Follow this post for information on government support offered in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Provincial Support
For Businesses
BC Indigenous Tourism Recovery Fund 2022
- Indigenous Tourism BC and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, and Sport have partnered to deliver $3 million in funding through the BC Indigenous Tourism Recovery Fund 2022.
- Eligible Indigenous tourism businesses can apply for non-repayable grants of up to $20,000 to provide support for business recovery.
- Applications will be accepted in the following intake periods:
- January 19 – February 18, 2022 (grants will be issued by the end of March 2022)
- February 19 – March 31, 2022 (grants will be issued by the end of April 2022)
- April 1 – 31, 2022 (subject to available funds; grants will be issued by the end of May 2022)
BC Employer Training Grant Program
- Applications for the second 2021/2022 intake of the C19 Impacted Worker Training Stream, part of the BC Employer Training Grant program, are now being accepted. This stream supports employers and individuals in those sectors hardest hit by COVID-19, with individuals receiving training and employers receiving reimbursement of eligible training costs.
- Review the program details, additional funding streams, and eligibility online.
Business Support for Métis Entrepreneurs
- Various grants and loans are available through the Métis Financial Corporation of BC.
- In support of the province's CleanBC goals, rebates are being offered for eligible businesses on the purchase and installation of Electric Vehicle charging stations. Applications are open until March 1, 2023.
Indigenous Community Business Fund
- Non-repayable grants of up to $250,000 (per community).
- Applications will be accepted through Indigenous Tourism BC on an ongoing basis until all funding had been allocated.
PST rebate on select machinery and equipment
- The rebate period has been extended until March 31, 2022.
- All rebate applications must be received by September 30, 2022.
For Individuals
- Click here for full details on support for workers, individuals, and families.
Federal Support
For Businesses
Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund
- Provides loans of up to $250,000 for Black business owners and entrepreneurs.
- Applications are being accepted through the Federation of African Canadian Economics (FACE).
Canada Recovery Hiring Program (CRHP)
- Wage subsidy for eligible employers to cover part of their costs for new hires or for increases to existing employees' wages or hours.
- Employers can claim the CRHP or the wage portion of the Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program (THRP) or the Hardest-Hit Business Recovery Program (HHBRP), whichever is higher.
- Up to $75,000 in funding to assist small- and medium-sized companies grow within the international marketplace.
- The program is now accepting applications for the 2022/23 fiscal year (i.e., after April 1, 2022).
Hardest-Hit Business Recovery Program (HHBRP)
- Provides support to eligible businesses through wage and rent subsidies.
Large Employer Emergency Financing Facility (LEEFF)
- Will provide 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.
Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program (THRP)
- Provides support to eligible tourism and hospitality businesses through wage and rent subsidies.
- Will provide $500 million in funding, over two years, for the hard-hit tourism sector.
- Eligible for-profit businesses can access the following funding:
- non-repayable contributions under $100,000 (rate of assistance of 50 % of eligible costs), or
- fully repayable contributions up to $500,000 (rate of assistance of 75 % of eligible costs).
- For non-profit organizations and Indigenous entities, the contributions will normally be non-repayable and will not normally exceed $500,000.
- Click here for additional details on the fund and on eligibility requirements.
Work-Sharing Program COVID-19 Temporary Special Measures
- Eligibility criteria were expanded so more businesses are eligible.
- The maximum duration of a work-sharing agreement is 76 weeks for employers/employees affected by COVID-19.
- The temporary special measures have been extended to September 24, 2022.
For information on additional support for individual sectors, click here.
For Individuals:
Canada Recovery Caregiver Benefit (CRCB) / Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB):
- Both CRCB and CRSB have been extended until May 7, 2022.
- Eligible Canadians can apply for a maximum of 44 weeks for CRBC and a maximum of 6 weeks for CRSB.
Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit (CWLB)
- Provides income support to eligible workers who are unable to work due to a local lockdown between October 24, 2021, and May 7, 2022.
- Applications will only be available in the event that there are designated CWLB regions.
Employment Insurance (EI) Program
Visit the following links for more information on additional supports available through Canada's COVID-19 Economic Response Plan:
Have questions about the support available to businesses as it relates to COVID-19?
The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) is part of the BC Tourism Resiliency Network and will be providing one-on-one support for tourism businesses in the Thompson Okanagan corridor who have questions about available government support related to COVID-19. Click here to learn more and to register for TOTA's resiliency program.
