Partnership Programs
CCV operates the Chicago West Side Entrepreneurship Center in partnership with the University of Illinois at Chicago and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. The Center provides high growth potential companies with matching Challenge Grants in amounts up to $5,000. The CWSEC, the first of 20 Entrepreneurship Centers statewide, is part of Governor Blagojevich’s Opportunity Returns economic development initiative. The center serves as a coordinating hub for entrepreneurial development activity within the Illinois Entrepreneurship Network.
CCV also serves as an Illinois Small Business Development Center in the Illinois Entrepreneurship Network. The center, funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, provides assistance to new and existing small businesses in the Chicagoland area. Services include one-on-one business counseling , business plan development assistance, help accessing marketing information, and access to business education and training opportunities
Chicago Minority Business Development Council and CCV jointly operate the Chicago Minority Business Enterprise Center with funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency. The Center provides minority business owners with a broad range of affordable services including consulting, procurement, and loan packaging.
CCV is a delegate agency of the City of Chicago’s Department of Planning and Development through the Community Development Block Grant program. With funding from this program, CCV manages the Federal tax program Commercial Revitalization Deduction in conjunction with the Office of Budget and Management. Through this program, CCV is responsible for allocating the $12 million offered annually through the CRD to qualifying commercial development projects.
Together with The Partnership for New Communities, CCV offers the Small Business Development Initiative (SBDI) program. SBDI bolsters the operating capacity and sustainability of local business owners in low and moderate income areas through a long-term engagement of classroom instruction, individualized consulting, peer to peer roundtables and increased access to capital. Companies participating in this program, which began in April 2005, have seen revenue growth of over 100% and a 30% growth in number of employees.
Alliance for Illinois Manufacturing and CCV jointly offer a Market and Customer Development Training for manufacturers. The 4-month program helps manufacturing executives create sales and marketing plans for their companies to more effectively reach new and existing customers.