REINVEST DUPAGE

GRANT PROGRAM

A program to support DuPage County small businesses, nonprofits and independent contractors impacted by COVID-19.

To assist those impacted by COVID-19, DuPage County in conjunction with Choose DuPage, is providing grants to eligible businesses, nonprofits and 1099 workers to use for business expenses such as payroll, utilities, and rent.

Applications are reviewed on a first come, first served basis. Choose DuPage cannot guarantee that all submitted applications will be approved.

GRANT AWARDS

Small businesses and nonprofits with annual gross revenue of less than $20 million may apply for a grant up to $50,000.

Independent contractors with annual gross income of less than $250,000, AND more than 50% of their annual gross income coming from 1099 work, may apply for a grant up to $15,000.

NOTE: grant amounts will be awarded based on a calculation of the eligible expenses and may not exceed the amount of demonstrated revenue decline.

ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS

No member of the DuPage County Board or the Chairman, Choose DuPage Board, members of the grant decision committee, or the immediate family members thereof shall be eligible for this grant.

TO FIND OUT IF YOU QUALIFY, ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS:

• Are you a business, nonprofit, or 1099 contractor located in DuPage County, Illinois?
• Were you in business as of January 1, 2019?
• Can you demonstrate measurable revenue decline due to COVID-19 for the period beginning January 1, 2019, through December 31, 2019, as compared to January 1, 2020, through December 31, 2020? Seasonal revenue fluctuations are not considered qualified COVID-19 reductions.
• If you are a small business or nonprofit, do you have annual gross revenue of  less than $20 million?
• If you are a 1099 independent contractor, is your annual gross income less than $250,000 AND does at least 50% of your gross income come from 1099 work?

If you answered YES to all of the above, you could be eligible to receive a grant from this program. 

WEBINAR

Join us for an informational webinar on Thursday, June 24 at 9am CST to learn about the details of this program, and how to apply. Click here to register. 

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for this program, you must complete an online application.

The application will ask for information about your business including how it is organized, years in business, number of employees, annual gross revenue/income, NAICS or industry code (to find your NAICS code go to https://www.naics.com/search/), etc. You will need to provide a description of how your business has been impacted by COVID-19 including revenue decline or loss, and a detailed breakdown of how requested funds will be used. Additionally, you must report detailed information on any prior COVID relief funds your business has received. 

If your application is recommended for additional review, you will also be required to provide the following:

• Tax returns for year ending 2020 and 2019 (e.g., Form 1120, Form 1120S, Form 1065, Form 1040) and all schedules
• Proof of costs for which the funds are being requested (e.g., payroll records, rent or mortgage statements, utility bills, etc.)
• Proof of revenue decline
• Secretary of State Certificate of Good Standing (for corporations or LLCs) or valid business license (if required), or other proof of good standing within the County. Note that some municipalities within DuPage County require a business license and some do not. Check with your municipal office for specific requirements.
• Completed Form W-9

HOW IT WORKS

Applications will generally be reviewed on a first come, first-served basis. Incomplete applications, regardless of the date and time submitted, may be reviewed after more complete applications have been reviewed. 

1. Once we have received your application and supporting documents, your file will be reviewed by the grant review staff.
2. You will be notified via email if the grant review staff has recommended your application for approval, denial or if additional information is required.
3. If the grant review staff recommends advancing your application, it will be reviewed by the grant committee.
4. If the grant committee agrees with the grant review staff’s recommendation for approval, your application will be forwarded to the DuPage County Board for review and final approval at the next scheduled County Board Meeting.

The grant committee reserves the additional right to deny your application or require additional information. In either case, you will be notified.

QUESTIONS? 

CLICK HERE to view Frequently Asked Questions

If you still have questions, you may contact Choose DuPage at reliefgrant@choosedupage.com. Please allow 2-3 business days for a reply.

APPLICATION OPENS MoNDAY, JUNE 28 at 9:00 am cst