COVID-19: State of public health emergency. Mandatory measures remain in effect provincewide.
Overview
The Small and Medium Enterprise Relaunch Grant offers financial assistance to Alberta businesses, cooperatives, and non-profit organizations 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.
The program offers 2 payments to eligible applicants, with up to $20,000 in available funding per eligible application.
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

Application status: Open
- Applications for the first and second payment are open. Application intake will remain open until March 31, 2021.
Ministry responsible: Jobs, Economy and Innovation
Eligibility change for new businesses
New businesses that began operations between March 1 and October 31, 2020 and meet the updated 30% threshold can apply for the grant starting February 4, 2021. Do not apply before the portal has been updated on February 4 to ensure your application isn't deemed ineligible.
Funding
The Government of Alberta has committed up to $500 million in funding for the program.
The program provides funding to organizations that saw a 30% revenue reduction in April or May 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
First payment
Grant funding amounts for the first payment are calculated based on 15% of the eligible organization’s pre-COVID-19 monthly revenue up to a maximum of $5,000 per business, cooperative or non-profit organization.
- Each applicant will receive one first payment representing 15% of one month’s worth of pre-COVID-19 revenue up to a maximum of $5,000.
- Applicants can choose either April or May 2020 to demonstrate their 30% revenue reduction.
Second payment
A second payment is available to businesses, cooperatives and non-profits in areas on the provincial watch list that were required to curtail operations as a result of new public health orders in effect from November 6, 2020 and later.
The second payment is valued at 3 times the amount of the approved first payment, up to a maximum of $15,000.
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% in April and/or May 2020 as a result of COVID-19 public health orders.
How to apply
Businesses, cooperatives and non-profits from all regions of the province may apply at any time until application intake for the program closes.
Applicants who have not yet applied can apply for both their first and second payments using a single application.
Watch the How to fill out a new application for SMERG video.
Applicants who have already submitted an application for their first payment will be given the option to fill out and submit an application for the second payment. The application for the second payment will be accessible through the online application portal as an add-on to the first submitted application. Starting a completely new application will result in the application being flagged by the system as a duplicate and will cause payment delays.
Watch the How to apply for SMERG second payment video.
After you apply
The program aims to process applications and issue payments within 10 business days following submission.
- After you have submitted your application, your application will appear on the main page of the online application portal in "Submitted" status. Check the main page for further updates on the status of your application.
Approved applicants will receive funds via Electronic Fund Transfer directly into their bank account.
- Please 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 10 business days.
- Applications flagged for manual review will appear on the main page of the online application portal in "Review" status.
- The applicant may be contacted by a program officer for more information to complete the review.
- Applicants who have already submitted their application should not reapply. Resubmitting an application could cause further delays.
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: