A report submitted to the Cook County Board of Commissioners highlights continued progress in the number of minority- and women-owned business enterprises (M/WBE) doing business with Cook County. Cook County awarded $86 million in contracts in 2015 to M/WBE businesses for goods and services, construction and professional services. This represents a $20 million increase since the County began tracking figures under a directive by President Preckwinkle. In the last fiscal year alone, M/WBE participation rose to 29 percent of County contracts awarded. This represents an increase of approximately 4 percentage points from the prior year, while actual payments to these vendors increased by 6 percentage points to 31 percent year-over-year. The fourth annual Cook County Business Diversity Report allows residents and businesses to see the goals set by the County and includes actual payments as well as the number of contracts and contract dollars awarded. The report serves as a benchmarking tool in assessing minority- and women-owned business participation and identifies areas for improvement.