Enterprise Zone Participation Loan Program (EZ/PLP)

The BDPIP program is designed to provide grants to units of local government for public improvements on behalf of businesses undertaking a major expansion or relocation project that will result in substantial private investment and the creation and/or retention of a large amount of Illinois jobs. The infrastructure improvements must be made for public benefit and on public property and must directly result in the creation or retention of private sector jobs. The local government must demonstrate clear need for financial assistance to undertake the improvements. Grant eligibility and amounts are determined by the amount of investment and job creation or retention involved.

The CDAP- ED program is a federally funded program that is designed to provide grants to units of local government for economic development activities related to business retention and or expansion opportunities. The program is targeted to assist low-to-moderate income people by creating job opportunities and improving the quality of their living environment. Local governments qualifying to receive grant funds can then make these funds available in the form of loans to businesses locating or expanding in their community. A local government may request grant funds of up to $750,000. Funds may be used for machinery and equipment, working capital, and building construction and renovation. The local government may also use the grant funds for improvements to public infrastructure that directly support a specific economic development project. Applications may be submitted at any time. Local government entities located in heavily populated metropolitan areas of the state may receive funding directly from the federal government and therefore, are ineligible for participation through this program.

The CSBG Loan Program is administered jointly by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), statewide Community Action Agencies (CAAs) and Illinois Ventures for Community Action (IVCA). The Program provides long-term, fixed-rate financing to new or expanding small businesses in exchange for job creation and employment for low-income individuals. CSBG funds usually make up between 20-49% of the entire loan project and have a low interest rate of 5% to 7.5%.

The EDGE program is designed to offer a special tax incentive to encourage companies to locate or expand operations in Illinois when there is active consideration of a competing location in another State. The program can provide tax credits to qualifying companies, equal to the amount of state income taxes withheld from the salaries of employees in the newly created jobs. The non- refundable credits can be used against corporate income taxes to be paid over a period not to exceed 10 years. To qualify a company must provide documentation that attests to the fact of competition among a competing state, and agree to make an investment of at least $5 million in capital improvements and create a minimum of 25 new full time jobs in Illinois. For a company with 100 or fewer employees, the company must agree to make a capital investment of $1million and create at least 5 new full time jobs in Illinois.

The Employer Training Investment Program (ETIP) helps keep Illinois workers’ skills in pace with new technologies and business practices, which, in turn, helps businesses increase productivity, reduce costs, improve quality and boost competitiveness. ETIP grants can reimburse new or expanding companies for up to 50 percent of the cost of training their employees. Trainees must be employed by the company prior to implementation of the training program. Instructors may be plant workers, public educators, private consultants, or others possessing the required expertise. Grants may be awarded to individual businesses, original equipment manufacturers sponsoring multi-company training for employees of their Illinois supplier companies, and to intermediary organizations operating multi-company training projects.

The Illinois Enterprise Zone Program is designed to stimulate economic growth and neighborhood revitalization in economically depressed areas of the state. This is accomplished through state and local tax incentives, regulatory relief, and improved governmental services.

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The HIB program is designed to encourage large-scale economic development activities, by providing tax incentives (similar to those offered within an enterprise zone) to companies that propose to make a substantial capital investment in operations and will create or retain above average number of jobs. Businesses may qualify for: investment tax credits, a state sales tax exemption on building materials, an exemption from state sales tax on utilities, a state sales tax exemption on manufacturing equipment purchases, repair and replacement parts. The project must involve a minimum of $12 million investment causing the creation of 500 full-time jobs or an investment of $30 million causing the retention of 1500 full-time jobs. The investment must take place at a designated location in Illinois outside of an Enterprise Zone. The program has been expanded to include qualified new electric generating facility, production operations at a new coal mine or, a new or upgraded transmission facility that supports the creation of 150 Illinois coal-mining jobs, or a newly constructed gasification facility as a “Coal/Energy High Impact Businesses”.

The Illinois Capital Access Program (CAP) is designed to encourage financial institutions to make loans to small and new businesses that do not qualify under conventional lending policies. CAP is a form of loan portfolio insurance, which provides additional reserve coverage to the lender on loan defaults. By participating in CAP, lenders have available to them a proven financing mechanism to meet the needs of financial institutions and Illinois small businesses.

The AgriFIRST program is designed to provide grants to persons and agribusinesses in Illinois for the purpose of developing projects that enhance the value of agricultural products or expand agribusiness in Illinois

IDOT has several programs that provide state assistance in improving highway and rail access improvements to new or expanding industrial, distribution or tourism developments. The focus of these programs is the retention and creation of Illinois jobs. Funding may be available for transportation improvement projects related to facilities that provide direct access to economic development projects. Projects providing access to retail establishments, office parks, government facilities or school/universities are not eligible. To view IDOT programs please click on the links below.

The Illinois State Treasurers Office offers a number of programs that are designed to assist the Illinois business community by providing access to capital and financing at affordable rates in order to promote economic development activities that create and retain jobs within the state. To view the Treasurers programs please click on the link below.offers a number of programs that are designed to assist the Illinois business community by providing access to capital and financing at affordable rates in order to promote economic development activities that create and retain jobs within the state.

The LBDP program is designed to provide grants to businesses undertaking a major expansion or relocation project that will result in substantial private investment and the creation and/or retention of a large number of Illinois jobs. Funds available through the program may be used by large businesses for bondable business activities, including financing the purchase of land or buildings, building construction or renovation, and certain types of machinery and equipment. Grant eligibility and amounts are determined by the amount of investment and job creation or retention involved.

The MWD/PLP program is a variation of the conventional PLP, in that DCEO subordinates the loans through participating lending institutions, but the MWD/PLP program can provide Illinois small businesses that are 51 percent owned and managed by persons who are minorities, women, or disabled, with loans up to $50,000 or 50 % of the total project.

The NMTC Program incentivizes community development and economic growth through the use of tax credits that attract private investment to distressed communities.

Learn more at https://www.cdfifund.gov/programs-training/programs/new-markets-tax-credit. 

The PLP program is designed to work through banks and other conventional lending institutions, to provide subordinated financial assistance to Illinois small businesses that employ Illinois workers. A business with 500 or fewer employees may apply for a PLP loan of not less than $10,000 nor more than $750,000. Loans shall not exceed 25% of the total project and may not be used for debt refinancing or contingency funding.

The RLOC program can provide qualifying businesses with a subordinated line of credit through banks and other convention lending institutions at affordable interest rates.

The Rural Micro-business Participation Loan Program is a variation of the Participation Loan Program designed to provide subordinated loans of up to 50% of a project (maximum $25,000) to Illinois Rural Micro-businesses through participating lending institutions. A rural micro-business is a for profit business that: (i) employs 5 or fewer full-time employees, including the owner if the owner is an employee, and (ii) is based on the production, processing, or marketing of agricultural products, forest products, cottage and craft products, or tourism. The borrower is required to provide equity of at least 10% of the project up to $1,000 (10% of a $10,000 project). Funds cannot be used for debt refinancing or contingency funding.

Illinois law allows units of local governments the ability to designate areas within their jurisdiction as TIF districts. These specially designated districts are used by local governments as a way to spur economic growth by dedicating the sales tax revenues and additional property tax revenues generated with in the TIF for improvements within the district with the hope of encouraging new economic development and jobs.

The Illinois Finance Authority (IFA) is a self-financed, state authority principally engaged in issuing taxable and tax-exempt bonds, making loans, and investing capital for businesses, non-profit corporations, agriculture and local government units statewide. IFA finances about $3 billion each year, helping generate economic growth and job creation.