Section 555.60  Application Procedure

a)         Applications under this Program must be received no less than 60 days prior to the beginning of the Department's next fiscal year.

b)         An Application will be considered delivered on the day it is postmarked or hand delivered to the Department's Illinois Trade Office.

c)         Within 10 business days after the Department receives the Application, the International Tourism Program Manager of the Illinois Trade Office shall issue a receipt to the Applicant acknowledging the date on which the Department received the Application, and whether, after a brief initial review, the Application and attachments, if any, are complete.  This notice is not in any way an acknowledgment by the Department as to the adequacy of the substance of the Application.  If the Application and attachments are incomplete, the Applicant shall be notified of the deficiencies. The Applicant will then have 10 business days to cure any deficiencies.  In the event the Applicant fails to cure all deficiencies within the 10 business days, the Application shall be considered null and void and returned to the Applicant.

d)         The International Tourism Program Manager shall notify the Applicant that its Application has been approved or rejected.  If the Application has been rejected, the International Tourism Program Manager shall state the reasons for that determination.