Grants

Neighborhood Opportunity Fund

Administered by the City of Chicago and SomerCor

The City of Chicago’s Neighborhood Opportunity Fund (NOF) provides small businesses and certain nonprofits grants for permanent builds and renovations on the South, Southwest, and West Sides. NOF grants cover 75% of eligible project costs up to $250,000, and up to $50,000 in additional funding for approved technical assistance. Grant funds can only be accessed through reimbursement or an escrow agreement for completed work.

Eligibility

• Landlords, owner/operators, and tenants (with landlord approval) are eligible to apply
• Applicants must have site control of the property in the form of a deed, lease, or executed purchase and sale agreement
• Property must be located on an NOF designated corridor on the South, Southwest, or West Side. Residential and industrial properties are not eligible. View the map to see if your location is eligible.
• NOF is a competitive grant – applications are selected based on project readiness, funding availability, and equitable geographic disbursement

Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and evaluated quarterly

Community Development Grants

Administered by the City of Chicago Department of Planning
and Development

The City of Chicago helps support business and neighborhood vitality through Medium ($300,001 to $5 million) and Large ($5 million and up) Community Development Grant (CDG) awards.

Eligibility

Eligibility requirements vary depending on funding level. Please review the requirements:

• Large CDG Eligibility

Large CDG Deadline: Rolling

Small Business Improvement Fund

Administered by the City of Chicago and SomerCor

The City of Chicago’s Small Business Improvement Fund (SBIF) provides small businesses and certain nonprofits with reimbursement grants for permanent building improvement costs. Grant funds may be used to reimburse up to 90% of pre-approved construction costs, with a maximum reimbursement of $75,000 for multi-tenant properties, $150,000 for commercial properties, and $250,000 for industrial properties.

Eligibility

• Landlords, owner/operators, and tenants (with landlord approval) are eligible to apply
• Applicants must have site control of the property in the form of a deed, lease, or executed purchase and sale agreement
• Must be a commercial or industrial property located in a Chicago TIF district – residential properties are not eligible. View the map to see if your location is eligible.
• 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 – districts open every month for new applications. Applications received outside an open application period are not eligible.