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The Business Sustainability stream will provide up to $6.5 million of non-repayable contributions up to $20,000 in direct-to-business funding to support productivity enhancements for brick-and-mortar businesses located on main streets across southern Ontario.
Funding will be made available to businesses that employ between 1 and 50 staff, have demonstrated revenue growth, and provide a business case on how the funding will strengthen their existing capacity and support their growth.
The Business Sustainability stream is open for applications between February 22 and March 31, 2024.
Review the Applicant Guide for ineligible expenses or contact them at business@mymainstreet.ca
ELIGIBILITY
Depending on the type of business applying, there are additional eligibility criteria; however, the following provides an overview of the program criteria that applies to each applicant:
Must be located within southern Ontario. The full list of eligible regions surrounding municipalities can be found here.
Must be a business with a bricks-and-mortar location.
Must be located on a main street.
Priority will be given to applicants who have not previously received funding through the My Main Street Local Business Accelerator program.
Is owned by an Ontario resident operating a business in Ontario who is:
18 years of age or older at the time of application.
A Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
Is employing 1 to 50 employees.
Is paying commercial property tax (commercially assessed), either directly or through commercial rent.
Is a registered business.
Is open to the public for walk-in and onsite purchases of goods and services.
Is not a franchise, including those individually owned and operated.
Is not in a shared workspace such as a hot desk or dedicated desk.
Is not a consulting or professional services company.
Is not purely an online business.
Has completed the online application.
Priority will be given to applicants who are members of equity-seeking groups, including Francophone, women, Indigenous, racialized groups, Black communities, newcomers, youth (39 and under), people living with disabilities, Trans, Non-binary and 2SLGBQIA+.
Priority will be given to applicants who have not previously received funding through the My Main Street Local Business Accelerator program.
ELIGIBLE EXPENSES
Non-repayable contributions can be used to cover a range of eligible expenses, including:
Bricks-and-Mortar Startup Costs (for businesses located at their address under 1 year)
Equipment
Lease (e.g., initial lease costs)
Leasehold improvements (e.g., improvements to the business space, etc.)
External façade renovations (e.g., signage or external façade updates)
Inventory (e.g., purchasing inventory)
Marketing
Technology (e.g., securing tech to support business operations)
Business Expansion Costs
Equipment
Leasehold improvements (e.g., improvements to the business space, etc.)
External façade renovations (e.g., signage or external façade updates)
Inventory (e.g., purchasing inventory)
Marketing
Technology (e.g., securing tech to support business operations, such POS, CRM or other systems)
Review the Applicant Guide for ineligible expenses or contact us at business@mymainstreet.ca.
To review the map: https://mymainstreet.ca/mapping-tool
