Top 10 AI Prompts and Use Cases and in the Government Industry in Chicago

Chicago government runs complex, time‑bound procurement and public‑health grant cycles - Procurement Services is the city's contracting authority and the Chicago Department of Public Health publishes RFPs that require iSupplier registration and strict contract documents - so prompts that produce accurate, auditable draft language change whether a bid advances to evaluation; see Chicago Department of Public Health RFPs and Grant Opportunities for current opportunities and timelines (Chicago Department of Public Health RFPs and Grant Opportunities).

At the same time Illinois is shaping AI rules - pending 2025 bills include requirements for impact assessment and human review - so prompt design must align with state policy (2025 state AI legislation overview from the National Conference of State Legislatures).

For municipal teams and local vendors, practical prompt training (how to draft compliant proposals, FOIA‑ready summaries, and data‑grounded impact statements) is teachable; Nucamp's AI Essentials for Work offers a 15‑week curriculum and registration pathway for Chicago practitioners (Nucamp AI Essentials for Work bootcamp registration and curriculum).

Program	Details
AI Essentials for Work	15 weeks; teaches prompts & applied AI for workplace; early bird $3,582, after $3,942; syllabus: AI Essentials for Work syllabus

“assuring the conditions in which people can be healthy.”

Selection focused on tools and use cases that support iterative, auditable prompt design and practical handoffs to vendors: shortlist criteria were drawn from GoodFirms' research approach - evaluating Quality, Reliability and Ability - and from product-level checklists like features, functionalities and pricing to ensure fit for public‑sector procurement; project teams therefore prioritized Agile‑friendly project management systems that let teams address issues as they arise (GoodFirms project management software rankings), market‑research platforms that provide end‑to‑end surveys and real‑time reporting to validate prompts with stakeholders (GoodFirms market research software list), and implementation partners rated for rapid, standards‑aware deployments (GoodFirms implementation services providers).

Each prompt and use case was scored against those criteria and cross‑checked with GoodFirms' broader vendor lists for U.S. capability so Chicago agencies get prompt templates that can be iteratively refined, validated with measurable user feedback, and turned into compliance‑ready deliverables for procurement and deployment.

Methodology Criterion	Source
Agile/iterative refinement	GoodFirms – Project Management Software rankings
Validation & real‑time reporting	GoodFirms – Market Research Software list
Implementation & deployment capability	GoodFirms – Implementation Services providers
Vendor capability (Quality, Reliability, Ability)	GoodFirms – Top Software Companies in USA

Chicago public‑health vendors and nonprofits should prioritize active CDPH solicitations now that federal COVID‑era support was abruptly rescinded: the Mayor's Office reports HHS terminated roughly $125 million in COVID‑related grants effective March 24, 2025, a gap that increases competition for city and state funding and makes timely RFP responses essential - register on the City's iSupplier portal and monitor CDPH RFPs for deadlines and required contract documents (Chicago Department of Public Health RFPs and Grant Opportunities).

Target high‑impact open opportunities such as HOPWA Tenant‑Based Rental Assistance (RFP #56950) and Facilities‑Based Housing Assistance (RFP #56951), both released 08/04/2025 with proposals due 09/04/2025, while parallel local funding streams (for example the Government Alliance for Safe Communities' $20M Community Violence Intervention round) can be pursued to diversify revenue and program continuity (Government Alliance for Safe Communities Community Violence Intervention funding announcement).

The practical takeaway: confirm iSupplier registration, assign a proposal lead, and calendar pre‑solicitation and submission dates now to avoid missing short windows for city and county grants.

RFP	Purpose	Proposal Due
#56950	HOPWA Tenant‑Based Rental Assistance (TBRA)	09/04/2025
#56951	HOPWA Facilities‑Based Housing Assistance	09/04/2025
#54840	School‑Based Vision Program (SBVP)	08/11/2025
#18560	Congregate Settings Testing (COVID/other pathogens)	08/06/2025

“I am deeply concerned by this attack on funding that directly supports the health and wellbeing of our most vulnerable communities.”

Decoding Illinois Arts Council Agency (IACA) grant rules starts with the basics: confirm the program's award size, required cash match, and whether funds are paid as reimbursement or up front - these three items determine cash‑flow risk and compliance burden for Chicago nonprofits and municipal partners.

IACA opportunities range from small project awards (instrumentl notes performing‑arts awards around US $2,000–$15,000 with LOI dates) to larger state program pots like Illinois Public Radio & Television support (listed at $600,000, rolling), so applicants should calendar deadlines and budget a 25–50% match requirement - MCAC minutes show a 25% minimum match on received IACA funds and note applicant groups may face a 50% obligation - while also building a reporting timeline because some federal/state arts funds reimburse costs after performance.

Practical steps: pull the IACA program guidance before drafting budgets, include a discrete cash‑match line item, and map invoicing/reporting dates to avoid a reimbursement gap that can stall operations; see program listings and grant details from IACA summaries and local meeting minutes below for source guidance.

Program	Typical Award	Match / Deadline
Illinois Public Radio & Television Support program listing on GrantExec	$600,000	Rolling / check IACA guidance
IACA Music, Writing & Performing Arts grant listings via Instrumentl	$2,000–$15,000	LOI noted Sep 16, 2025 (program specific)
MCAC meeting minutes with notes on IACA awards	Varies	Match: 25% minimum; applicant groups sometimes 50%

“I worry about the resilience narrative.”

Draft first proposals for Chicago Department of Housing programs by converting RFP language and budget line items into a polished, submission‑ready draft using the Piktochart AI Grant Proposal Generator: paste the solicitation goals, required deliverables, and a preliminary budget into the Piktochart AI Grant Proposal Generator to produce structured narratives, visual layouts, and an AI outline in seconds (uploading an existing DOCX or PDF preserves content and enables multi‑page output in BETA); then map costs and appropriation references to the state's published datasets - pull the FY26 Operating Budget Detail and Capital Budget files from the Illinois Office of Management and Budget (FY26) so the draft's budget lines match state categories and reporting expectations.

This workflow yields a ready draft plus on‑brand visuals that procurement and fiscal reviewers can validate immediately, reducing the friction between concept and a FOIA‑ready proposal package.

Tool / Resource	Use
Piktochart AI Grant Proposal Generator - AI grant proposal generator and visual proposal builder	Generate draft narratives, upload existing drafts, and create visual, multi‑page proposals in seconds
Illinois Office of Management and Budget (FY26) - FY26 Operating Budget Detail and Capital Budget files	Reference Operating Budget Detail and Capital Budget files to align proposal budgets with state appropriation categories

“The basic definition is “to move funding away from police departments and into community resources, such as mental health experts, housing, and social workers.”

Illinois small businesses chasing Department of Transportation work should register as subcontractors immediately: IDOT requires subcontractor registration before approval (prequalified prime contractors are exempt), the online Subcontractor Registration Form is quick to complete and confirmation with a 5‑digit registration number typically arrives in one to two days, and the List of Registered Subcontractors is updated every Monday so primes can find firms by contact info (IDOT Subcontractor Registration and List of Registered Subcontractors).

To secure work, signal interest directly to prime contractors using the Bid List of Bidders (first version posts two weeks after a Notice of Letting and is then updated each Friday) or the Industry Marketplace; remember that for any subcontract valued at $50,000 or more primes must submit Financial Disclosures and a Subcontractor Certification electronically to IDOT's Vendor Documents system before a sub can begin work (IDOT Vendor Documents and Project Administration requirements).

So what: timely registration plus readiness to supply required documents shortens approval time and keeps small firms visible on weekly bid lists when primes solicit quotes.

Action	Key detail	Source
Register online	Complete Subcontract Registration Form; receive 5‑digit number in 1–2 days; valid 1 year	IDOT Subcontractor Registration page
Contact primes	Use Bid List of Bidders (posted 2 weeks after Notice of Letting, updated Fridays) or Industry Marketplace	IDOT Bid List of Bidders and Industry Marketplace information
Prepare documents for ≥$50k	Primes must submit Financial Disclosures & Subcontractor Certification via Vendor Documents before sub starts	IDOT Vendor Documents and Project Administration guidance
Protect payment	IDOT pays primes only - subs must manage collections and lien/bond claims if needed	IDOT Subcontractor payment and claim procedures

To map the vendor landscape around AECOM, monitor the City of Chicago's procurement feeds so teams can see which firms consistently win design, bridge, and construction‑management work and target teaming conversations accordingly; the CDOT Procurement News and weekly Bid Opportunity List publish rankings and awarded firms (for example, Benesch was selected ahead of AECOM on an arterial‑resurfacing design shortlist while AECOM Technical Services, Inc.

was selected for the Michigan Avenue Bridge project), so primes like Benesch, Jacobs, WSP, HNTB, and Michael Baker are practical outreach targets for mid‑sized Illinois firms seeking subcontracts or JV slots (Chicago CDOT procurement news and bid opportunity list); pair that sourcing with local vendor‑university partnership programs to shorten onboarding and demonstrate capacity in AI‑enabled project controls and compliance reporting (local vendor–university partnership programs in Chicago).

So what: watching CDOT rankings turns public award data into a shortlist of primes to approach for immediate subcontracting conversations and faster capture of city work.

Contractor	Recent CDOT project / ranking
Benesch	Selected - Arterial Resurfacing Design (CDOT spec 120469)
AECOM Technical Services, Inc.	Selected - Michigan Avenue Bridge (Phase I/II engineering)
WSP USA	Selected - Shoreline Protection (54th–56th Promontory Point)
Jacobs	Selected - CIP Management / APS implementation listings
HNTB Corporation	Selected - Lake Street Bascule Bridge (CDOT listings)
Michael Baker Intl.	Selected - Citywide Bridges & Viaducts Emergency Repairs

Map procurement decision‑makers by starting with the City's Procurement Services hub and leadership roster, then validate contacts with a FOIA request: review the Chicago Department of Procurement Services landing page for program scope and vendor resources (Chicago Department of Procurement Services landing page), check the department leadership page to identify the Chief Procurement Officer and senior staff (Chicago Procurement Services leadership page), and if names or org charts are missing submit a records request via the department FOIA guidance to obtain official contact lists and past awarded‑contract records (DPS FOIA guidance for procurement records).

Practical tip: Procurement's main line (312.744.4900) and the LaSalle Street office are listed on DPS pages - calling to confirm a named officer and referencing the FOIA posting practice (requests are public) closes the loop faster and produces a FOIA‑ready record for outreach.

Contact	Detail
Phone	312.744.4900
TTY	312.744.2949
Fax	312.744.0010
Address	121 N. LaSalle St., Room 806, Chicago, IL 60602

For equity‑focused teaming with Chicago social‑equity subcontractors - such as partnering a prime with Heartland Alliance - build an auditable pipeline using federal and local sourcing tools: start in the GSA Subcontracting & Other Partnerships Directory to find OTSB primes that must carry subcontracting plans, use the Directory's NAICS, city, and UEI filters to produce a short, verifiable list within hours, then match those primes to Chicago‑based nonprofits and vendor–university partnership programs to document capacity, training, and compliance commitments (GSA Subcontracting & Other Partnerships Directory - find OTSB primes and subcontracting plans).

Post teaming interest on the SBA SubNet and pair outreach with local onboarding evidence - training pipelines, resumes, and project controls - so proposals deliver FOIA‑ready proof of social‑equity subcontracting and shorten approval cycles; local university partnerships can accelerate technical onboarding and demonstrate AI‑enabled compliance quickly (Chicago vendor–university partnership programs for AI-enabled government efficiency and onboarding).

Resource	Use
GSA Subcontracting Directory	Find OTSB primes, filter by NAICS/city, capture UEI and vendor details for auditable shortlists
SBA SubNet	Locate prime‑posted subcontracting opportunities and post interest for social‑equity teams
Local vendor–university partnerships	Demonstrate onboarding, workforce training, and AI/compliance capacity for equity subcontractors

Federal year‑end spending cycles create a narrow capture window for CTA projects - teams that align applications to the agency's stated FY2025 priorities can turn large federal allocations into shovel‑ready work.

CTA's FY2025 proposed operating budget is $2.16 billion and the 2025–2029 Capital Improvement Program totals $6.96 billion, with targeted projects such as Red and Purple Modernization, the Red Line Extension, and a $37 million elevator replacement initiative already scheduled to begin in 2025 (CTA Finance & Budget and Operating Budget Details).

Leverage the momentum behind the Red Line Extension - already backed by a $1.9 billion FTA FFGA and significant first‑year funding - to prioritize grant asks tied to guaranteed federal scopes and workforce commitments (Red Line Extension Project Updates and What's New).

Also monitor regional discretionary opportunities (for example, SS4A application windows) and set a calendared sprint to submit applications and procurement‑ready scopes; one concrete payoff: aligning a grant to an already‑funded CIP line (like ASAP elevator work) materially shortens procurement and obligates funds faster (CMAP Guidance on SS4A Regional Safety Action Plans).

Item	Figure / Date
CTA FY2025 proposed operating budget	$2.16 billion
CTA 2025–2029 CIP	$6.96 billion
RLE Federal funding (FFGA)	$1.9 billion; $746M year‑one
ASAP elevator funding	~$37 million (expected start 2025)
SS4A regional application deadline (example)	June 26, 2025

“Our workforce of 10,000+ has put forth an impressive effort to ensure CTA either reached its goals or is on the path to do so by the end of the year - including restoring our service levels to pre-pandemic levels…I am truly excited about what's in store for 2025 as we build on this momentum and look to add even more service, improve accessibility, begin work to expand our system, and continue our investments in our personnel, infrastructure and fleets.”

Assessing 2025 regulatory shifts shows a tightening but targeted funding landscape that directly affects Chicago Housing Authority project pipelines: the Illinois General Assembly's wrap‑up reduced HOME Illinois line items (FY26 funding “just over $354 million,” a $14.6M net cut) and cut the Court‑Based Rent Assistance Program from $75M to $50M - pressures that make city and LIHTC allocations more critical (Illinois 2025 state legislative session housing funding summary).

At the same time the Chicago Department of Housing's 2025 Qualified Allocation Plan draft formalizes a two‑step LIHTC process, prioritizes projects on public land and supportive housing, and tightens ATSM contracting standards - changes CHA can convert into nearer‑term pipeline wins by aligning site selections and supportive‑housing proposals to QAP preferences (Chicago Department of Housing 2025 QAP draft and ATSM memo).

Given regionwide zoning and supply recommendations from CMAP, the practical takeaway is clear: CHA should prioritize LIHTC projects on City/CHA parcels and targeted supportive‑housing scopes to offset state cuts and capture one‑time allocations (for example opioid‑settlement and capital boosts) that emerged during the session (CMAP ON TO 2050 regional housing supply recommendations), because aligning project design to these regulatory shifts is the fastest way to keep construction on schedule and preserve affordability for impacted households.

Regulatory change / funding note	Direct CHA impact
HOME Illinois FY26 funding ≈ $354M (net $14.6M cut)	Tighter state operating support for homelessness prevention and supportive services
Court‑Based Rent Assistance cut $75M → $50M	Greater demand for CHA rental assistance and preservation programs
2025 QAP draft: prioritizes public‑land projects & supportive housing; two‑step process	Opportunity to accelerate CHA‑led LIHTC projects on City/CHA parcels with clearer selection criteria
One‑time allocations (e.g., $20M opioid settlement; IHDA capital increases)	Leverageable gap financing to close funding for CHA preservation/new‑build units

“The Chicago Department of Housing strives to create affordable housing opportunities across all of our 77 communities. The QAP is one of the most important tools we utilize to accomplish this, and we look forward to finalizing it in partnership with community stakeholders.”

When issuing press releases and community notices for City of Chicago programs, write clear, audience‑segmented headlines, publish certified translated versions (Spanish plus other locally prevalent languages), and record the translator/interpreter name and timestamp so language access is auditable - DOJ case summaries show settlements that required translated press releases, translated agreements, and strengthened LEP parent communication after failures to provide qualified interpreters (DOJ language-access case summaries and settlements).

Use an AI‑assisted drafting workflow to produce fast first drafts and layered human review - local vendor–university partnerships can accelerate responsible AI editing and certified translation handoffs - then publish parallel HTML and PDF notices, link to multilingual FAQ pages, and log distribution channels (311, community orgs, school listservs) so outreach meets both practical reach and compliance needs (AI workflows for government vendor–university partnership models in Chicago).

The payoff: documented, translated notices reduce complaints and costly DOJ remediation by turning outreach into a FOIA‑ready record that proves meaningful access for LEP residents.

Start with a tightly scoped pilot: form a 15‑week cohort to train a cross‑department team (311 operators + permit desk staff) on prompt engineering and auditable prompt handoffs, pairing Nucamp's AI Essentials for Work curriculum with a local vendor–university implementation partner so training converts directly into deployment-ready templates; see the Nucamp AI Essentials for Work - 15‑week applied AI bootcamp (Nucamp AI Essentials for Work bootcamp registration and syllabus) and prioritize the jobs flagged as highest risk in Chicago (311 & permit desks) to reduce operational exposure while documenting human‑in‑the‑loop controls (Analysis of AI risks for 311 operators and permit desk staff in Chicago).

Pair that with a vendor–university partnership to accelerate responsible adoption and ensure FOIA‑ready outputs (Local vendor–university partnership models for government AI implementations), and include an energy/data‑center checklist from the city's sustainable‑AI guidance before any live rollout (Sustainable AI energy and data center considerations for municipal deployments).

The concrete payoff: a 15‑week, auditable pilot that yields FOIA‑ready prompt templates, a vendor onboarding packet, and a deployment checklist that explicitly documents human review and sustainability constraints (early‑bird training cost reference: $3,582).

Pilot Component	Recommended Action	Source
Training cohort	15‑week applied AI bootcamp for staff; produce prompt templates	Nucamp AI Essentials for Work - 15‑week applied AI bootcamp
Target teams	Focus on 311 operators & permit desks for immediate risk reduction	Research on jobs most at risk from AI in Chicago government (311 & permit desks)
Implementation	Partner with local vendor–university programs to convert training into deployments	Examples of local vendor–university partnership models for government AI
Sustainability & ops	Apply an energy/data‑center checklist before production	City sustainable‑AI guidance: energy and data center checklist