Section 691.20  Definitions

"Affiliate" means another business that is at least 50% or more owned or controlled by a person with at least 50% ownership or control of the Applicant.

"Allowable Expenditure" means a necessary expenditure that the Department has authorized for reimbursement under the Program in accordance with Section 691.110.

"Applicant" means a Qualifying Business that applies for funding under the Program.

"ARPA" means the American Rescue Plan Act (P.L. 117-2).

"Authorized Representative" is an individual with legal authority to bind the business or non-profit organization.

"Business" means a for-profit enterprise or non-profit organization lawfully conducting business in Illinois.

"Business district(s)" means an area containing shops and offices where persons engage in the purchase and sale of commodities or in related financial transactions.

"COVID-19" means the novel coronavirus disease deemed COVID-19 by the World Health Organization on February 11, 2020 [20 ILCS 605/605-1050(g)(1)].

"COVID-19 Public Health Emergency" means the Statewide public health emergency declared March 9, 2020, the national public health emergency declared March 13, 2020, and the major disaster declared in Illinois by the President on March 26, 2020.

"COVID-19 Prevention Directives" means all state laws, orders, administrative rules and guidance relevant to and in effect during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency that pertain to preventing the spread of COVID-19, including Executive Orders and preventative guidelines issued by the Illinois Governor, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, the Department, or the Illinois Department of Public Health.

"CSFRF" means the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund as implemented by Section 602 of Title VI of the federal Social Security Act [42 U.S.C. 802].  

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

"Disproportionately Impacted Area" means those zip codes most severely affected by the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, to be determined based on positive COVID-19 case per capita rates, and high rates in at least one of the following poverty-related categories relative to other zip codes within their region:

share of population consisting of children age 6 to 17 in households with income less than 125% of the federal poverty level;

share of population consisting of adults over age 64 in households with income less than 200% of the federal poverty level;

share of population in household with income less than 150% of the federal poverty level; and

share of population consisting of children ages 5 and under in households with income less than 185% of the federal poverty level.

"GATA" means the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act [30 ILCS 708].

"GATA Rule" means 44 Ill. Adm. Code 7000.

"Financial Assistance" means financial support to an Illinois business in the form of a grant, expense reimbursement, or subsidy.

“Hard-hit industry” means an industry that was negatively impacted by the pandemic including the arts, travel, tourism, and hospitality industries (a full list of hard-hit industries to be identified by the Department based on COVID-19 impact on each industry, and to be posted on the Department's website).

“High traffic area” means a location that is zoned to allow for commercial use and located within 2 blocks or ¼ mile of a transportation facility (train station, bus station, or intermodal facility); an educational institution providing on-site, in-person instruction; or at least two establishments meeting one of the following criteria:  retail or commercial business offering on-site, in-person services or sales to customers, or non-profit or government office providing on-site, in-person services to residents.

“Home-based business" means a small business that operates from the business owner’s home.

“Independently Owned and Operated” means, with respect to a business, that the ownership interests, management, and operation of the business are not subject to control, restriction, modification, or limitation by a person with no formal role in the operation of the business.

"Non-Profit Organization" means an organization which is registered as a not-for-profit corporation with the Illinois Secretary of State and is registered with the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3), 501(c)(6), or as a 501(c)(19) entity.

“Occupy” means to hold in possession with the legal authority thereof; to hold or keep for use.

"Program" means the financial assistance funding opportunities administered by the Department and implemented in this Part.

"Program Participant" means the business that receives financial assistance under the Program.

"Qualifying Business" means a business or organization that has experienced or is experiencing business interruption or other adverse conditions due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, and includes a new business or organization started after March 1, 2020 in the midst of adverse conditions due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, includes self-employed individuals and independent contractors [20 ILCS 605/605-1050(g)(2)].

"Qualified Partner" means a financial institution or non-profit organization with which the Department, or another state agency pursuant to an intergovernmental agreement with the Department, has entered into an agreement or contract to provide or incentivize assistance to Qualifying Businesses.  [20ILCS 605/605-1050(g)(5)].

"Revenue" means the total amount a business or a non-profit organization has received from sales or contributions during its annual accounting period, without subtracting any costs or expenses. Revenue is equal to the gross receipts of a business or non-profit organization as reported on their federal tax return.

"SLFRF" means the Federal Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds.

"Small business" means a business that earns gross receipts less than $20 million annually. 

"Smallest business" means a business that earns gross receipts less than $5 million annually.

"Targeted Funding Opportunity" means a formal announcement of the availability of funding through the Program from the Department for a Qualifying Business that operates in an industry or an area that has been the most disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.

"Uniform Guidance" means the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards ("Uniform Guidance"), codified at 2 CFR 200.

(Source:  Amended at 47 Ill. Reg. 3723, effective March 1, 2023)