Illinois Launches Back to Business (B2B) NewBiz Program
The application window for the B2B NewBiz program opens on November 30, 2023, and will remain open until January 11, 2024.
The Small Business Advocacy Council has advocated for a program that provides grant funding to businesses that launched in 2020 (prior to the pandemic) and in 2020 and 2021 after the pandemic began. Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) have launched the Back to Business (B2B) NewBiz program, which allocates $25 million for grants to businesses that launched in 2020 and 2021 in certain industries, or businesses started by people that became unemployed during the pandemic.
Details about the grant program, including eligibility and grant sizes, can be found here.
The SBAC will continue to provide important information about funding opportunities for small businesses.
Check out more small business grant opportunities here!
Calling for IL Occupational Licensing Reform
Occupational licenses should protect the health, safety and welfare of the public. Unfortunately, some occupational licenses are unnecessary and burdensome. They create unwarranted barriers for Illinois entrepreneurs and those interested in working in new professions. Needless occupational licenses also keep people from moving to Illinois. Needless occupational licenses, or those which are overly restrictive, also…
Laws You Should Know About
Baking Good Legislation On August 27, Governor Pritzker signed into law the Home-to-Market Act. The Home-to-Market Act allows producers of home-based food products to sell their goods directly to customers. This new law goes into effect on January 1, 2022. This will foster the growth of home-based entrepreneurs, known as the cottage food businesses. Prior…
The SBAC Small Business Package
THE SMALL BUSINESS PACKAGE Many small and local businesses have been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Illinois unemployment rate remains high. Illinois politicians can partner with the small business community to enact policies that will help small businesses through this pandemic, reduce unemployment in our state, grow the Illinois workforce and generate revenue. There…