Cook County Small Business Source
Free one-on-one business advising through 13 Business Support Organizations and 30+ referral partners. No cost, no eligibility requirements beyond being in Cook County.
Check an Address — Free Snapshot
Compare the geocoded point for a Chicago address with the boundary used to screen Cook County Small Business Source. A match is a location signal; review the current program source for the boundary's role and remaining criteria.
Published criteria — confirm with Cook County Small Business Source
- Business in Cook County
Cook County Small Business Source is administered at the county level. Depending on the program, eligibility may depend on the specific location, property type, or business activity rather than a single drawn boundary.
Boundaries are precise and change over time, so whether a specific address falls inside a mapped zone always depends on that exact address. The fastest way to check is to run a free snapshot for the parcel you have in mind — mapped coverage is a location signal, not an eligibility determination.
Range on file · Free advising (no cost)
Current published terms as of 2026-08-09
- +Free one-on-one business advising
- +Business plan development assistance
- +Help accessing new customers and markets
- +Grant and loan application assistance
- +Government contracting readiness assessment
- 1Visit cookcountysmallbiz.org and request an advisor
- 2Get matched with a Business Support Organization
- 3Schedule free advising sessions
- 4No application fee or eligibility requirements
Visit cookcountysmallbiz.org to request an advisor
- Bring any existing business plans or financials to advising sessions
- No formal documents required to get started
This page is a starting point, not eligibility, legal, or tax advice. Verify current requirements, deadlines, and boundaries with the administering agency before applying or spending money — program rules and funding change over time.
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Last verified 2026-08-09
Cook County reduces property tax assessments for small commercial projects to encourage new construction, substantial rehabilitation, or reoccupancy of abandoned commercial buildings.
The Catalyst Grant provides up to $100,000 to established small businesses in Cook County for equipment, facilities, and hiring — funded through ARPA dollars.
C-PACE provides up to 100% upfront financing from private capital for energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water conservation improvements to commercial buildings, repaid through property tax bills.
The CCLBA acquires and returns vacant, abandoned, and tax-delinquent properties to productive use. Reclaiming Chicago Initiative (launched Aug 2025) is the Land Bank's flagship effort converting South Side lots to new affordable homes. Businesses can also purchase commercial and industrial properties from CCLBA's inventory.