Champaign County Chamber of Commerce Inc issued the following announcement on Oct. 23.
As the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic forces small businesses to face a cloudy financial future, the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce hopes to provide some clarity to business owners applying for state Business Interruption Grants (BIG).
Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2020, from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm, the Chamber will present a free technical assistance session to aid businesses navigating the application process. The program features Aly Grady of Illinois’ Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity's “Team RED.”
During the virtual forum, Grady will field questions from business owners who need help with their BIG application. The program is free and open to the entire east central Illinois business community.
“Small businesses are the heart of our communities and many are finding it difficult to survive the pandemic,” said Laura Weis, president and CEO of the chamber. “We encourage hard-hit businesses to apply for this aid now. To make the process smoother, we’re happy to partner with DCEO for this special interactive session.”
Participants must pre-register here.
Links to Business Interruption Grant program information and funding details can be found on the Illinois DCEO website: https://www2.illinois.gov/dceo/.
“For business owners who are unable to attend, we can connect them with Aly directly for advice or help,” said the chamber’s Madeline Herrman, public policy director. Anyone interested should reach out to Herrman by phone at (217) 359-1791.
This round of grants will allocate $220 million in relief for all types of small businesses, focusing on the downstate region. Funds can be used for capital expenditures, payroll, rent, utilities, or other operational needs.
The Business Interruption Grant (BIG) program is a $636 million effort, providing economic relief for small businesses hit hardest by COVID-19. The program uses federal funding provided by the CARES Act to help offset COVID-19 related losses for Illinois small businesses.
CLICK HERE to register for the virtual session.
Original source can be found here.
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