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Pritzker announces $9 million investment in Community Navigator Program to help small businesses recover

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illinois money
By Kenzie Dillow

(WSIL) -- Governor JB Pritzker joined the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) in announcing a $9 million investment to expand the community navigator outreach program to help small businesses take advantage of economic recovery grant programs. 

“Thanks to support from the federal government, I’m pleased to announce the State is once again providing a significant amount of economic recovery grants designed to help businesses with reopening, to bring employees back to work, and to help rebuild our economy post-pandemic,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “To ensure those dollars reach into the communities hit hardest by the pandemic, we’re directing investments to 13 trusted community partners who will work across their networks help ensure that businesses regardless of size, type, or location receive the support needed to build back from the pandemic. With this funding we are doubling down on an equity driven approach that will ensure hard hit businesses in minority and downstate communities are represented in these economic recovery programs.�

Community navigators will perform intensive outreach to ensure that small and hard-to-reach businesses are aware of economic relief funds available. Additionally, navigators will provide 1-on-1 technical assistance to support businesses in understanding how to access relief.

These 13 organizations, which were selected through a competitive process, have demonstrated plans to work as hubs in parallel with over 100 community-based organizations, or “spokes,� based in low-to-moderate-income (LMI) census tracts. 

Organizations receiving funds in our region:

  • American Business Immigration Coalition (Serving Sangamon, Macon, McLean, Cook, Winnebago, Jackson)
  • Greater Egypt Regional Planning and Development Commission (Serving Wabash, Edwards, Wayne, Jefferson, Perry, Jackson, Union, Alexander, Pulaski, Massac, Pope, Hardin, Gallatin, White, Hamilton, Franklin, Williamson, Johnson, and Saline; Calhoun, Jersey, Madison, Saint Claire, Monroe, Randolph, Washington, Clinton, Bond)
  • Illinois Public Health Association (Serving Springfield, Jacksonville, Beardstown, Cook, Will McHenry, Fairfield, Cobden, East St. Louis, Boone, Winnebago, Rock Island, Mercer, Henry, Jo Daviess, Carroll, Whiteside, Lee, Stephenson, and Ogle)

Other organizations receiving funding:

  • Champaign County Economic Development Corporation (Serving Macon, SBDC - Shelby; Champaign, Piatt, Douglas, Vermilion, SBDC - Ford, Iroquois; SBDC - DeWitt; SBDC - Moultrie, Coles, Edgar, Cumberland, Effingham)
  • Cook County (Serving Chicago, South and West Sides of Cook County)
  • Economic Development Council for the Peoria Area (Serving Logan, Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford, Mason, Fulton)
  • Effingham Regional Growth Alliance (Serving Coles, Crawford, Effingham, Clark, Edgar, Moultrie)
  • Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corporation (Serving Chicago Southside, South Suburbs, Eastern Will county, and all of Kankakee county; Chicago’s Washington Heights Neighborhood, from Auburn-Gresham south to the boundary with the South Suburbs)
  • Local Initiatives Support Corporation (Serving Sangamon, Shelby, McLean, Peoria, Cook, Coles, Douglas, Moultire, Cumberland, Edgar, Clark)
  • Mexican American Chamber of Commerce (Serving EDR 4 Waukegan, North Chicago, Joliet, Aurora, Romeoville, Melrose Park, Franklin Park, Maywood, Bellwood, Northfield, Stone Park, Humboldt Park, West Town, Logan Square, Belmont-Cragin, Wicker Park, Bucktown, Little Village, Midway, Back of the Yards, Pilsen, Westlawn)
  • National Main Street Center Inc (Serving Jacksonville, Monticello, Pontiac, Crystal Lake, Batavia, Libertyville, 7 Commercial Districts in Chicago, Momence, Waukegan, Dixon, Silvis, Carbondale, Alton, Quincy)
  • Western Illinois University, Board of Trustees (Serving Knox, Warren, Henderson, Hancock, McDonough, Schuyler, Brown, Pike, Adams)
  • Women's Business Development Center (Serving DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Will; Particularly the Greater Aurora Region)

Working with the community navigators, DCEO will conduct outreach locally on the forthcoming B2B grant program. The B2B program will prioritize hard hit industries and communities, providing grant funding to help businesses most impacted by COVID-19 recover operational losses. 

To ensure the smallest and most vulnerable businesses are prioritized, navigator partners will provide small businesses with direct assistance on applications, as well as language assistance, on-the-ground outreach, webinars, technical assistance sessions, and more.  Navigator partners will also work with the department to support businesses eligible for ongoing SBA programs, including the Shuttered Venue Operator Grants (SVOG), EIDL, and more.