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Find similar grantsState Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) is sponsored by Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). Provides funding to support small businesses across Illinois, helping them attract capital investment and expand operations.
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State Small Business Credit Initiative 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 .
State Small Business Credit Initiative On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which provided $10 billion to fund the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI 2. 0). This builds on the initial State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI 1.
0), through which Illinois received over $78 million for the Advantage Illinois Participation Loan Program (PLP). Illinois will receive up to $354. 6 Million to administer four programs as part of the State Small Business Credit Initiative.
The expanded program offerings through SSBCI will enable Illinois to support small businesses across the state - helping them attract more capital investment and expand or launch business operations while supporting key sectors. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) is the implementing entity for Illinois’ SSBCI funding.
DCEO will directly administer the Advantage Illinois loan programs and INVENT venture capital program and will have oversight of the Illinois Finance Authority’s (IFA) Climate Bank Finance loan program.
Advantage Illinois (AI) Participation Loan Program (Existing Program) Advantage Illinois' existing Participation Loan Program (PLP) provides low-interest loans to small businesses by partnering with local lenders located across the state. In 2022, 71 percent of AI loans went to businesses owned by people of color, women, people with disabilities, or veterans.
Advantage Illinois (AI) Loan Guarantee Program (New Program) Advantage Illinois' new Loan Guarantee Program (LGP) will support business applicants who are having difficulty obtaining access to capital by using funds to guarantee a percentage of loans provided by partner lenders.
INVENT Venture Capital Program (VCP) (New Program) The Innovation Venture Fund (INVENT) will operate as a direct equity investment program, investing in early- and late-stage businesses with a focus on underserved start-ups facing systemic barriers and key industries such as agriculture, energy, information technology, life sciences, manufacturing, quantum information sciences and technology, and transportation.
Climate Bank Finance Participation Loan Program (New Program) This new program will be overseen by DCEO and administered by the Illinois Finance Authority (IFA), which will partner with local lenders to issue the loans.
As Illinois’ officially designated “Climate Bank”, IFA will be exclusively focusing on providing its SSBCI-supported financing for the start-up and/or expansion of ventures directly involving environmentally-supportive, “green” businesses, including those that address the adverse impacts of climate change. Connect with a DCEO Representative Locate Your Business In IL Start Your Business in IL
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Small businesses in Illinois seeking capital investment and expansion support. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows up to $354.6 million. Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) is funded by Illinois Department of Commerce and 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.
Illinois SBIR/STTR Matching Grant Program is a grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) that funds Illinois companies that have received federal SBIR or STTR awards by providing state-level matching grants from $1 to $250,000. The program is designed to extend and amplify the impact of federal innovation funding for Illinois-based small businesses. Applicants must be pre-qualified through GATA before applying, and must submit a Uniform Grant Application along with required supplemental documents. Applications are accepted through June 30, 2026 at 5:00pm. Contact CEO.SBIR@illinois.gov for program inquiries.
Film & TV Workforce Training Program (Illinois) is sponsored by Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). The goal of this program is to administer workforce training programs that support efforts to recruit, hire, promote, retain, develop, and train a diverse and inclusive workforce in the film industry. The training program will provide real-world, practical job skills to fulfill the demand of producers and studios, while providing job opportunities for Illinois residents, including unemployed individuals and individuals with barriers to employment.
Illinois's Federal Grant Support Program (Round 2) puts $16.9 million into a single, unglamorous job: paying the non-federal match that keeps competitive applicants out of federal competitions they would otherwise win. Awards run $10,000 to $2 million across roughly 30 recipients, on a rolling basis with no fixed deadline. As federal rules tighten and match requirements harden into eligibility gates, a 'grant to get a grant' is becoming one of the highest-leverage dollars a state can spend. Here is how the program works, who should pursue it, and why match funding is the quiet chokepoint in the 2026 federal landscape.
Read articleOn July 20, 2026, the EDA announced it intends to invest $169 million across six Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs — quantum, nuclear, critical minerals, biosecure manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and forest bioproducts — after the Trump administration rescinded the Biden-era Phase 2 awards and reran the competition. Only two of the original winners survived. Here is the full breakdown of the six hubs, why four prior awardees were dropped, and what the re-award teaches regional coalitions about competing for the next round.
Read articleThe Nasdaq Foundation's Economic Opportunity Grant Program awards up to $75,000 to nonprofits building financial literacy, access to capital, and long-term wealth. But the July 31 deadline is only an Expression of Interest — a two-stage gate that most applicants misread. Here is who is eligible, what the funder actually rewards, and how to write an EOI that earns the invitation to a full proposal.
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