The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (the “Department” or “DCEO”) is issuing this Notice of Funding Opportunity (“NOFO”) to request applications for the Rebuild Downtowns & Main Streets (RDMS) Capital Grant Program and for the Research in Illinois to Spur Economic Recovery (RISE) Implementation Grant Program.
Donor Name: Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
State: Illinois
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 07/22/2024
Size of the Grant: More than $1 million
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
$20 million has been allocated for RDMS and $10 million for RISE, with individual grants for both opportunities ranging from $250,000 to $2 million. An applicant may receive no more than one award through this NOFO. RDMS will facilitate investment to revitalize commercial corridors and downtown areas in Illinois, offering capital grants to support improvements in communities that have experienced disinvestment, particularly those hardest-hit by the COVID-19 crisis. This support will help to accelerate Illinois’ economic recovery and promote long-term, sustainable, and inclusive growth for the state. RDMS grants are available for capital projects only. Examples of suitable projects include but are not limited to:

Improvement and repair of roads, sidewalks, and lighting in commercial corridors and downtowns
Development of public spaces that will attract events to and/or add to the appeal of commercial corridors and downtowns
Improvement and repair of water and sewer infrastructure serving commercial corridors and downtowns
Mixed-use development that will add to the vitality of commercial corridors and downtowns

Funding Information

Total amount of funding expected to be awarded through this NOFO is $20 million for RDMS and $10 million for RISE Implementation. Awards will range from $250,000 to $2 million for both programs.
The period of performance is expected to be late calendar year 2024 through the end of calendar year 2026.

Eligibility Criteria
An entity must be registered in the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) Grantee Portal, at the time of grant application. The portal will verify that the entity:

Has a valid FEIN number
Has a current SAM.gov registration, SAM.gov registrations must be marked as “public” to allow the GATA Grantee Portal to expedite the review of the federal information;
Has a valid UEI number
Is not on the Federal Excluded Parties List
Is in Good Standing with the Illinois Secretary of State, as applicable
Is not on the Illinois Stop Payment list and
Is not on the Department of Healthcare and Family Services Provider Sanctions list

Eligible Applicants 
The following entities are eligible to apply for both RDMS and RISE Implementation grants:

Economic development organizations (EDOs)
Local units of government (e.g., municipalities, counties, townships)
Private Businesses Special purpose local units of government (e.g., library districts, fire protection districts, schools) are not eligible. 

For more information, visit DCEO.