DCASE Opportunities
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Below are opportunities offered by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), fellow City departments and community partners.
For regular updates on DCASE opportunities, please sign up for our Newsletters and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Taste of Chicago Food Vendor Applications Now Open
Informational Meeting: Tuesday, April 29, 10 a.m.
Application Deadline: Friday, May 2
This summer, the Taste of Chicago will return with special events around the city, including three Taste of Chicago Pop Up events as well as Chicago's favorite, reimagined Taste of Chicago in Grant Park! Featuring a wide range of culinary choices, Taste of Chicago in Grant Park promises unique beverage offerings, live musical acts, and PLENTY of family fun!
Maxwell Street Vendor Application
Calling all small businesses, farmers, gardeners, artists, makers and re-sellers!
Request for Proposals (RFP) - SummerDance Stage Rental
Deadline for Proposals: Thursday, April 24, 3 p.m.
The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) seeks proposals from qualified firms to provide SummerDance stage rental services.
Request for Proposals (RFP) - Art Transportation and Storage Services
Deadline for Proposals: Monday, April 28, 3 p.m.
The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) seeks proposals from qualified firms to provide art transportation and storage services.
Apply for a Jumping Jack
Available from Saturday, May 24 through Sunday, August 31, 2025
Each year, the Jumping Jack Program delights children across Chicago. This inflatable playground, provided by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), is available for FREE on Saturdays and Sundays. More information.
Special Events Permit Application
DCASE processes Special Events applications for outdoor festivals, street and art/craft fairs and athletic events. Special Event Permits will be issued but are subject to change based on updated health and safety guidelines from either the City of Chicago or State of Illinois. All events must follow guidelines in place at the time of the event. For more information and to apply online, visit our Special Events Permit Application website.
Apply for a Neighborhood Opportunity Fund Grant or become a Technical Assistance Provider
The Department of Planning and Development's Neighborhood Opportunity Fund (NOF) provides grants up to $250,000 for small business and cultural projects located along West, Southwest, and South Side commercial corridors. NOF grants are provided as reimbursement for up to 75% of eligible project expenses. Applicants may qualify for additional funding for Technical Assistance.
NOF is also seeking applications for professional services firms, architectural firms, nonprofit organizations, sole proprietors and other professionals to provide specific technical assistance services for NOF participants in completing their projects.
Additional City Contracting Opportunities
View a list of City of Chicago Procurement Services solicitations, including open calls from the Department of Family and Support Services and Chicago Public Library.
DPD Funding for Rehab & Construction Projects
The Chicago Department of Planning and Development (DPD) has several grant programs for the construction and rehabilitation of creative space.
- Watch the webinar and review the PDF of the PowerPoint Presentation for the session that took place on October 23, 2024. The webinar provided an overview of five DPD grant programs: Community Development Grants (small, medium, and large); Neighborhood Opportunity Fund Grants; and Small Business Improvement Fund Grants.
- Read the Q&A from that session for additional information.
Apply for a Small, Medium, or Large Community Development Grant
Application Deadlines:
- Small and Medium Grants: Apply by Friday, August 15, 11:59 p.m.
- Large Grants: Rolling
The Department of Planning and Development (DPD) helps support business and neighborhood vitality through Small, Medium and Large Community Development Grant (CDG) awards. CDGs use proceeds from the 2024 Housing and Development Bond and other funding sources to support a variety of eligible, business-related investments that create and maintain jobs and quality-of-life improvements for local residents. To see upcoming application deadlines and information sessions, visit chicago.gov/cdg.
- Small grants up to $250,000 are intended to support eligible commercial, mixed-use and light manufacturing projects. Grants provide funding for up to 75% of total eligible project costs involving new construction, rehabilitation or both.
- Medium grants from $300,001 to $5 million are intended to support eligible commercial, cultural, industrial, institutional, social service and mixed-use projects. Grants are intended to support up to 50% of total project costs involving new construction, rehabilitation or both.
- Large grants exceeding $5 million are intended to support eligible commercial, cultural, industrial, institutional, social service and mixed-use projects. Grants are intended to support approximately 25% of total project costs involving new construction, rehabilitation or both.
Apply for the Small Business Improvement Fund
The Small Business Improvement Fund (SBIF), offered by the Department of Planning and Development (DPD), provides grant funding for permanent building improvements and repairs across the city.
SBIF is offered to tenants and owners of industrial and commercial properties. Program participants can receive grants to cover between 30% and 90% of the cost of remodeling work, with a maximum grant of $150,000 for commercial properties and $250,000 for industrial properties. The grant, which is administered by SomerCor on the City’s behalf, does not have to be repaid. To learn about eligibility, attend an information session, and apply, please visit Chicago.gov/SBIF.
View the 2025 prioritized TIF district calendar.
Serve as a Grant Panelist
The Cultural Grants team seeks Chicago-area individuals to serve as grant application reviewers. Candidates must have arts and culture experience and be available for approximately 40 total hours over a period of six weeks. There is compensation for service.
Business Licensing 101 for Creatives
Wednesday, April 30, 3 p.m.
Presented by the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection and DCASE, learn about the City of Chicago business licensing process, including required documentation, license application steps and frequently asked questions. The webinar will cover general information on business licensing requirements pertaining to selling your art, presenting performances or hosting in-person workshops with youth.
Chicago Poet Laureate Application
Apply by Thursday, May 29, 5 p.m. CT.
The City of Chicago is looking for its next Poet Laureate! The selected poet will serve a two-year term starting in 2026 and will be awarded an honorarium of $70,000 ($35,000/year) for the commissioning of new poems and for attendance at public events and presentations.
Performing Arts, Music, Dance, and Theater Programming Submissions 2025
Are you an artist or arts organization interested in participating in DCASE Performing Arts, Music, Dance, or Theater programming? If so, we are currently accepting submissions for 2025 programs. Due to the volume of responses, applications will be reviewed on a monthly basis. Should an opportunity arise for partnership, you will be contacted directly by a member of the DCASE Performing Arts Programming Team.
"Art is Labor." Campaign & Resource Updates
DCASE, the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP), and campaign partners continue to add resources and lead sessions that advance the creative worker rights campaign. There are several ways to connect further:
- Visit Chicago.gov/CreativeWork for upcoming events and webinars.
- Sign up for DCASE Office Hours, which take place the 3rd Wednesday of the month. Sign up online.
- Check out the DCASE YouTube feed for labor law playlists in English & Spanish.
Learning Hub in the Learning Lab
The Learning Lab is a free public space that makes learning visible.
Do you want to make the Chicago Cultural Center your hub for educational and creative activities?
Educators, artists, and nonprofit organizations are invited to submit proposals to make our Lab your Hub.
Cultural Community Rental Path
The Cultural Community Rental Path was created to reduce barriers to entry for Chicago's artists and arts organizations to produce free and open to the public events at the Chicago Cultural Center. The process features a reduced room rental rate and waived standard equipment fees (other production and operations costs still apply). For more information, visit ChicagoCulturalCenter.org.
Submit Your Mural to the City of Chicago Mural Registry
Applications accepted on a rolling basis
The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) manages the City of Chicago Mural Registry, a publicly-accessible database documenting the growing collection of murals across the city on both private and public property. Artists, organizations and property owners are encouraged to register completed murals by submitting an application. For more information about the registration, application and process, visit Chicago.gov/muralregistry.
Nominate a Neighborhood Cultural Spotlight for 2026
Chicago Cultural Center, Welcome Center, 1st Floor North
Neighborhood Cultural Spotlights feature people, places and things nominated and recognized for a cultural contribution to their neighborhood’s vitality, and celebrate cultural assets in Chicago’s varied and vibrant 77 community areas.
Neighborhood Cultural Spotlights can be given to your local puppeteer, the house on the block with sculptural installations in the yard, the neighborhood culture compiler who sends out a newsletter, the local arts supporter whom your community relies upon, etc.
Know a person, place or thing in your neighborhood that deserves a Neighborhood Cultural Spotlight?
Check out the current Neighborhood Cultural Spotlights in the Welcome Center and then nominate your favorite neighborhood cultural asset!
Chicago Soul Poems
Who, What, Where is the Soul of Chicago?
Now accepting online poetry submissions at ChicagoSoulPoem.com
All Chicago residents are invited to write, record and share a Chicago Soul Poem, written in the form of a soloem (pronounced so-lo-em). It is a new poetic form, created by the Chicago Poet Laureate, avery r. young, with 10 lines and five stanzas. A Chicago Soul Poem is written about a person, place or thing that is indicative of the Second City. Selected soloems will be featured on social media and other public-facing outlets. For more information, visit chicago.gov/PoetLaureate.
Chicago Poet Laureate Chi-Soul Workshops
Sunday, May 18, 1-3 p.m.
Edgewater | RSVP
Thursday, May 22, 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Lincoln Park | RSVP
The workshops are designed for any writer, from beginners to experienced, to build poems and poetry manuscripts centered on the times and tales of Chicago. For more information, visit chicago.gov/PoetLaureate.
Healing Arts Chicago
Session 1: Tuesday, March 4 - Friday, April 11, 2025
Healing Arts Chicago is continuing in 2025. In addition to the existing mental health clinics, arts services are expanding to the newly added Roseland and Pilsen clinics. More information and the complete schedule.
Do you want to learn more about participating in or partnering with Healing Arts Chicago? Fill out our artist interest form or organizational interest form to connect.
Volunteer for DCASE
Applications accepted on a rolling basis
Share your love of Chicago’s culture, history and architecture by volunteering with DCASE. With DCASE you will connect guests (Chicagoans and visitors alike) with some of the city’s cultural treasures, such as Millennium Park, the Chicago Cultural Center, Clarke House Museum and the Taste of Chicago. Volunteers help in a variety of ways: leading tours, providing information, greeting and wayfinding at events and more.
Call for Corporate Partners
DCASE produces Chicago's largest free festivals including Taste of Chicago, Chicago Blues Festival and Chicago Jazz Festival plus a variety of other festivals and events throughout the year. Our goal is to engage companies, agencies and other partners to add value to the City's events while bringing brands directly to local consumers to increase brand awareness, generate valuable press exposure, drive traffic and sales, and build customer loyalty. To learn more about partnership opportunities, visit ChicagoPartnerships.com or email at chicagopartnerships@cityofchicago.org.
DCASE Educational Resources
Access resources for educators who are looking to connect their students with the Chicago Cultural Center and its programs. Visit the page to learn more.
City Marketing Assets + Resource Guide
Access a partial list of City of Chicago Marketing Assets available to the local arts industry. This was compiled by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events for its Performing Arts Convening: Marketing and Audience Development, held October 26, 2022. Download the guide (PDF).
Creative Worker Resources
This is a listing of resources available locally and nationally to support creatives, from job boards, to professional advancement programs, to emergency funding.
Digital Access for ALL Chicagoans
Chicago families know the importance of quality, affordable internet, computers, and resources to participate in today’s society. For information on no-cost resources for eligible households to ensure they are supported and safe in today’s digital world, visit Chicago.gov.
Navigating Recovery: Arts and Culture Financial and Operating Trends in Chicago
SMU DataArts has partnered with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) to produce this first look at the health of many of the city’s arts and cultural organizations before, during, and emerging from the pandemic. The report examines financial and operating trends among its applicant organizations from 2019 through 2022, and analyzes variations for organizations with different characteristics such as budget size, discipline, and mission focus. A look in the rearview mirror provides context for the underlying challenges that a lot of organizations are facing today. Download the Executive Summary and Full Report.