Table of Contents
Our new format for Tuesday's e-Blasts will start with a table of contents so that you can easily see what will be outlined and so that you can scroll to the parts that interest you the most.
  1. Snow Removal RFP Tendering - Closes May 28
  2. Chamber in a Bottle with Landis Vanthuyne of All Trailer Repair
  3. Women in Business Summit
  4. EAT LOCAL GPRC Bingo Game
  5. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion - Educational Webinars
  6. Call Out to Indigenous Business Owners
  7. Business License Fee Rebate Introduced for 2021 - Closes May 31
  8. GPRC Committees
  9. Grant, Subsidy & Loan Updates
  • Alberta Jobs Now Program - NEW
  • Edmonton Economic Recovery Grant - Closes May 31 - NEW
  • Grants for Non-Profits
  • Amplifying live music funding in Alberta
  • Boost by Jobber - Rewarding Great Work in Home Service Grant 
  • Highly Affected Sectors Credit Availability Program (HASCAP) Guarantee
  • Small and Medium Enterprise Relaunch Grant - Closes May 31
  • CEBA application deadline extended to June 30
1) Snow Removal RFP Tendering Closes Friday, May 28th
snow-shovel.jpg
The Greater Parkland Regional Chamber of Commerce is seeking Snow Removal Service to clear the decks and pathways at their our Stony Plain and Spruce Grove offices between the months of November 2021 and March 2022, approximately.

Tendering will close Friday, 28 May 2021

Submit your RFP to Sarah Parry or contact the Chamber office at (780) 963-4545 for more information.
2) Chamber in a Bottle with Landis Vanthuyne of All Trailer Repair
May 27, 2021
Join our host Anthony Worbeck of ACKT Industries as he chats with Landis Vanthuyne, owner of All Trailer Repair. All Trailer Repair provides friendly and professional service for all types of trailers. They will discuss trailer maintenance, getting RVs ready for camping season and much more.
3) Women in Business Summit
June 23, 2021
From stories of resilience to conversations about upskilling and reskilling, diversity and mental health, the Women in Business Summit will focus on the ways the Canadian Chamber of Commerce network, businesses, female entrepreneurs and community leaders can work together to support women in the workforce through the pandemic and towards an inclusive recovery.
4) EAT LOCAL GPRC Bingo Game
Our EAT LOCAL GPRC Bingo Game has begun!

Bingo cards will be available at both GPRC offices/Visitor Information Centres, on the Chamber website, and at participating restaurants (while quantities last) starting May 21, 2021.

Once you have completed any of the configurations found on the GPRC website or solve the scrabbled word puzzle, you can drop off your Bingo card(s) at either GPRC office/VIC during regular business hours, Monday to Friday 8:30-4:30, before 4:30 PM on Monday, June 21th, 2021.
  • Spruce Grove Office: 99 Campsite Road, Spruce Grove (Spruce Grove Rotary Park)
  • Stony Plain: 4815 – 44 Avenue, Stony Plain (Stony Plain Rotary Park)

Good luck and enjoy the food!
5) Diversity, Equity & Inclusion - Educational Webinars
The Greater Parkland Chamber of Commerce strives to provide timely and essential educational information to our members. In 2021, one of our initiatives is to support workplace Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) needs. This year, we planned a series of six webinars presented by subject matter experts, and a number of business-focused events hosted by the Chamber and other partners. With the stress of COVID-19 the GPRC recognized that business owners simply do not have the capacity to take on educational series right now.

With that in mind, we have created a video series and will release videos twice a month about DE&I in the workplace. These short videos will cover the topics which would have been touched on in the educational webinars.
6) Call Out to Indigenous Business Owners
The Greater Parkland Regional Chamber and several local partners are pleased to present Indigenous Business Connections on June 18th. We are looking for Indigenous business owners to join us for a round table discussion. More information on the event including times, registration information and more will be available in the upcoming weeks.
7) Business License Fee Rebate Introduced for 2021
A rebate program for business licenses in Stony Plain is now open for application. The 2021 Business License Fee Rebate provides a 50 per cent rebate to resident businesses whose operations have been negatively impacted by the global health pandemic. Businesses will be able to apply for the program until May 31, 2021.
8) Committees
We welcome the participation of our members on one or more committees of their choosing. Each committee usually meets monthly for 1-2 hours. There may be tasks assigned to be completed between meetings as well. This is a great opportunity to expand your ideas and become active with your Chamber of Commerce. Outlined in the invitation letter is a brief description of each committee as they are an ideal training ground for future community leaders and Board members.
9) Grant, Subsidy & Loan Updates
Alberta Jobs Now Program - NEW
The Alberta Jobs Now program will provide up to $370 million to help private and non-profit businesses with job supports to get thousands of Albertans back to work.
Employers can apply for funding to offset the cost of hiring and training unemployed or underemployed Albertans in new or vacant positions.

This federal-provincial investment is the largest job training program in Alberta’s history. It will support our province’s recovery, help businesses re-open or grow their workforce, and give Albertans an opportunity to gain the skills they need in today’s job market.

First intake open: May 20 to August 31, 2021
Second intake: September 15 to December 31, 2021 

Edmonton Economic Recovery Grant - NEW
The Edmonton Economic Recovery Grant is available to help Edmonton businesses recover from COVID-19. It provides local businesses and business organizations with flexible funding in order to relaunch and strengthen their business models.

Application intake closes May 31, 2021

Grants for Non-Profits
Financial assistance for non-profit organizations, including the Community Initiatives and Community Facility Enhancement programs.






Amplifying live music funding in Alberta
Alberta’s government is launching the Stabilize Live Music Grant program to help rebuild and reopen live experiences once public health guidelines allow. Grants of $1,500 will help musicians and other live music professionals prepare for a return to live performances. Grants up to $25,000 for for-profit music venues will support innovative projects to help Alberta’s music industry adapt and relaunch.

Boost by Jobber - Rewarding Great Work in Home Service Grant
You’re out there every day doing great things for your community, and Boost by Jobber wants to support and spotlight your work through their $100,000 grant program built to help launch, grow, and strengthen small home services businesses.

"Almost entrepreneurs", new business owners, and experienced owners, are invited to apply for one of 20 grants ranging from $1,000 to $20,000 based on which category your business qualifies for.

Deadline to apply is June 23. This is open to home service businesses.
Highly Affected Sectors Credit Availability Program (HASCAP) Guarantee
Businesses heavily impacted by COVID-19 can access guaranteed, low-interest loans of $25,000 to $1 million to cover operational cash flow needs. These loans are for small and medium-sized businesses that have seen their revenues decrease by 50% or more as a result of COVID-19.

The HASCAP Guarantee is available until June 30, 2021.

HASCAP Quick Facts:
  • If your business has financing already, you need to apply through that financial institution. If not, you have no lending, then you are free to go to any bank.
  •  Term Loan
  •  4% fixed interest rate
  •  Amortization up to 10 years (can be shorter if preferred)
  •  Up to 12 months interest only payments 
  •  Prepayment penalties in effect (calculated by Interest Rate Differential or 3-months' Interest, whichever is greater)
Please note that these funds are NOT to be used to pay any of the following:
  • Dividends
  • Distributions
  • Management Fees
  • Bonuses 
  • Payout of current existing debt
They are to be used for financing day-to-day operating costs and support cash flow within the business. 
Please review this document for more details:
To start the application process, you will need to fill out this online form at BDC and receive your unique code:
Along with the code, you will need the following for your financial institution:
  1. Year-End Financial Statements Prior to March 1, 2020
  2. Amount of loan you are requesting

AND
3 months’ of attestations from the CEWS or CERS program showing a 50% loss in revenue within the past 8 month period. The months do not need to be consecutive
OR
Documentation showing that you have had a loss of 50% revenue or more for 3 months within the past 8 month period when compared to the previous year. The months do not need to be consecutive
i.e.: January 2020 = $35,000 January 2021 = $16,000, loss of 54.3% 
Small and Medium Enterprise Relaunch Grant
The Small and Medium Enterprise Relaunch Grant offers financial assistance to Alberta organizations (businesses, cooperatives and non-profits) that were ordered to close or curtail operations, and that experienced a revenue reduction of at least 30%, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Spring 2021 payment is calculated as 15% of the eligible organization's revenue from the chosen month to a maximum of $10,000.

April 12, 2021: the Government of Alberta announced that it is offering small- and medium sized businesses, cooperatives, and non-profits affected by the April 2021 public health orders the opportunity to apply for a new payment of up to $10,000 from the Small and Medium Enterprise Relaunch Grant Program.

Application intake for Spring 2021 closes May 31.

CEBA Application Deadline is Extended
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, and the Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, the Honourable Mary Ng, announced that the deadline for new Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) applications is being extended from March 31 to June 30, 2021.

We're always keeping the GPRC website current with information about new and updated grants and subsidies. Check it out!
THANK YOU TO OUR PLATINUM SPONSOR
THANK YOU TO OUR GOLD SPONSOR
This e-Blast is from: Greater Parkland Regional Chamber of Commerce

Name: Elizabeth Olsen
Title: Office Administrator
Company: GPRC
Contact: eolsen@gprchamber.ca