Burlington Providing $117K across 94 Businesses in 2nd Round of Burlington Safe Restart COVID-19 Business Relief Grant

Burlington Ec Dev
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*Please see below a media release issued by Burlington Economic Development.December 16, 2020 -- Following a very successful first round of the program, Team Burlington (Burlington Economic Development, Burlington Chamber of Commerce, Burlington Downtown Business Association, Aldershot Village BIA and Tourism Burlington), in partnership with the City of Burlington and POST Promise is pleased to announce that $117,392 will be awarded across 94 Burlington businesses in the second round of the Burlington Safe Restart COVID-19 Business Relief Grant.

"Supporting our economy and rebuilding consumer trust is critical right now, so we are happy that in addition to the Burlington Safe Restart grant, the Ontario government is stepping up to support small businesses during these challenging times. We wanted to ensure our program compliments the Ontario Main Street Relief Grant program rather than compete with it as well as ensure the hardest hit businesses are receiving the support they need. We applaud all of the businesses who doing everything they can to keep customers safe, especially as we move into the holiday season." -- Anita Cassidy, Executive Director, Burlington Economic Development

The grant provides eligible businesses with a one-time grant of up to $2500 that can be used towards related COVID-19 costs. Costs include PPE and renovations to physical space to allow businesses to properly adhere to public health guidelines. After a successful first round of funding where $124,689 was awarded across 59 businesses, Team Burlington looked to open a second round of funding in order to help even more businesses get the support they need.Since this program was initially rolled out, the Ontario government has also launched a PPE grant for businesses known as Ontario's Main Street Relief Grant. This program provides eligible small businesses with a one-time grant of up to $1,000 to cover PPE costs. Efforts were made to ensure Round 2 of the Burlington Safe Restart Grant aligned with the provincial program in order to help small businesses get access to the capital they need without duplication. For this second round of funding, Team Burlington adjusted the assessment criteria to ensure alignment was achieved and deliver the funds to the businesses that have been the hardest hit due to COVID-19.The Burlington Safe Restart COVID-19 Business Relief Grant was a direct outcome of the Burlington Economic Recovery Network (BERN), which aimed to create and deliver an innovative new program that would provide financial support to Burlington's small business community during COVID-19.The program is also proud to partner with POST Promise, a private sector-led initiative, for support to provide essential information on how to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. All grant recipients are required to make the promise through the POST Promise initiative.

"The POST Promise is thrilled to be partnering with Team Burlington, the City of Burlington and the Burlington Safe Restart Program once again. Now, more than ever, we all need to come together to support our local businesses. We congratulate all grant recipients and businesses who have made the POST Promise and commend their efforts to keep their customers and employees safe during this pandemic." -- Laura Hearn, President and Executive Director, POST Promise

Recipients in the second round come from a range of industries including salons, fitness facilities, retail stores and many more, all of which have been dramatically impacted due to COVID-19. A full list of companies supported can be found online at www.investburlington.ca.MAYOR MEED WARD'S TAKE:COVID-19 has proven to be incredibly challenging for our business community. Our local small businesses remains resilient and respectful, and for that I am incredibly proud. Even though up to $2,500 was available, our business community only asked for what they needed and made it possible to support more applicants. I would like to thank our grant recipients for this and their tireless commitment to our community and their resilience and fortitude in getting through this difficult time. We see you, and we support you.

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Media ContactClaire GreenManager, Marketing and AttractionBurlington Economic DevelopmentClaire.Green@burlington.caRELATED LINKS:

—PLEASE NOTE: To stay updated on what the City of Burlington is doing regarding COVID-19, please visit the dedicated pages burlington.ca/coronavirus (and subscribe) and bit.ly/mayormeedwardCOVID19updates, and our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page — bit.ly/COVID19BurlingtonFAQ that are updated as new information becomes available.A consolidated page for information and updates on the work of the provincial Ministers’ COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force is available at bit.ly/COVIDVaccineUpdates.A Burlington COVID-19 Task Force has been created to help support our community through this unprecedented emergency — updates will be provided at burlington.ca/COVID19taskforce.To report an incident of non-compliance with provincial emergency orders, please contact the Halton Regional Police Service COVID-19 Hotline: 905-825-4722.We’ve also created a dedicated page to feature the local organizations and businesses that have inspired us during the COVID-19 pandemic by taking action to support our community in new and creative ways — head to bit.ly/covidwallofinspiration.HELPFUL RESOURCES & RELATED LINKS:

--*Posted by John Bkila, Mayor's Media and Digital Communications Specialist

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