Grant Opportunities
Grant Opportunities
Grant Opportunities
Funding Opportunities
Connect Illinois Round 4-Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program (BEAD) (Notice of Funding Opportunity 3504-2942)
Description: “BEAD-Funded Connect Illinois Round 4 deploys broadband service to unserved and underserved locations. In accordance with the BEAD Program, this program prioritizes projects that provide fiber connectivity directly to the end-user while considering projects that use other technologies to ensure universal coverage.”
Eligibility Includes: “Eligible participant type: Entities that can deploy broadband are eligible to apply. Eligible entities include, but are not limited to, an incorporated business or partnership, a political subdivision, a nonprofit organization, a cooperative association, or a limited liability corporation organized for the purpose of expanding broadband access…”
Deadline: February 26, 2025 at 5:00PM
Tech Incubator Enhancement Program (Notice of Funding Opportunity 3503-2943)
Description: “The intent of this program is to strengthen the overall Illinois tech network by increasing the resilience of existing tech incubators and encouraging investment in new incubators that are aligned with the State’s key growth industries, as outlined by the Illinois 2024 Economic Growth Plan (https://dceo.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/dceo/documents/ilinois-2024-economic-growth-plan.pdf).”
Eligibility Includes: “Existing startup incubators that opened before March 1st, 2020 and are currently still in business. Further defined as: Non-profit organizations, including accredited public colleges or universities, that meet…” that meet the criteria in the NOFO.
Award Range: $10,000 - $3,000,000
Deadline: March 17, 2025 at 5:00PM
Small Business Capital and Infrastructure Grant Program (Notice of Funding Opportunity 2160-2940)
Description: “…to businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals (SEDI) or very small businesses (VSBs)1 to support small business capital improvement projects. This program will offer small business grants across the state to help eligible businesses achieve sustainable growth, improve efficiency, and create and retain jobs.”
Eligibility:
Businesses owned by Socially Economically Disadvantaged Individuals (SEDI) with a maximum of 25 full-time permanent employees
Very Small Businesses (VSBs), businesses with less than 10 employees”
Note: All applicants must be prequalified to apply (register with sam.gov, GATA, etc.)
Award Range: $10,000 - $245,000
Deadline: April 7, 2025 at 5:00pm
Technical Assistance: Virtual Presentation in English: January 14, 2025 at 11am: Register Here and Virtual Presentation in Spanish: January 21, 2025 at 2pm: Register Here
Description: “The Illinois Grocery Initiative Equipment Upgrades Program, authorized by Public Act 103-0561, will provide grants for new energy-efficient equipment upgrades for existing independently-owned for-profit grocery stores, cooperative grocery stores, or not-for-profit grocery stores.” “DCEO has contracted with Chicago State University (CSU) and Western Illinois University (WIU) to provide technical assistance services for Illinois Grocery Initiative applicants and grantees.” (page 1-2 of NOFO). There is a matching component please read the NOFO.
Eligibility includes:
“Grants will be limited to projects making energy-efficient investments in existing bricks[1]and-mortar operations in Illinois.
This grant opportunity will be limited to independently-owned grocers or cooperatives with fewer than 500 employees and no more than 4 grocery stores.
Grocery locations must be consistent with the following to be eligible:
The store is or will be classified as a supermarket or other grocery retailer in the 2022 North American Industry Classification System under code 445110, a meat retailer under code 44524, a fruit and vegetable retailer under code 44523, or a fish and seafood retailer under 44525.
The store cannot derive more than 30% of its revenue from alcohol and tobacco sales.
The store must accept or will accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children benefits.
The store must contribute to diversity of fresh foods available in the community by selling fresh foods such as meats, fruits and vegetables that have not been processed in any manner”
Award Range: $25,000 - $250,000
Deadline: December 15, 2025 at 5:00PM or until funds are exhausted (applications accepted on rolling basis)
Technical Assistance Webinar: Date: 01/08/2025: 10:00AM, Registration link: https://illinois.webex.com/weblink/register/r88a0de3109f9d80233d673e22bbe4365
Illinois Treasurer’s Office Charitable Trust Grant
Description: “Charitable Trust is intended to help small non-profits with annual budgets of $1 million or less and a full-time employee. Grant applicants located in an area where pervasive poverty, unemployment, and economic distress exist will be given special attention.” “The Spring 2024 Grant Cycle, running from January 1 – March 31, will award grants to non-profit charitable programs in two categories: Food and Housing.” Open statewide
Award Range: up to $20,000
Deadline: March 31 2025
Federal Government
SBA Growth Accelerator Fund Competition
Description: “Tailored for Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs) who help entrepreneurs focused on innovation-driven startups and entrepreneurs in underserved regions, industries, and communities to launch, grow, and scale. The Stage One application offers $75,000 in cash prizes to organizations that identify challenges within their innovation ecosystems and propose unique solutions.”
Award Range: up to $75,000
Deadline: January 31, 2025
National Endowment for the Arts - Notice of Funding Opportunity: FY 26 Challenge America
Description: “Challenge America supports projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved groups/communities. The program welcomes applications from applicants that are primarily small organizations, first-time applicants to the NEA, and/or returning Challenge America applicants. Eligible applicants include: nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3), U.S. organizations; units of state or local government; Federally recognized tribal communities or tribes; and applicants that have not been recommended for funding in any of the three most recent Fiscal Years in the NEA’s Grants for Arts Projects, Our Town, or Research Awards grant programs”
Award Range: $10,000
Deadline: April 24, 2025 at 10:59pm
Local Governments
City of Chicago - Community Development Grants (CDG)
Description:
Medium CDG: “Medium grants…are intended to support eligible commercial, cultural, industrial, institutional, social service and mixed-use projects”
Large CDG: “Large grants…are intended to support eligible commercial, cultural, industrial, institutional, social service and mixed-use projects”
Award Range: Small CDG – up to $250,000; Medium CDG – between $300,001 - $5 million; Large CDG - $5 million and above
Deadline: Medium CDG: February 14, 2025 at 11:59pm Large CDG: Rolling
Description: Open to businesses in suburban Cook County who have 500 or less employees, were negatively impacted by COVID-19 pandemic, were in operation prior to January 1, 2020 and are in the following industries:
Dry cleaning facility
Auto body or auto repair shop
Metal finisher
Metal fabricator
Food and beverage manufacturer
Award Range: up to $300,000 (please note, “To receive a BRITE grant, small businesses must complete the interest survey by DES or must have had a similar environmental assessment conducted by a DES partner or third party.)
Cook County Manufacturing Reinvented
Description: “The Cook County Manufacturing Reinvented Program gives the opportunity for small to mid-sized manufacturers in Cook County to receive fully funded projects in areas they want to focus on.” “Manufacturing establishments with less than 500 employees in Cook County are eligible.”
Award Range: up to $25,000
Jo Daviess County Small Business Development Grant
Description: “Eligible applicants include any [Jo Daviess County]-based or to be based private sector small business retailer, manufacturer, service provider, wholesaler, those in the hospitality industry, along with farmers and food processors.”
Award Range: up to $25,000
Deadline: May 30, 2025
Village of Gurnee – Impact Grant
Description: “This is a 1:1 matching grant open to a business of any size located within the Village of Gurnee corporate limits, generate sales tax, in good standing with the Village and compliant with all obligations, & a building owner of a qualifying business. No minimum project size with a rolling application period.”
Award Range: $10,000 - $20,000
Private/Community Resources
Small Certified Supplier Innovative Finance Program
Description: Open to certified minority-, women-, veteran-, and LGBTQ+ owned businesses (certified by national or state organizations) in the following states California, Georgia, Kansas, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Pennsylvania, or New Jersey. The annual revenue of the business should be between $250,000 to $10 million.
Award Range: $5,000
The Old National Bank Foundation – Grant Opportunity
Description: Open to nonprofits, 501(c)3, in the areas where Old National Bank is located. “funding targets innovative programs that enhance the quality of life within our communities in support of the following four strategic initiatives: Affordable Housing, Workforce Development, Economic Development, and Financial Empowerment. We prioritize programs that serve underrepresented communities and low- to moderate-income people.”
Award Range: average grant is $15,000
Deadline: February 12, 2025
Boundless Futures Foundation – 2025 EmpowHer Grant
Description: Open nationwide. “… provide financial and leadership resources for aspiring female entrepreneurs building businesses to solve today’s biggest social issues so they can have a boundless impact in society.” Businesses must not be more than 3 years old.
Award Range: up to $25,000
Deadline: February 15, 2025 at 11:00pm
Citi Trends – Black History Makers
Description: “In celebration of Black History Month, Citi Trends, Inc. is acknowledging Black entrepreneurs that are making history today with a for-profit or non-profit business that has a confirmed business history of offering services and/or selling products (excluding any businesses involved in the manufacturing, distribution or sale of food, beverages, supplements or the like). Citi Trends, Inc. shall provide selected Black entrepreneurs with Grants to help advance and further their businesses.” Open nationwide including Illinois.
Award Range: $5,000
Deadline: February 28, 2025 at 10:59pm
Description: “The AARP Purpose Prize award is a national award in the United States that celebrates people 50 and older who are using their life experience to make a difference. Through the Purpose Prize award, AARP celebrates the creativity, innovation, and inspiration that life experience brings. Up to five winners who have founded a 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) non-profit organization will win $75,000 for their organization to honor the winner’s achievements. They will also have access to a number of technical supports and resources to help broaden their organizations’ impact.”
Award Range: $75,000
Deadline: February 28, 2025 at 4:00pm
DoorDash Restaurant Disaster Relief
Description: “…DoorDash has partnered with Hello Alice to create the Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund. The fund supports restaurants impacted by natural disasters, severe weather events, or major infrastructure failures…” Open nationwide to “a restaurant, gastropub or bakery with a brick & mortar location that has experienced a loss in revenue as a direct result of a natural disaster, severe weather event, or major infrastructure failure which occurred within the last 12 months”, been opened at least 6 months, “Own a maximum of three locations, and employ fewer than 50 employees per location”, and “Have revenues of $3M or less per location in the last 12 months.”
Award Range: $10,000
Deadline: Winter Round due March 3, 2025 at 5pm; Spring Round due May 30, 2025 at 5pm
COMMUNITY ARTS GRANTS: “Available to organizations that offer art programs to enhance its mission. Art programs must fall into one of these five categories: Arts Education, Performing Arts, Musical and Cultura Activities, Sculpture/Visual Fine Arts for Display, and Art Therapy Initiatives.”
Workforce Innovations Grant – National Alliance to End Homelessness
Description: “…the National Alliance to End Homelessness (Alliance) is offering a new opportunity to encourage small-scale innovation… Eligible activities include any that support the recruitment, promotion/advancement, and retention of high-quality homeless services staff…”
Award Range: up to $50,000
Deadline: March 28, 2025
Description: “The ComEd Green Region Grant was created in 2013 to support open space projects in Northern Illinois.” “Eligible applicants are non-profit organizations, schools, school districts, housing authorities, townships, counties, park districts, conservation districts, forest preserve districts, and municipalities-including municipal entities, such as water reclamation districts-within ComEd’s service territory…” “Eligible applicants are nonprofit arts and cultural institutions that are located within ComEd’s service territory, and must be in good standing with ComEd related to provision of utilities.”
Award Range: up to $10,000
Deadline: March 28, 2025 at 5:00pm
ComEd Powering the Arts Program
Description: “Recognizing that access to art is crucial to the quality of our lives, ComEd has partnered with the League of Chicago Theatres to support cultural institutions in northern Illinois in their efforts to reach new and diverse audiences. The ComEd Powering the Arts program has been designed to assist local institutions in these efforts by providing funding for some expenses toward these goals.”
Award Range: up to $10,000
Deadline: March 28, 2025 at 5:00pm
ComEd Powering Safe Communities Grant Program
Description: “The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus is proud to partner with ComEd to administer the Powering Safe Communities program…for local public safety and electrification projects.”
Award Range: up to $10,000
Deadline: March 28, 2025 at 5:00pm
Honeycomb Credit – Breakthrough Grant
Description: “Open to all small business owners. You can use the funds to expand your product line, move to a new space, purchase new equipment, or anything else that will help you breakthrough in 2025!”
Award Range: $10,000
Deadline: April 2, 2025
Vilcek Foundation (grant to support orgs who support immigrant artists)
Description: “…invites applications for grants to support nonprofit organizations that work with immigrant artists and communities, and that promote diversity in the arts, sciences, education, and humanities.” Open nationwide and U.S. territories nonprofits with 501(c)3 status.
Award Range: $5,000 and $20,000
Deadline: June 30, 2025
Additional Info
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