CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, IL (Chambana Today) – Small businesses in Champaign County have a new opportunity to grow, recover, and invest in their future. Applications are now open for the Champaign County Small Business Grant Program, which will provide grants of up to $5,000 to qualifying businesses.

To be eligible, businesses must be for-profit, in good standing, and operating legally in Illinois. They must also have been established before March 11, 2020, and operate from a brick-and-mortar or mobile-based location—home-based businesses do not qualify. In addition, applicants must have 100 or fewer employees and be registered clients of the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Champaign County EDC before the application deadline of August 22, 2025.

Eligible expenses for the grant include bookkeeping software, marketing materials, website development, branding, equipment upgrades, legal or accounting services, and workforce training or recruitment.

To register with the SBDC and apply, visit champaigncountygrants.com before 11:59 p.m. on August 22.