Source: Copied & Pasted Email Received from The Chicago BACP
“The Chicago Microbusiness Recovery Grant Program will provide $5 million in grants to businesses with four or fewer employees in low- and moderate-income areas of the city. Grants of $5,000 will be disbursed via a lottery, with winners equitably distributed across eligible Community Areas based on population. Applications are available now and will be open until Monday, May 4th at 5:00 pm.
BACP will be holding a series of webinars in multiple languages this week to inform prospective applicants about the Recovery Grant program and to answer questions. To register, please visit chicago.gov/businessworkshops.
You can find details on the grant below. To apply and learn more, please visit chicago.gov/recoverygrant.
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for a grant, businesses must meet the following requirements:
- Four or fewer employees
- Less than $250,000 annual revenue
- Located in the City of Chicago
- In business for one year
- 25% decrease in revenue due to COVID-19
- Located in a low-income Community Area (view map)
- Search for your Community Area
Required Documentation
Applicants must upload the following documents:
- A business bank statement from 2020 that includes the business address and business name
- A valid business license dated 05/01/19 or earlier
- A valid identification card (driver’s license, CityKey, etc.)
- A completed W9 form (access a fillable form here)
Grant Details
- One-time grant of $5,000
- Grant funds must be used for working capital (rent, payroll, utilities, taxes, insurance, operations)
Timeline
- 04/28: Grant application is available
- 05/04: Grant application closes at 5:00pm CDT
- 05/11: Grant recipients are chosen via lottery and notified of their acceptance. ACH payments are initiated – funds should be received within 2 business days.
Applications are available in Spanish and questions can be submitted to the Recovery Grant Team via these webforms in English or Spanish.
Please note that funds available through the Recovery Grant Program and the Chicago Small Business Resiliency Loan Fund are intended to complement the federal financing available through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The SBA resumed accepting Paycheck Protection Program applications from participating lenders on Monday, April 27 at 9:30am CDT. Click here to find an eligible Paycheck Protection Program lender. If you need assistance navigating the funding and resource landscape during the COVID-19 outbreak, please reach out to a Small Business Resource Navigator for individualized 1:1 support.
I want to thank all of you for your persistence and dedication during this incredibly difficult time. Your City government will continue to fight for our small businesses and we will continue providing information and resources to navigate this crisis.
Sincerely,
Rosa Escareno
BACP Commissioner”
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