News

Today the DuPage County Board authorized an additional $2.5 million in funding for the DuPage County Small Business Grant Relief Program for Restaurants and Food Establishments. Two revisions to the Grant Program were made. The Board removed the date requirement (noted below) that the restaurant must have been in business as of February 15, 2020 and added a new requirement for eligibility that the business must be in compliance with the Governor’s current executive order prohibiting all indoor dining.

Again, the portal will open at 8 a.m. tomorrow. Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis at https://www.choosedupage.com/reinvest-dupage/. Based on the sheer number of applicants during the last phase of this program, we expect to reach funding capacity within hours of this opening BUT the portal will remain open until funding capacity is reached. Please reference additional details below.

If approved by County Board tomorrow, the portal to accept applications will open on Wednesday, November 18^th at 8 a.m. and applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis at https://www.choosedupage.com/reinvest-dupage/. Based on sheer number of applicants during the last phase of this program, we expect to reach funding capacity within hours of this opening BUT the portal will remain open until funding capacity is reached.

Below are the proposed criteria and qualifications for applicants (Please note that these are subject to County Board changes):

CRITERIA

• Restaurants with less than $4 million in annual gross revenue may apply for a grant up to $15,000.
• If you have previously received funding from the DuPage County Small Business Relief Grant Program, you are not eligible.
• If you were previously ineligible for this program because you received other funds intended for this purpose (i.e. PPP, EIDL), you may be eligible now. Note: if such funds caused your income to exceed pre-COVID income, you may not be eligible.

TO FIND OUT IF YOU QUALIFY, ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS:

• Are you a restaurant or food service establishment located in DuPage County, Illinois?
• Does 50% or more of your revenue come from the sale of food or liquor?
• Were you in business as of February 15, 2020?
• Has your business been affected by COVID-19, making this grant request necessary to support your ongoing operations?
• Is your gross revenue less than $4 million?

If you answered YES to all the above, you may be eligible to receive a grant from this program.

BUSINESSES WILL BE NOTIFIED OF THEIR APPLICATION STATUS BY EOD THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19^TH.  IF THEY PREQUALIFY, THEY WILL BE ASKED TO SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING ITEMS SOON THEREAFTER:

• Most recent tax return 2019 or 2018
• Documents substantiating proof of revenue decline due to COVID, such as ST-1 forms, or Profit & Loss statements, etc.
• Secretary of State Certificate of Good Standing
• Information on any COVID relief funds already received
• W-9 form