The Manitoba government is introducing the Sector Support Program to provide up to $22 million in further support for businesses affected by the most recent COVID-19 public health orders, Economic Development and Jobs Minister Jon Reyes and Finance Minister Scott Fielding announced today.
The ministers noted the support would help approximately 1,800 businesses through various levels of available funding, depending on the number of employees on their last payrolls before the public health orders took effect on Dec. 21.
An online assessment tool will be available by the end of the busy holiday period, and until Jan. 31, 2022, to help business owners determine their level of eligibility for the Sector Support Program. Businesses can apply for grants based on the number of employees:
- one to nine employees – $3,000;
- 10 to 19 employees – $6,000;
- 20 to 49 employees – $9,000; and
- more than 50 employees – $12,000.
The program is available to businesses such as restaurants, hotels and bars that provide primarily dine-in food services, as well as fitness and recreation facilities, such as movie theatres, performance venues and museums.
Food service establishments will be encouraged to donate any surplus food to local food banks and other organizations that provide meals to Manitobans in need.
More information on the Sector Support Program is available at: https://manitoba.ca/covid19/programs/issp.html.
The Manitoba Chambers of Commerce is pleased to have consulted with government in the development of this program. It meets a number of key criteria the MCC has recommended when developing a support program:
- Timely
- Simple to apply
- Scalable
- Provides business with certainty
“No support program is ever going to make up for the losses and debt that businesses have incurred over the course of the pandemic but these measures will hopefully lessen the stress level of those business owners that have been asked to reduce capacity as a result of public health measures,” said MCC President & CEO Chuck Davidson. “Our goal is to do what ever is needed to keep business open and Manitobans employed during these challenging times”
