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 To ensure ongoing support for Illinois small
businesses, the State of Illinois has planned future rounds of
funding. BIG represents the largest state-run economic support
program in response to the economic hardship caused by coronavirus.
“I’m proud to announce the first $46 million of our Business
Interruption Grant program has been deployed to help more than 2,600
small businesses in over 400 cities and towns in Illinois. That’s 78
of our 102 counties,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “The initial focus
of these grants has been on businesses that have been most severely
impacted by COVID-19 — those that were completely shut down in the
spring and those that are in COVID-impacted areas that experienced
property damage amidst the looting and civil unrest in June.
Overall, the BIG program will support thousands of small businesses
who have suffered losses due to the COVID pandemic, with a
substantial allotment set aside specifically for childcare providers
– an essential underpinning of our workforce for countless working
families.”
“Under Governor Pritzker’s leadership, BIG is our latest tool in
helping businesses with the support they need to maintain
operations, support their staff and focus their efforts on a safe
reopening in the wake of the crisis,” said Acting Director of DCEO,
Michael Negron. “While the first round of BIG will provide a
much-needed boost for thousands of businesses around the state, we
know there is much more we must do. Through a number of programs
launched in recent weeks, and with another round of BIG on the
horizon, we will continue to respond to the needs facing our
business community and work to provide assistance where it’s needed
most.”
First round grants range from $10,000-$20,000 and may be used to
help businesses with working capital expenses, including: payroll
costs; rent; utilities; and equipment as well as other unexpected
costs to mitigate the impact of the pandemic, such as PPE, training,
and new technology. Business categories identified in the first
round include small businesses in industries that continue to
experience economic hardship due to public concerns for health and
safety and in areas that sustained setbacks due to property damage
and closures as a result of recent civil unrest.
BIG round 1 grants span a diverse geography, as well as business
type – with more than 50 percent of grant recipients reporting they
are minority-owned. This breakdown includes 14 percent Black
business owners, 25 percent Asian-owned, and 11 percent Latinx-owned.
Additionally, more than 600 grants totaling $10 million for
downstate businesses. To ensure small businesses were given a
priority, grantees were required to prove annual revenues of $3
million or lower.
More than $24 million in this first round of funding will be devoted
to DIAs. The General Assembly created the Disproportionately
Impacted Area (DIA) designation to represent areas that have been
significantly impacted by COVID-19 as well as other adverse economic
conditions. Under statute, at least 30 percent of BIG funds will be
distributed to DIAs. Additionally, a substantial portion of total
BIG funds are reserved for locations outside of Chicago and the
collar counties.
More than 5,000 businesses applied for funding, with grantees
selected via random lottery. To ensure reviews were conducted with
an objective, equitable lens and to maximize the turnaround time on
application reviews, DCEO partnered with several community-based
grant administration partners, including Accion, Chicago Urban
League, Women’s Business Development Center, The Chicago Community
Loan Fund, Somercor and Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives.
To give entrepreneurs of color who historically lack access to the
same level of funding and opportunities as other business owners,
DCEO is offering technical assistance to support businesses in
future rounds of BIG. DCEO will invest $1 million to expand outreach
capacity by working with four community navigator partners -
community-based organizations that will build a “hub and spoke”
model to engage, train and invest in expanding capacity of smaller
organizations to reach more business owners eligible for BIG
assistance.
“We are pleased to work with Governor Pritzker and his team to
distribute grants to Chicago businesses that are in dire need,” said
Karen Freeman Wilson, CEO of the Chicago Urban League. “From our
talks with business owners, we understand that these grants are
often the difference between continuing to offer goods and services
and closure. We also understand the importance of business coaching
and mentorship, and we use this partnership as an opportunity to
continue that work with small businesses.”
These partners have a demonstrated capacity to conduct outreach and
technical assistance to ensure more participation in future rounds,
particularly among minority-owned businesses, who have been
underrepresented in other government relief efforts so far. Outreach
will begin this month with the support of the following community
navigators:
Illinois Business Immigration Coalition
The Resurrection Project
Chicago Urban League
Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation
“IBIC is proud to partner with Governor JB Pritzker and DCEO to
provide capacity building for our community-based nonprofits to
provide technical assistance through a community navigator model to
assist minority owned businesses,” said Rebecca Shi, Executive
Director, IBIC. “Black and Brown businesses, independent contractors
have been shut out of federal relief programs while continuing to
bear the brunt of COVID-19. A robust, state-wide technical
assistance program levels the playing field and ensures that
entrepreneurs of color not only survive but thrive through this
global pandemic.”
“The BIG program is essential for small businesses that continue to
suffer due to lack of resources throughout the pandemic and recent
civil unrest,” said Raul Raymundo, CEO and Co-founder of The
Resurrection Project. “The small and minority-owned businesses, the
backbone of our communities, have been left behind in federal relief
funding. The BIG program invests in expanding outreach capacity and
engaging with businesses that were hardest hit by COVID-19.”
To further promote the grant opportunity to businesses around the
state, DCEO leveraged its statewide network of Small Business
Development Centers (SBDCs) as well as other community partners to
conduct outreach to business owners eligible for BIG assistance. In
recent weeks, DCEO has conducted a series of webinars, briefings and
1:1 business outreach to provide information to more than 5,000
business owners and business groups representing owners in various
industry sectors.
The initial round of BIG grants will be followed by subsequent
rounds, each offering consideration to business sectors facing the
most extreme economic hardship as a result of COVID-19-related
closures or diminished operating capacity. Separately, the portion
the BIG program set aside for childcare providers is administered by
the Illinois Department of Human Services. Childcare providers may
apply for these funds until August 14th at this link.
“I feel like my restaurant symbolizes progress for black people in
business showing that we can be just as successful as anyone else,”
said Vanetta Roy owner of Surf’s Up South Shore and Old Town in
Chicago. “With this grant, I will hire more people and expand food
service training for my employees. I’m thankful for the continued
support of the South Shore Chamber for getting the necessary
information out here, and to the State for providing this grant. I
will be using it to make South Shore the very best it can be!”
“Having closed for most of May, this grant will allow us to regain a
positive cash flow, hire additional help and provide us with the
security we needed to renew our commercial lease,” said Ana
Rodriguez, co-owner of The Jibarito Stop in Chicago. “I am eternally
grateful for this assistance from the state of Illinois.”
“The financial boost this grant provides goes beyond supporting just
the owners of this business, as it trickles down throughout the
community to employees and their families, vendors, and customers,”
said Katie Karcher, owner of Seasoning Bistro in Benton. “In this
time of need, we are so grateful to be given the opportunity that
the BIG grant affords us as it will ensure our business is able to
continue, and that we can sustain employment for our hard-working
employees.”
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“While many businesses in the country have been
impacted by COVID-19, few sectors have been as affected or face as
long of a road to recovery than the travel agency industry,” said
Giselle Sanchez, owner of Mena Tours and Travel Inc in Chicago.
“Since our inception in 1965, our business has never experienced
such an extended halt. As we continue to navigate through this
difficult time, the opportunity to receive a Business Interruption
Grant from the state will not only provide our business with a much
needed lifeline to cover ongoing overhead expenses but will
subsequently position us to see this through and be ready to service
our longtime (eager to travel) clients once it is safe to travel
again.”
"After losing staff and having to absorb unforeseen costs with our
savings, this BIG grant will allow us to hire staff back,” said
Brittany Dickens, owner of Fierce Manes Salon in Lansing. “At Fierce
Manes, we know our stylists and staff depend on pay day to survive,
and this funding can help me do that. Next week will be our 5 year
anniversary and given that we can now provide more certainty for our
staff, we can hopefully return to our original plan of expanding.”
“I've been in this business for 16 years and my goal has always been
to help up and coming stylists be successful in their own careers,”
said Stephanie Cowan, owner of Heavenly Enhanced Salon in Gurnee.
“With fewer clients coming in the doors, COVID-19 has definitely
placed an impact on our stylists who depend on their job to provide
for their families. Our BIG grant will allow Heavenly Enhanced Salon
to support our stylists in staying on the staff and continue serving
their customers.”
“At Oasis Wellness, we seek to provide a refuge for women of all
ages, backgrounds and stages,” said Elizabeth Cook, Owner of Oasis
Wellness in Murphysboro. “Like many businesses, COVID-19 has been
hard for us, particularly on our staff. I am thrilled to receive a
BIG grant to ensure that regardless of what happens in the weeks
ahead, we will have ability to help cover our employees, and provide
spa services as long as it is safe to do so.”
“My restaurant was forced to close due to the Covid-19 mandate for
over four months,” said Agron Ademi, owner of Harvest Restaurant in
Pecatonica. “This Grant helped me get my business up and running
again, it helped pay my restaurant utilities, order food, start
advertising, and most importantly it helped with my payroll to keep
and maintain my current staff.”
“I'm glad to see this new round of assistance to small businesses
hit by COVID, especially those in disproportionately impacted
areas,” said Majority Leader Greg Harris. “This new broader effort
adds to our first rounds of business assistance, plus assistance to
hospitals, healthcare centers and other small businesses that we are
helping through these difficult times.”
“These grants will go a long way to help businesses struggling from
the COVID-19 outbreak,” said State Senator Celina Villanueva
(D-Chicago). “They’re especially important for the many business
owners who couldn’t qualify for federal aid in communities like the
one I represent.”
“I am excited to see a specific focus on communities that have been
decimated by unrest and disinvestment,” said State Representative
Curtis Tarver (D-Chicago). “Access to capital is critical to any
business and I hope this provides a lifeline to small businesses and
the communities that support them.”
“Our small businesses are continuing to fight hard to adapt and
survive during the continuing pandemic,” said State Representative
Dan Brady (R-Normal). “These grants are an investment in their
future, and the future of our local communities.”
"Small businesses are the lifeblood of my community and of our
state,” said State Representative Will Guzzardi (D-Chicago). “They
need this grant money to survive, and I'm proud of our state for
doing everything we can to keep these businesses afloat during times
of unprecedented hardship."
“COVID-19 arrived quickly in our community, and small businesses
have been severely impacted by this pandemic,” said State Senator
Scott Bennett (D-Champaign). “As we work to address this public
health crisis, it’s critical that we continue to give local
businesses the resources they need to survive this crisis. State
resources like the BIG program can help these businesses as we
continue to navigate this pandemic.”
“I am so happy that businesses in my district received $3 million in
Business Interruption Grants,” said State Senator Mattie Hunter
(D-Chicago). “First businesses in my community were devastated by
COVID-19, then civil unrest and looting. My heart goes out to them
for all the hardships they’ve faced these past several months.
People put their whole lives into their businesses, and deserve to
see their hard work pay off. They are more than deserving of these
grants, and I hope it offers them a chance to get back on their
feet.”
“I fought for and helped craft this effort to ensure that areas that
have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic are
able to receive support to keep their small businesses open,” said
Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford. “Almost $900,000 is going
directly to businesses in my district, and I am thankful that those
owners are finally seeing some relief.”
“It was one of my priorities during session to ensure we were able
to provide support to those businesses that have been struggling
throughout this pandemic,” said Assistant Majority Leader Tony Munoz
(D-Chicago). “My district is home to so many businesses owned by
people of all backgrounds, and it’s important to preserve the
cultural and economic contributions they make to Chicago and
Illinois.”
“These grants will help Illinois Quad Cities businesses through the
difficult time COVID-19 has brought,” said State Representative
Michael Halpin (D-Rock Island). “I am proud that the General
Assembly acted swiftly to pass BIG legislation, and look forward to
additional rounds of this important program.”
“The Business Interruption Grant program is an example of what is
possible when legislators do their job and create tangible solutions
to the problems facing our state,” said State Senator Andy Manar
(D-Bunker Hill). “Government is supposed to work for those we
represent first and foremost, and I’m proud that we are doing
everything possible at the state level to help our small business
community stay afloat.”
“Many of our community's most important local businesses have been
struggling as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the folks who
run these places or work there are living in a constant state of
worry that they'll wake up tomorrow without a job because the doors
had to close for good,” said State Representative Robert Peters
(D-Chicago). “The grants from DCEO - which will award nearly $1.8
million dollars to area businesses with almost half of that slated
toward Black-owned businesses - will provide much needed relief to
the businesses and their employees and will prevent the permanent
closure of many fixtures of our community.”
“The BIG program means so much for the small businesses in my
district, many of which began experiencing the financial impact of
the pandemic even before the Stay at Home order went into effect,”
said State Representative Theresa Mah (D-Chicago).
Since March, DCEO has launched over $300 million in programs to
assist businesses experiencing losses as a result of the COVID-19
public health emergency—including the Business Interruption Grants
(BIG) program, the Downstate Stabilization Grant Fund, the
Hospitality Emergency Grant Program, and the Fast Track capital
program. While more than 1,000 grants have been released as a result
of these programs, through BIG, an estimated thousands more small
businesses will benefit from critical relief dollars. Additionally,
to aid businesses experiencing damage from looting and civil unrest,
DCEO will soon launch the application for Rebuild Distressed
Communities – providing $25 million to help with capital repairs.
Illinois businesses can follow DCEO on social media @IllinoisDCEO
for regular updates on business resources and programs.
[Office of the Governor JB Pritzker] |
