Company that volunteered in Emanuel's transition snags a big contract

Accenture could reap millions as it looks into city spending

By David Kidwell, Tribune reporter

As newly elected Mayor Rahm Emanuel was developing his priorities for fixing government, he turned to Chicago's business community for free advice on everything from failed schools to wasteful city spending.

Now, one of the companies involved in that effort has agreed to review how City Hall doles out contracts, with an eye toward saving as much as $25 million. But this time, the expertise won't come so cheap.

Accenture, one of the world's largest financial consulting firms, will be paid a percentage of every dollar it saves for the city. The contract is potentially worth millions of dollars.