Resources for Businesses

Business can receive up to $850/month for fixed costs (municipal/education property taxes & energy costs).

To receive the grant, small business requirements are as follows:

• Businesses that are, or were, required to close or significantly restrict services as a result of being under control or lockdown restrictions in the COVID-19 response framework.
• Were required to close or significantly restrict services as a result of being under “modified Stage 2” restrictions in the previous framework
• Businesses will not be eligible if they are within the areas subject to public health restrictions, but were not required to close or significantly restrict services or owned by the federal, provincial, or a municipal government, or by a person holding federal or provincial office.

Applications for the Property Tax and Energy Cost Rebate Grant closed on July 30, 2021.

Helping small businesses with unexpected costs of PPE. Eligible small business will get a one-time grant of up to $1,000.

To be eligible, your business must have 2-9 employees and be in one of the following sectors:

• retail trade;
• accommodation and food services;
• repair and maintenance;
• personal and laundry services;
• gyms and yoga studios
• arts, entertainment, and recreation.

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Ontario is providing one‐time payments of $10,000 to $20,000 to support eligible small tourism and travel businesses struggling to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This grant will support eligible small tourism and travel businesses that did not receive the Ontario Small Business Support Grant (OSBSG), such as travel agents, hotels, motels, resorts, and bed and breakfasts.

To qualify, businesses must have fewer than 100 employees and demonstrate they have experienced a minimum 20 percent revenue decline between 2019 and 2020.

Applications for the Ontario Tourism and Travel Small Business Support Grant closed on July 9, 2021. MORE INFORMATION

Innovation Factory, Digital Main Street, and Pavement have come together to help 100 restaurants sell their products online.

Through the Hamilton eatCommerce Pilot, restaurant owners will receive $250 in digital services and a choice between 3 digital packages (Web Starter, Social Ad Campaign, or A-La-Carte).

Grants are limited to 100 restaurants and provided on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Apply as soon as possible if you would like to participate as this program is extremely limited.

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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 October 23, 2021.

This subsidy will provide payments 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.

Next Deadline
November 4, 2021: Last day to apply for claim period 8

Next Period Opens
November 1, 2021: First day you can apply for claim period 14

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA OR APPLY NOW

As a Canadian employer who has seen a drop in revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic, you may be eligible for a subsidy to cover part of your employee wages. This subsidy will enable you to re-hire workers, help prevent further job losses, and ease your business back into normal operations.

Next Deadline
November 4, 2021: Last day to apply for claim period 15

Next Period Opens
November 1, 2021: First day you can apply for claim period 21

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As a Canadian employer who continues to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, you may be eligible to apply for one of the two subsidies to cover part of your employee wages.

The CRHP and the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) support wages you pay through different phases of your economic recovery. Each claim period, eligible employers can claim either CRHP or CEWS, whichever is higher.

Next Deadline
December 30, 2021: Last day to apply for claim period 17

Next Period Opens
November 1, 2021: First day you can apply for claim period 21

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The Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) gives income support to employed and self-employed individuals who are directly affected by COVID-19 and are not entitled to Employment Insurance (EI) benefits. The CRB is administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

Depending on when you start applying for the CRB, you can either receive $1,000 ($900 after taxes withheld) or $600 ($540 after taxes withheld) for a 2-week period.

If your situation continues, you will need to apply again. You may apply for up to a total of 27 eligibility periods (54 weeks) between September 27, 2020 and October 23, 2021.

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Providing main street businesses with a digital assessment, online training modules available as a resource, and municipalities with grants to implement a Digital Service Squad.

Free Social Media Content Strategy
Bring clarity to your social content strategy, hone in your voice and message, create social content pillars that you can create content around for years to come. The Digital Main Street Service Squad can help with their FREE, in-depth social media content strategy planning session. Book your free session now.

Free 16-Point Social Media Audit
Are your social media profiles set up properly? Are you utilizing all the options available? Are you posting regularly? Find the answers to these questions and more with the Digital Main Street Service Squad’s FREE 16-point audit for your Facebook and Instagram profiles. Learn more by emailing digitalmainstreet@hamilton.ca.

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Find information about programs that may be right for you based on your mental health, wellness, and addiction needs, and the type of support that you prefer.

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The Hamilton COVID Concierge for Business is a one-stop online resource centre and phone line dedicated to supporting Hamilton businesses with their COVID-19 business questions and concerns. Local businesses can access the new COVID Concierge for Business phone line at 905-521-3989 or by visiting www.hamiltoncovidconcierge.ca.

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WorkWise Hamilton is a new campaign launched by the Hamilton COVID Concierge Team and Hamilton Public Health Services. Here you can find sector-specific guidelines to reopening, workplace safety resources for businesses, a Workplace Safety Checklist, and more.

WorkWise Hamilton’s goal is to provide workplaces with resources to help navigate the Province’s new regulations and continue to learn about effective ways to prevent COVID-19 spread in the workplace.

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The Hamilton Chamber of Commerce is pleased to provide free rapid testing kits to businesses (including non-Chamber members) with fewer than 150 employees.

The goal of the program is to identify asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 in the workplace that might otherwise be missed, helping to curb the spread in the workplace, at home and around the community in Hamilton.

The Hamilton Rapid Testing centre is located at 44 Frid Street and operates from Tuesday to Thursday, 10 am to 3 pm.

MORE INFORMATION OR ORDER RAPID TESTING KITS

Pride Hamilton and the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce have launched the Pride Community Pages. The Pride Community Pages aims to be a directory of Hamilton businesses that are owned by, friendly to, or providing safe space to the Two Spirit and LGBTQIA+ community. Register your business today.

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The Hamilton Chamber and the Hamilton Business Centre have put together a Digital Resource Hub for small businesses. Whether you’re looking to create a logo for your business, learn how to effectively use social media, build a website, or find that perfect photo, this is your hub of over 150 of the best FREE digital resources from around the web.

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