The City of Chicago just opened two new grant programs: Chi Biz Strong and Outdoor Dining. These programs are extremely straightforward, easy to understand and apply for, and are funded with over $20M. To streamline the process for applicants, the Chi Biz Strong Grants and Outdoor Dining Grant Program will be available through a single application.

Applications are available now and will be open until Friday, November 12, 2021 at 11:59 pm. Grants will be disbursed via a lottery and based on eligibility and prioritization criteria. To apply and learn more, please visit Chicago.gov/ChiBizStrongGrant.

I attended today’s webinar by Allies for Community Business — formerly Accion — and they did a great job presenting the basics and answering questions. If you have questions about the program, I strongly recommend attending one of the webinars or watching today’s recording, soon to be posted on the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection’s YouTube page.

Program Overview:

• Chi Biz Strong Grant Program: $5,000 or $10,000 grants (based on 2020 revenue reported on tax return) to small businesses and nonprofit organizations that have experienced lost revenue or increased costs due to COVID-19 to support business/nonprofit expenses
• Outdoor Dining Grant Program: $5,000 grants for small restaurants and bars to support the purchase (or reimbursement) of outdoor furniture, pandemic-related signage, and personal protective equipment
• Eligible organizations must have under $3M in revenue, and organizations that have not received prior government pandemic relief will be prioritized
• Applicants will be selected by criteria and lottery; how soon you submit your application will have no impact on your likelihood to receive an award, as long as it is submitted prior to the deadline
• Applications are open through Friday, November 12, 2021, at 11:59 PM.

Here are the details for for-profit companies (the rules for non-profits are different, so I encourage you to watch the webinar specifically for NFPs if this applies to you):

For-profit business criteria:

• Small businesses (under $3M in revenue)
• If you have over $60k of 2020 revenue reported on your tax return, Chi Biz will be a $10k flat grant — versus under $60k in revenue, it will be a $5k flat grant; unlike prior programs, it is not an amount based on a decline in revenue
• Outdoor Dining is a $5k flat grant — you can apply for both Chi Biz and Outdoor Dining on the same application
• Businesses who started in 2020 may be eligible, presuming they meet the qualifications otherwise
• 50% of funding will be prioritized for businesses in Low and Moderate Income (LMI) communities and 50% to other geographies
• Excludes certain business types, such as junk yards and pawn shops
• Businesses that have not received prior State, Federal or local government aid or financial relief will be prioritized
• Small chains and franchises are eligible below a certain size; see FAQ for details

Required Documents (For-Profit Businesses)

• Business Owner Valid ID (driver’s license, State ID, Passport, Consular Registration Card)
• City/State business license with Chicago business address OR other proof of Chicago address (e.g. business bank statement or tax statement with business name and Chicago address). For Outdoor Dining Grant Program, City business license is required.
• 2020 Federal Business Tax Return all pages (Form 1120, 1065, 990 OR Form 1040 w/ Schedule C)
• Most recent business bank statement
• W9 Form

Timeline

• 10/22: Grant application is available
• 11/12: Grant application closes at 12:59 p.m. CDT
• By third week of December: Grant recipients are chosen via lottery and notified of their acceptance

An excerpt of slides from today’s webinar:

For more information, webinar registration, and the application, please visit https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/chi-biz-strong-grants/home.html.

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