Agencies
Services
Grants & Funding Opportunities
Please note that the Illinois Power Agency does not oversee the grants and funding opportunities that are listed on this page. Questions regarding these resources should be directed to contacts provided below.
State of Illinois
The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunities (DCEO) provides several grants and funding resources to support organizations throughout Illinois.
Contact: CEO.GrantHelp@illinois.gov
IL Small Business Development Center (IL SBDC)
Federal Government
GRANTS.gov – Grants.gov publishes “federal funding opportunities for organizations that support the development and management of government-funded programs and projects.”
Contact: support@grants.gov | 800-518-5035 | Self-Service
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) – Illinois District Office – SBA helps small business by providing “funding programs, counseling, federal contracting certifications, and disaster recovery”, and can “connect businesses to partner organizations, lenders, and other community groups that help small business succeed.”
Contact: Illinois.do.@sba.gov | 312-353-4528
Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) – The U.S. Department of Commerce partially funds the MBDA Business Center which helps clients “secure capital, access new markets, compete for contracts, and make strategic partners and business moves.”
Contact: ilmbda@strategicexceptions.com | 630-526-1063 | Contact Form
Local Governments
City of Chicago’s Small Business Improvement Fund – “The Small Business Improvement Fund (SBIF) promotes economic development by providing small businesses with reimbursable grants for permanent building improvement costs.”
Contact: info@somercor.com | 312-360-3300 | Inquiry Form
Pro Bono
Pro Bono Legal Clinics – University of Illinois Chicago Law School – UIC’s Community Enterprise & Solidarity Economy Clinic “represents worker-owned cooperative business, non-profit, or small business that operates for the benefit of an underserved community.”
Contact: law-CESEC@uic.edu | 312-427-2737 ext. 144
Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights (FKA the Community Law Project) – Help to “build, strengthen, and support nonprofit organizations and small businesses that contribute to economic development and deliver social services in low-income neighborhoods.”
Contact: info@clccrul.org | 312-630-9744