The City is awarding $6.2 million in grant allocations to the initial Together Now fund applicants. These grants will support more than 1500 small businesses that experienced physical infrastructure damage as a result of the events on the weekend of May 29, 2020 and beyond, and/or have experienced at least a 25% revenue loss due to COVID-19.
The City determined grant allocations to account for a disproportionate impact from recent civil unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic felt in particular neighborhoods throughout the city. Black and Latinx business owners are more frequently uninsured or underinsured and living in South and West Side communities that have faced decades of disinvestment, both of which were considered in the decision-making process.
Beyond this initial round of funding, there will be a second application period that focuses on awarding grants in community areas that received a disproportionately low number of eligible applicants during the first round. Businesses that meet the eligibility criteria and can provide all required documentation, especially those within South and West Side communities, are encouraged to apply. More details about the second application period will be available soon at chicago.gov/togethernow.