Incentive Programs

66 sourced federal, state, county, and city incentive programs — 54 with an intake window currently open or rolling.

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Definition

Incentive Zones

Incentive zones are geographic designations drawn by federal, state, or city agencies on census tracts or neighborhood boundaries. A geocoded point that falls insidea zone is a location signal for the programs that reference that boundary — review the current program source for the boundary's role and any remaining criteria. A single address can fall within multiple overlapping zones (e.g., TIF + Opportunity Zone + Enterprise Zone).

Definition

Incentive Programs

Programs are the actual benefits — grants, tax credits, financing, and technical assistance — administered by a government agency. Each program has its own application process, eligibility criteria, and deadlines. Some programs require zone membership; others (like Cook County programs) are available county-wide regardless of zone status.

Cheat Sheet

Chicago Incentive Explorer · One-Page Overview

Generated 2026-09-10 · chicagoincentiveexplorer.com

ZonesGeographic designations (TIF, OZ, Enterprise Zone, etc.). A location signal for the programs that reference them — a single address can sit in multiple overlapping zones.

ProgramsThe actual benefits (grants, tax credits, financing) administered by an agency. Review the current program source for the boundary's role and any remaining criteria before applying.

Federal18 total

CDFI Fund Bond Guarantee Program
Long-term fixed-rate capital deployed through certified CDFIs
CHIPS Investment Tax Credit (§48D)
35% federal investment tax credit (property placed in service after 2025)
Elective Pay & Transferability (Clean Energy Credits)
Cash monetization of clean-energy credits
Federal Historic Tax Credit (HTC)
20% federal tax credit (no cap)
Federal Opportunity Zones
Tax deferral + 0% gains after 10 yrs (OZ 1.0 through 2028; OZ 2.0 eff. 1/1/2027)
HUD Section 108 Loan Guarantee
Federally-guaranteed loan, 30-year term, 0.58% FY26 fee
IRA Clean Electricity Credits (§48E / §45Y) + Low-Income Communities Bonus
30% base ITC + up to 20% bonuses (50% total possible)
IRA Energy Community Tax Credit Bonus
+10 points on ITC / +10% PTC
Qualified Census Tract (QCT) — LIHTC Boost
130% LIHTC basis boost (30% more credits)
SBA 7(a) and 504 Financing
Financing structure and terms vary by project and lender; no approval or amount is implied
SBA Disaster EIDL — Cook County Flood Declaration
Up to $2M at 4% (small business) or 2.75% (nonprofit), up to 30-year term
SBA HUBZone Program
Contract set-asides + 10% price preference
SBA Microloan Program
Terms and amount are determined by the intermediary; no approval or financing amount is implied
SSBCI — Advantage Illinois & INVENT VCP
State participation/guarantee $10K–$2M + equity through INVENT VCP
§179D — Energy Efficient Commercial Buildings Deduction· Lapsed
Up to $5.94/sf federal deduction
EDA Build to Scale (B2S)· Pending
$500K – $5M federal grants
High Unemployment Zone (Information Overlay)· Lapsed
WOTC: $2,400–$9,600/hire (authority lapsed 1/1/2026; retroactive reauthorization historically occurs)
New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC)· Pending
39% tax credit over 7 years (program made permanent by OBBBA 2025 at $5B/year)

State16 total

Advancing Innovative Manufacturing (AIM) Tax Credit
3% / 5% / 7% capital credit (tiered by investment)
Building Materials Exemption Certificate (BMEC)
Sales tax exemption on eligible building materials
Economic Empowerment Centers (EEC) Grant Program — Round 2
$250,000-$500,000
EDGE Tax Credit
50% withholding (new hires) / 25% (retained) / +25% underserved-area boost
Enterprise Zones
Up to 9.25% sales tax exemption + 0.5% investment credit + utility exemptions
High Impact Business (HIB)
Sales + utility + manufacturing M&E exemptions + investment tax credit
Illinois Film Production Services Tax Credit
Up to 35% transferable credit
Illinois Innovation Voucher Program
Up to $75,000 (75% reimbursement)
Illinois Live Theater Production Tax Credit
20% transferable credit on qualified IL expenditures
Illinois Opportunity Zones
DCEO grants + federal OZ stacking
MICRO Program
75% payroll withholding (100% underserved) + training, construction, and investment credits
Quantum Enterprise Zone (QEZ) Program
Utility + sales tax exemptions + income tax credits
REV Illinois
Negotiated tax credits across 4 investment/job tiers
Data Center Tax Incentive· Closed
Sales tax exemption on equipment + 20% construction wage credit (underserved areas)
Illinois Cannabis Social Equity Loan Program — Round III· Lapsed
Forgivable loans (size varies by round)
Restore, Reinvest, Renew (R3) Program· Closed
Grants (size varies by NOFO)

County16 total

Cook County Brownfield Redevelopment Assistance
Phase I/II assessments and remediation planning, no-cost to qualifying owners through 2026
Cook County C-PACE (Clean Energy Financing)
Up to 100% project financing (30-year terms)
Cook County Class 6b Industrial Property Tax Incentive
10% assessment (vs. 25%) for 10 years, then 15% / 20%
Cook County Class 6b SER (Sustainable Emergency Relief)
10% assessment for 10 years (non-renewable)
Cook County Class 7a Property Tax Incentive
10% assessment (vs. 25%) for 10 years
Cook County Class 7b Commercial Property Tax Incentive
10% assessment for 10 years, then 15% / 20%
Cook County Class 7c Commercial Urban Relief Eligibility (CURE)
10% assessment for 5 years (renewable once)
Cook County Class 8 Property Tax Incentive
10% assessment for 10 years, then 15% / 20%
Cook County Class 8a MICRO (Semiconductor)
10% assessment for 30 years (stacks with state MICRO + federal §48D)
Cook County Class C Brownfield Property Tax Incentive
10% assessment on land + improvements for 10 years
Cook County Class L Landmark Rehabilitation Incentive
10% assessment on improvements for 10 years (12-year total schedule)
Cook County Land Bank Authority
Below-market property acquisition + Reclaiming Chicago pipeline
Cook County Small Business Source
Free advising (no cost)
Cook County Cannabis Development Grant· Lapsed
$75,000–$150,000, depending on business type
Cook County Catalyst Grant· Lapsed
Up to $100,000
Invest in Cook — Transportation Grant Program· Closed
Grant award sized to project (program total $8.5M/year)

City9 total

Chicago Landmark District Incentives
Class L: 10% assessment for 10 years (administered by Cook County Assessor)
Community Development Grant — Large (> $5M)
> $5M reimbursement (catalytic)
Industrial Corridor Protections
Zoning protections + infrastructure priority
Neighborhood Opportunity Fund (NOF)
$250K @ 75% reimbursement + up to $50K TA bonus
Special Service Area (SSA)
Free corridor services (streetscaping, marketing, safety)
TIF Districts
Project-sized (no fixed cap)
Workforce Solutions Program (formerly TIFWorks)
Up to $250K (standard) / $500K (extraordinary impact); 100% or 25–50% match depending on business size
Chicago Neighborhood Recovery Program (CNRP, formerly MMRP)· Closed
$15,000 down-payment assistance, subject to fund availability
Climate Infrastructure Fund (CIF) / Equitable Transit-Oriented Development (ETOD)· Lapsed
Grants up to $250,000 per award (round closed)

Utility4 total

ComEd Distributed Generation Solar + Battery Rebate (Adjacent Capital — NOT a grant incentive)
$300/kW (≤100 kW) or $250/kW (>100 kW) upfront; stacks with IL Shines RECs + federal ITC
ComEd EV Charger and Installation Rebate
Residential up to $750 ($2,500 LI/LIC/EIEC); commercial up to $5,000/port ($7,500 LI/EIEC)
ComEd Small Business Energy Efficiency (Adjacent Capital — NOT a grant incentive)
Up to 75% of eligible equipment costs (specific caps require direct ComEd verification)
Peoples Gas C&I Energy Efficiency Rebates 2026-2029 (Adjacent Capital — NOT a grant incentive)
Prescriptive rebates vary by measure — call (855) 849-8928 or request the 2026 rebate schedule PDF

Verify with the official source. This is a discovery tool — not legal, tax, or eligibility advice. Some incentives require certification, pre-approval, or reporting through the administering agency. Verify current requirements with the official source before applying, purchasing materials, or beginning work.

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Incentive Programs

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Incentive Zones

Incentive Programs

Chicago Incentive Explorer · One-Page Overview

TIF Districts

Federal Opportunity Zones

Illinois Opportunity Zones

Enterprise Zones

EDGE Tax Credit

REV Illinois

MICRO Program

Data Center Tax Incentive

Special Service Area (SSA)

High Unemployment Zone (Information Overlay)

Cook County Class 7a Property Tax Incentive

Cook County Catalyst Grant

Cook County C-PACE (Clean Energy Financing)

Cook County Small Business Source

Cook County Land Bank Authority

Neighborhood Opportunity Fund (NOF)

New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC)

Qualified Census Tract (QCT) — LIHTC Boost

Chicago Landmark District Incentives

Federal Historic Tax Credit (HTC)

Chicago Neighborhood Recovery Program (CNRP, formerly MMRP)

Industrial Corridor Protections

SBA HUBZone Program

IRA Energy Community Tax Credit Bonus

IRA Clean Electricity Credits (§48E / §45Y) + Low-Income Communities Bonus

Elective Pay & Transferability (Clean Energy Credits)

§179D — Energy Efficient Commercial Buildings Deduction

HUD Section 108 Loan Guarantee

CDFI Fund Bond Guarantee Program

SBA 7(a) and 504 Financing

SBA Microloan Program

SBA Disaster EIDL — Cook County Flood Declaration

CHIPS Investment Tax Credit (§48D)

SSBCI — Advantage Illinois & INVENT VCP

EDA Build to Scale (B2S)

Building Materials Exemption Certificate (BMEC)

Advancing Innovative Manufacturing (AIM) Tax Credit

Quantum Enterprise Zone (QEZ) Program

High Impact Business (HIB)

Illinois Innovation Voucher Program

Economic Empowerment Centers (EEC) Grant Program — Round 2

Illinois Film Production Services Tax Credit

Illinois Live Theater Production Tax Credit

Illinois Cannabis Social Equity Loan Program — Round III

Restore, Reinvest, Renew (R3) Program

Cook County Class 6b Industrial Property Tax Incentive

Cook County Class 6b SER (Sustainable Emergency Relief)

Cook County Class 7b Commercial Property Tax Incentive

Cook County Class 7c Commercial Urban Relief Eligibility (CURE)

Cook County Class 8 Property Tax Incentive

Cook County Class 8a MICRO (Semiconductor)

Cook County Class C Brownfield Property Tax Incentive

Cook County Class L Landmark Rehabilitation Incentive

Cook County Cannabis Development Grant

Invest in Cook — Transportation Grant Program

Cook County Brownfield Redevelopment Assistance

Community Development Grant — Large (> $5M)

Workforce Solutions Program (formerly TIFWorks)

Climate Infrastructure Fund (CIF) / Equitable Transit-Oriented Development (ETOD)

ComEd EV Charger and Installation Rebate

ComEd Small Business Energy Efficiency (Adjacent Capital — NOT a grant incentive)

ComEd Distributed Generation Solar + Battery Rebate (Adjacent Capital — NOT a grant incentive)

Peoples Gas C&I Energy Efficiency Rebates 2026-2029 (Adjacent Capital — NOT a grant incentive)

Kiva Chicago 0% Microloan (Adjacent Capital — NOT a grant incentive)

Greenwood Archer Capital CDFI Loans (Adjacent Capital — NOT a grant incentive)

Allies for Community Business (A4CB) Term & Revenue-Based Loans (Adjacent Capital — NOT a grant incentive)