The Ontario government has opened applications for the new Ontario Small Business Support Grant. The grant, first announced in December, provides a minimum of $10,000 to a maximum of $20,000 to eligible small businesses who have had to restrict their operations due to the Provincewide Shutdown. The tightened restrictions were put in place to help stop the alarming rise of COVID-19 cases in Ontario.

Small businesses required to close or significantly restrict services under the Provincewide Shutdown will be able to apply for a one-time grant and use this funding in whatever way makes the most sense for their individual business needs. For example, some businesses could need support paying employee wages, while others could need support with their rent. 

Eligible small businesses include those that:

Businesses impacted by the Provincewide Shutdown are also eligible for additional supports, including the government's program to provide rebates to offset fixed costs such as property tax and energy bills. These rebates will continue to be available for businesses impacted by the Provincewide Shutdown and earlier restrictions. More information about the Ontario Small Business Support Grant and other rebates is available on Ontario.ca/COVIDsupport.

The Tourism Relief and Investment Program (TRIP) provides one-time, non-repayable grant support of up to $20,000 to eligible francophone, Indigenous, rural and semi-urban tourism businesses in the Ottawa region (Renfrew – Lanark – Ottawa – Prescott-Russell corridor).

TRIP has been developed through funding support in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that our region’s vulnerable tourism businesses can effectively meet the evolving health, safety and experience needs of residents and visitors. It features a simple application and awarding process that aims to get relief funds into the hands of eligible businesses as quickly as possible. To verify if your business is eligible, please visit the TRIP webpage to see the list of eligibility requirements.