Flo Simpson is our regional community navigator, working with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and it is her job to help businesses fill out the application for the Back to Business Grant.

Join her this Friday, September 3, from 1:00pm to 5:00pm at the Centralia Regional Library computer lab.

www2.illinois.gov/dceo/SmallBizAssistance/Pages/B2B.aspx

Grants will range from $5,000 to $150,000 per business and can be used to cover a wide range of operations/staff/overhead costs.

Priority will be given to the following categories:

• Hard-hit industries (see eligibility guidelines for a full list of priority industries and their definitions)

• Hard-hit areas – DIAs comprising of 176 zip codes (INCLUDING 62801)

Documentation needed:

• Business owner ID (ITIN business owners eligible)

• Business’s 2019 AND 2020 Federal tax returns

• Two (2) business bank statements – one from the period April through December 2020, and most recent statement