The Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity (DCEO) has launched the Back to Business (B2B) Grant for Creative Arts, Hotels & Restaurants. The Berwyn Development Corporation has been tasked with facilitating the disbursement of the $175 M in available grant funding.
Applications will be open between April 5 and May 10, 2023.
An overview of the grant eligibility and requirements is outlined below.
Restaurants – Grant awards range from $5,000-$50,000.
To apply for this grant, businesses will need the following:
• Business owner identification.
• Business tax forms for 2019 (if in business), 2020, and 2021.
• Current license to serve food and/or drink.
Eligibility Requirements:
• Must be a for-profit or 501c non-profit located in Illinois.
• Must have started operations before March 12, 2020.
• Must have lost at least $5,000 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Must have 50 or fewer employees.
• Must NOT have received prior state funding from the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, Illinois Back to Business Grant, and Illinois Business Interruption Grant.
Creative arts business/organization – Grant awards range of $5,000-$250,000.
To apply for this grant, businesses will need the following:
• Business owner or non-profit leader identification.
• Business tax forms for 2019 (if in business), 2020, and 2021.
Eligibility Requirements:
• Must be a for-profit or 501c non-profit located in Illinois.
• Must have started operations before March 12, 2020.
• Must have lost at least $5,000 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hotels – Grant awards up to $1,500 per room.
To apply for this grant, businesses will need the following:
• Business owner identification.
• Business tax forms from 2021.
Eligibility Requirements:
• Must have started operations before March 12, 2020.
• Must be an independently owned and operated for-profit corporation or limited liability corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship authorized to conduct business in the State of Illinois, or a nonprofit operating in Illinois and registered as a 501c organization.
• Vacation or short-term rentals are NOT eligible.
The Berwyn Development Corporation team will be hosting informational sessions in the coming weeks. We will go over eligibility requirements and a step-by-step walkthrough of the application. Attendees can also schedule a one-on-one application assistance session with someone from our staff.
One-on-One Application Assistance: Schedule a one-on-one application assistance session with Paola at https://calendly.com/paolagbdc/back-to-business-b2b-grant-assistance-asistencia-con-la-solicitud-de-subvencion-b2b?month=2023-04
For more information – visit https://dceo.illinois.gov/smallbizassistance/b2b.html or contact Paola at paolag@berwyn.net or (708) 749-6582.
Grant Eligibility Guidelines:
Creative Arts Eligibility Guidelines - English (PDF)
Creative Arts Eligibility Guidelines - Spanish (PDF)
Hotel Eligibility Guidelines - English (PDF)
Hotel Eligibility Guidelines - Spanish (PDF)
Restaurant Eligibility Guidelines - English (PDF)
Restaurant Eligibility Guidelines - Spanish (PDF)