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• Local Interest

  Attention: Developers, Contractors, and Sub-Contracting Firms: Neighborhood Stabilization Program RFP

  In August, 2008 the United States Congress authorized the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) as a federal grant under the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA).  The purpose of this program is to provide emergency assistance for the acquisition and redevelopment of foreclosed and abandoned properties that might otherwise become sources of abandonment and blight within their communities.  The Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS), as the NSP administrator for the State, is currently seeking housing redevelopment proposals that will help revitalize and stabilize communities that have been the most negatively impacted by foreclosures, high-risk mortgages, and high rates of abandoned or vacant properties.
  
  HACIA has been hired as a sub-contractor to provide assistance with:
  -Outreach of potential and interested developers, general contractors and sub-contracting firms
  -Technical assistance in the preparation of responses to the NSP RFP
  -Technical assistance and consultation to sub-recipients throughout the duration of the program
  -Assistance with referrals of qualified contractors to interested applicants to meet diversity goals
  -Minority Certification assistance to qualified contractors
  
  The program requires the utilization of firms with the state's BEP (Business Enterprise Program).  The State recognizes the following agencie's certifications:
  
  -Illinois Department of Transportation
  -Chicago Minority Business Development Council
  -Women's Business Development Center
  -City of Chicago
  -Chicago Transportation Authority (CTA)
  -METRA
  -PACE
  -Cook County
  
  For more information or a copy of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program RFP please log on to www.haciaworks.org .
  
  For technical assistance and consultation related to NSP, please contact Juan Calahorrano or Gilbert Villegas at (312) 666-5910.
  



• Innovate Now! Transforming the Chicagoland Region into a Globally Recognized Center for Innovation

  

  Innovate Now! is a partnership of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the Council on Competitiveness, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and World Business Chicago.

  Innovate Now! will transform Chicagoland into a globally recognized center for innovation. The initiative encourages widespread adoption of innovative practices and strategies within the Chicagoland region, improving our capacity for growth and our ability to compete in the global economy.

  For more information on this initiative, visit the Innovate Now! website. 




• Power your business with sustainability

  The Chicago Sustainable Business Alliance (part of Foresight Design Initiative) has effectively established itself as a hub and catalyst for the sustainable business community in Chicago, fostering the exchange of best practices and fueling business growth. We provide our members with opportunities for connection, education, knowledge sharing and promotion through our referral network, online Green Business Directory, and more.
  Visit the Chicago Sustainable Business Alliance today!



• Statewide Interest

  Economic Recovery Resources

  

  To learn about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), and identify projects being funded with taxpayer money, look for this emblem throughout Illinois workNet and on the internet.
  
  Learn more about the ARRA



• 

  WIA Works is an initiative to inform our communities of the important and successful work that takes place every day across Illinois to help career dreams become a reality.
  
  Take action, and contact your Representative. Let them know how and why Workforce Investment Act (WIA) matters to you and tell your WIA employment and training success story.
  
  Follow WIA Works on Twitter and Facebook



• Is Your Business Positioned to Grow?

  Is your business positioned to grow with just a little help from people with know-how and the right connections? If so, the Illinois Entrepreneurship Network (IEN), the umbrella for all Illinois' small business services, can give you that help.  IEN helps you cut through the tangle of resources and find the ones you need to achieve your goals. This one seamless system makes it easy for you to to accelerate your company's growth.
  
  Visit the IEN website  today.



• Looking for the Official Business Link to the U.S. Government?

  Business.gov provides quick and easy access to business laws, government regulations, forms and agency contacts.
  
  Visit the Business.gov website today.



• Low Income Energy Efficient Residential Retrofit Program

  More than $213,000 in grants will help existing low-income homeowners replace items such as refrigerators, furnaces, lighting, dishwashers and air conditioners with energy-efficient models.
  
  Legislation approved last year created funding for programs and incentives through money from ComEd and Ameren to reduce electrical energy usage and demand by company customers.
  
  Click here to learn who is eligible and  how the process works.




• Mentoring and Volunteerism as a Dropout Prevention Strategy

  In many of our schools, half or more of high school students do not graduate, let alone leave high school prepared to fully participate in civic life. 
  
  Businesses have an opportunity to get more personally involved in the lives of students in high poverty neighborhoods with failing schools to help end this crisis. 
  
  Learn more at the Tutor/Mentor Connection .



• Register Your Company with Buy Illinois.Net

  The "Buy Illinois" initiative is a statewide series of regional trade fairs, procurement workshops and training programs designed to stimulate more in-state, business-to-business commerce and increase the self-sufficiency of the Illinois economy.
  
  Register your company at the Buy Illinois website.



• The U.S. Economic Census

  The Economic Census profiles American business every 5 years, from the national to the local level. Detailed information provided by geographic area, zip code, and industry.

  Visit the U.S. Economic Census to increase your knowledge of the business climate.