Chicago Recovery Plan community development grants are being made available to Chicago entrepreneurs, small businesses and developers, with the initial round open through January 2022, City of Chicago announced. The community development grants are part of the Chicago Recovery Plan’s ambitious $1.2 billion strategy for equitable economic recovery and support for thriving and safe communities. To be administered by DPD, the application process will consider a diverse array of improvement projects, including storefront upgrades; large development proposals with entertainment, retail and dining options; and projects that create spaces with public amenities. Projects may apply for the small grant program up to $250,000 or the large grant program up to $5 million. Preferred applications will seek to create: 

• Catalytic projects with a strong local impact. 

• Projects in historically disinvested areas that build upon existing efforts such as Mayor Lightfoot’s INVEST South/West Initiative and community safety initiatives. 

• Commercial, mixed-use, and light manufacturing projects that create jobs and services.  

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. The first-round application deadline is Jan. 31, 2022, followed by a second-round application deadline of March 10, 2022. Applicants who are not prepared to apply for either round are encouraged to review all relevant materials and prepare to apply for a third application round in the summer. For more information on the Chicago Recovery Plan community development grant application, go to Chicago.gov/ChiRecoveryGrant. An informational webinar will be held on Thursday, January 6 at 12pm CT, and a recording of the webinar will be posted to this site.