Support for Businesses

The Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP) can help get your business online, give your e-commerce presence a boost, or help digitalize your business's operations. CDAP provides funding and support to businesses, as well as training and work opportunities for young Canadians.

The Ontario COVID-19 Small Business Relief Grant (SBRG) will provide a grant of $10,000 to eligible businesses subject to closures as a result of the province’s move to the modified Step Two of the Roadmap to Reopen.

To receive the grant, a small business must:

• be required to close due to public health orders that took effect 12:01 a.m. on January 5, 2022

• have fewer than 100 employees

Eligible businesses that previously qualified for the Ontario Small Business Support Grant will be pre-screened to verify eligibility and will not need to apply for the new program.

Newly established and newly eligible small businesses will need to apply through the application portal.

Applications are open from February 9, 2022 to March 11, 2022.

Apply for the SBRG

The new Ontario Business Costs Rebate Program (OBCRP) provides support to businesses that are most impacted by public health measures in response to the Omicron variant.

Eligible businesses that are required to close or reduce capacity will receive rebate payments for a portion of the property tax and energy costs they incur while subject to these measures.

Eligible businesses required to reduce capacity to 50 per cent, such as smaller retail stores, will receive a rebate payment equivalent to 50 per cent of their costs, while businesses required to close for indoor activities, such as restaurants and gyms, will receive a rebate payment equivalent to 100 per cent of their costs.

Payments to eligible businesses will be retroactive to December 19, 2021 when public health measures were first effective.

Apply for the OBCRP

The Provincial government is providing additional support to help improve cash flows for Ontario businesses by providing a six-month interest- and penalty-free period to make payments for most provincially administered taxes.

The six-month period will begin on January 1, 2022 and end on July 1, 2022.

Learn more about delayed tax payments

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.

For each applicable claim period, eligible employers can claim one of the following, whichever gives the highest amount:

• Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program

• Hardest-Hit Businesses Recovery Program

• Canada Recovery Hiring Program

• Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy

Apply to the wage and hiring support

You may be eligible for a subsidy to cover part of your commercial rent or property expenses.

Depending on the period you are applying for, you may be eligible to claim your commercial rent or property expenses through one of the following:

• Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy

• Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program

• Hardest-Hit Businesses Recovery Program

Apply to the rent and property expense support

The Highly Affected Sectors Credit Availability Program (HASCAP) provides small- and medium-sized businesses that have been heavily impacted by COVID-19 with access to guaranteed, low-interest loans of $25,000 to $1-million to cover operational cash flow needs.

The HASCAP is available to businesses that operate in sectors such as tourism and hospitality, restaurants and those that primarily rely on in-person services.

Business owners can apply for support until March 31^st, 2022. 

Learn more about the HASCAP

Nottawasaga Futures is offering unsecured business loans up to $10,000 to help small businesses re-open and maintain full employment during the recovery period as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. The Pandemic Reopening Business Loan can assist with:

• Working capital

• Equipment purchases and upgrades

• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) supplies

• Information Technology needs such as computers, software, websites, and point of sale systems

Contact Nottawasaga Futures

RTO7 has a line-up of programs geared to support tourism operators, businesses, and organizations as they recover from the effects of COVID-19 on the tourism sector. 

To ensure producers, agribusinesses and food processors can remain focused on business-critical functions rather than worrying about how to access funds to keep operating through this challenging period, effective immediately, Farm Credit Canada (FCC) has put in place:

• a deferral of principal and interest payments up to six months for existing loans; or

• a deferral of principal payments up to 12 months

• access to an additional credit line up to $500,000, secured by general security agreements.

Learn more about the FCC COVID-19 Support Program

The Large Employer Emergency Financing Facility (LEEFF) provides bridge financing to Canada’s largest employers, whose needs during the pandemic are not being met through conventional financing, in order to keep their operations going.

Apply to to the LEEFF

The Ontario Government amended the Employment Standards Act to require employers to provide employees with up to three (3) days of paid infectious disease emergency leave because of certain reasons related to COVID-19. This entitlement will continue until July 31, 2022 and is in addition to employees’ rights to unpaid infectious disease emergency leave.

Learn more about the benefit

Temporary changes to the Employment Insurance (EI) program have been made to better support Canadians looking for work.

Learn more about EI

The Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit (CWLB) provides $300 a week to eligible workers who are unable to work due to a temporary local lockdown anytime between October 24, 2021 and May 7, 2022.

The benefit is only available when a COVID-19 lockdown order is designated for your region.

Apply for the CWLB

The Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB) gives income support to employed and self-employed individuals who are unable to work because they are sick or need to self-isolate due to COVID-19, or have an underlying health condition that puts them at greater risk of getting COVID-19. 

This benefit is available until May 7, 2022.

Apply for the CRSB

The Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB) gives income support to employed and self-employed individuals who are unable to work because they must care for their child under 12 years old or a family member who needs supervised care. This applies if their school, regular program or facility is closed or unavailable to them due to COVID-19, or because they are sick, self-isolating, or at risk of serious health complications due to COVID-19.

This benefit is available until May 7, 2022.

Apply for the CRCB

The Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP) can help get your business online, give your e-commerce presence a boost, or help digitalize your business's operations. CDAP provides funding and resources to businesses, as well as training and work opportunities for young Canadians.

Find resources and tools

The Ontario government has a rapid testing portal to make it easier for businesses to access free rapid testing to help keep employees and their families safe.

Rapid antigen screening goes hand in hand with public health measures, such as symptom screening, physical distancing, masking and hand hygiene. Any positive results from a rapid antigen point-of-care test must be confirmed with laboratory-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing.

Businesses are encouraged to get their own rapid antigen screening kits by registering through the portal. 

Check eligibility and apply

The Town's Temporary Restaurant Patio Program (TRPP) provides restaurants with the opportunity to establish or expand patio spaces to take advantage of the summer weather and offer safe outdoor dining areas to their customers.

Subject to the program’s conditions and public health measures, patios can operate in parking lots and adjacent premises on restaurants’ private property, as well as on municipal sidewalks at restaurants located in the downtowns of Alliston, Beeton, and Tottenham.

Register now

Looking for expert insights into navigating your business through the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic? Visit our Business Events Calendar for access to webinars, online events, and training sessions. 

Visit the Business Events Calendar

Local businesses are a vital part of New Tecumseth's economy.

They provide jobs for our friends and family, assist countless community initiatives with donations, volunteer efforts and sponsorships of our kids' sports teams, and are a part of the fabric of our Town's unique character.

Now more than ever, it's important to show them your support.

Rediscover everything New Tecumseth has to offer. Safely Make It New Tec when you shop, dine, or unwind at local merchants, restaurants, and service providers in Alliston, Beeton, and Tottenham.

Shop local. Eat local. Support local. Make It New Tec!

Support Local. Make It New Tec!

Nottawasaga Futures provides a free business consulting program to assist business owners and entrepreneurs. In addition to supports for business planning, financials, and accounting, businesses can access help with:

• confidential mental health support services;

• applying for funding programs being offered by the federal government;

• making sure their website is optimized for buying or booking appointments online;

• setting up online ordering for both delivery and take-out through their website;

• converting existing stores to e-commerce to offer online buying capabilities;

• offering online and/or live classes or consultations using tools like Skype and ZOOM;

• and much more!

Learn more about the business consulting program

Digital Main Street (DMS) is a program is built around an online learning platform, structured training programs, and DMS' Digital Service Squad; a team of highly trained recent graduates who help main street businesses grow and manage their business through the adoption of digital tools and technology.

The Government of Canada's COVID-19 Economic Response Plan includes a wide range of measures to support Canadian businesses and their employees who are facing financial hardship as a result of the pandemic.

• Support for Businesses

• Support for People

• Support for Sectors

• Support for Communities

Managing your business during COVID-19

Learn about changes to government programs and available supports as your business recovers from COVID-19.

Find Provincial business supports

Find small business recovery resources

Find resources to prevent COVID-19 in the workplace

Businesses or organizations must operate in compliance with the advice, recommendations instructions issued by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health on screening individuals.

This requirement includes posting signs at all entrances to the premises of the business or organization in a conspicuous location visible to the public that inform individuals on how to screen themselves for COVID-19 prior to entering the premises.

For patrons

Businesses and organizations must implement passive screening for patrons by posting signs at all entrances informing people to screen themselves for COVID-19 before entry.

Download Signs to Post at Entrances

Active screening is required in accordance with instructions by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health. Businesses, organizations and customers may use the COVID-19 customer screening tool to meet this requirement.

Customer Screening Tool

For workers

Workplaces must actively screen all workers before entering the work environment. 

Worker and Employee Screening Tool

New electricity rates came into effect on November 1, 2020. Small business customers that pay Time-of-Use (TOU) electricity prices now have a choice to move to a tiered price system or continue with TOU rates.

Choose the price plan that’s right for how your business consumes electricity. With TOU, the price you pay depends on when you use electricity whereas with tiered prices, you use a certain amount of electricity each month at a fixed price anytime of the day. Once you exceed that limit, a higher price applies.

If you want to continue paying TOU prices, no action is required. If you’re considering a switch to Tiered prices, get a price comparison using the OEB’s online bill calculator. 

Use the OEB Calculator

The Province of Ontario is working with industry and agency partners to launch Ontario Live — a new virtual hub designed to promote and support the province’s tourism and cultural industries. This initiative, developed in collaboration with industry partners and leaders, will provide support for Ontario’s culture and tourism industries and help to mitigate the economic toll of the COVID-19 outbreak on Ontario’s artists, creators and attractions.

Register Your Business with Ontario Live

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), in cooperation with the provincial government, has created a self-certified Safe Travel Stamp based on worldwide industry protocols for every aspect of hospitality and tourism industries.

The specially designed stamp will allow consumers to recognize governments and businesses around the world that have adopted standardized health and hygiene protocols.

Eligible businesses include hotels, restaurants, airlines, cruise lines, tour operators, attractions, short term rentals, car rentals, outdoor shopping, transportation and airports.

Learn more about the Safe Travel Stamp

 Business Development Partner Resources

The Town's business development partners and service providers are regularly updating resource lists and hosting webinars to help educate business owners as they navigate this complex and challenging situation. Find more information at the following organizations' websites:

• BDC

• County of Simcoe Economic Development Office

• FOCUS Community Development Corporation

• Henry Bernick Entrepreneurship Centre

• Nottawasaga Futures

• Ontario Business Improvement Area Association

• Ontario Chamber of Commerce

• Ontario Federation of Agriculture

• Sandbox Centre for Shared Entrepreneurship & Innovation

• Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit

• Small Business Centre | Barrie, Simcoe County, and Orillia 

• Tourism Simcoe County