Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) applications (2026)

Overview

Each year, the Cook County Department of Planning and Development, which is part of the Cook County Bureau of Economic Development, accepts, reviews and selects applications for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) programs through a competitive process.

Cook County then distributes these funds to municipalities and nonprofit organizations to support infrastructure improvements, as well as social services and homeless prevention in income-eligible suburban Cook County communities. 

Details on eligibility, the application process and an upcoming webinar are featured below.

Program Year 2026

Applications for the 2026 CDBG programs--Capital Improvement (includes economic development and demolition) and Public Service (includes planning)--as well as for the 2026 ESG program are open from January 14, 2026, until March 20, 2026.

Eligibility

CDBG-Capital Improvement: Suburban municipalities and nonprofit organizations serving suburban communities

CDBG-Public Service: Nonprofit organizations serving suburban communities

ESG: Nonprofit organizations serving suburban communities

Review the application guides/manuals below for more information.

Application Process

Application submissions should be completed through an online process. Please follow these steps:

• Review the application guide/manual for the specific program you wish to apply to.
  • CDBG (Capital Improvement and Public Service) Application Guide
    • CDBG Demolition Manual
  • ESG Application Guide
• Prepare the application PDF for the program you wish to apply to--as listed below--as well as any other required or supplemental documents for your submission. Download the PDF, fill it out, save it, and then upload it as part of your official submission (available below). Be sure to keep the document as a fillable PDF. We recommend not filling out the application PDF in your browser. Do not submit a scanned copy of your application.
  • CDBG-Capital Improvement application PDF
  • CDBG-Public Service application PDF
  • ESG application PDF
• Complete the online submission form below to submit your application materials--be sure to include the application PDF--before the deadline. Make sure you have all materials ready to submit. You will not be able to save as you go.
  • CDBG-Capital Improvement submission form
  • CDBG-Public Service submission form
  • ESG submission form

All applications are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, March 20, 2026.

NOTE: CDBG nonprofits may apply for one CDBG Capital Improvement, Economic Development or Demolition project or one CDBG Public Service/Planning project. There is a limit of one funding application per agency.

Webinar

The Cook County Department of Planning and Development will host a webinar for interested 2026 CDBG and ESG applicants on February 4, 2026. The webinar will provide an overview of program-compliance guidelines, along with detailed information on applying for the grants.

The webinar will be held in conjunction with the Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways, which leads another County grant program called Invest in Cook.

Register for the February 4, 2026, webinar here.

Other Resources 

• Low- and Moderate-Income Data Overview
• Low- and Moderate-Income Data
• Income Data: Map Application
• Cook County Policy Roadmap
• Moving to Implementation (Cook County’s 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan)
• Invest in Cook

Questions?

For more information, contact:

sylvia.parham@cookcountyil.gov (CDBG-Capital Improvement)

pamela.white@cookcountyil.gov (CDBG-Public Service)

ericka.branch@cookcountyil.gov (ESG)