ShoreBank will use $35 million of Tax Credits to Promote Green Collar Jobs

ShoreBank was awarded $35 million in New Markets Tax Credits by the U.S. Treasury Department and is hard at work identifying energy-efficiency, alternative energy and green building projects in Chicago that can benefit from the funds.

Who they are looking for:
-Grocery stores and retailers who want to reduce utility expenses or develop new green buildings
-Community organizations that would like to complete energy-efficiency retrofits or other green improvements to reduce operating costs
-Schools, affordable housing developers, and hospitals looking at installing alternative energy systems that will reduce costs

Read more about stimulus money being allocated to local banks.

10/28 Greenhouse Gas and Sustainability Symposium

The University of Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) will be hosting the Greenhouse Gas and Sustainability Symposium
and Illinois Governor¹s Sustainability Award Ceremony

Hear updates on the Carbon Sequestration Project; GHG Reporting and Related State, Regional & National Developments; the Costs and Potential for Mitigating Greenhouse Gases; among other topics.

Learn more.

9/1-2 Earn a Qualified CSR Practitioner Certificate

CSR Practitioner Workshop

CSE will be hosting its Certified CSR Practitioner Workshop (IEMA)
Approved at the Kimpton Hotels-Hotel Monaco in September. This
training allows participants to earn a certificate designating them
Qualified CSR Practitioners by the Institute of Environmental
Management and Assessment (IEMA).

Discount to CSBA Members: 15%

Learn more.

7/31 Nominate Your Company for Chicago Innovation Awards

Only one week remains to submit nominations for the 2009 Chicago Innovation Awards

Nominate innovative products, services, or processes that have been developed in the Chicagoland Area. Judges look for companies from all business sectors (including not-for-profit) whose innovation meet some or all of the following criteria:

-Introduced within the past 3 years
-Created a whole new category of business (ex: e-trading stocks)
-Triggered a ‘me-too’ response from competitors (ex: Touch screen cell phones)
-Changed or elevated consumer expectations (ex: overnight delivery)
-Solved unmet customer or consumer needs
-Received market support (users) or Financial success (revenues, although not necessarily profits

10 honorees will be honored at the Goodman Theatre on October 20th, profiled by BusinessWeek, and invited to a private lunch with Mayor Richard M. Daley.

Learn more.

8/14 Present at the Midwest Alternative Energy Venture Forum

CALL FOR PRESENTING COMPANIES FOR THIRD ANNUAL MIDWEST ALTERNATIVE ENERGY VENTURE FORUM

The Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, in partnership with Argonne National Laboratories, ACG Chicago, the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center, Reed Smith LLP, and others, will host the Midwest Venture Forum specifically targeting alternative energy technologies. The forum will highlight Midwest-affiliated companies and research institutions working on alternative energy technologies for an audience of investors from across the country.

Midwest-affiliated companies and technology owners interested in presenting at the Forum should submit an Executive Summary in Word or PDF format on or before Noon, Central Time, on Friday, August 14, to starr.marcello@chicagobooth.edu. A panel of prestigious external VCs and entrepreneurs will select from what we expect to
be an impressive number of Midwest companies.

Learn more.

8/14 Facade Rebate Program is officially open

Applications are due by 4pm on Friday, August 14th!

The City of Chicago today announced the launch of its 2009 Facade Rebate Program, which offers rebates to eligible commercial and industrial businesses and property owners who complete qualified facade rehabilitation projects. An eligible “facade” is the front face or elevation of the building, which typically faces the street and contains windows and the principal entrance to the building.

Learn more.

Business Hotline: Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection

Created on Jan. 1, 2009, the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection ensures a fair and vibrant market place for both businesses and consumers.

Please dial the hotline at 312-74GO-BIZ

Learn more.

New Website: Chicago Development Fund

The Chicago Development Fund invests in Chicago's low-income communities

Founded in July 2005, the Chicago Development Fund (CDF) is a Community Facilities corporation that provides capital to qualifying projects and businesses in low-income areas of the City of Chicago through the use of New Markets Tax Credits (NMTCs). CDF was awarded a $100-million allocation of NMTCs by the United States Department of the Treasury in September 2006, the largest allocation awarded to a municipality during that round.

Learn More.