Illinois § 15

§ 15.

Grocery Initiative Grants and Financial Support. (a) The Department shall, subject to appropriation, establish the Grocery Initiative to expand access to healthy foods in food deserts in Illinois and areas at risk of becoming food deserts in Illinois by providing grants and other forms of financial assistance to independently owned for-profit grocery stores, cooperative grocery stores, or not-for-profit grocery stores, as well as grocery stores owned and operated by local governmental units. The Department may enter into contracts, grants, or other agreements to administer these grants and other forms of financial assistance. The Department may, by rule, place limits on the size of the grocery stores that are eligible for grants and other financial assistance under this Act, including, but not limited to, limits on the annual revenue or projected revenue of the applicant, number of full-time employees, or square footage of the facilities. The Department may prioritize grant awards and loan funding to applicants based on poverty rates, income, geographic diversity, local ownership, access to grocery stores in the area surrounding proposed project locations, and other factors as determined by the Department. The Department may award grants or provide loans for any one or more of the following: (1) market and site feasibility studies, promotional materials, and marketing; (2) salaries and benefits for workers; (3) rent or a down payment to acquire a facility; (4) purchase of ownership of a grocery store as part of establishing a new grocery store; (5) capital improvements, planning, renovations, land acquisition, demolition, durable and non-durable equipment purchases; or (6) other costs as determined eligible by the Department. (b) The Department may, subject to appropriation, provide grants for equipment upgrades for existing independently owned for-profit grocery stores, cooperative grocery stores, not-for-profit grocery stores, or farmer-owned grocery stores or markets. The Department shall use no more than 20% of total program funding for this purpose. Equipment upgrades shall be focused on providing access to equipment that is energy efficient. (Source: P.A. 103-561, eff. 1-1-24; 103-957, eff. 1-1-25.)