Financial Assistance

Find loans, grants and other financial assistance. If you need help email us to make a virtual appointment at helpdesk@rpba.org or call us at 773-508-5885.

Loans

Federal

State

Corporations/Nonprofits

• Allies for Community Business Small Business Loans: Apply for term loans and lines of credit from $500 to $100,000 for businesses located in Illinois and Indiana. More information here.
• CIBC Entrepreneur Loan Program: The program supports startup or early-stage small businesses that have completed a CIBC-approved entrepreneur training program with important working capital. More information here.

Grants

Federal

• SBIR/STTR Phase I Matching Program: The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) are competitive federal grant programs that provide funding opportunities for small businesses to perform research and development (R&D) on technology of interest to federal agencies. Both projects provide funding to explore the potential of high-tech products and encourage the commercialization of those products. This program would provide a state match to companies that have received awards through the SBIR and STTR grant programs. The award range is between $1 – $50,000. The application deadline is June 30, 2023. More information here. 

State

City

• Individual Artists Program (IAP):  The 2023 application is now closed. The 2024 application will open in November 2023. IAP aims to assist Chicago’s practicing artists in creating work that develops their craft and elevates their careers while adding to the cultural vitality of the city of Chicago. IAP grants support artists across all artistic disciplines including Film & Media Arts, Literary Arts, Music, Performing Arts (Theatre/Dance), and Visual Arts/Design. More information here.
• Neighborhood Access Program (NAP): The goal of this program is to support the cultural vitality of every Chicago neighborhood via grant programs and partnerships designed to be responsive to the complex needs of individual communities. This program will offer direct grants for all types of place-based arts and culture activities. Projects must serve residents of a specific neighborhood or community, and engage neighborhood residents as participants or audiences between October 1, 2023 and December 31, 2024. The Lead applicant’s primary residence/address must be in the neighborhood where this engagement will take place. Grant amounts will range from $5,000 – $50,000. Applications are due by May 19, 2023, at 5 p.m. More information here.

Corporations/Nonprofits

• Chicago Emergency Relief Program: The Southern Smoke Foundation created this grant that provides emergency funding to those employed by or own restaurants or bars that are facing unforeseen expenses that cannot or will not be covered by insurance. We stand with those in our community and are committed to “taking care of our own”. More information here.
• ComEd Small Business Assistance Program: The Small Business Assistance Program provides eligible small business customers, with a one-time grant of up to $1,000 towards a past due balance, once every 12 months. Eligible customers may also place a remaining balance into a payment plan of up to six months. More information here.
• DishRoulette Kitchen 2 Kitchen Grant: $1,000 grant for minority-owned restaurants in the Chicagoland area.  Applications can be made in English or Spanish. Open to undocumented business owners. Rounds close at the end of each month at 11:59 p.m. If you are not selected for the grant, then your application is automatically rolled over for the next month of grant funding. More information here.
• Fearless Strivers Grant: Black woman-owned businesses may apply. The deadline varies. More information here.
• I Fund Women Grants (multiple): IFundWomen is the go-to funding marketplace for women-owned businesses and the people who want to support them with access to capital, coaching, and connections. They have a wide variety of grants available to their members, from their monthly “pay-it-forward” grants to those from their generous partners like Adidas, Unilever, Visa, Barbara Corcoran & Systane, GingerBread Capital and more. More information here.
• Illinois Restaurant Association Educational Scholarship & Grant Application: One-time grants of $500 are available for employees of restaurants. More information here.