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The Back to Business Grant Program

Supporting Struggling Small Businesses

The pandemic and Covid-19 mitigations began inflicting immense damage to many small businesses in March of 2020.  Thousands of small businesses initially applied for Illinois Business Interruption Grants.  While these grants helped some small businesses, approximately 80% of eligible small businesses which applied were not awarded a grant.

Subsequently, Illinois received over 8 billion dollars in American Rescue Plan Act funds.  However, only $250 million were allocated for Back to Business grant program.  These funds will likely be exhausted before many struggling and eligible businesses receive grants.

Illinois still has billions of federal funds and should replenish the Back to Business grant program with an additional $300 million.  Our policymakers should not pick winners and loses when there is adequate funding to support the struggling small businesses.

House Bill HB5489 will allocate an additional $300 million for the Back to Business grant program.  Please ask your legislators to support this legislation so that struggling small businesses can receive the support they need to recover from a pandemic, and associated mitigations, which they could not control.

VIEW THE FULL ILLINOIS HOUSE BILL HERE

Insights Archive

Larger Tax Credits for Hiring Formerly Incarcerated Individuals

By emma@sbacil.org | July 1, 2024

Download PDF here SBAC INSIGHTS PAGE Illinois Policymakers Take Bold Action to Support Businesses and Foster Opportunities for Formerly Incarcerated Individuals Press Release SBAC INSIGHTS PAGE

Policy Committee Contact Information

By growthzone | May 16, 2024

Policy Committee Contact Information: Aaron Smith Escapingtheoddspodcast@gmail.com Alona Anspach alona.anspach@ihtwm.com Beth Kregor bkregor@ij.org Cathie Van Wert cathie@doubletakedesign.com Chris Lautenslager chris@get-looped.com Chris Allen callen@wshscpa.com Chuck Scharenberg chuck@moreprofitmorefreedom.com Claudia Thornton director@glenellynchamber.com Danielle Petty DANIELLE@LTCONSULTLLC.COM Dean Alonis Dean.alonis@gmail.com DeRondal Bevly derondal@rubyrosestrategies.com Diana Cafi dcafi@healthproinnovation.com Gina Lipscomb gina@rjlipscomb.com Heather Jones hjones@vopf.com Ian Tobin ian@lincolnsquare.org Isaac Troncoso isaactroncoso5@gmail.com Ivy Walker…

SBAC Advocacy Update

By emma@sbacil.org | May 15, 2024

SBAC INSIGHTS PAGE August 6, 2024 We are excited to share some updates about the work we are doing to support the small business community! You can visit our website to learn more about all our advocacy efforts. Enhanced Tax Credit for Hiring Formerly Incarcerated Individuals Last year we championed a law focused on reducing the costs…

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