Project MicroBoom is a four-week program for minority-owned Black-owned, and women-owned businesses in Champaign County, Illinois. It is run by OUR Tech LLC with the College of Media at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
The short version: you come in with a business, and you leave with a professionally built website, brand assets you own, and a social media strategy you can actually run. Work like this normally carries an agency price tag most small businesses cannot justify. Here you pay nothing.
Sixteen businesses get in. Four cohorts of four businesses each.
Application Due Date: Tuesday, September 22, 2026
Decisions Sent: on or before Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Cohort 1 Begins: Tuesday, October 6, 2026
Remaining Cohorts: January, March, and April 2027
This program is supported by the Campus-Community Compact.
Benefits of Project MicroBoom
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A website. Built with OUR Tech's web developer
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Brand assets. Logo and branded content produced for your business.
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Social media strategy sessions.
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Two meetings with a UIUC College of Media Advertising Brand Coach, who follows each meeting with a written recap covering what you discussed, what they recommend, and your next steps
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A brand kit review and pitch showcase at the end of your cohort.
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A permanent LinkedIn network of every business that comes through the program, cohort after cohort.
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Continued access to the UIUC Advertising Brand Coaches after you graduate.
Qualifications for Project MicroBoom
Required:
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Your business is located in and operates in Champaign County, Illinois.
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Your business is minority-owned, Black-owned, or women-owned. Socially disadvantaged entrepreneurs are prioritized.
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Legal status. Your business is registered and in good standing with the State of Illinois (LLC, S-Corp, C-Corp, Inc., 501(c), or similar), with an active license
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EIN. You have an Employer Identification Number.
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One decision-maker attends. One seat per business, and it goes to the owner or the person who runs your marketing.
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All industries are welcome. Restaurants, trades, salons, consultants, retail, nonprofits, creatives.
Additional Resources
Useful links:
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Illinois business search and Certificate of Good Standing: https://www.ilsos.gov/departments/business-services/business-searches.html
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Apply for an EIN with the IRS: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/get-an-employer-identification-number
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City of Champaign Diversity Advancement Program (CDAP): https://champaignil.gov/equity-and-engagement-department/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-division/cdap
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Email questions about this application: support@justourtech.com
Sponsored by
