Public Accountability Report Public Accountability Report

2025 Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Technology
Mission Statement To support small businesses and startups in Illinois through direct services and a network of resources by providing information, regulatory assistance, advocacy and business guidance.
Program Goals and Objectives
  1. Stimulate economic activity as measured by new venture development, business expansion, capital formation, and job creation and retention.
    1. Increase the number of new business starts assisted.
    2. Increase the number of business expansions assisted.
    3. Increase the dollar value of capital accessed.
    4. Increase the number of jobs created and retained.
    5. Increase the number of jobs retained and created.
  2. Provide client-focused, expert consultation, training, information, and other business services through an integrated regional delivery network utilizing resource partners and information technology for all the citizen demographics of Illinois, including businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, and persons with disabilities.
    1. Increase the number of Business Information Center clients assisted.
    2. Increase the number of clients trained though our SBDC or other networks.
    3. Increase the number of clients receiving business advice through our Small Business Development Center (SBDC) or other networks.
Source of Funds General Revenue Fund, Clean Air Act Permit Fund, Small Business Environmental Assistance Fund, Commerce and Community Affairs Assistance Fund Statutory Authority 30 ILCS 750/9
Fiscal Year 2026 Target/Projected Fiscal Year 2025 Actual Fiscal Year 2025 Target/Projected Fiscal Year 2024 Actual Fiscal Year 2023 Actual
Input Indicators
Total expenditures - all sources (in thousands) $ 439,383.0 $ 101,448.6 $ 415,902.0 $ 84,007.8 $ 19,003.3
Total expenditures - state appropriated funds (in thousands) $ 439,383.0 $ 101,448.6 $ 415,902.0 $ 84,007.8 $ 19,003.3
Average monthly full-time equivalents 61.0 40.0 36.0 35.0 23.2
Output Indicators
Business Information Center (BIC) customers assisted 2,000 1,658 2,000 2,323 7,375
Small businesses receiving environmental counseling 1,500 1,535 900.0 1,159 986.0
Small businesses receiving environmental training 50.0 50.0 100.0 16.0 0.0
Web-based environmental assistance provided 11,400 11,927 10,000 13,427 9,728
Businesses assisted with financing through the Advantage IL program (a) 170.0 144.0 108.0 187.0 131.0
Value of business financing assistance leveraged through the Advantage IL program (in millions) (b) $ 54.0 $ 64.2 $ 23.2 $ 59.4 $ 25.8
Business Information Center (BIC) Customers Self- Service 50,000 226,504 50,000 74,623 0.0
New Markets Tax Credit Program: # Projects Incentivized (c) 50.0 51.0 50.0 0.0 0.0
New Markets Tax Credit Program: Amount of Tax Credits Awarded (in millions) (c) $ 20.0 $ 20.6 $ 20.0 $ 0.0 $ 0.0
Illinois Innovation Venture Fund (INVENT): Total Amount Invested Directly into Companies (in millions) (c) $ 10.0 $ 9.3 $ 9.2 $ 0.0 $ 0.0
Illinois Innovation Venture Fund (INVENT): # of Companies Receiving Investments (c) 35.0 35.0 36.0 0.0 0.0
Outcome Indicators
New business starts attributable to Small Business Development Center assistance 550.0 401.0 550.0 302.0 279.0
Value of capital accessed attributable to Small Business Development Center assistance (in millions) (d) $ 50.5 $ 55.8 $ 205.0 $ 50.5 $ 160.1
Actual jobs created attributable to Small Business Development Center assistance 2,250 3,090 2,250 1,730 1,843
Actual jobs retained attributable to Small Business Development Center assistance 2,250 63,747 2,200 71,228 22,070
Total clients advised by Small Business Development Centers 9,000 15,519 9,000 25,177 16,218
Minority clients advised by Small Business Development Centers 3,500 8,030 3,500 7,865 8,132
Total clients trained by Small Business Development Centers 14,000 8,135 14,000 12,049 7,836
Actual jobs created attributable to APEX Accelerator assistance 325.0 219.0 325.0 364.0 69.0
Actual jobs retained attributable to APEX Accelerator assistance 400.0 153.0 600.0 371.0 98.0
Dollar value of secured contracts attributable to APEX Accelerator assistance (in millions) $ 3,250.0 $ 652.7 $ 500.0 $ 37.8 $ 528.2
Total clients advised by APEX Accelerators 2,500 3,388 1,700 2,475 2,329
Minority clients advised by APEX Accelerators 1,400 1,814 1,000 1,394 1,311
Women clients advised by APEX Accelerators 1,300 1,493 1,000 1,218 1,186
Total clients training by APEX Accelerators 3,400 5,470 1,700 3,372 3,244
Minority clients trained by APEX Accelerators 650.0 808.0 300.0 647.0 611.0
Women clients trained by APEX Accelerators 700.0 684.0 600.0 701.0 773.0
Value of exports attributable to International Trade Centers (in millions) $ 212.0 $ 67.3 $ 212.0 $ 190.5 $ 78.9
Investment leveraged by qualified Angel Investment Tax Credits (all) (in millions) $ 60.0 $ 12.6 $ 60.0 $ 13.8 $ 8.1
Investment leveraged by qualified Angel Investment Tax Credits (WMD) (in millions) $ 10.7 $ 2.8 $ 10.7 $ 5.6 $ 3.4
Investment leveraged by qualified Angel Investment Tax Credits (rural) (in thousands) $ 3,600.0 $ 1,132.0 $ 3,600.0 $ 2,000.0 $ 0.0
Value of private investment leveraged by Emerging Tech programs (in millions) $ 10.0 $ 8.8 $ 10.0 $ 6.0 $ 0.0
Number of businesses retained within State through Emerging Tech programs 35.0 32.0 30.0 29.0 0.0
Projected number of jobs created by financing through the Advantage IL program 840.0 898.0 608.0 878.0 700.0
Projected number of jobs retained by financing through the Advantage IL program 2,280 1,914 999.0 2,282 1,361
SBIR/STTR: Federal Funds Catalyzed (in millions) $ 25.0 $ 8.0 $ 1.0 $ 0.0 $ 0.0
Innovation Vouchers Program: Higher Education Institutions Served 8.0 11.0 8.0 0.0 0.0
Innovation Vouchers Program: Regions Served 4.0 4.0 5.0 0.0 0.0
Innovation Vouchers Program: Private Capital Catalyzed (in millions) $ 0.8 $ 0.2 $ 1.0 $ 0.0 $ 0.0
Innovation Vouchers Program: Total Project Amount (in millions) $ 2.8 $ 5.2 $ 2.5 $ 0.0 $ 0.0
Innovation Vouchers Program: Total Vouchers Disbursement Amount (in millions) $ 2.5 $ 2.2 $ 2.0 $ 0.0 $ 0.0
Innovation Vouchers Program: Voucher Applications 40.0 72.0 50.0 0.0 0.0
Innovation Vouchers Program: Vouchers Approved 30.0 32.0 30.0 0.0 0.0
SBIR/STTR: Number of Grants Awarded (c) 30.0 30.0 30.0 0.0 0.0
SBIR/STTR: Total Amount of Grants Awarded (in millions) (c) $ 5.0 $ 1.5 $ 1.5 $ 0.0 $ 0.0
Footnotes
The FY25 Target/ Projected data was previously entered in error. It should have been 170. The FY25 Target/ Projected data was previously entered in error. It should have been $54. This is a new metric in FY25. The FY25 Target/ Projected data was previously entered in error. It should have been $50.5.

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