4 Deerfield Small Businesses Receive Cook County Grants

DEERFIELD, IL — Four Deerfield small businesses are part of 3,000 Cook County businesses receiving the 2023 Source Grant, part of a historic $50 million investment in both city neighborhoods and suburban communities. Small businesses throughout the county received $10,000 and $20,000 grants to "foster resiliency in the post-pandemic economy" through the Cook County Small Business Source.

According to the office of Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, more than 16,000 applications were reviewed for the funding. The Women's Business Development Center and Allies for Community Business, serving as the program's grant administrators, confirmed eligibility and submission of required documentation. A lottery process was then used to select the 3,000 recipients from the pool of eligible applications. Grant recipients received notice of their award in mid-December and the funds in January.

The Deerfield small businesses receiving grants are:

• Baczynski Masonry, Inc., $20,000
• Cma Northshore Inc., $20,000
• Odpurev Nansaltsog, $10,000
• Said Baiiche, $10,000

Among the recipients, 60 percent are located in suburban Cook County, with 60 percent in priority sectors, including arts and entertainment; childcare and social assistance; hospitality, food and tourism; retail trade; and transportation and warehousing. In addition, 45 veteran-owned businesses also received grants.

"Cook County's small businesses have faced uncharted waters in the post-pandemic economy, and this grant provides the stability they need to thrive in 2024 and beyond," Preckwinkle said. "Small businesses have shown a unique tenacity and staying power in surviving the pandemic, and they are important assets to our community."

Officials said the grant may be used for business expenses, including payroll, operating expenses, lease or rent payments and inventory acquisition vital to the business. Funds cannot be used for capital improvements or personal expenses.

To fund the grant program, Preckwinkle's office said Cook County utilized $50 million from a pool of $1 billion received from the American Rescue Plan Act, the economic-stimulus bill signed by President Joe Biden in 2021. The program's original intention was to distribute $40 million, but it received additional funding due to "overwhelming interest."

For a full list of grant recipients, visit the Cook County Small Business Source website at cookcountysmallbiz.org.