in October for all businesses seeking contracts as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise funded by the Illinois Department of Transportation. Those businesses now need to provide additional documentation – including personal financial information – and must be recertified due to an “interim rule” from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The changes directly affect all 20 DBEs in Sangamon County that were previously certified, according to IDOT. Those 20 were among the 2,530 Illinois-based registered DBEs, which include businesses owned by women, Blacks and other minorities. The new federal guidelines eliminate the longstanding presumption that women and members of certain racial and ethnic groups are automatically disadvantaged.
To get recertified, a business must verify in new ways that it is at least 51% owned by “socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.” Those owners must write a personal narrative and complete a federal personal net worth statement providing detailed information about their personal finances, investments and assets such as property.
“It is important that your narrative describe specific situations you have experienced that have caused hardship and held you back from succeeding in education, employment or business,” IDOT explains in a FAQ for vendors, but none of the social or economic disadvantages can be based on race or sex.
IDOT and Gov. JB Pritzker have been critical of the new guidelines, citing the success of the DBE program since it launched in 1983.
“The public benefits from a strong, robust DBE program,” an IDOT spokesperson said. “We see more competition on our projects, which drives down costs in the long run. You also grow local businesses, help people build careers, lift up communities and improve quality of life for the entire state.”
A specific timeline for DBE recertification is uncertain. IDOT has been encouraging businesses to complete the paperwork and says it will take two to three weeks to “reevaluate” the applications for recertification. IDOT then determines whether the owners are socially and economically disadvantaged. If not, the business is decertified, but can appeal.
IDOT is asking all firms that choose not to seek recertification to send a written withdrawal notice stating the firm wants to leave the DBE program.
Once a business is recertified, it will be eligible for IDOT contracts under a revised DBE program. IDOT is touting the governor’s Rebuild Illinois capital program and the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which it claims are investing in the state’s infrastructure at historic levels. “This fall, the governor released a six-year construction program in excess of $50 billion, the largest in state history, opening the door for small and homegrown Illinois businesses to participate on more projects than ever,” an IDOT spokesperson said.
Among DBE firms listed by IDOT as contracting in recent years on Sangamon County projects are Done Rite Construction for bridge painting on Interstate 72 over the Sangamon River; and Jacksonville-based Western Asphalt for 12 projects, including pavement reconstruction, ADA improvements and traffic signal upgrades on Fifth and Sixth streets in Springfield.
Besides recertification, another procedural change required by the U.S. Department of Transportation is that goals for the utilization of DBEs on federally funded projects for roads and airports must be set at 0%, at least for now. That percentage typically had been at levels that actively promoted DBE participation. However, IDOT is encouraging companies to continue to consider meaningful opportunities for DBEs.
At the Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport, executive director Mark Hanna said no projects have been delayed due to the new guidelines, but it is still too early to determine how the federal rule will affect the Springfield airport in the future.
Ed Wojcicki has a degree in journalism, worked in print journalism for 26 years and now freelances from Springfield.
To get assistance with DBE certification, contact IDOT’s Office of Business and Workforce Diversity’s Bureau of Small Business Enterprises at DOT.SupportiveServices@illinois.gov or 217-782-5490.
A Springfield resource recommended by IDOT is Synergetic Solutions, 2070 W. Monroe St. President Melissa Hamilton can be reached at 217-679-4653.
“The majority of the IDOT DBE firms that I have interacted with are interested in participating in the reevaluation process,” Hamilton said.
This article appears in January SBJ 2026.