Skip to main content
Image
Photo of the iconic bean in Chicago

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

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: