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The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO)
officially launched the latest $175 million in available resources
for restaurants, hotels and creative arts businesses and
organizations, all of it coming from the American Rescue Plan Act
with allotments for each business being based on revenue declines
and tax returns. With applications being accepted from April 5 to
May 10, all applicants will receive a grant as long as they meet
eligibility requirements, submit proper documentation and
attestations outlined by the program.
DCEO director Kristin Richards said the funding is dedicated to
continuing to rebuild the economy in the aftermath of the COVID-19
crisis.
“Arts and creative industries are huge tourism drivers for the
state," Richards told reporters. "They are often the backbone of our
communities. These are dollars that are intended to help them
recover. These are also dollars that will support small businesses
in our communities. We know that creative arts are often tourism
anchors for communities across the state.”
Based on legislation that established the Restaurant Employment and
Stabilization Grant Program, Hotel Jobs Recovery Grant Program and
the Illinois Creative Recovery Grant program, to date through the
state’s B2B and Business Interruption Grant (BIG) Programs, DCEO has
provided more than $535 million to more than 15,000 businesses since
the start of the pandemic.
"In the three years since COVID-19 brought our state, our nation,
and our world to a standstill, Illinois businesses have come back
swinging – in part thanks to our Back to Business program," Gov.
J.B. Pritzker said in a recent press release. "My administration is
committed to helping small business owners move past survival and
onto long-term success – and this latest investment of $175 million
in B2B grants does exactly that."
In order to raise awareness about the program and make the process
of being eligible for it easier to fulfill, state officials have put
together a team of more than 100 community navigators across the
state
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