Babu Tangewala
CHICAGO: The Illinois Department of Economic Opportunity (DCEO)’s awarded $744,600 as part of its Community Navigator Program and We Rise Together coalition’s award of $500,000 to support the Cook County Small Business Assistance Program.
Combined, the new resources will support the County’s nationally recognized Small Business Assistance program to further support recovery efforts for small businesses.
“This support serves as recognition of the effective and collective efforts of our robust network of business service organizations and our program administrator Next Street,” said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. “These resources from DCEO and We Rise Together will support, and allow Cook County to leverage, the County’s $20 million investment in small business grants and business coaching services.”
Cook County will serve as one of 13 “Hubs” in the State of Illinois’ $9 million Community Navigator Program and will focus its efforts to build awareness and ensure available federal, state, and local funding is easily accessible to minorities and hard to reach small businesses.
As a “Hub,” Cook County has enlisted 10 of the region’s leading business support organizations to provide business coaching services.
Cook County’s Small Business Assistance Program will also receive $500,000 from We Rise Together, a coalition of philanthropic, business and community partners that aims to accelerate equitable economic policies and recovery efforts for Black and Latinx communities. This funding, earmarked for 2022, will amplify the County’s efforts to reach underserved business owners and further strengthen the small business ecosystem.
To learn more about Cook County’s Small Business Assistance Program, visit – www.cookcountysmallbiz.org. Cook County is the second largest county in the United States representing 5.2 million residents in Illinois.
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