Illinois grants

Illinois Small Business Grants 2026

Browse open Illinois grant programs for small businesses, nonprofits, and founders in 2026, sorted by award size with deadlines and eligibility.

Find Grants I Qualify For Browse all grants

Forrest Grants

Funding is hiding in plain sight.

From Chicago, Springfield, and Peoria to rural Illinois, Forrest Grants tracks state, county, city, and foundation programs so you can shortlist the ones worth a real application.

🐻

Forrest Grant keeps the list clean, relevant, and pointed at programs worth a real application.

Open grants

226

Average award

$4,602

Top eligibility tags

nonprofitillinoisproperty_ownerbusiness

Featured grants

High-intent funding opportunities

Grants in IL

Where to focus first

Browse open Illinois grant programs for small businesses, nonprofits, and founders in 2026, sorted by award size with deadlines and eligibility. Use this page as your shortlist, then jump into the intake wizard so Forrest can narrow the list to the programs you are most likely to win.

ILRolling

Cook County Source Grow Grant

Grantor

Cook County

Award Amount

$10,000

small_businessminority_owned

Illinois Small Business Grants 2026

Funding is hiding in plain sight.

High-intent funding opportunities

Where to focus first

Cook County Source Grow Grant

ComEd Powering Safe Communities Grants

DCASE Chicago Presents

Designing a Better Chicago Grants

ComEd Powering the Arts Program

Cook County Veteran-Owned Small Business Grant

Wealth Our Way Fund

Creative Accelerator Fund

DCASE Individual Artists Program

Eugene D. Funk Grant Program

Ignite Fund Chicago

Chicago Creative Worker Assistance Program

Veteran Loan Fund

Champaign County Chamber Young Entrepreneur Program

Engineering Open House Startup Showcase

All Kids Play Youth Sports Grants

Illinois Arts Council Agency — Conference Scholarships

IAC Grant for Communities

National FFA SAE Grants

Chicago Hospitality Employee Relief Program

BizBuzz Fish Tank Pitch Competition

Independent Sports Club of Central Illinois Youth Sports Grants

Community Development Grant Large Grants Program

Bloomington Property Tax Abatement

Bloomington Standardized Housing Incentive Program

Bloomington-Normal Enterprise Zone Incentives

Bloomington Tax Increment Financing Assistance

City of Chicago Cook County Property Tax Incentive Application

Bloomington Sales Tax Rebate

Community Behavioral Health Care Professional Loan Repayment Program

Women Entrepreneurs of Central Illinois Grant Program

Business Enterprise Program (BEP) Certification

Illinois Business Enterprise Program Certification

Illinois Military Service Member and Spouse Professional Licensing Support

Chicago LGBTBE Procurement Inclusion

City of Chicago Minority-Owned Business Enterprise Certification

University of Chicago College New Venture Challenge

Illinois Tollway Veteran Small Business Program

Advantage Illinois Participation Loan Program

DCEO Federal Grant Support Program — Nonprofit Assistance

IDHS Early Childhood Grants — Quality Improvement Funds

MidwayUSA Foundation Team Endowment Cash Grants

Illinois Workforce Success Program for Individuals with Disabilities

IDOT DBE Supportive Services Program

Illinois CDFI / Community Lending Layer

Laureus Sport for Good Illinois Grant Opportunity

City of Chicago Women-Owned Business Enterprise Certification

Illinois Works Apprenticeship Initiative

How to Finance a Tribal Business

Illinois Military Spouse Licensing Reimbursement

Illinois Workforce Empowerment Initiative Manufacturing Training

Illinois Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Illinois Tollway Partnering for Growth

WBDC Women's Business Enterprise Certification

Cook County Women-Owned Business Enterprise Certification

Illinois Community College Cannabis Vocational Training Program

Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program

Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women

Illinois Solar for All (ILSFA) — Small and Emerging Business Program

Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network

Grants by business type

Other states

Let Forrest narrow the list for you.