Opportunity overview
Applications currently open. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), Office of Economic Equity and Empowerment, is accepting applications for the Illinois Economic Empowerment Centers (EEC) Program, Funding Opportunity FY26-1, CSFA 420-45-3226, NOFO 3226-4281. These competitive state-funded grants establish or support Illinois centers that deliver entrepreneurship education, cohort training, individual business counseling, and referrals to business and financing resources.
Funding and deadline
Individual applicant award range: $250,000 to $500,000 across the anticipated two-year grant period. DCEO estimates $2,500,000 for this funding round and no more than ten awards; that amount is the overall pool, not an individual applicant award. The current DCEO grant webpage lists November 6, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. (time zone not specified). However, the visually rendered 16-page NOFO PDF describes rolling applications without displaying this cutoff in its summary or submission section, and the June 23 FAQ describes intake until funds are awarded. Deadline clarification needed: applicants should treat November 6 at 5:00 p.m. as the conservative deadline shown on the funder’s current webpage and obtain written clarification from DCEO about any rolling intake or later cutoff. This discrepancy remains unresolved.
Eligible applicants
Eligible applicants are career education agencies and qualifying nonprofit corporations serving Illinois businesses and entrepreneurs, including local development corporations, chambers of commerce, community-based business outreach centers, and other nonprofit organizations. DCEO’s FAQ confirms state colleges and universities may be career education agencies; for-profit entities and for-profit education providers may not apply as lead applicants, and fiscal sponsorship does not substitute for the applicant’s own eligibility. An EEC must have a designated director, a qualifying board of directors, nonprofit incorporation, and an accessible Illinois service location. Priority is given to proposals in CDFI investment areas, but these are not an absolute geographic eligibility requirement. The centers must be able to serve the specified entrepreneur and small-business populations.
Match, payments, and allowable expenses
The applicant must document a 100% match of its grant amount, including at least 50% of the award amount in cash; the balance may be qualifying documented in-kind support. Matching contributions must be committed up front and evidenced in the application. Awards are reimbursement-based, with a possible initial working-capital request equal to two months of expenditures after agreement execution. Eligible award expenses are limited chiefly to program director, instructor, faculty, and support-personnel services and costs directly furthering the EEC instruction and counseling program. Indirect costs are ineligible. Purchase of a new site is not supported; project locations must already be established. The anticipated performance period is July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028, subject to adjustment for actual award dates.
Application requirements
Applicants must register and obtain applicable prequalification through Illinois GATA and satisfy state and federal standing requirements, with SAM/UEI obligations as described in the NOFO. Submit the signed Uniform Grant Application, full Uniform Budget workbook, conflict-of-interest and mandatory disclosures, EEC Program Application and signature page, organizational documents, project-location image, leadership resumes and organizational chart, evidence of partnerships, and documented cash and in-kind match support. The official submission guidance allows a maximum of ten uploaded files, so appropriately combine documents. Applicants should review the complete NOFO, the FAQ, and the program application before submitting through DCEO’s designated Smartsheet form.
Official resources
DCEO grant announcement and application package | Controlling 16-page NOFO supplement | Official EEC FAQ (June 23, 2026). For funding questions, contact the agency through its official DCEO grant page.