Dear Litchfield Chamber of Commerce Members,

Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced the $250-million Back to Business (B2B) grant program to support the continued recovery of small businesses across Illinois. This program building on last year’s Business Interruption Grant program and will offer small businesses access to funds that can help offset losses due to COVID-19, bring back workers, and take continued steps to rebuild amid the fallout from the pandemic. The program will open on Wednesday, August 18, 2021. DCEO, along with our network of community navigator organizations, is going to be conducting outreach and provide technical assistance to help businesses with this program. As an initial first step, I’ve listed the links to four webinars in English and one webinar in Spanish that will be conducted over the next few days to help businesses prepare to apply to the program once the program opens on the 18^th. 

DCEO is making $250 million available for small businesses across the state experiencing significant losses due to COVID-19 under this program. While many business types and industries may apply, businesses in the following industries will be given priority status for grants: restaurants and taverns; hotels; arts businesses and organizations; and more. Additionally, businesses located within Disproportionately Impacted Areas (DIAs), as defined in statute, will be prioritized. I’ve attached the eligibility guidelines for reference. Two main eligibility requirements include that the business must have been in operation during or before December 2019, and must have experienced a loss in revenue of at least $5,000 in 2020 due to economic disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

B2B seeks to restore operational losses incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic and will provide grants ranging in size from $5,000 to $150,000, commensurate with the amount of losses experienced. To be considered for a grant, applicants must demonstrate a reduction in revenue in 2020 as compared with 2019, and annual revenues of no more than $20 million in 2019. Businesses must also provide two bank statements, a business owner ID, and federal tax returns for 2019 and 2020. I’ve also attached a list of the application question for review and a list of the required documents that will need to be submitted. The application portal will be an on-line application and documents will need to be scanned so they can be uploaded as part of the application. The documentation needed includes the following: