Subsidy & Aid Relief

The Aboriginal Business Investment Fund (ABIF) can partially or completely fund capital costs for Indigenous community-owned economic development projects. Projects like these improve social and economic outcomes for Indigenous Peoples and their communities.

ABIF provides between $150,000 and $500,000 to support an Indigenous community-owned economic development project. That could be up to 100% of eligible project costs. An ABIF grant can be stacked with other government and industry funding sources.

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The Aerospace Regional Recovery Initiative (ARRI) is a national program that will provide $250 million over three years to help the Canadian aerospace sector emerge from the pandemic and continue to compete on the global stage.

Businesses operating in the aerospace industry, and the organizations that support them through supply chains, are eligible to apply for funding for projects that will:

• help them green their operations and adopt environmentally sustainable practices;
• improve productivity and strengthen commercialization; and/or
• strengthen integration into regional and global supply chains.

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The Agrivalue Processing Business Incubator (APBI) is a multi-tenant facility. It provides the infrastructure and services to support the establishment and growth of new companies and new business ventures in Alberta. The APBI meets federal food-regulation requirements, enabling resident companies to market their products nationally and internationally.

The purpose of the APBI facility is to:

• assist with the startup of new food businesses
• provide a centre of excellence for agrivalue venture scale-up
• attract product/process development initiatives of established food industry companies to Alberta

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The Alberta Export Expansion Program provides funding support to Alberta small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), municipalities, industry associations, Indigenous communities and economic development organizations promoting Alberta exports through:

• outbound international business travel
• bringing international buyers to Alberta

For-profit or municipal applicants may be reimbursed up to 50%, and non-profit applicants up to 75%, on eligible costs such as:

• accommodation
• airfare
• inter-city ground travel
• registration for tradeshows or events
• translation or interpretive services for marketing materials
• conference room space

Each applicant can apply to the program multiple times, but will only be eligible for up to a combined maximum of $25,000 in approved grant agreement(s) per program year (April 1 to March 31).

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The Black Entrepreneurship Program (BEP) is a partnership between the Government of Canada, Black-led business organizations, and financial institutions. With an investment of up to $221 million over four years, it will help Black Canadian business owners and entrepreneurs grow their businesses and succeed now and into the future.

The Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund is a partnership between the Government of Canada, Black-led business organizations, and several financial institutions. It will provide loans up to $250,000 to Black business owners and entrepreneurs across the country. The Government of Canada has announced that the Federation of African-Canadian Economies (F.A.C.E.), a coalition of prominent Black-led business and community organizations, will manage the Government's investment in the Loan Fund.

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Credit to help cover operating costs due to the COVID-19 pandemic through the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC).

• EDC Business Credit Availability Program (BCAP) Guarantee
  • Up to $6.25 million to cover rent, payroll and other operating costs caused by the current crisis; available until or before June 2021 (extended).
• Co-Lending Program
  • Up to $12.5 million for your operational cash flow requirements; available until or before June 2021 (extended).
• Mid-Market Financing Program
  • Junior loans ranging between $12.5 million and $60 million for medium-sized businesses particularly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic; available until or before June 2021 (extended).

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Canadian businesses, non-profit organizations, or charities who have seen a drop in revenue due to 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 June 2021.

This subsidy will provide payments directly to qualifying renters and property owners, without requiring the participation of landlords.

Click to learn more and apply.

Rent subsidy calculator.

The CEWS has been extended to June 2021, including changes to the rates and top-up calculation.

Click here for November 2020 changes

As a Canadian employer whose business has been affected by COVID-19, 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.

This wage subsidy will enable you to re-hire workers previously laid off as a result of COVID-19, help prevent further job losses, and better position you to resume normal operations following the crisis.

You can click the link below to find out if you're an eligible employer, and to calculate you subsidy amount if you are eligible.

Click to learn more.

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).

If you are eligible for the CRB, you can receive $1,000 ($900 after taxes withheld) for a 2-week period.

If your situation continues past 2 weeks, you will need to apply again. You may apply up to a total of 13 eligibility periods (26 weeks) between September 27, 2020 and September 25, 2021.

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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. The CRCB is administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

If you are eligible for the CRCB, your household can receive $500 ($450 after taxes withheld) for each 1-week period.

If your situation continues past 1 week, you will need to apply again. You may apply up to a total of 26 weeks between September 27, 2020 and September 25, 2021.

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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.

CRHP opens July 7, 2021

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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. The CRSB is administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

If you are eligible for the CRSB, you can receive $500 ($450 after taxes withheld) for a 1-week period.

If your situation continues past 1 week, you will need to apply again. You may apply up to a total of 2 weeks between September 27, 2020 and September 25, 2021.

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The Critical Worker Benefit provides a one-time payment of $1,200 to eligible Albertans in recognition of their hard work to provide Albertans with the care and critical services they need.

Through the benefit, the Government of Alberta will distribute up to $465 million in funding to eligible workers. This includes up to $118 million in provincial funds, in addition to $347 million from the federal government’s benefit program for low-wage critical workers.

Private sector employers have until Friday, July 23, 2021, to apply.

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Employment Partnerships Program (EPP) provides funding to Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program agreement holders for Indigenous workforce development.

EPP project priorities are to:

• provide direct training and employment supports
• foster industry partnerships to expand the availability, accessibility and quality of Indigenous employment opportunities
• inform organizational priorities with labour market information to better meet skills needs and market demand

EPP complements other funding programs and is not intended to replace or duplicate other sources of financing that may be available.

EPP is funded federally through the Canada-Alberta Labour Market Development Agreement and the Canada-Alberta Workforce Development Agreement.

The maximum application funding amount for a single project is $100,000.

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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.

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The Jobs and Growth Fund (JGF) is a $700-million federal program to support regional job creation and position local economies for long-term growth. This includes up to $70 million dedicated to businesses created after January 2020 that meet the eligibility criteria.

Funding Support:

• Eligible businesses could receive interest-free, repayable contributions for up to 50% of authorized costs.
• Eligible not-for-profit organizations could receive non-repayable contributions for up to 90% of authorized costs.

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LEEFF is a program instituted by the Government of Canada to provide short-term liquidity assistance in the form of interest-bearing term loans to large Canadian employers who have been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. The intent of LEEFF is to provide bridge financing to large Canadian employers to help these enterprises to preserve their employment, operations and investment activities until they can access more traditional market financing.

LEEFF will be open to large Canadian employers who:

(a) have a significant impact on Canada’s economy, as demonstrated by (i) having significant operations in Canada or (ii) supporting a significant workforce in Canada;

(b) can generally demonstrate approximately $300 million or more in annual revenues; and

(c) require a minimum loan size of about $60 million.

Broader sectoral dynamics for LEEFF applicants will be considered by Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada. As part of this process, applicants will also be contacted by ISED officials.

LEEFF factsheet.

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The Regional Air Transportation Initiative (RATI) is a $206-million program that will provide support over two years to eligible regional businesses and airports that directly contribute to regional air transportation. The fund is designed to help ensure that regional air connectivity and services, which are critical to economic growth, are maintained and that regional routes are reconnected across the country.

RATI is being delivered by Canada's six regional development agencies (RDA). The RATI complements other federal measures, in particular those that Transport Canada is implementing, to support the air transportation sector.

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The Residential Schools Community Research Grant funds Indigenous-led engagement, research and related activities associated with the documented and undocumented deaths and burials of Indigenous children at any of the historical Indian residential school sites in Alberta.

This is one way Alberta is taking action on the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action relating to Indigenous children and residential schools.

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The Federal Government is providing $287 million to support rural businesses and communities by providing them with much-needed access to capital through the Community Futures Network.

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Dedicated funding for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis businesses

Small and medium-sized Indigenous businesses that are current or former clients of an Aboriginal Financial Institution can apply for up to $60,000:

• an interest-free loan up to $40,000
• a non-repayable contribution up to $20,000

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On April 18, 2020 the Government of Canada announced $306.8 million in funding for small and medium-sized Indigenous businesses struggling amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

• These measures will help 6,000 Indigenous-owned businesses get through these difficult times.

Indigenous businesses provide jobs, goods, and services to communities, and are an important part of the Canadian economy.

In addition to the above measures, Indigenous peoples can also access benefits for individuals and businesses on the www.canada.ca website.

The Tourism Relief Fund (TRF), administered by Canada's regional development agencies and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), is a $500-million national program that is part of a broader $1-billion package proposed in Budget 2021 to support the tourism sector in Canada.

Initiatives under this fund will help tourism businesses and organizations:

• adapt their operations to meet public health requirements
• improve their products and services
• position themselves for post-pandemic economic recovery

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Visa is back with more funding opportunities for women-owned businesses in Canada, in partnership with IFundWomen.  As part of Visa’s continued commitment to support small businesses, women entrepreneurs in Canada are encouraged to apply for another chance to win $10,000 CAD plus a one-year IFundWomen Annual Coaching membership. Applications are being accepted through August 3, 2021.

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The Wage Earner Protection Program (WEPP) is a Government of Canada program that provides timely payment of eligible wages owing to workers whose employer has gone bankrupt or become subject to receivership. Eligible wages under the Program include salaries, commissions, vacation, termination and severance pay.

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Work-Sharing (WS) is a program that helps employers and employees avoid layoffs when there is a temporary decrease in business activity beyond the control of the employer. The program provides Employment Insurance (EI) benefits to eligible employees who agree to reduce their normal working hours and share the available work while their employer recovers. Work-Sharing is an agreement between employers, employees and the Government of Canada.

The Program allows employers to:

• retain qualified and experienced workers, and
• avoid recruiting and training new employees

The Program allows employees to:

• keep their jobs, and
• maintain their work skills

During the COVID-19 pandemic, all Work-Sharing agreements fall under the COVID-19 temporary special measures. The Government of Canada has extended these measures to September 26, 2021.

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