Costa Howard Urges Businesses Affected by COVID-19 to Apply for Business Interruption Grants

LOMBARD – State Rep. Terra Costa Howard, D-Glen Ellyn, is urging local business owners who have suffered economic losses due to COVID-19 to apply now for the first round of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s (DCEO) new Business Interruption Grant (BIG).

“In this first round of grants, $60 million will be provided to small businesses that experienced losses as a result of the pandemic,” said Costa Howard. “As we have seen with previous business support programs, the number of qualified applicants will likely far exceed the grant funding available. So it’s critical for our local businesses to submit applications as soon as possible.”

Bars and restaurants and gyms and fitness centers may be eligible for grants of up to $20,000. Salons and barbershops can receive up to $10,000. Priority will be given to small businesses that were completely shut down or heavily restricted during the pandemic. Businesses must have been in business for at least three months prior to March 2020 to qualify.

The application, along with more information, is available at https://www2.illinois.gov/dceo/SmallBizAssistance/Pages/C19DisadvantagedBusGrants-test.aspx. DCEO will begin accepting applications for the Business Interruption grants on June 26.

“As a small business owner myself, I know that many entrepreneurs in our community are struggling to stay afloat,” Costa Howard added. “These grant programs won’t solve every problem, but they can provide a critical lifeline to a small business in need of assistance during this unprecedented public health and economic crisis.”