West Loop Community Organization issued the following announcement on Feb. 1.
The pandemic and recession have created unprecedented challenges, but community members and businesses in predominantly minority neighborhoods have experienced an unfair and dramatically more significant burden. To offer support to its small business neighbors on the West Side, the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation, with generous support from United Airlines, will launch a Small Business Grant Recovery Program, “Support West.” This program will provide $5,000 grants to minority-owned small business in neighborhoods on the West Side who have been severely impacted by COVID-19. A Spanish translation of this post is up online
To be eligible for a grant, businesses must meet the following requirements:
- 10 or fewer employees
- Located in a West Side neighborhood
- Owned and operated by a business leader of color
- Less than $250,000 annual revenue
- In business for at least one year
- 25% decrease in revenue due to COVID-19
- One time grant of $5,000
- Grant funds must be used for working capital
- Required Materials:
- Business bank statement
- Valid business license
- A valid identification card
- A completed W9 form
- February 1, 2021: Grant application is available
- February 28, 2021: Grant closes at 5:00PM CST
- March 15, 2021: Grantees are selected & notified
- March 31, 2021: Disbursement by end of March
The goal of this program is to shore up the economic corridors of West Side communities through financial resources and marketing support providing long-term recovery assistance.
Original source can be found here.
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