RESOURCES
ELECTED OFFICIALS
FOR BUSINESS/ ENTREPRENEURSHIP
E.G. Woode was established to help relieve the disparities of capital access that minority owned businesses experience. Our platform is an incubator for minority business owners that leverages the power of real estate to aid in the development of their businesses and enhance their operations, marketing, and branding strategies.
Transform your vision into a legal reality by filing your business in Illinois. Enjoy the benefits of legal recognition, protect your brand name, and gain access to a vast market. Start your journey today and unlock the potential for growth and success!
The Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) ensures a fair and vibrant marketplace for businesses, workers and consumers in the City of Chicago. BACP licenses businesses and public vehicles, regulates business activity, protects consumers from fraud, enforces Chicago’s labor laws, partners with business service organizations and provides education and resources for businesses.
A New Way to Manage Your Business Online with the City of Chicago Welcome to Chicago Business Direct. Our new and improved site combines all of your city license and tax needs in one place. Business owners, and/or their legal representatives, may apply for City of Chicago business licenses, renew business licenses, file tax returns, and make tax payments online. For existing license holders, updating your business account information has never been easier! Chicago Business Direct has greater functionality that allows entrepreneurs to focus more time on their own business and less time at City Hall. Taxpayers familiar with our previous site will notice the changes immediately. Our system enhancements have made the process of filing tax returns and making tax payments more intuitive and efficient. Register for a user profile, get linked to your tax account, and you're ready to file and pay.
The Chicago Small Business Center (SBC) is the business licensing and permitting division of the City of Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) and the City’s “one-stop-shop” for business licensing, public way use permitting and other resources to start and grow your business.
The NBDC Program consists of over seventy (70) BACP delegate agencies that provide no-cost hyper-local business development assistance to entrepreneurs and business owners throughout the city. NBDCs provide general business licensing and public way use permitting guidance as well as specialized support services based on their program type (i.e., Place-Based Generalist, Business Stage, Capital, Cultural, Industry, and Innovation), which includes confidential counseling, technical assistance, professional development workshops, access to capital, B2B networking, employment and workforce development assistance and more.
Procurement Services
The Department of Procurement Services (DPS) is the contracting, certification, and compliance authority for the City of Chicago. DPS maintains the highest commitment to diversity, transparency, and innovation while continuously expanding the resources and programs that empower citizens to become involved in the contracting opportunities available at the City.
Small Business Majority is a national small business organization that empowers America's diverse entrepreneurs to build a thriving and equitable economy. We engage our network of more than 85,000 small businesses and 1,500 business and community organizations to deliver resources to entrepreneurs and advocate for public policy solutions that promote inclusive small business growth. Our work is bolstered by extensive research and deep connections with the small business community that enable us to educate stakeholders about key issues impacting America’s entrepreneurs, with a special focus on the smallest businesses and those facing systemic inequities.
The Illinois Comptroller's Office is responsible for maintaining the state's central fiscal accounts and managing the payments in and out of funds held by the Treasurer of Illinois. The Comptroller signs paychecks and approves electronic payments for state employees and creditors. Additionally, the office oversees cemetery regulations under the Cemetery Care Act, ensuring the fiduciary protection of cemetery care funds for the maintenance of gravesites in Illinois.
COMMUNITY
Imagine Englewood if (IEi) is the longest-serving nonprofit in Englewood dedicated to creating safe and empowering spaces for youth in the Greater Englewood community. IEi strengthens the Greater Englewood community by teaching local youth and their families positive communication skills, healthy living, and environmental awareness.
Englewood Data Hub is a dynamic and innovative data solutions provider, committed to empowering businesses with actionable insights and strategic data-driven decision-making. We specialize in aggregating, managing, and analyzing vast amounts of data to deliver customized solutions that drive business growth and operational efficiency.
The Englewood Portal is a digital tool for residents and organizations to tell their own story , to share the latest events and news happening in Greater Englewood. Organizations, Schools, Associations, Government Agency, Clubs and Businesses are also encouraged to share information on the portal. The goal is to encourage and to help The Greater Englewood Community to become more digitally savvy, share content on the portal, stay informed and up to date about news, events, and jobs in the community.
Chicago OEMC is the official safety app of Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC). The app will send you important safety alerts and provide instant access to all available resources. Enhance your safety with the set of tools provided in one convenient app.
Grow Greater
Englewood
Established in 2017, Grow Greater Englewood (GGE) works in partnership with community stakeholders to develop local food economies and land sovereignty which empower residents to thrive. An African centered community in which all people have resources to live safe, happy, healthy, and fulfilling lives.
Englewood Quality of Life Program(EQLP)
Englewood’s Quality-of-Life Plan was designed to be community-led and community-authored to capture the concerns, aspirations and ideas of residents and local stakeholders. Englewood’s primary focus for this process was building capacity and empowering residents. Our residents are inspired to create a better neighborhood and have worked tirelessly throughout the Quality-of-Life planning process. From the onset of the process, they have readily accepted responsibility for our community’s future by leading task force groups and initiating early action projects such as drumming circles, the Quality-of- Life Fund, the Englewood Business Plan Competition and the Design and Development Committee. We are dedicated to seeing the fulfilment of this process and being a part of the Englewood Renaissance.
Our mission is to improve the quality of life of the residents and stakeholders of Englewood by facilitating economic, educational and social opportunities. Our vision is building community capacity by collaborating with local and potential stakeholders to create an environment that fosters the tenants for a healthy and vibrant Englewood.
Family Focus invests in strengthening families and their children in Chicago and NE Illinois so they build social capital and achieve upward economic mobility through high-quality innovative programs and services, grounded in anti-racism and social justice.
health
The Chicago Department of Public Health Mental Health Centers offer care that provides support for emotional, traumatic, or behavioral difficulties. Support is based on needs identified by the consumer, including goals, objectives, and specific mental health services. These services are provided free of charge to all Chicagoans.
The Mental Health Coalition was formed with the understanding that the mental health crisis is fueled by a pervasive and devastating stigma, preventing millions of individuals from being able to seek the critical treatment they need. We envision a world in which mental health is not associated with stigma, shame or judgement and all people feel empowered to openly discuss and address their individual mental health needs.
PROGRAMS
CHAMBER MEMBERSHIP
E-COMMERCE READINESS PROGRAM
LEGAL REPRESENTATION FOR CITY OF CHICAGO
BASIC FINANCIALS FOR BUSINESS
RETAIL SALES INCUBATOR
EMPLOYER & EMPLOYEE SERVICES PROGRAM
BASICS FOR EMPLOYEE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
NEIGHBORHOOD ENTREPRENEUR LAB
LEARN MORE
NEXT GEN PITCH PROGRAM
Neighborhood Business Development Centers (NBDCs)
NBDCs provide free hyper-local support to entrepreneurs and business owners through strong neighborhood network to help connect businesses to financial resources, business-to-business networking opportunities, employment and workforce development assistance and more. Find your local NBDC by visiting Chicago.gov/NBDC.
Chicago Business Centers (CBCs)
CBCs are eight Chicago-based business service organizations located in neighborhoods to serve as regional hubs providing free business licensing assistance and other resources for small businesses. The eight centers fill the current gap of local business resources, particularly for entrepreneurs in historically underserved locations and populations. To learn more, visit Chicago.gov/CBC.
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)
The SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. To learn more, visit SBA.gov.
BACP Business Education Webinars:
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To view upcoming webinars, visit Chicago.gov/BusinessEducation.
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To view past webinars, visit YouTube.com/ChicagoBACP.