September 8, 2020 – The Pritzker administration has released $46 million in Business Interruption Grants to 2,655 small businesses in Illinois. The BIG grants of $10,000 and $20,000 in emergency funds have gone to help businesses with rent, utilities and making payroll. Governor Pritzker says the grants are helping businesses that have been hit the hardest by the COVID-19 shutdown, particularly those that had to entirely shut down in the spring. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity has posted the businesses that have received grants on its website.
In the first round of grants, more than 5,000 businesses applied for grants. The recipients were determined by a random lottery and more than half of the awards went to minority-owned businesses. 25% went to Asian business owners, 14% went to Black business owners and 11% went to Latino owners. Of the more than 2,500 grants, more than 600 went to downstate businesses.
The Commerce Department is encouraging small business owners to contact it for help with the second round of applications for BIG grant money.
