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SCAM ALERT: DCEO has been made aware of organizations receiving fraudulent “notice of award” letters claiming to be from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. These are not legitimate notices from DCEO. If your organization receives a notice, please report it to the Federal Trade Commission and/or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Hospitality Emergency Grant Program – Grant Recipients

Under the leadership of Governor JB Pritzker, DCEO launched the Hospitality Emergency Grant Program to help hospitality businesses make ends meet in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. In partnership with Accion Serving Illinois and Indiana, the Department awarded $14 million in small grants to over 700 small bars, restaurants, caterers, and hotels. The grants are used to support working capital, like payroll and rent, job training, and technology to support shifts in operations including increased use of carry out and delivery.

  • 12,000 businesses applied for funding and grantees were selected via a random lottery conducted by Accion. The process used to conduct the lottery and evaluate applications is outlined here.
  • Bars and restaurants received an average grant of $14,000 while hotels received an average grant of $30,000.

The names of grant winners have been published, verified and awarded by the grant administrator, Accion. The list of confirmed grant winners is below.

Valid Applications Received Businesses Businesses Approved for Funding (as of 4/27/20) Dollars Funded (as of (4/27/20)
12,128 699 699 $13,995,000

Hospitality Grant Awardees