Section 545.20  Definitions

a)         Definitions in the Act:  The following words and phrases, for the purpose of this Part, have the same meaning respectively ascribed to them in Section 1003 of the Act [20 ILCS 700/1003].

            "Advanced technology project" means any area of basic or applied research or development which is designed to foster greater knowledge or understanding, or which is designed for the purposes of improving, designing, developing, prototyping, producing or commercializing new products, techniques, processes or technical devices in present or emerging fields of health care and biomedical research, information and communication systems, computing and computer services, electronics, manufacturing, robotics and materials research, transportation and aerospace, agriculture and biotechnology, and finance and services.

            "Business expense" includes working capital financing, the purchase or lease of machinery and equipment, or the lease or purchase of real property, including construction, renovation, or leasehold improvements, but does not include refinancing current debt.

            "Business project" means any specific economic development activity of a commercial, industrial, manufacturing, agricultural, scientific, financial, service or other not-for-profit nature, which is expected to yield an increase in jobs or to result in the retention of jobs or an improvement in production efficiency.

            "Department" means the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

            "Director" means the Director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

            "Financial assistance" means a loan, investment, grant or the purchase of qualified securities or other means whereby financial aid is made available to or on behalf of a business project or advanced technology project.

            "Intermediary organization" means any participating organization including not-for-profit entities, for-profit entities, State development authorities, institutions of higher education, other public or private corporations, which may include the Illinois Terrorism Task Force, or other governmental or private entities necessary or desirable to further the purpose of this Act engaged by the Department through any contract, agreement, memoranda of understanding, or other cooperative arrangement to deliver programs authorized under the Act.

            "Investment loan" means any loan structured so that the applicant repays the principal and interest and provides a qualified security investment to serve both as additional loan security and as an additional source of repayment.

            "Loan" means acceptance of any note, bond, debenture, or evidence of indebtedness, whether unsecured or secured by a mortgage, pledge, deed of trust, or other lien on any property, or any certificate of, receipt for, participation in, or an option to any of the foregoing. A loan shall bear such interest rate, with such terms of repayment, secured by such collateral, with other terms and conditions, as the Department shall deem necessary or appropriate.

            "Participating lender or investor" means any trust company, bank, savings bank, credit union, merchant bank, investment bank, broker, investment trust, pension fund, building and loan association, savings and loan association, insurance company, venture capital company or other institution, community or State development corporation, development authority authorized to do business by an Act of this State, or other public or private financing intermediary approved by the Department whose purposes include financing, promoting, or encouraging economic development financing.

            "Qualified security investments" means any stock, convertible security, treasury stock, limited partnership interest, certificate of interest or participation in any profit sharing agreement, preorganization certificate or subscription, transferable share, investment contract, certificate of interest or participation in a patent or application or, in general, any interest or instrument commonly known as a "security" or any certificate for, receipt for, guarantee of, or option, warrant or right to subscribe to or purchase any of the foregoing, but not including any instrument which contains voting rights or which can be converted to contain voting rights in the possession of the Department.

b)         Other Definitions:

            "Act" means the Technology Advancement and Development Act [20 ILCS 700].

"Leveraged dollar award" means grant funds awarded to the grant applicant intended to be used as leverage to secure additional funding from other public or philanthropic sources.

"Partnership" or "joint venture" means any organization, formed either through contract or mutual agreement, where two or more persons agree to do business together.

"Product" means a commodity or service with commercial value that is either further developed or brought to market through use of grant funds. 

            "Recipient" means any entity receiving financial assistance under the Act.

"Service" means any service that would advance the commercialization of a technology with applicability to the homeland security industry. This would include, but is not limited to, the protection of intellectual property rights, business continuity and recovery, research and development, and technology integration.

            "Small and medium size business" means any for-profit business with 1,000 or fewer employees assigned to work locations within the State of Illinois.

(Source:  Amended at 30 Ill. Reg. 8450, effective April 19, 2006)