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Find similar grantsStart Your Business in IL is sponsored by Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity (DCEO). Illinois state grant opportunity: Start Your Business in IL.
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Small Business Centers, Programs and Resources SCAM ALERT: DCEO has been made aware of organizations receiving fraudulent “notice of award” letters claiming to be from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. These are not legitimate notices from DCEO. If your organization receives a notice, please report it to the Federal Trade Commission and/or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center .
Small Business Centers, Programs and Resources Illinois APEX Accelerator Government Contracting Assistance: Illinois APEX Accelerator, through its local center provides one-on-one advising, technical information, marketing assistance and training to existing businesses that are interested in selling their products and/or services to local, state, or federal government agencies. Click here to find an Illinois APEX Accelerator near you.
Whether you employ two people or 102, your business needs a strong network behind you to succeed. And that’s where Illinois Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) come in. Illinois SBDC Centers partner with well-respected business development organizations and educational institutions to assist you in maximizing your potential to grow and attract investors.
Let SBDCs connect you to the experts, tools and opportunities that translate into endless possibilities.
Click below for Small Business Centers near you and information on programs and resources for starting your new business: Find Illinois SBDC Centers in your area Business Information Center Starting Your Business in Illinois Handbook ( English / Spanish ) Small Business / Startup Resources Publications and Business Guides Search the Business Information Center's online inventory of regulatory requirements and resources for your small business Regulatory Assistance Program Environmental Assistance Program For information on access to capital, business locations, exporting, research space and more visit: Locations for Your Business Region Specific Assistance Tech Parks and Incubators For more information contact: Business Information Center Illinois Department of Commerce Connect with a DCEO Representative Locate Your Business In IL Start Your Business in IL
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: See the Illinois GATA portal for complete eligibility requirements. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
Start Your Business in IL is funded by Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity (DCEO). Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
This opportunity targets applicants in Illinois. If your organization operates elsewhere, check the official notice for location requirements.
Start from the official opportunity page linked in this listing — it carries the sponsor's submission instructions.
Empowering Communities Grants is sponsored by PPL Foundation. These grants enrich the overall vitality of the community through programs that protect the environment and improve people's lives. Focus areas include environmental stewardship and education. Projects involving native plant pollinator habitat restoration within the Schuylkill watershed could align with environmental stewardship goals.
Brown Girl Jane x SheaMoisture Grant is a grant from SheaMoisture and Brown Girl Jane that funds Black and woman-owned beauty and wellness businesses in the United States. Part of SheaMoisture's broader commitment to addressing racial inequality through its $1 million annual giving fund, this program specifically supports founders at the intersection of Black and women-owned entrepreneurship in the beauty and wellness sector. Applicants must be based in the U.S. and have operated their business for at least one year. Grants range from $10,000 to $25,000. Check the SheaMoisture Fund website for the current open cycle, as deadlines vary by cohort.
The Eli Lilly and Company Foundation's 2026 Open Call opened June 1 and closes July 3, across three focus areas: Global Health, K-12 STEM Education, and Economic Mobility. But two of the three only fund Marion County, Indiana. Here is how to read the geographic fine print, why the funder's commercial identity shapes what wins, and how to position a proposal that actually fits.
Read articleThe Lilly Foundation's 2026 Open Call accepts pre-applications June 1 through July 3. Its three priorities — Global Health, K-12 STEM Education, and Economic Mobility — look national, but the education and mobility tracks concentrate heavily in Marion County, Indiana, while the health track funds cardiometabolic work abroad. Here's how to read the geography before you spend a week on a pre-application you can't win.
Read articleThe Department of Education quietly published the FY2026 RPED competition in the May 29 Federal Register: $45M total, awards of $1.5M-$2.5M each over 48 months, applications due June 23 at 11:59 p.m. ET. The program funds rural community colleges and regional universities to build career pathways into high-wage industries. With FIPSE under structural review by the second Trump administration, this may be the last cycle under the existing rubric. Here's the eligibility math, the partner architecture that wins, the NCES locale codes that gate the absolute priority, and the 25-day sprint that determines who gets funded.
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