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Grants

Allies for Community Business has partnered with several public and private organizations to provide grants to small businesses over the last several years. Since April of 2020, we have provided over $360M in grants to 20,000 small businesses in Illinois and Indiana.

As new grant opportunities arise, we will post them here along with instructions on how to apply.

USHCC & Grubhub Restaurant Small Business Grant Program

Administered by the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) and Grubhub

The USHCC Education Fund is partnering with Grubhub to provide grants ranging from $5,000 – $10,000 to Hispanic-owned restaurants throughout the country.

Eligibility

  • Must be a restaurant with less than 20 full-time employees
  • Applicant must be a majority Hispanic-owned business with an active EIN number
  • Restaurant must have been in operation for at least 9 months from the date the application is completed

Deadline: January 26, 2022

Apply

Chicago Recovery Plan Community Development Grant

Administered by the City of Chicago

The City of Chicago’s Recovery Grant offers funding to support local commercial, mixed-use, and light manufacturing development. Grant funding can be used for pre-development, construction, or renovation costs for permanent capital improvement projects. 

Eligibility

  • Open to community developers, business owners and entrepreneurs, and property owners in Chicago. Site control is preferred, but not required. 
  • All are welcome to apply, but priority will be given to projects in historically disinvested areas and projects that build upon existing efforts 
  • Priority given to projects that are expected to break ground in 2022 

Deadline: January 31, 2022

Apply

Job Creators Quest Grant

Administered by Founders First CDC

Founders First CDC’s Job Creators Quest Grant offers funds to use as growth capital to hire or rehire premium wage jobs.

Eligibility

  • Founder must identify as Latinx, Black, Asian, Women, LGBTQIA+, Military Veteran, or located in a low to moderate income area 
  • Must be a for-profit, service-based business located in Illinois 
  • Must currently have 2-20 employees with the ability to add 1-2+ new premium wage jobs in the next 12 months 

Deadline: February 4, 2022

Apply

Small Business Improvement Fund

Administered by the City of Chicago and SomerCor

The City of Chicago’s Small Business Improvement Fund provides small businesses with reimbursable grants for permanent building improvement costs.

Eligibility

  • Commercial and industrial business located in Chicago’s TIF districts
  • Industrial businesses must have 200 or fewer employees
  • Commercial businesses must gross average annual sales under $9M for the prior 3 years

Deadline: Dependent on TIF district

Apply

High Road Kitchens

Administered by One Fair Wage and City of Chicago

One Fair Wage in partnership with the City of Chicago has launched the High Road Kitchens program, offering grants between $10,000 and $30,000 to Chicago restaurants.

Eligibility

  • Restaurant located in Chicago
  • Annual revenue of under $3 million
  • Experienced financial loss due to COVID-19 totaling 25% of annual revenue

Deadline: Rolling

Apply

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  • Juicy Luzy Sangria Luz Cavazos
    The grant helped us to pay our back-owed rent and utilities, buy supplies, and stay afloat.
    Read Story ›
  • Back of the Yards Coffee Company Jesse Iniguez
    The grant helped us stay open and keep our employees working.
    Read Story ›

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