Governor JB Pritzker joined the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) in announcing a $9 million investment to expand the community navigator outreach program to help small businesses take advantage of economic recovery grant programs. An expansion to the existing community navigator program leverages 13 community navigator organizations that will provide support for small businesses statewide who require assistance navigating billions of financial assistance dollars available from the State of Illinois and the U.S. Small Business Administration as a result of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). This latest investment by the State in additional community partners comes as Illinois prepares to launch the $300 million Back 2 Business (B2B) small business recovery program later this month. Community navigators will perform intensive outreach to ensure that small and hard-to-reach businesses are aware of economic relief funds available. Additionally, navigators will provide 1-on-1 technical assistance to support businesses in understanding how to access relief. For more information on recovery programs and how to receive support, businesses are encouraged to visit the DCEO webpage or call the First Stop hotline at 1.800.252.2923.