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Black Business Update - Events and Financial Resources Time Sensitive!

Upcoming OMEE Webinars 

·       What resources are there currently available for small businesses? 

OMEE hosts “Online with OMEE” every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month to go over federal, state, local, and private resources for small businesses. Join us for our next session to learn more about financial resources available 

Online with OMEE - Overview of financial resources for small businesses
Wednesday | January 19, 2022 |10:00a.m. –11:00?a.m.| Register HERE 

·       OMEE & Illinois SBDC Presents: ADME - Advancing the Development of Minority Entrepreneurship– Creating a      Vision For Your Business In The New Year

Wednesday?|January 26,?2022?|10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.| Register HERE 

OMEE & Illinois SBDC presents a monthly webinar series called Advancing the Development of Minority Entrepreneurship (ADME). ADME is an informative workshop experience where subject matter experts in the field of business share information with Illinois entrepreneurs in order to help them be successful.? 

Each month we will offer a dynamic discussion on a business topic. This month the discussion is on creating a strong vision and goals for your business in the new year. We will also discuss where?to turn for help with your goals.

·       For more webinars from OMEE please click HERE  

State of Illinois 

·       Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) (personal resource), helps eligible low-income households pay for home energy services. For more information, please click HERE. 

·       Illinois Angel Investment Tax Credit Program, “encourages investment in innovative, early-stage companies to help obtain the working capital needed to further the growth of their company in Illinois.” For more information please click HERE 

·       Back to Business (B2B) Grant Program – CLOSED 

o   You can verify the status of your application by going to the portal and entering the username and password you used to create your application account. You can find the portal HERE 

§  If you have questions feel free to reach out to a community navigator, SBDC, or myself.  

·       For a complete list of DCEO grants, please visit click HERE 


·       R3 RESTORE. REINVEST. RENEW., a grant program that funds the following five areas: civil legal aid, economic development, reentry, violence prevention, and youth development. For more information, please click HEREDeadline March 1, 2022.  

·       Adult Redeploy Illinois (ARI) Implementation Grants, a grant program open to county units of government and judicial circuits. For more information please click HEREDeadline is January 18, 2022 


Local Governments 

·       Kane County 

o   Community Support Grants, a program open to nonprofits that provide services or aid in the following areas: mental health, homeless shelters, or food pantries. For more information click HERE or to apply click HEREDeadline is January 31, 2022.  

·       City of Chicago 

o   Chicago Recovery Grants for Community Development, a grant program to support local commercial, mixed-use, and light manufacturing development. Open to business owners, etc. For more information please click HEREDeadline for Round 1 is January 31, 2022 and Round 2 is March 10, 2022.  

o   Small Business Improvement Fund, for more information, please click HERE.? Deadline varies. 


Community/Private Resources  

·       (open nationwide) Upskilling Initiative, a training grant from AARP and United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for businesses covering training costs for employees over 50 years of age. For more information please click HERE 

·       (open nationwide) Comcast Time to Rise, grants that would provide marketing, creative, media, and technology services to businesses. For more information please click HEREDeadline is January 15, 2022 

·       (open nationwide) UPS Ignite Program featuring ‘The Lonely Entrepreneur’, program offering women and minority owned businesses with resources valued at $500.00. For more information please click HEREDeadline is January 31, 2022.  

·       (open IL statewide) Founders First CDC Job Creators Quest Grants, grant program for small businesses to obtain growth capital. For more information please click HEREDeadline is February 4, 2022.  

·       (open nationwide) Invoice2Go Grow Grant, grant opportunity for minority owned small businesses. Click HERE for more info. Deadline is February 28, 2022  

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