Small Business Assistance
Small Business Assistance
The Together Now, Chicago's Fund to Rebuild Our Neighborhoods, application will be reopening on August 21 at 9:00 pm for a second round of operational cost support grants. The application window will close on August 31 at 11:59 pm.
The second round will focus on awarding grants in community areas that received a disproportionately low number of eligible applicants during the first round, in particular South and West Side communities. Businesses that received an operational cost support grant in the initial round are ineligible to receive another one. Applicants must provide ALL required documentation listed in the FAQs.
Click HERE for more information and to apply.
Update on PPP loan program, small business and non-profits -- Deadline June 30, 2020, new, simpler application, relaxed rules on forgiveness click HERE
Update (June 15, 2020) on New Applications for Economic Injury Disaster Loans and Advance click HERE
Update on Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL) (5-6-2020) click HERE
Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) Information for Small Business
Click HERE for the Small Business Owner's Guide to the CARES Act
Click HERE for (June 17,2020) Gov. Pritzker Announces $900 Million Package of Equity-Driven Community and Business Grant Programs
Click HERE for SBA Small Business Guidance & Loan Resources (Covid-19)
Click HERE for information about Illinois DCEO Small Business Development Centers across the state
Click HERE for City of Chicago Business, Consumer and Employee Resources
Click HERE for CHIBIZHUB Resouce Page
Click HERE for Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Click HERE for Women's Business Development Center Resouce Page
Click HERE for Illinois State Black Chamber of Commerce
Click HERE for Federal Procurement Law: Emergency/Disaster Acquisitions and the Covid--19 Pandemic (Contracting with government)
Stay at Home Executive Order Information
Click HERE and HERE for information about Payroll Protection Plan (Updated 5/6/2020)
Click HERE for information about the Payroll Protection Plan Liquidity Facility
Paycheck Protection Program's forgiveness form and instructions has been released and can be found HERE!
Economic Injury Disaster Loans for Illinois Small Businesses
SBA Illinois Economic Disaster Loan Declaration Factsheet
SBA Coronavirus (COVID-19): Small Business Guidance & Loan Resources
COVID 19 SBA Economic Disaster Loans (PDF)
SBA Paycheck Protection Program for Small Businesses to Keep Their Workers on the Payroll
The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) published (March 24, 2020) its first round of implementation guidance pursuant to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The guidance addresses critical questions such as:
How does an employer count its number of employees to determine coverage?
How can small businesses obtain an exemption?
How does an employer count hours for part-time employees?
How does an employer calculate wages employees are entitled to under the FFCRA?
The initial WHD guidance is available in three-parts: