Back to Business (B2B) Grant Program

Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced last week the $250 million Back to Business (B2B) grant program to support the continued recovery of small businesses across Illinois. The program builds on last year's Business Interruption Grant program, which provided $580 million to small businesses and childcare providers across the state.

• $250 million to small businesses across the state that experienced losses in 2020 due to COVID-19
• Grants will range from $5,000 to $150,000 per business and can be used to cover a wide range of operations/staff/overhead costs
• Allies for Community Business (A4CB), DCEO’s grant administrator, will begin accepting applications on Wednesday, August 18, 2021 (prepare for the application process early by learning about the information and documents required)

Funding Available

• $250 million to small businesses across the state that experienced losses in 2020 due to COVID-19, including the following set-asides:
• $100 million – Businesses located in Disproportionately Impacted Areas (DIAs) – see DIA Map here
• $30 million – Arts and Entertainment businesses that didn’t receive Shuttered Venue Operators grants $25 million – Restaurants and taverns that didn’t receive the Restaurant Revitalization Fund
• $25 million – Hotels
• $25 million – Businesses that didn’t receive a BIG grant due to exhaustion of funds
• Grants will range from $5,000 to $150,000 per business and can be used to cover a wide range of operations/staff/overhead costs
• Up to $250,000 for hotels

Eligibility Requirements

• Businesses with revenues of $20 million or less in 2019 and a reduction in revenue in 2020 due to COVID-19
• $35 million or less for hotels
• Priority will be given to the following categories:
• Hard-hit industries (see eligibility guidelines for a full list of priority industries and their definitions) 
• Hard-hit areas – DIAs comprising of 176 zip codes
• Businesses who have yet to qualify for state funding or federal assistance (including the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF), business Interruption Grant (BIG), Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG), and more)
• Businesses that had less than $5 million in revenue in 2019
• Learn about eligibility guidelines
• Eligibility guidelines also available in: Spanish, Polish, Chinese, Hindi, and Arabic

How/When to Apply

• Back to Business application portal opening August 18.
• Applications can be tracked in real-time
• Allies for Community Business (A4CB), DCEO’s grant administrator, will begin accepting applications on Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Documentation Needed

• Business owner ID (ITIN business owners eligible)
• Business 2019 AND 2020 Federal tax returns
• Two (2) business bank statements – one from the period April through December 2020, and most recent statement

Prepare for the application process early by learning about the information and documents required

List of Frequently Asked Questions

Go here to register for a FREE seminar to help you with the application, provided by Champaign County EDC.