The Illinois Grocery Initiative is offering grant funding to support the establishment of new grocery stores in food deserts across Illinois. This program aims to increase access to fresh and affordable food in underserved areas by funding the development of new grocery stores. The initiative has an estimated total funding of $11,000,000 for this round, with anticipated awards to five grantees, ranging from $150,000 to $2,400,000 each.

Applications are open from October 3, 2024, to December 2, 2024, with a submission deadline of 5:00 PM CST. Cost sharing or matching funds are required for this grant. Indirect costs are allowed but are restricted to covering working capital expenses associated with first-year operational costs.

A non-mandatory technical assistance session will be held on October 9, 2024, at 10:00 AM CST. Interested applicants can register for the session via the provided Webex link. For more information, applicants can contact John O'Conner at CEO.GroceryInitiative@illinois.gov or visit the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) website to access the full Notice of Funding Opportunity.