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Grant Opportunities

Funding Opportunities:

  • DCEO
      • CDBG Public Infrastructure Program
        • Description: “The purpose of grants relative to the Public Infrastructure (PI) Notice of Funding Opportunity is to fund water and sanitary systems and storm sewer construction projects that alleviate public health, safety, and public welfare and help communities with substantial low to moderate-income populations. Project areas must be primarily residential in character.”
        • Eligibility includes: “Only units of general local government (i.e., cities, villages, townships and counties) may apply for funding.”… “Municipalities must not be a HUD direct Entitlement community or be located in an urban county that receives “entitlement” funds.”
        • Award Range: $300,000 – $1,500,000
        • Deadline: August 27, 2026 at 5:00 PM

       

      • CDBG Housing Rehabilitation Program
        • Description: “The purpose of grants relative to the Housing Rehabilitation (HR) Notice of Funding Opportunity is to provide units of general local government with funds to address housing needs of eligible low-to-moderate income (LMI) households. The program targets projects which preserve single family, owner-occupied housing needing rehabilitation and encourage neighborhood revitalization.”
        • Eligibility includes: “Only units of general local government (i.e., cities, villages, townships and counties) may apply for funding.”… “Municipalities must not be a HUD direct Entitlement community or be located in an urban county that receives “entitlement” funds.”
        • Award Range: $300,000 – $800,000
        • Deadline: August 27, 2026 at 5:00 PM

       

      • Small Business Development Centers
        • Description: “…“DCEO” is issuing this Notice of Funding Opportunity (“NOFO”) to seek qualified host organizations to operate Illinois Small Business Development Centers and provide program services.” “…Illinois SBDCs deliver professional, high-quality, individualized, confidential one-on-one advising and technical assistance to existing small businesses and pre-venture entrepreneurs.”
        • Eligibility includes:
          • “Fully accredited institutions of higher education such as public and private universities, state, and community colleges.
          • Private nonprofit organizations engaged in economic development activities.
          • Local counties or municipalities with established community/economic development departments and/or programs.
          • Public economic development institutions such as workforce investment boards and economic development corporations.

       

      “…specifically in the geographical areas noted below. Any areas outside of those listed below will not be considered.

      • This area includes: (this was updated in the NOFO in March 2, 2026)
        • City of Chicago Neighborhoods
          • Far Southeast Side (Chatham, Avalon Park, South Deering, Hegewisch, Riverdale, West Pullman, Roseland, Burnside, Calumet Heights, South Chicago)
        • Cook County Municipalities
          • Elgin
        • Counties
          • Grundy and Kankakee
        • Award Range: $80,000 – $525,000
        • Deadline: rolling
          • Innovation Vouchers Program
            • Description: “Innovation Vouchers will provide grants for companies to engage in research projects in partnership with an Illinois institute of higher education. This will facilitate the sharing of technologies, knowledge, facilities, and equipment, and ultimately lead to the production of more Illinois-based goods and services and spur economic growth in the state.”
            • Eligibility includes: “Illinois-based companies with 500 or fewer total employees; Commit to maintain operations in Illinois for duration of project; Businesses that operate in key industries, including agribusiness and agtech; energy; information technology; life sciences and healthcare; manufacturing; and transportation and logistics”
            • Award Range: “…cover up to 75% of the cost of the research engagement (not to exceed $75,000).”

           

          • For a complete list of DCEO grants, please visit our website.  

Additional State Government

  • Illinois Arts Council – Creative Projects Grant
    • Description: The goal of this grant is “to support art projects for Illinois artists, eligible not-for-profit organizations, municipal entities, or colleges and universities.”
    • Award Range: “up to $12,000”
    • Deadline: “until funds are expended”

 

Federal Government

  • USDA Rural Business Development Grants in Illinois
    • Description: “Rural Business Development Grants (RBDGs) support targeted technical assistance, training, and other activities that promote the development and expansion of small and emerging private businesses in rural areas. Eligible businesses must have fewer than 50 employees and less than $1 million in gross annual revenues. RBDG funding is separated into either enterprise or opportunity-type grant activities.”
    • Eligibility includes:
      • Applicants must be from an eligible area:
        • “The RBDG supports projects benefiting rural areas outside of urbanized areas that have populations of 50,000 or more. You can use the USDA Income and Property Eligibility site (available at this link: com/8ysytefa) to determine your area’s eligibility.”
      • “Eligible applicants include:
        • Rural cooperatives
        • State government agencies, towns, and communities
        • Nonprofit corporations and institutions of higher learning
        • Federally recognized Tribes
        • Important: Neither individuals nor for-profit businesses or organizations are eligible to apply for RBDGs.”
      • Award Range: “Generally, grants range from $10,000 to $500,000, and there is no cost-sharing requirement. Opportunity-type grants are limited to no more than 10 percent of the total available RBDG funds.”
      • Deadline: “two different closing dates: 1) June 15, 2026, only applies to Strategic Economic and Community Development (SECD) applications and 2) June 30, 2026, applies to the remainder of the applicants”

Local Governments

  • City of Champaign Downtown Refresh Program
    • Description: “Downtown Refresh is a competitive reimbursement grant for ground-floor storefront and customer-facing interior improvements in downtown Champaign.”
    • Award Range: “Up to $50,000 per building (up to $100,000 per property owner across multiple buildings)”
    • Deadline: June 26, 2026

 

  • City of Chicago: Small Business Improvement Fund
    • Description: “promotes economic development by providing small businesses and property owners with reimbursement grants for permanent building improvement costs.”
    • Award Range: $75,000 multi-tenant properties, $150,000 commercial properties, and $250,000 industrial properties
    • Deadline varies

 

  • City of Chicago: Next Stage Chicago
    • Description: “…an emerging producing theater organization is defined as a Chicago-based nonprofit [501(c)3] producing theater organization that has been incorporated for at least three (3) years and no more than ten (10) years, has an adjusted operating budget of $500,000 or less based on its most recently completed fiscal year, demonstrates active theatrical programming and a commitment to producing artistic work, and is actively building its organizational capacity, audience base, and long-term financial sustainability.”
    • Award Range: up to $50,000
    • Deadline: July 8, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. CT

 

  • City of Chicago Community Development Grant
    • Description: “The City of Chicago helps support business and neighborhood vitality through Small, Medium and Large Community Development Grant (CDG) awards.” “Applications are open to business owners, property owners, non-profit organizations, community developers and entrepreneurs.”
    • Award Range: Small: up to $250,000; Medium: $300,001 to $5 million and Large: $5 million and up
    • Deadline: Small and Medium due August 14, 2026 and Large accepted on rolling basis

 

  • City of Chicago Neighborhood Opportunity Fund
    • Description: “The Neighborhood Opportunity Fund (NOF) provides capital development grants…for small business and cultural projects located along West, Southwest, and South Side commercial corridors. NOF grants are provided as reimbursement for up to 75% of eligible project expenses…”
    • Award Range: up to $250,000
    • Deadline: August 14, 2026

 

 

  • Village of Gurnee – Impact Grant
    • Description: “This is a 1:1 matching grant open to a business of any size located within the Village of Gurnee corporate limits, generate sales tax, in good standing with the Village and compliant with all obligations, & a building owner of a qualifying business. No minimum project size with a rolling application period.”
    • Award Range: $10,000 – $20,000

 

Private/Community Resources

  • Fempreneur Poder Hub 2026 Grant Opportunity
    • Description: “Fempreneur Poder Hub is committed to supporting microbusiness owners across Illinois by providing equitable access to entrepreneurship opportunities and business support resources.” Open statewide to eligible businesses.

 

  • Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC) – Food & Beverage Apprenticeship Grant
    • Description: “IMEC (Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center) works directly with manufacturers, including food and beverage companies, to design apprenticeship programs that fit real production environments leading to improved employee engagement and retention.” “IMEC manages everything for you: program design, registration, compliance, reporting, and funding guidance. You get a proven apprenticeship program without the hassle.”
    • Award Range: “Funding is limited and available on a first-come basis and slots are limited”
    • Deadline: Rolling

 

  • Down Payment Assistance Program (DPAP)
    • Description: “SomerCor helps small businesses purchase owner-occupied commercial real estate through the Small Business Administration (SBA) 504 financing. With SomerCor’s new Down Payment Assistance Program (DPAP), eligible businesses in Cook County can receive a grant to reduce upfront costs when purchasing their first building.”
    • Award Range: up to $25,000

 

  • American Heart Association Ventures – Social Impact Funds
    • Description: “The Social Impact Funds support community-led transformation by strategically deploying capital to social entrepreneurs who are using their lived experience to tackle three vital social drivers of health [health care access & quality, food security and economic empowerment]”. “…currently accepting applications for projects in Chicago, Florida, Los Angeles, Minnesota, New York City, Philadelphia, Toledo and West Virginia. Both for-profit and nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply for funding from the Social Impact Funds.”
    • Award Range: $150,000 – $500,000

 

  • Menlo Anthology Fund
    • Description: “The Anthology Fund is a $100M initiative between Menlo Ventures and Anthropic to fund the next generation of AI startups. We invest in Seed and Series A startups with check sizes starting at $100K”.
    • Award Range: several but includes “$30,000 in free Anthropic credits”
    • Deadline: rolling

 

  • The Community Foundation for McHenry County – Emergency Grants
    • Description: “The Community Foundation for McHenry County is committed to enhancing county services and expanding financial support to local non-profits.” “The Emergency Grant program supports nonprofits facing unexpected expenses that significantly impact their ability to fulfill their mission or deliver services. This grant is intended to help organizations address unbudgeted, unforeseen, and time-sensitive emergencies.”
    • Award Range: unknown
    • Deadline: “This grant operates on a rolling application cycle”

 

  • ComED Small-Medium Business Customer Relief Fund
    • Description: “The fund is intentionally designed to support small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) customers by offering one-time matching grants up to $500 to help offset a past-due bill balances and improve financial stability.”
    • Eligibility: “The fund is available to eligible small- and medium-sized business (under 500 kW) customers who are behind on electric bill payments.”

“Business must meet these eligibility criteria to apply including:

  • Active service at the time of application
  • Past-due bill balance
  • No unpaid tampering fees and no bankruptcy
  • Commercial Meter Account
  • Home-based businesses and Non-Profit organizations are ineligible not eligible; these groups qualified to receive assistance from last year’s customer relief fund.”
    • Award Range: “one-time matching grants up to $500”
    • Deadline: “Funding will be available on a first-come, first-served basis while funds last.”

 

  • 2026 Metro Chicago Good Food Purchasing Initiative (GFPI) Community Fund
    • Description: “The objective of the Metro Chicago Good Food Purchasing Initiative (GFPI) Community Fund is to increase access to Good Food Purchasing Program (GFPP)-aligned produce and food products in the Metro Chicago Region. This goal is achieved through providing both financial & technical support for systemically marginalized, local farms and food businesses who are working on increasing community food access that builds local economies, sustainable practices, fair labor, animal welfare nutrition and advances the work of building equity in the Metro Chicago food system.”
    • Award Range: $40,000 – $80,000
    • Deadline: June 29, 2026

 

  • FedEx E-Commerce Learning Lab Beginners’ Cohort
    • Description: “The FedEx E-Commerce Learning Lab is a program developed by Accion Opportunity Fund and FedEx to help small business owners develop or expand their e-commerce operations as they continue to adapt their business models in an increasingly digital world. Small business owners who do not have an active e-commerce site can apply for the Beginners’ Cohort , an intensive four-month learning and coaching experience to create and sell products through an online store.”
    • Award Range: “Participants who are selected for the Beginners’ Cohort will receive a $5,000 small business grant upon completion of the program to put toward an e-commerce growth plan that they will develop during the program.”
    • Deadline: June 30, 2026

 

  • Chicago Community Trust – Sponsorships
    • Description: “The Chicago Community Trust dedicates a portion of its discretionary grantmaking budget to sponsor programming events that strengthen economic mobility, increase opportunity and well-being, and address critical needs in Chicago.”
    • Award Range: varies
    • Deadline: June 30, 2026

 

  • Nicor Gas Grant – Pillar of Giving: Community and Culture
    • Description: “Nicor Gas considers grant requests only from those organizations classified as 501(c)(3), tax-exempt by the IRS. Nicor Gas does not contribute to individuals, religious organizations or private K-12 schools.” “Our Community and Culture pillar provides support to cultural and community organizations that create engagement in the arts and organizations that work to ensure that individuals from all backgrounds can thrive and reach their full potential. Organizations funded under this pillar include museums and theatres and organizations that create access to opportunities for all. Nicor Gas supports a broad range of programs that promote community and culture, including but not limited to:
      • Arts education and cultural enrichment programs
      • Community-based exhibitions and performances
      • Programs that promote access to resources and opportunity for all”
    • Award Range: “no more than $5,000, and organizations will be limited to one grant a year.”
    • Deadline: June 30, 2026

 

  • Made for Retail Chicago
    • Description: “SEED SPOT has partnered with Greenwood Archer Capital (GAC) to launch Made for Retail Chicago— a bootcamp and CPG pitch competition connecting Chicago-area consumer product founders with nondilutive capital, retail buyers, and the tools to get there.” Chicago, Cook County, and surrounding Collar Counties
    • Award Range: “Top three founders receive nondilutive cash grants totaling $25,000”
    • Deadline: July 2, 2026

 

  • Wells Fargo Neighborhood Growth Grants: Bronzeville
    • Description: “The Wells Fargo Neighborhood Growth Grants program is coming to Bronzeville and beyond, in collaboration with A4CB. Eligible small businesses can apply for $25,000 grants to take their next steps, whether that’s expanding operations, upgrading equipment, or strengthening their foundation.”
    • Eligibility: “All selected grantees must:
      • Demonstrate at least one year of operation by providing a 2024 or 2025 business tax return
      • Be organized as a for-profit business
      • Maintain a physical storefront located in one of the following Chicago community areas: Washington Park, Fuller Park, Grand Boulevard, Woodlawn, Douglas, Oakland, or Kenwood
      • Report recent annual revenue between $100,000 and $2,000,000
      • Be in good standing with the Illinois Secretary of State
      • Maintain a valid business bank account
      • Hold a valid state ID”
    • Award Range: “eligible small businesses can apply for $25,000 grants”
    • Deadline: July 10 at 5:00 PM

 

  • The Summer 2026 Makers Mindset Grant
    • Description: “The Makers Mindset Grant exists to fuel early-stage women founders building ambitious, thoughtfully crafted consumer brands.” Open nationwide to businesses that are women owned (at least 51%), annual revenue of over $50,000 and no greater than $1 million, been generating revenue for at least one year and businesses sell a CPG product in beauty, food, beverage, pet, tech goods, or home goods.
    • Award Range: $10,000
    • Deadline: July 10, 2026

 

  • The Indigenous Tomorrows Fund: 2026 Grant
    • Description: “ITF will cultivate grant partnerships with Native-led and Native-serving organizations across the U.S. and its territories…”
    • Award Range: depending on tier: Seed – $25,000; Sustain – $65,000; and Synergize – $100,000
    • Deadline: July 14, 2026

 

  • AT&T Small Business Contest
    • Description: “Any certified small business located in the United States or Puerto Rico is eligible to apply. AT&T defines a small business as an organization with one (1) to five (5) locations and up to 99 or fewer full- or part-time employees.”
    • Award Range: $5,000 or $50,000, AT&T service, etc.
    • Deadline: July 31, 2026

 

  • Press Forward Chicago
    • Description: “….Press Forward Chicago grants is focused on collaborations, shared resources and/or infrastructure benefitting local media. This opportunity is open to Chicago-area media entities and organizations who can bring viable solutions to increasing sustainability of this vital landscape.”
    • Award Range: $10,000 – $20,000 in one- or two- year grants
    • Deadline: July 31, 2026 by 11:59 p.m. CST

 

  • Safety First Grant
    • Description: Open to 501(c)3 nonprofits or government entities that operate in Norfolk Southern’s 22 state network (this includes Illinois), project must be 30 minutes from Norfolk Southern main line and be in alignment with one of Norfolk Southern’s focus areas.
    • Award Range: $1,000 to $15,000
    • Deadline: August 3, 2026

 

  • Thriving Communities Grant
    • Description: Open to 501(c)3 nonprofits that operate in Norfolk Southern’s 22 state network (this includes Illinois), project must be 30 minutes from Norfolk Southern main line and be in alignment with one of Norfolk Southern’s focus areas.
    • Award Range: $1,000 to $50,0000
    • Deadline: August 3, 2026

 

  • Metro East Start-Up Challenge
    • Description: “…business plan competition to identify, encourage, and reward excellence in entrepreneurship in the St. Louis Metro East region (now including Fayette, Macoupin, and Montgomery Counties).”
    • Award Range: $28,000 in total cash prizes (grants vary from: $1,500 – $10,000)
    • Deadline: June 14, 2026 – August 9, 2026

 

  • Game On-Community Places to Play Initiative
    • Description: Open nationwide. “Funding will be awarded to non-profit community-based organizations, including schools and local parks and recreation departments working in collaboration with local non-profit community-based organizations.” “…toward the cost of building or refurbishing a sport court facility or athletic field whose main usage will be for organized youth sports.”
    • Award Range: $50,000-$100,000
    • Deadline: August 15, 2026

 

 

  • Verizon Small Business Digital Ready $10,000 national grant
    • Description: Verizon, in partnership with LISC, will award $10,000 national grants to small businesses throughout the year. Each month, 10 small businesses will be selected for grants.
    • Award Range: $10,000
    • Deadline: Rolling from June – December 2026

 

  • Etsy Emergency Relief Fund at CERF+
    • Description: “The Etsy Fund at Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF+) provides disaster relief grants to eligible Etsy sellers on a monthly basis”
    • Eligibility: “All Etsy sellers are eligible for a grant if they have experienced a federally declared natural disaster within the past year, have been an active seller on Etsy for at least one year, and their accounts with Etsy are in good standing”
    • Award Range: “Grants of $2,000 are available to sellers when they apply. The amount and frequency of grants will depend on the amount of money available in the fund at any given time”
    • Deadline: Rolling; “Your application will be viable for one year following the date of the disaster you suffered”

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