Thanks to the State of Illinois Back to Business Grant Program and area members of the Illinois
General Assembly, industries serving DuPage County that were hardest hit by the Covid-19
pandemic received more than $10 million in recovery grants.
Illinois State Senator John Curran (D-41st District) helped 6 restaurants and 2 hotels receive a
total of $721,000 in B2B recovery grants. State Representative Anne Stava-Murray (D-81st
District) helped 18 hotels and restaurants obtain grants totaling more than $1.7 million. Illinois
State Senator Laura Ellman (D-21st District) helped 44 restaurants and hotels receive more
than $3.7 million in recovery grants. In State Representative Terra Cost Howard’s 42nd District,
$1.7 million in grants were obtained by 19 restaurants and hotels. State Senator Suzy Glowiak
Hilton (D-23rd District) helped obtain $4.2 million for 36 restaurants and hotels and Illinois State
Rep Jenn Ladisch Douglass (D-45th District) helped 15 restaurants and hotels secure $1.4
million in recovery grants.
Overall, more than $900,000 went to Hotels, Restaurants and Creative Arts businesses located
right here in Downers Grove.
“Restaurants, hotels, and the creative arts bring vibrancy to our communities while creating
jobs, drawing out-of-town visitors, and supporting our local economies,” said State Rep. Terra
Costa Howard. “I’m very pleased that the state’s Back to Business grants brought more than $2
million in important support to these businesses and arts organizations in the 42 nd District, and I
hope this program will continue to provide support to our business community as we move
forward.”
State Rep. Jenn Ladisch Douglass (D-45th District) added “my colleagues and I worked hard to
encourage owners of hotels, restaurants, and arts establishments to apply for this second phase
of Back to Business grants. There is no question that these industries were hit the hardest by
Covid-19 and it is very gratifying to see available funding be put to work in DuPage County and
throughout the State of Illinois.”
While the B2B Grant Program has ended, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of
Commerce and Economic Opportunity has just announced the Back to Business (B2B) NewBiz
Program. Illinois B2B NewBiz will provide financial relief to businesses that started during the
pandemic in the industries most impacted by the pandemic. The DGEDC will be providing more
details on this new grant program very soon. Visit this link to learn more.
Application periods for these grants can be very short and since state-funded grants are not
loans and do not need to be repaid, small business owners are encouraged to stay in close
contact with their elected officials and Community Navigators such as SPARK for any future
announcements.
