NOW OPEN-B2B Grant Application Portal

Contributed photo | champaigncounty.org

By Matt Bradley

Aug 19, 2021

Champaign County Chamber of Commerce Inc recently issued the following announcement.

Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced the $250 million Back to Business (B2B) grant program to support the continued recovery of small businesses across Illinois. The first in a series of economic recovery programs set to launch by the administration, B2B will offer small businesses access to funds that can help offset losses due to COVID-19, bring back workers and take continued steps to rebuild amid the fallout from the pandemic. 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

The Back to Business application portal is now open.

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

You can learn more on the available funding and eligibility requirements here.

Apply Today

B2B Webinars & Technical Assistance

View all upcoming Back 2 Business webinars here, offered multiple times per week (day & evening). Free to attend, registration required.

Have questions and/or need technical assistance? Please contact us info@champaigncounty.org) or reach out to a local Community Navigator in our hub (see full list here). All Community Navigators provide technical assistance to businesses, with a focus on underserved businesses including minority, rural, veteran and women-owned businesses.