Managing Your Business During COVID-19 – Government of Canada’s list of resources for businesses, their employees and self-employed individuals including financial support, loans and access to credit.
Student Work Placement Program – “Student Work Placement program provides wage subsidies to employers that offer post-secondary students paid work experience related to their field of study”
RE3: Rebuild, Reopen, Revive – “RE3 is a government funded program that provides non-repayable performance-based contributions up to $5,000 to assist southern Ontario Women-led SMEs to rebuild, reopen, and revive their business”
Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) – “As an employer who has seen a drop in revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic, you may be eligible for a subsidy to cover part of your employee wages, retroactive to March 15, 2020. This subsidy will enable you to re-hire workers, help prevent further job losses, and ease your business back into normal operations”.
Relief Measures for Indigenous Businesses – “The Government of Canada will provide up to $306.8 million in interest-free loans and non-repayable contributions for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis businesses – this measure is part of the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan.”. ( )
Regional Relief and Recovery Fun (RRRF) – For businesses operating in Southern Ontario specifically: “Provides liquidity support to business and organizations affected by the economic impact of COVID-19, that are unable to access other federal relief measures, or require additional support.”
Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) – “Canadian businesses, non-profit organizations, or charities who have seen a drop in revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic may be eligible for a subsidy to cover part of their commercial rent or property expenses, starting on September 27, 2020, until June 2021. This subsidy will provide payment directly to qualifying renters and property owners, without requiring the participation of landlords. If you are eligible for the base subsidy, you may also be eligible for lockdown support if your business location is significantly affected by a public health order for a week or more”.
Ontario Small Business Support Grant – “Starting at $10,000 for all eligible businesses, the grant provides businesses with funding to a maximum of $20,000 to help cover decreased revenue expected as a result of the Provincewide Shutdown – all businesses must demonstrate they experienced a revenue decline of at least 20 percent when comparing monthly revenue in April 2019 and April 2020.
Property Tax and Energy Cost Rebates – “Businesses that are, or were, required to shut down or significantly restrict services due to provincial public health measures can apply for rebates, provided in the form of grants, to help with their fixed costs”.
Support for Women Entrepreneurs – “$15 million in funding to the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES). The money will go directly to select organizations that are currently WES Ecosystem Fund recipients to help women entrepreneurs through the COVID-19 pandemic”.
Digital Main Street – Small Businesses Digital Transformation Support – “The Ontario Government, in partnership with the federal government, is helping small businesses reach more customers through the Digital Main Street platform. It is a $57-million program which will help up to 22,900 Ontario businesses create and enhance their online presence and generate jobs for more than 1,400 students”.
DMS ShopHERE powered by Google – “Program creates and configures your online store, trains you on how to manage it, provides support to get your online store live, and helps with marketing the store” – FREE
ORHMA DineSafe – A Resource Site for Reopening and Creating Guest Confidence & Comfort by the Ontario Restaurant, Hotel and Motel Association.
AHLA SafeStay – (Hotel Association of Canada) An industry-wide, enhanced standard of health and safety protocols designed to prepare Canada’s hotels to safely welcome back guests and employees as the economy reopens. Safe Stay represents the industry’s ongoing commitment to the health and safety of guests and employees.
POST Promise – The POST Promise is a national, bilingual private sector-led initiative designed to help Canadians confidently and safely shop and work in local businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. It signifies a business’s commitment to implementing and practicing the five key steps to workplace safety, helping to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Each week hundreds-of-thousands of Canadians shop or work at businesses who have made the POST Promise.
