Illinois e-News Release

 

SKOKIE – Today, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) joined businessowners, legislators, and community stakeholders at Soul Good Coffee to announce nearly $10 million in funding for 47 small businesses through the Small Business Capital and Infrastructure Grant Program. This funding will uplift businesses owned by historically underrepresented groups and very small businesses, helping them create and retain jobs, improve efficiency, and grow local economies.

 

“From corner stores to cafes to burgeoning manufacturers, small businesses are the job creators at the heart of the Illinois economy and are the pride of our communities,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This round of grants will reach small businesses in communities across Illinois, supporting the hard work, creativity, and passion of entrepreneurs and their employees. Now is an especially important time for us to uplift small businesses, and Illinois remains laser-focused on an agenda that fights back against tariffs and helps grow our entrepreneurial environment.”

 

“People across Illinois have poured their hearts into the small businesses that line our main streets,” said Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton. “They not only keep our local economies thriving, but they also create gathering places, strengthen community pride, and draw visitors. These grants recognize the vital role small businesses play in our state and represent an investment in their successes and in a bright future for communities across Illinois.”

 

Governor Pritzker has consistently prioritized Illinois’ small business community, recognizing their vital role in driving local economies and creating jobs across the state. His administration has focused on expanding opportunities for entrepreneurs, promoting equitable economic growth, and ensuring that small business owners have access to the tools and resources they need to thrive. 

 

This critical funding supports Illinois small businesses in a time of economic uncertainty, with the Trump Administration’s tariffs driving up costs, straining small businesses, and stifling economic growth. Many small businesses and local economies are also suffering as Donald Trump’s immigration agents attack their communities, making some afraid to even leave their homes. Trump’s disregard for small businessowners was on full display as he enabled the longest government shutdown in American history, which delayed small business loans nationwide.

 

Established by Governor Pritzker in 2019, the Small Business Capital and Infrastructure Grant Program was designed to help Illinois’ small businesses strengthen their operations, overcome financial challenges, and continue contributing to both their communities and Illinois’ economy through capital and infrastructure investments.

 

“The Small Business Capital and Infrastructure Grant Program is an essential part of DCEO’s efforts to bolster our state’s local economies,” said DCEO Director Kristin Richards. “This funding will ensure small businesses across the state have access to critical resources to improve operational efficiency, support infrastructure investment, and create jobs for hardworking Illinoisans.” 

 

The program funding will provide businesses with support and resources to improve infrastructure, acquire essential equipment, or purchase new property. Businesses can use these funds for projects including planning, land and building acquisition, buildings, additions, or structures, site improvements, rolling stock, and durable equipment.

 

This group of grantees are businesses owned by Socially Economically Disadvantaged Individuals (SEDI) with a maximum of 25 full-time permanent employees or Very Small Businesses (VSBs) with less than 10 employees. They were selected through a competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), which prioritized businesses located in Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Investment Areas, especially those with project proposals that focus on job creation, economic revitalization, or increased community engagement in these areas. 

 

Governor Pritzker and DCEO announced this round of small business funding at Soul Good Coffee, a grant recipient in Skokie that serves residents and families while investing in its community — an exemplar of how small employers across Illinois are making a difference in the communities they serve.

 

“Soul Good Coffee reflects the very best of Skokie and our state — entrepreneurs who pour their talent, culture, and creativity into a small business that serves their neighbors,” said State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview). “I’m grateful to Governor Pritzker for uplifting entrepreneurs through the Small Business Capital and Infrastructure Grant Program—because when we help local businesses grow, we strengthen the heart of our communities. I’m proud to celebrate this opening and the investment in Skokie’s future.”

 

“I am excited to support small businesses in our communities through grants that uplift historically underrepresented groups and ensure opportunities continue to be available to our neighbors,” said State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago). “I look forward to seeing the positive impact this funding has on our communities.”

 

“Small businesses like Soul Good Coffee are vital to our economy and community as places that not only provide jobs, good food and service, but places that also bring people together,” said State Representative Kevin Olickal (D-Chicago). “At a time when the Trump administration destabilizes the economy with long shutdowns and tariffs, it is extremely important that small businesses get the boosts they need, and we’re really grateful for this grant program enacted by Governor Pritzker that will ensure businesses like these can continue to thrive.”

 

“We’re here at Soul Good Coffee because this is exactly the kind of local business Illinois should be uplifting and helping to grow,” said State Representative Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D-Glenview). “The tariffs imposed by the Trump Administration are bad policy — they inject uncertainty into the economy, drive up costs for small businesses, and make it harder for entrepreneurs to plan, invest, and succeed. Programs like this grant are smart, fiscally responsible investments that create stability, strengthen local economies, and build a stronger future for our state by supporting the businesses at the heart of our communities.”

 

The full list of grant recipients can be found below: