Small Business Impact Grant Guidelines
Small businesses, non-profits, or charities ordered to close or substantively curtail their operations under the COVID-19 public health order may be eligible for the Small Business Impact Grant.
The one-time grant is equal to 15% of sales revenue from either April 2019 or February 2020, up to a maximum of $5,000 per business. You can choose which month will be used to calculate the grant amount.
You can use the grant for anything your business, non-profit or charity needs. The grant is stackable and can be used in combination with the Small Business Rental Deferral Guarantee Program and other provincial and federal Covid-19 programs to support small businesses.
Deadline to apply will be April 25.
If you need assistance in completing the application, we would suggest reaching out to your accountant or feel free to reach out to us and we will help you the best we can.
WORKER EMERGENCY BRIDGE FUND
A toll-free phone line for applications for the worker fund will be open starting at 8 a.m.
Call 1-800-863-6582 after checking eligibility online.
UPDATE TO PUBLIC HEALTH ORDER
As of today, April 9, the Public Health order has been updated to include:
- All privately operated campgrounds are closed up to and including May 1, 2020, and will be reassessed thereafter
- Workers in the fishing and offshore industries must self isolate when they enter the province
NOVA SCOTIA SECURITIES COMMISSION LAUNCHES COVID-19 INVESTING INFORMATION WEBPAGE
The Nova Scotia Securities Commission has launched a new webpage and online video to provide COVID-19 investing information to the public.
The new webpage compiles all news, releases, notices and blanket orders issued to provide relief for a number of individuals or applicants from a regulatory requirement about COVID-19 by the commission, the Canadian Securities Administrators and the North American Securities Administrators Association.
START UPS OFFERING SUPPORT TO SMALL BUSINESSES
Innovacorp has provided two of its investment portfolio companies, Securicy and LeadSift, $50,000 each to help them and their clients navigate the COVID-19 situation.
Securicy in Sydney will use the funds to deliver a free IT security offering to Nova Scotia small businesses, particularly those that can benefit from the company’s new offering for remote employees. Halifax-based LeadSift will use the funds to offer a free sales lead data analytics solution to local small businesses in the B2B market, who will be increasingly reliant on such a tool given reduced sales-related travel
LOCAL MANUFACTURERS RESPONDING TO MEET PPE NEEDS
Stanfield’s
Nova Scotia businesses are responding to the needs of our frontline workers in incredible ways. Local clothing manufacturing company, Stanfield’s, has retooled its production line to create medical gowns for health-care workers. The company has signed a new contract with government that will see it provide 480,000 gowns over the next few weeks.
My Home Apparel
After the Premier told people to “Stay the Blazes Home” at last Friday’s news conference, Miriah Kearney, founder and CEO of My Home Apparel of Truro, saw an opportunity to help raise money to support relief efforts. The company, who works with Stanfield’s, designed a collection of clothing with the slogan and is donating 100% of the proceeds to Shelter Nova Scotia, Feed Nova Scotia and the QEII Covid Response Unit.
The collection went online at 1 p.m. on Saturday and within 8 hours the company raised $45,000.
The sold-out collection was restocked on Monday evening. You can view the collection, and other items My Home Apparel has at
https://www.myhomeapparel.com/
DEFERRED FEES
Government has deferred fees from 10 departments to offer some help around payment pressure. Fees include business renewal fees, permits, and licenses and will be deferred until June 30. A searchable database will be posted at
https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/fees
on Friday, April 10. Additionally, Workers Compensation premiums have been deferred, representing an additional $60m that can stay in the hands of businesses as we navigate the next several months.
NOVA SCOTIA ACCESS CENTRES
To reduce the spread of COVID-19, government temporarily closed Access Centres across the province. On March 23, locations in Amherst, Bridgewater, Dartmouth, Kentville, Stellarton, Sydney, and Yarmouth reopened. The locations are by appointment only and for urgent RMV transactions only.
IDEAS FOR MAKING STAYING INDOORS FUN THIS WEEKEND
- The Art Gallery’s Studio from Home series presents fun and engaging art activities you can do from home with materials most people have in their homes.
- Nova Scotia’s nine public libraries offer an impressive collection of digital and audiobooks available any time, day or night.
- Music Nova Scotia provides a weekly newsletter filled with music, playlists, live streaming events submitted by local artists. https://mailchi.mp/musicnovascotia/2020-775047?e=bf81140616
- Halifax Public Libraries is hosting a number of social-media based programs, including Battle of the Books, Writing Prompts for Creative Minds, Stop Motion Movies for Kids, and virtual storytime for the littlest of virtual visitors.
- To find out what’s happening in your regional library, find them online and go from there!
- Our colleagues at the Nova Scotia Museums are sharing so much of what they do each day throughFacebook and Twitter, with virtual tours planned for all 28 sites and their collections.
- Go behind-the-scenes at the Museum of Natural History to see how the staff cares for its animals-in-residence, including everyone’s favourite 97-year-old gopher tortoise in Nova Scotia, Gus. Start your own #NSFieldGuide to capture observations of plants and animals in your backyard.
- Staff at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is sharing videos, gallery tours and other great stuff – including lots of face-time with Merlin the Rainbow Macaw (who even has his own webcam).
- Ross Farm Museum is giving Nova Scotians a sneak-peek at animal care on the farm, and the Museum of Industry is sharing artifacts, demos and stories of Nova Scotia history.
- The Nova Scotia Archives is sharing the best of its collection through Twitter, Facebook andInstagram. You can also help make our archives even more accessible by transcribing archival content from the comfort of your home.
- Our recreation partners are making it fun to stay active at home. Sport Nova Scotia has teamed up with Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic to challenge Nova Scotians to get moving and stay active. The #NSActive campaign is running on Facebook and Twitter, and you can find tips for staying happy and healthy while also staying home.
- There are lots of organizations out there offering free, low-barrier content to help keep us active during this time, including ParticipACTION, ALTA Gymnastics Club, Evolve Fitness, and Kids Run Club.
