November 16, 2020 – Illinois’ latest round of grants totaling $220 million will prioritize small businesses that have been affected by the recent restrictions. The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) is offering a lifeline to Illinois small businesses with the second round of Business Interruption Grants (BIG). Combined with the first round, the grants will reach at least $540 million in total, according to the DECO website. The state has pinpointed small businesses as the hardest hit economically, said state director of the National Federation of Independent Business Mark Grant.
“There are certain industries that have managed to survive this and do OK, but we’ve got, we have members, small business owners out there who’ve closed their doors and done it permanently,” Grant said.