Start.Pivot.Grow. Micro Grant

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is issuing this Notice of Funding Opportunity (“NOFO”) to implement a capital grant program to support reproductive health care facilities in Illinois that are experiencing increased demand for their services. Following the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v Wade in 2022, Illinois clinics have seen an influx of out-of-state patients, resulting in limited capacity and stress to reproductive health care service providers. To address the need to maintain and expand access to care, the Illinois Reproductive Health Facilities Capital Grant Program will help abortion providers in Illinois address their needs for capital investment. Grant funds may be used to invest in facility construction or durable equipment.

The BGV Pitch program flips the traditional pitch experience on its head: we coach entrepreneurs, host a live crowdfunded pitch competition, and connect you to community and professionals to support you on your journey. We democratize funding by allowing the audience to vote with their dollars using our Raisify platform for the founders whose pitch they favor. Each founder has 3 minutes to pitch, followed by a 2-minute Q&A with the audience. Winners will receive cash prizes ranging from $5,000 to $15,000, access to the BGV Connect Incubator, and a network of business owners and investors.

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This program will provide a state match to companies that have received a Phase I award through a federal SBIR or STTR grant program. The maximum award under this program may not exceed $50,000. Seventy-five percent (75%) of the total grant shall be remitted to the business upon receipt of the SBIR/STTR Phase I award and application for funds. The remaining twenty-five percent (25%) of the total grant shall be remitted to the business upon submission by the business of the Phase II application to the federal funding agency and acceptance of the Phase I report by the federal funding agency. This program is utilizing state funds appropriated by the Illinois General Assembly to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

The purpose of this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) is to solicit applications for pilot projects to identify new druggable targets for pain within the understudied druggable proteome. Awards will support generation of preliminary data and/or tools around eligible understudied protein(s) listed in this NOFO. This NOFO is intended to jumpstart research on understudied proteins within the context of pain and pain management and provide applicants with sufficient funding to perform basic biochemical and/or biological work to further the characterization of understudied proteins to identify new druggable targets for pain. This NOFO is part of the NIH Helping to End Addiction Long Term (HEAL) initiative to accelerate the development of novel medications to treat all aspects of the opioid addiction cycle, including progression to chronic use, withdrawal symptoms, craving, relapse, and overdose.