Finding funding in Chicago can be easier when you know where to look. Women-owned businesses can tap into city grants, neighborhood programs, women-focused initiatives, and national funding opportunities that accept applicants from Chicago. Some grants help with storefront improvements or equipment, while others provide cash for business growth. Here are the top business grants for women in Chicago.
BeyoU Fund
The BeyoU Fund is an annual grant for Chicago-based female entrepreneurs. The fund starts at $1,500, but the amount can grow through donations and partnerships. The 2026 fund totals $5,300, giving one Chicago woman entrepreneur a larger pool of funding to put toward her business.
The program is open to women running businesses in Chicago and is designed to provide practical financial support for business growth. The award can be useful for entrepreneurs who need a relatively small amount of capital to move a project or business forward.
To apply, visit the BeyoU Fund page and follow the application instructions.
Chicago Sky Foundation Women’s Small Business Cohort
The Chicago Sky Foundation Women’s Small Business Cohort is designed specifically for women-owned businesses in the Chicagoland area. The program combines business education, mentorship, networking, and a pitch competition, giving women entrepreneurs both training and an opportunity to compete for funding.
The 2026 program awarded four $20,000 grants to cohort members through its pitch competition. The cohort also offers workshops on marketing, customer acquisition, financial infrastructure, team building, and operational capacity.
To learn more, visit the Chicago Sky Foundation and look for information about the next Women’s Small Business Cohort.
Related post: Small Business Grant Eligibility: Do You Qualify in 2026?
Neighborhood Opportunity Fund
The Neighborhood Opportunity Fund provides grants to help businesses and cultural projects in eligible Chicago neighborhoods pay for permanent improvements. Funding can support projects such as building renovations, interior build-outs, equipment, and other capital improvements.
Eligible projects can receive grants covering up to 75% of approved project costs, with awards of up to $250,000. The program focuses on designated commercial corridors on Chicago’s South, Southwest, and West Sides.
Women-owned businesses can apply when they meet the location, property, and project requirements. To qualify, applicants need site control through ownership, a lease, or an executed purchase agreement.
To apply, visit the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund information page, check your property’s eligibility, and complete the required application.
Small Business Improvement Fund
Chicago’s Small Business Improvement Fund (SBIF) helps businesses pay for permanent improvements and repairs to commercial and industrial properties in designated Tax Increment Financing districts.
The program can cover 30% to 90% of eligible improvement costs. Commercial properties occupied by a single business can qualify for up to $150,000, while eligible industrial properties can receive up to $250,000.
SBIF is a reimbursement grant, so businesses pay approved project costs upfront and receive reimbursement according to the program’s rules. Eligible improvements can include remodeling, repairs, and other permanent property upgrades.
To apply, use the Chicago SBIF application and check the rollout schedule to see when your TIF district is eligible.
Commercial Corridor Storefront Activation Grant
The Commercial Corridor Storefront Activation (CCSA) Program provides reimbursable grants to small businesses and property owners for capital improvements to commercial spaces in participating Chicago corridors. The program also provides technical assistance to businesses at no cost. (Allies for Community Business)
The funding can support improvements that help activate vacant or existing storefronts and strengthen neighborhood commercial corridors. Eligible applicants may include business owners and property owners who control a qualifying site.
Women-owned businesses can apply when they meet the program’s location, business, and property requirements.
To learn more, visit the Commercial Corridor Storefront Activation Program and review the current eligibility and application requirements.
Neighborhood Market Grant Program
The Neighborhood Market Grant Program helps small food retailers and farmers market operators strengthen food businesses in Chicago neighborhoods that have experienced disinvestment. The program is administered by the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection in partnership with Allies for Community Business.
Eligible businesses must operate a physical food or beverage retail storefront in a qualifying Chicago area, generate at least 75% of revenue from retail food and beverage sales, and meet the program’s licensing and business requirements. The grant provides one-time financial support for eligible businesses.
Women who own qualifying food retail businesses can apply.
To apply, visit the Neighborhood Market Grant Program page and review the eligibility requirements and application instructions.
Workforce Solutions Program Grant
The Workforce Solutions Program Grant helps eligible Chicago businesses pay for employee training and skills development. The program provides reimbursement grants covering up to 100% of eligible training costs, with awards of up to $250,000 per business.
Businesses can use the funding for employee training, leadership development, technology skills, workplace safety, and on-the-job training for new hires. This can be especially useful for a growing woman-owned business that needs to develop its team but wants help covering training costs.
To apply, visit the City of Chicago grant application portal, review the Workforce Solutions Program requirements, and submit the required information.
Small Community Development Grants
Chicago’s Small Community Development Grants support businesses, community organizations, and other eligible projects that contribute to neighborhood development. The program can provide grants of up to $250,000 for qualifying small projects.
Funding can support commercial development and improvements that strengthen local communities. Because the program is project based, applicants need to demonstrate that their proposed project meets the program’s development goals.
Women-owned businesses can apply when they meet the program’s requirements.
To apply, visit the City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development and review the current Small Community Development Grant guidelines.
Illinois SBIR/STTR Matching Grant
Chicago women entrepreneurs developing innovative products or technologies can also look beyond city programs. The Illinois SBIR/STTR Matching Grant Program provides additional funding to Illinois businesses that have received qualifying federal SBIR or STTR awards.
The program provides up to $75,000 for qualifying Phase I awards and up to $250,000 for Phase II awards, helping companies continue research, development, and commercialization.
The program is not limited to women, but women-owned technology, biotechnology, health, energy, software, and other research-driven businesses can apply when they meet the requirements.
To apply, visit the Illinois SBIR/STTR Matching Grant Program and review the eligibility requirements.
Related post: America’s Seed Fund SBIR/STTR: What to Know Before Applying
HerRise MicroGrant
If you are looking for business grants for black women, consider applying for the HerRise MicroGrant, which supports women of color running small businesses in the United States. One woman-owned business receives $1,000 each month, which can help cover expenses such as equipment, software, marketing, supplies, or website development.
To qualify, your business must be at least 51% women-owned, registered in the United States, and have less than $1 million in gross revenue. Nonprofits, franchises, direct sellers, authorized resellers, and independent consultants are not eligible. A $15 administrative fee applies when you submit an application.
To apply, visit the HerRise MicroGrant page and complete the application.
Kitty Fund Mompreneur Business Grant
The Kitty Fund Mompreneur Business Grant helps mothers who own and operate small businesses. The program provides $1,000 grants to selected mompreneurs and also gives recipients access to business development support through Founders First CDC.
The grant is open to qualifying mother-owned businesses in the United States, making it an option for Chicago women who meet the program’s requirements. To apply, visit the Kitty Fund page and review the eligibility requirements.
Amber Grant for Women
The Amber Grant is one of the most established business grant programs for women entrepreneurs in the United States. Administered by WomensNet, it supports women-owned businesses at different stages, including startups and established companies. The program awards three $10,000 grants each month, with three additional $50,000 grants awarded at the end of the year.
To apply, visit the Amber Grant for Women website and complete the application. One application makes you eligible for the grants for which your business qualifies.
Related post: 10 Tips for Amber Grant Application in 2026
How to Prepare for a Business Grant
Before applying, check that your business meets the program’s requirements. Different grants may have rules covering ownership, location, industry, revenue, business structure, or how the funding can be used. Our guide to small business grant eligibility can help you work through those requirements.
It also helps to prepare your documents before you begin. Financial records, business registration details, ownership information, budgets, and other supporting materials are common application requirements. Our grant application checklist can help you get organized.
Your application should also make it clear why your business deserves the funding and what the money will accomplish. A strong, specific business story is easier for a funder to understand, while a detailed use-of-funds explanation shows that you have a realistic plan for the money.
In conclusion, there is an impressive mix of business grants for women in Chicago, including city grants, neighborhood opportunities, statewide, and national funding programs. The best place to start is with programs that fit your business, location, and funding needs. Then broaden your search to national grants so you are not relying on a single source of funding. For more guidance, read our guide on how to find business grants for women, which has practical tips that can help you secure the funds you need to realize your dreams.
