Faculty, staff and student organization officers are invited to attend NIUs Supplier Diversity Networking Fair, luncheon and workshops, scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 2, in the Holmes Student Center.
Organized by Procurement Services and the State of Illinois Business Enterprise Program, the free fair takes place from 10 a.m. to noon in the Duke Ellington Ballroom.
Participation contributes to NIU’s commitment to help grow the economic development of businesses owned and operated by minorities, females and/or persons with disabilities.
Representatives frommore than 100 diverse businesses will offer visitors the chance to compare and sample a wide variety of commodities, supplies and services.
A free networking luncheon from noon to 1 p.m. in the Regency Room provides vendors another opportunity to connect with the campus community.
Workshops on “Understanding the NIU Procurement Process” for faculty and staff will take place in the afternoon.
Part I, from 1:15 to 2 p.m. in Room 505, will focus on the basic procurement process used at NIU and outline the correct procedures for acquiring goods or services for departments.
It will identify opportunistic buying sources, explain MAFBE purchasing and procurement cards and provide simple guidelines to use when planning a major purchase.
Part II, from 2:15 to 3 p.m. in Room 505, covers changes to the State of Illinois procurement process that went into effect July 1, 2010, and Jan. 1, 2011.
Knowing how new procurement rules might impact the time needed to secure goods and services can be critical to the successful completion of a project. An explanation of the changes will be provided, along with a description of the new ethics requirements for reporting of procurement communications.
Registration is available at the door or by e-mailing name, title, department/organization and the names and titles of those attending to bep@niu.edu by Monday, Feb. 21.
For more information, contact Tara Mitchell at (815) 753-6000 or e-mail bep@niu.edu.
