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The Back to Business Grant Program

Supporting Struggling Small Businesses

The pandemic and Covid-19 mitigations began inflicting immense damage to many small businesses in March of 2020.  Thousands of small businesses initially applied for Illinois Business Interruption Grants.  While these grants helped some small businesses, approximately 80% of eligible small businesses which applied were not awarded a grant.

Subsequently, Illinois received over 8 billion dollars in American Rescue Plan Act funds.  However, only $250 million were allocated for Back to Business grant program.  These funds will likely be exhausted before many struggling and eligible businesses receive grants.

Illinois still has billions of federal funds and should replenish the Back to Business grant program with an additional $300 million.  Our policymakers should not pick winners and loses when there is adequate funding to support the struggling small businesses.

House Bill HB5489 will allocate an additional $300 million for the Back to Business grant program.  Please ask your legislators to support this legislation so that struggling small businesses can receive the support they need to recover from a pandemic, and associated mitigations, which they could not control.

VIEW THE FULL ILLINOIS HOUSE BILL HERE

Insights Archive

Advocating for disadvantaged commercial corridors

By patti@sbacil.org | October 11, 2021

SBAC President Elliot Richardson discusses a policy that will reduce vacant properties in struggling neighborhood business districts.  Replacing commercial vacancies with small businesses will support local communities. Supporters Fifth Third Bank Saul Ewing Arnstein Lehr Inland Bank Ntiva Daily Herald Tandem HR Interprenet Signature Bank Lexitas Empower Korey Richardson Open One Solutions Freeborn and Peters…

BLOCK CITY CHICAGO REPORTS on Commercial Corridor Revitalization

By patti@sbacil.org | October 4, 2021

BLOCK CITY CHICAGO REPORTS HYDE PARK, WOODLAWN, SOUTH SHORE Some Landlords Keep Their Storefronts Empty For Years – And Get Tax Breaks For It. Business Leaders Want To Change That Small business advocates want to limit the tax breaks property owners can get on vacant storefronts. On 79th Street, three in five storefronts were vacant…

Funding For Local Chambers of Commerce

By mrevis@sbacil.org | September 14, 2021

HB4993 -> 1 Pager & Endorsements Chamber Relief Grant Program Local chambers of commerce provide important support and services to small businesses.  They connect small businesses to potential customers and play a pivotal role in fostering commerce in local communities.  However, many chambers have been devastated by the pandemic.  For that reason, we are asking…

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