Applications closed June 30, 2021.
Overview
The Small and Medium Enterprise Relaunch Grant offers financial assistance to Alberta organizations (businesses, cooperatives and non-profits) that were ordered to close or curtail operations, and that experienced a revenue reduction of at least 30%, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
To support businesses affected by the public health measures introduced in April and May 2021, a spring 2021 application period opened April 23 and closed June 30.
Businesses, cooperatives and non-profits can use these funds as they see fit to help offset a portion of the impact of new public health measures or their relaunch costs, such as implementing measures to minimize the risk of virus transmission, which could include:
- physical barriers
- purchasing personal protective equipment and disinfecting supplies
- paying rent and employee wages
- replacing inventory and more
Note: the portal works best in Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge
Application status
Spring payment: Applications closed on June 30, 2021
If an application was submitted on or before June 30, it will remain under consideration until a decision on eligibility has been reached.
First and second payment: Applications closed on March 31, 2021
If an application for a previous payment was submitted on or before March 31, it will remain under consideration until a decision on eligibility has been reached.
Ministry responsible
Jobs, Economy and Innovation
Funding
The Government of Alberta has committed up to $350 million in funding for the spring 2021 payment from the program.
Application intake for the program is now closed.
For more information, refer to the:
Eligibility
Businesses, cooperatives and non-profit organizations that were ordered to close or curtail operations as a result of public health orders issued by Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health may be eligible.
Applicants will be required to demonstrate a revenue reduction of at least 30% as a result of COVID-19 public health orders.
After you apply
The program aims to process applications and issue payments within 14 business days following submission. Any application data entry errors will increase processing time and applicants will not receive payment within the stated 14 business day window following submission.
Applications requiring manual review are processed in the order in which they are received based on the date of submission. Due to the high volume of applications requiring manual review, they may experience a delay of approximately 6 to 8 weeks.
- After you have submitted your application, you can check the status of your application on the main portal page.
Approved applicants will receive funds via Electronic Fund Transfer directly into their bank account.
- Ensure the banking information provided at the time of application is accurate to avoid payment delays.
- The grant is a taxable benefit and must be declared on your annual returns.
Applications with incomplete or incorrect information, or that require manual review, will experience a delay in processing and will not receive payment within 14 business days.
- Applications flagged for manual review will appear on the main page of the online application portal in 'Requires Manual Review' status.
- The applicant may be contacted by a program officer for more information to complete the review.
Audit and compliance
All applications and corresponding grants are subject to a potential audit by the Government of Alberta, or their authorized representatives, upon reasonable notice to the recipient.
- Any audit process would encompass taking copies and extracts of the records and books of account maintained by the recipient in accordance with eligible criteria outlined in the 'Eligibility criteria' section of the program guidelines.
- If records or accounts are deemed inadequate to permit a determination of eligibility, repayment of the grant funding by the recipient will be required.
Contact
For questions and to connect with Small and Medium Enterprise Support program staff:
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