Funding Opportunities
Attention entrepreneurs and small business owners! Are you looking for funding to take your business to the next level? Look no further! Explore a myriad of funding opportunities available through federal, state, and local resources. Don't let financial barriers hold you back - seize these opportunities and propel your business forward!
Federal, State and Local Resources
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Tourism Incentive Grant Program
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Eligibility includes:
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Unit of local government
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Local promotion group,
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Not-for-profit organization;
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For-profit organization;
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Convention center authority
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Award Range: $50,000 - $5,000,000
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Deadline: Wednesday, May 1, 2024 at 5:00PM
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Illinois Grocery Initiative - New Stores in Food Deserts Program
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Eligibility includes:
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“Eligibility for this program will be constrained by geographic location, characteristics of prospective store ownership, and the intended offerings of the store.”
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“Grants will be limited to projects that will result in a new grocery store establishment in a food desert census tract.”
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“This grant opportunity will be limited to the following types of entities:
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Units of local government
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Independent grocers or cooperatives with fewer than 500 employees and no more than four grocery locations. This includes for-profit and nonprofit entities.”
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For more information on the criteria, read the NOFO pages 2-3
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Award Range: $160,000 - $2,400,000
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Deadline: May 24, 2024 at 5:00pm
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Equitable Energy Future Grant Program
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Eligibility includes:
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“Equity Eligible Contractors, per the definition in the Illinois Power Agency Act”
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“An Illinois business or nonprofit or cooperative organization that meets the equity building criteria in paragraph (9.5) of subsection (g) of Section 8-103B of the Public Utilities Act”
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Please read the NOFO for full criteria, pages 4-5
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Award Range: $250,000 - $1,000,000
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Deadline: June 30, 2024 at 5:00PM
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Illinois Works Bid Credit Program
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Eligibility: “Contractors or subcontractors that employ apprentices that have completed the Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program on any project (stated or privately funded) are eligible to earn bid credits they can use to make their bids for future state-funded public works projects more competitive.”
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Bid Credit Range: varies, here is more info on bid credits
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Restore, Reinvest, and Renew Notice of Funding Opportunity Service Delivery NOFO # 2378-030124
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Eligibility: “A single organization applicant must be an organization certified by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, a local unit of government, a faith-based organization determined to be tax-exempt by the IRS, a local business, or a community or neighborhood organization that does not have 501(c)(3) status” See the NOFO for more criteria, pages 23-25.
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Award Range: Based on Applicant Tier and Funding Region, see NOFO for more info
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Deadline: April 30, 2024 by 2:00p.m.
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Bid - Upgrade Patio Fencing, Madden Mental Health Center - Hines, Cook County
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Description: The Capital Development Board is soliciting bids to upgrade patio fencing at Madden Mental Health Center.
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Deadline: May 14, 2024 at 11am
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U.S. Department of Labor - FY 24 Fostering Access, Rights and Equity (FARE) Grant Program
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Description: Open nationwide to nonprofits “…with deep ties to underserved and marginalized women workers who are disproportionately impacted by [gender-based violence and harassment] GBVH”
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Award Range: $250,000 - $350,000
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Deadline: May 28, 2024
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Village of Mundelein - STAR Business Grant Pilot Program
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Description: “The ST.A.R. Business Grant Program is intended to help businesses overcome hardships and needs that they could otherwise not undertake without financial assistance”
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Award Range: up to $5,000
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Deadline: April 30, 2024
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City of Peoria - Commercial Renovation Grant Program
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Description: “The program is a grant designed to assist small businesses throughout the City, providing business owners the opportunity to reinvest in their businesses and/or properties.”
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Award Range: $5,000 and $25,000
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Deadline: Friday, May 10, 2024
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Kane County - Grand Victoria Riverboat Fund Program
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Description: Open to nonprofits, 501(c)(3), organizations and units of local government for eligible projects that benefit Kane County residents with a focus on education, environment or economic development.
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Award Range: “Applicants may not receive more than $100,000…per project”
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Deadline: Friday, May 17, 2024, midnight
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Description: Open to manufacturing businesses located in Kane County
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National Pride Grant for LGBTQIA+ Small Businesses
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Description: Open nationwide to LGBTQIA+ owned businesses, must have between 2 to 100 employees, make $5 million in annual revenue or less and been in business for at least 1 year. Grant opens on April 30, 2024 but businesses can already pre-register.
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Portal will open: April 30, 2024
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Foundation for Financial Planning (FFP)
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Eligibility: “grants to community-based and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations to fund the development of programs connecting volunteer financial planners to individuals and families in crisis or need”
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Award Range: $5,000 – $40,000
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Deadline: April 30, 2024
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Eligibility: Open nationwide to businesses that generate at least $35,000 annually in revenue and business has an impact in the community.
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Award Range: $5,000 grant
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Deadline: April 30, 2024
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Description: “Small and medium-sized businesses [and nonprofits] located in the following neighborhoods are invited to apply for Main Street Grants: Bronzeville, Greater Englewood, North Lawndale, Pilsen/Little Village, and South Shore. Note, Allstate Foundation is partnering with the following organizations to administer the Main Street Grants: Build Bronzeville, Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council, Greater Englewood Community Development Corporation, South Shore Chamber Community Development Corporation, and Women's Business Development Center.
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Award Range: $1,500 - $25,000
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Deadline: April 30, 2024
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Giving Joy Grant (Spring Grant Round)
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Description: “Giving Joy grants are one-time micro grants. Women ages 18 and up from any country in the world are eligible to apply.”
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Award Range: $250 to $500
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Deadline: April 30, 2024
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Chicago Vibrant Neighborhood Collective
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Description: “open for community-based organizations [501(c)3] to receive free, customized capacity building services” in the following Chicago neighborhoods: Austin, Brighton Park, East Garfield Park, Gage Park, Roseland, and West Garfield Park
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Deadline: April 30, 2024
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Description: “The Halstead Grant is an annual award for emerging silver jewelry artists. Applicants submit answers to 15 business questions in addition to their design portfolios. The experience is designed to help jewelry entrepreneurs create a strategy to kick-start their careers.”
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Award Range: “The grand prize is a $7,500 cash grant plus other benefits”
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Deadline: May 1, 2024
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PepsiCo: Greenhouse Accelerator Program Juntos Crecemos
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Eligibility: Open nationwide, “…a five-month, mentor-guided program to support the acceleration of emerging Hispanic food and beverages innovations that are transforming the way consumers live their lives”
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Award Range: Finalists will receive $20,000 and winner will receive $100,000
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Deadline: May 6, 2024
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BMO - Women in Business Grant Program
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Description: Open to over 20 states, including all of Illinois, for women-owned businesses with an annual revenue of $5 million or under and has been operating for at least 2 years as a business.
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Award Range: $10,000
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Deadline: May 14, 2024 (portal opens to accept applications on April 30, 2024)
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2024 Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant
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Description: Open nationwide to arts writers who are at least 25 years old by October 1st, applying for a project about contemporary visual art. See grant for further criteria.
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Award Range: $15,000 to $50,000
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Deadline: May 15, 2024
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Description: “the Field Foundation, in partnership with the MacArthur Foundation, launched A Road Together (ART), a new grantmaking program designed specifically for small and mid-sized arts and culture organizations with annual operating budgets up to $1 million and with a strong commitment to equity that are reflective and inclusive of Chicago’s diverse and historically underserved communities.”
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Deadline: May 17, 2024, portal now open
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Description: “grants for community centered, public-facing visual arts projects that represent experimental, unconventional, and accessible practices by Chicago-area artists and artist-led collectives.” Individual artists and artist-led collectives are eligible to apply.
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Award Range: $6,000
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Deadline: May 29, 2024
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Description: “The program will connect vacant property owners with entrepreneurs in Auburn Gresham, Austin, Back of the Yards, Englewood, Gage Park, North Lawndale, South Lawndale, South Shore, Washington Park, and West Lawn. The program will also provide small business owners with funding to help them transition into brick-and-mortar spaces.”
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Award Range: up to $12,500
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Deadline: May 31, 2024
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Eligibility: “Any home service business owner or aspiring business owner 18 years old or older, residing in the U.S. and Canada, excluding Québec.”
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Award Range: $10,000
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Deadline: June 12, 2024
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